B Battery Royal Horse Artillery
Encyclopedia
B Battery, Royal Horse Artillery is a Close Support Battery of 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
. It is currently based in Assaye Barracks in Tidworth
. A Troop (now The Chestnut Troop
) and B Troop (now B Bty) were formed at Woolwich
and equipped with 4 x 6 Pounder smooth bore muzzle loading guns
. A composite Battery called A/B/E Battery RHA was formed from the remainder of the Regiment, converted to the M109
self-propelled gun in readiness for deployment as Battle Casualty Replacements (BCRs), but did not deploy.
On its return from the Persian gulf
, B Battery was reformed and moved to Assaye Barracks in Tidworth
, where it is still located and equipped with the AS-90
self-propelled gun
.
1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the armoured field artillery role, and is equipped with the AS-90 self-propelled gun...
. It is currently based in Assaye Barracks in Tidworth
Tidworth
Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. Situated at the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, it is approximately 10 miles west of Andover, 12 miles south of Marlborough, 24 miles south of Swindon, 15 miles north by north-east of Salisbury and 6 miles east...
Battery Structure and Equipment
B Battery has four troops named after famous battles they participated in:- El Tamar Troop is the Targeting Troop and it is equipped with three Warrior OPVs, a Warrior BCV and a 432 FPCFV432The FV432 is the armoured personnel carrier variant of the British Army's FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicles. Since its introduction in the 1960s it has been the most common variant, being used for transporting infantry on the battlefield...
. - Corunna Troop is the LogisticsLogisticsLogistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
Troop containing the BQMS and MTMotor transportMotor transport refers to the operation and maintenance of a military vehicle fleet , and sometimes to the servicemembers to operate and maintain them. Traditionally, motor transport organizations are responsible for a unit's military trucks and associated equipment, as well as the transport of...
departments which are responsible for all the wheeled vehicles both in and out of camp and for all re-supply in the field. - Downmans Troop is equipped with three AS-90AS-90The AS-90 is a lightly armoured self-propelled artillery piece used by the British Army. It was first delivered in 1993...
s, a Command Post FV 432 and a Gun Line Section Commander's FV 432. - Sahagun Troop is also equipped with three AS-90s, a Command Post FV 432 and a Gun Line Section Commander's FV 432.
Formation
On 1 February 1793, Napoleon declared war on England. On the same day King George III formed by Royal WarrantRoyal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
. A Troop (now The Chestnut Troop
A Battery (The Chestnut Troop) Royal Horse Artillery
A Battery Royal Horse Artillery is the senior Battery in the Royal Regiment of Artillery and is part of 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery...
) and B Troop (now B Bty) were formed at Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
and equipped with 4 x 6 Pounder smooth bore muzzle loading guns
1800s
- 1798 - Irish Rebellion of 1798Irish Rebellion of 1798The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
- Battle of New Ross (1798)Battle of New Ross (1798)The Battle of New Ross took place in County Wexford in south-eastern Ireland, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. It was fought between the Irish Republican insurgents called the United Irishmen and British Crown forces composed of regular soldiers, militia and yeomanry...
and Battle of Vinegar HillBattle of Vinegar HillThe Battle of Vinegar Hill was an engagement during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 on 21 June 1798 when over 15,000 British soldiers launched an attack on Vinegar Hill outside Enniscorthy, County Wexford, the largest camp and headquarters of the Wexford United Irish rebels...
. - 1808 – Peninsula war – During the Battle of SahagúnBattle of SahagúnThe Battle of Sahagún was a cavalry clash in which the 15th Light Dragoons defeated two regiments of French cavalry during the Corunna Campaign of the Peninsular War. One of the French regiments lost so heavily that it was subsequently disbanded...
