Regiment of Artillery

Last updated

Regiment of the Artillery
Active1827–present
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
AllegianceRepublic of India
BranchFlag of Indian Army.svg  Indian Army
TypeArtillery
Garrison/HQ Nashik, Maharashtra
Motto(s)Sarvatra Izat-o-Iqbal(Everywhere with Honour and Glory)
ColorsWhile the guns are regarded as the regimental colours and are accorded the same compliments as the Standards, Guidons and Colours of the Cavalry and Infantry and the Banners of the Light Infantry and Services and Corps, the Artillery Regiments carry blue and burgundy red President's Banners.
Anniversaries28 September (Gunners' Day)
Decorations Victoria Cross 1
Vir Chakra 3
Yudh Seva Medal (YSM)1
Sena Medal 19
Shaurya Chakra 1 [1]
Insignia
Regimental insigniaA gun with Star of India above it

The Regiment of Artillery is an operational arm (a regiment/corps) of the Indian Army. Formerly part of Royal Indian Artillery (RIA) of British Indian Army which itself traces its origins to the formation of Bombay Artillery in 1827. It was later involved in extensive service in the First World War, in East Africa, Gallipoli, Mesopotamia and Palestine .

Contents

Today it is the second-largest arm of the Indian Army, and with its guns, mortars, rocket launchers, unmanned aerial vehicles, surveillance systems, missiles and artillery firepower it constitutes almost one-sixth of its total strength.

Its motto is Sarvatra Izzat-o-Iqbal(Everywhere with Honour and Glory), the Hindustani equivalent of the Royal Artillery motto Ubique Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt (Everywhere That Right And Glory Lead), and it shares the same symbol but with the Star of India in place of the Royal Crown. The Hindustani motto honors the memory of the Hindu and Muslim gunners who fought during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

History

The Mughal Emperor Babur is popularly credited with introducing artillery to India, in the Battle of Panipat in 1526, where he decisively used gunpowder firearms and field artillery to defeat the much larger army of Ibrahim Lodhi, the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, thus not just laying the foundation of the Mughal Empire but also setting a precedent for all future battles in the subcontinent. However, evidence of earlier use of guns by Bahmani kings in the battle of Adoni in 1368 and King Mohammed Shah of Gujarat in the fifteenth century have been recorded.

The East India Company raised the first regular company of artillery in 1748, with a small percentage of Indian gunners called Gun Lashkars, Tindals and Serangs. A few Indian mountain artillery batteries, officered by the British, were raised in the 19th century and formed part of the Royal Artillery. [2] The Royal Indian Artillery (RIA) of the British Indian Army was raised on 28 September 1827, as a part of the Bombay Army, a presidency army of the Bombay Presidency. It was later renamed as 5 Bombay Mountain Battery, and participated in the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842).

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 sparked off in Meerut on 10 May 1857. Many of the Indian personnel of the Bengal Artillery were involved in the mutiny and the three battalions of foot artillery then in existence were all disbanded in 1862. [3] Subsequently, all Indian artillery units were disbanded except for four mountain artillery batteries of the Bombay Army [4] and four field batteries of the Hyderabad Contingent. Major Richard Keatinge of Bombay Artillery was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1858 for his service during the Indian Rebellion.

A mountain artillery crew from the British Indian Army demonstrating assembly of the RML 2.5 inch Mountain Gun, ca 1895 RML2.5inchMountaunGunAssembling1895.jpg
A mountain artillery crew from the British Indian Army demonstrating assembly of the RML 2.5 inch Mountain Gun, ca 1895

In the 20th century, the Artillery was later involved in extensive service in the First World War, in East Africa, Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, and Palestine. [2]

The Regiment of Artillery was raised on 15 January 1935, when the first three Indian Field Regiments, originally numbered A, B, and C were authorised. [5] Originally called the 'Indian Regiment of Artillery', which later became 'The Regiment of Indian Artillery' on 1 November 1940 and 'Royal Regiment of Indian Artillery' in October 1945, after its success in World War II. [4]

After the partition of India in 1947 the RIA was divided between the newly formed artillery regiments of India and Pakistan. [2] In the coming years, the Regiment of Artillery took part in all the operations fought by the Indian Army, the latest being the Kargil War.

The School of Artillery of the Indian Army is situated at Devlali near Nashik, and the Regiment of Artillery Museum, established in 1970, is also situated in Nashik at Nasik Road Camp.

The Regiment of Artillery was divided in the mid-1990s between the Field Artillery, the Corps of Air Defence Artillery formed in January 1994, and the Army Aviation Corps formed in November 1993. [6] The Field Artillery is the largest successor branch, with 190 regiments, but no longer accounted for a sixth of the army's 1.2 million 1996 strength.

Jane's Defence Weekly said in 1996 that divisional artillery deployed on India's plains is expected to have a mix of 130mm and 155mm guns. [7] This could be a combination of three 130mm regiments and one regiment of 155mm guns, or two regiments of each calibre, depending on the anticipated threat and whether the division is to be employed for offensive or defensive operations.

On 15 January 1985, a commemorative stamp depicting a gunner and howitzer from Mountain Battery was released by India Post, on the Golden Jubilee of the Regiment of Artillery [8]

During the Kargil War, the Indian artillery inflicted heavy damage to Pakistani infiltrators. [9] The role played by the artillery was praised by the top army brass, the divisional commander, a brigade commander and a battalion commander. Two of the officers in that conflict were then Gen. Ved Prakash Malik and then Lt. Gen. Sundararajan Padmanabhan both of whom went on to serve as the Chief of Army Staff. [10]

Composition in the Regiments

According to army history in artillery, the regiments have been classified in the form of caste and culture. Some of the regiments have been divided into the caste system or some in the traditional culture or historical backgrounds. In regiments of artillery, the units have been allotted in the form of Sikhs, Jats, Dogras, Rajputs, Ahirs, Brahmins, Gurkhas, Marathas and SICs (South Indian Classes). There are also two airborne artillery units, 9 (Parachute) Field Regiment and 17 (Parachute) Field Regiment. Most of the artillery units have been affiliated to infantry units. On anniversaries of their raising days, the artillery units invited their affiliated units to join their celebrations.

Units and their Types of equipment in Artillery

In the artillery, the regiments have been divided into different units. They have been classified into Medium Regiments, Light Regiments, Missile Regiments, Rocket Regiments, SATA (Surveillance & Target Acquisition) Regiments, SATA (Surveillance & Target Acquisition) Battery and Field Regiments. Every Artillery unit has its own equipment during wartime. SATA Battery and SATA Regiments are the most important units in artillery as they are equipped with UAV Drones and ELM MAST Radar System.

In the Indian Army, there are 3 Artillery Divisions. They are

BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun crew in action, East Africa, World War I 10pounderMountainGunEastAfricaWWI.jpg
BL 10 pounder Mountain Gun crew in action, East Africa, World War I
Light Artillery(Mortars)
Field Artillery
Medium Artillery
Self-propelled Artillery
Rocket Artillery

S-400

Missile Artillery
Surveillance & Target Acquisition

Notable personnel

Flag of Indian Army Regiment of Artillery Flag-of-Indian-Army-Regiment of Artillery.svg
Flag of Indian Army Regiment of Artillery

Further reading

Related Research Articles

Royal Artillery artillery arm of the British Army

The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises thirteen Regular Army regiments, King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and five Army Reserve regiments.

Artillery battery artillery unit size designation

In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of artillery, mortars, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface to surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems. The term is also used in a naval context to describe groups of guns on warships.

Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery Artillery Museum in Manitoba, Canada

The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery is the artillery personnel branch of the Canadian Army.

Royal Australian Artillery administrative corps of the Australian Army

The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, normally referred to as the Royal Australian Artillery (RAA), is a Regiment of the Australian Army descended from the original colonial artillery units prior to Australia's federation. Australia's first guns were landed from HMS Sirius and a small earthen redoubt built, near the present day Macquarie Place, to command the approaches to Sydney Cove. The deployment of these guns represents the origins of artillery in Australia. These and subsequent defences, as well as field guns, were operated by marines and the soldiers of infantry regiments stationed in Australia. The first Royal Artillery unit arrived in Australia in 1856 and began a succession of gunner units which ended with the withdrawal of the imperial forces in 1870 resulting in the raising of the Victorian Artillery Corps in Melbourne in 1870 and the New South Wales Artillery in Sydney in 1871. The First World War saw the raising of 60 field, 20 howitzer and two siege batteries along with the heavy and medium trench mortar batteries. Until 19 September 1962 the Australian Artillery was referred to as the 'Royal Australian Artillery', however on this date HM Queen Elizabeth II granted the RAA the title of 'The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery'. The Regiment today consists of Regular and Reserve units.

Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher Type of Rocket artillery

Pinaka is a multiple rocket launcher produced in India and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Army. The system has a maximum range of 40 km for Mark-I and 75 km for Mark-II, and can fire a salvo of 12 HE rockets in 44 seconds. The system is mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility. Pinaka saw service during the Kargil War, where it was successful in neutralising enemy positions on the mountain tops. It has since been inducted into the Indian Army in large numbers.

M777 howitzer Type of Towed howitzer

The M777 howitzer is a towed 155 mm artillery piece. It succeeded the M198 howitzer in the United States Marine Corps and United States Army in 2005. The M777 is also used by the ground forces of Australia, Canada, India and Saudi Arabia. It made its combat debut in the War in Afghanistan.

South African Army Artillery Formation

The South African Army Artillery Formation is the controlling entity of all South African Army artillery units. It draws much of its history from the South African Artillery, established in 1934 but with roots that reach back to 1921. The formation consists of both regular and reserve units. There is a separate South African Army Air Defence Artillery Formation that directs army anti-aircraft warfare units.

Rejimen Artileri Diraja

The Rejimen Artileri DiRaja is the artillery corps of the Malaysian Army. Rejimen Artileri DiRaja was formed in Kajang on 15 August 1957 when a single battery was formed, drawn from Malay personnel formerly serving with the British Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery. Today Rejimen Artileri DiRaja is a modern fighting arm providing direct fire support to Malaysian Army units using field artillery pieces and MLRS.

1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery Regiment of the Australian Army

The 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is a close support regiment attached to the 7th Brigade at Enoggera Barracks in Queensland. The unit was formed in 1914 under the name 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade, part of 1st Division Artillery during World War I and later served in World War II and the Vietnam War. It is currently re-equipping with M777A2 lightweight towed howitzers.

Counter rocket, artillery, and mortar Systems to destroy incoming rockets, artillery, and mortar rounds

Counter rocket, artillery, and mortar, abbreviated C-RAM or counter-RAM, is a set of systems used to detect and/or destroy incoming rockets, artillery, and mortar rounds in the air before they hit their ground targets, or simply provide early warning.

39 Regiment Royal Artillery was part of the Royal Artillery. Its name is pronounced "three nine", The Regiment was one of the Depth fire units of 1st Artillery Brigade, part of the British Army. It was formed in 1947, and placed into suspended animation on 20 February 2015. The Regiment was based at Albemarle Barracks in Northumberland.

32 Regiment Royal Artillery is a Regiment in the Royal Artillery, part of the British Army and is equipped with the Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III and PUMA 2 mini unmanned aerial vehicle (MUAS). 32nd Regiment is the only Royal Artillery unit that operates MUAS and along with 5th Regiment RA they provide an integrated tactical and strategic intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability. As part of 6th Division, under the immediate command of 1st Intelligence & Surveillance Brigade (1ISR). 32nd Regiment supports the Reactive Force elements of the British Army. It provides dedicated MUAS capability to the 3rd Division, operating from the Bulldog armoured vehicle and Coyote vehicle.

4th Regiment Royal Artillery

The 4th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It was formed in 1939 as 4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery before being redesignated in 1961. It is currently based at Alanbrooke Barracks in Topcliffe and serves in the light field artillery role, equipped with 105mm light guns. The regiment's tactical groups can direct air, rocket, and artillery support from other formations, services, or allies.

3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. They are currently based at Albemarle Barracks, Northumberland, England.

5th Regiment Royal Artillery regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army

5th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It was formed in 1939 as 5th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery before being redesignated in 1958. It currently serves in the Surveillance and Target Acquisition role and is equipped with radars and acoustic sound ranging equipment; it also provides Special Observation Post teams.

The 8th/12th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, was formed at the Holsworthy Barracks on 16 November 1973 through the amalgamation of the 8th Medium Regiment (RAA) and the 12th Field Regiment (RAA). The Regiment provides field artillery support to the 1st Brigade based in Darwin. It is currently equipped with 155mm M777 Howitzers.

The 26th Jacob's Mountain Battery was an artillery unit of the British Indian Army. The battery traces its origins to Golandauze Battalion (1826). In 1843 it became the 10th Company Golandauze Battalion of Bombay Foot Artillery, and became the 26th Jacob's Mountain Battery in 1903. In 1947, it was transferred to the Pakistan Army, where it exists as the 1st Jacob's Battery (Baloch) of The First (SP) Medium Regiment Artillery.

Corps of Army Air Defence Indian Army corps

The Corps of Army Air Defence, is an active corps of the Indian Army and a major combative formation tasked with air defences of the country from foreign threats. The AAD Corps is responsible for the protection of Indian air space from enemy aircraft and missiles, especially below 5,000 feet.

At the end of the Cold War in 1989 the Czechoslovak People's Army structure was as follows:

References

  1. Regiment of Artillery - Honours and Awards Indian Army website.
  2. 1 2 3 History of Artillery, Indian Army.
  3. W.Y. Carmen, page 12 "Indian Army Uniforms under the British. Artillery, Engineers and Infantry", Morgan-Grampian: London 1969
  4. 1 2 Regiment of Artillery Global Security
  5. Indian Field Artillery in World War II
  6. Sawhney, Jane's Defence Weekly, 9 October 1996, p.35
  7. Pravin Sawhney, 'India's artillery a force in its own right,' Jane's Defence Weekly , 9 October 1996, p.35-37
  8. 15th Jan 1985 Stamp India Post . Archived 17 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Indian artillery inflicted maximum damage to Pak during Kargil". Zee News. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  10. "Battle-Winning Role of the Gunners in Kargil War". Indian Defence Review. Retrieved 4 April 2016.