, Captain Downman, at the head of his Horse Artillery, charged in line (with guns and limbers attached) and 400 men of the 15th Hussars. The combined efforts of the Hussars and Downman’s guns proved very effective and in a few moments, the French ranks were broken. The Battery also fought at The Battle of Benavente. - 1809 - Peninsula war – The Battle of Lugo and during the Battle of CorunnaBattle of CorunnaThe Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
it took no part in the main action; it only fired a few rounds at long range earlier in the day, and were relieved by Foot Artillery. - 1855 – Crimean WarCrimean WarThe Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
– During the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855) B Troop Royal Horse Artillery were re-formed on 1 May 1855, and landed in the Crimea one month later. Its task was to form the ammunition columnAmmunition columnAn ammunition column consists of military vehicles carrying artillery and small arms ammunition for the combatant unit to which the column belongs. Thus the ammunition columns of a division, forming part of the brigades of field artillery, carry reserve ammunition for the guns, the machine guns of...
in support of the light Division. - 1900 – ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
– During the Boxer RebellionBoxer RebellionThe Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
the Battery was the only Horse Artillery unit there. It did not encounter much resistance. It was, however, forced to travel hundreds of miles over almost impassable terrain.
World War One
- 1915 – Right section of B Battery was the first Horse Artillery unit ashore at the GallipoliBattle of GallipoliThe Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
landings in April 1915. During the battle, the Battery fired more ammunition from their 18-pounder guns than any other and, when the Allied forces pulled out, B Battery was the final Battery to leave the Peninsular. - 1916 – The Battery was almost continually in action during the Somme Offensive.
- 1917 – The Battery moved to support the Allied offensives at ArrasBattle of Arras (1917)The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German trenches near the French city of Arras on the Western Front....
, the Third Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Cambrai (1917) and the Battle of the Lys. During these years, the Battery experienced gas and aerial bombardment for the first time and it was B and L Batteries who saved the day at the Battle of Cambrai (1917) on the 20 November 1917 when they stood by their guns until the German infantry were only 40 yards (36.6 m) away. - 1918 – The Battery fought at the Battle of Passchendaele at Outtersteene and YpresYpresYpres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
. They also fought at Gheluvelt and the River ScheldtScheldtThe Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
.
- 1919 to 1936 – PalestinePalestinePalestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
From 1919 to 1921 the Battery was sent to EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and PalestinePalestinePalestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. It then remained in EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
until 1932 when it redeployed to EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and PalestinePalestinePalestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
to perform police duties during the British Mandate of Palestine and the Arab-Jewish terrorist Campaign. Throughout this time the Battery was equipped with 13-pounder guns.
World War Two
- 1939 - In LilleLilleLille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
(France), the Battery were now equipped with the 25-pounderOrdnance QF 25 pounderThe Ordnance QF 25 pounder, or more simply, 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was introduced into service just before World War II, during which it served as the major British field gun/howitzer. It was considered by many to be the best field artillery piece of the war, combining high rates of fire with a...
gun, towed by the Morris QuadMorris C8The Morris Commercial C8 FAT commonly known as a Quad was an artillery tractor of the British and Commonwealth forces during World War II....
. In June 1940, with the 51st (Highland) Division, it suffered severe losses in the delaying action at St ValerySaint-Valery-en-CauxSaint-Valery-en-Caux is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small fishing port and light industrial town situated in the Pays de Caux, some west of Dieppe at the junction of the D53, D20, D79 and the D925 roads...
which did much to make possible the evacuation at Dunkirk. - 1940 – After reforming in England, B Battery departed for the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, as part of the Desert Rats. It fought at all the major battles. During the Siege of TobrukSiege of TobrukThe siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted 240 days between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War...
the Battery was in constant action; there was not a day that the Battery did not fire their guns. Of the seven awards for gallantry during the siege, five were won by members of the Battery, including a Military CrossMilitary CrossThe Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
. The Battery also fought at Derna, Bir El Igela, El Adem, Elvet El Tamar, Deir El Abram, and the First Battle of El AlameinFirst Battle of El AlameinThe First Battle of El Alamein was a battle of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, fought between Axis forces of the Panzer Army Africa commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and Allied forces The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert...
, Alam el Halfa and the Second Battle of El AlameinSecond Battle of El AlameinThe Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
. It was at Alam el Halfa that the battery supported 133 Infantry Brigade firing over open sights at the tanks of 21. Panzer Division, knocking out or damaging some 30 German tanks. - 1942 to 1945 – The Battery then retrained on the 105mm PriestM7 PriestThe 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle produced during World War II. It was given the official service name 105 mm Self Propelled Gun, Priest by the British Army, due to the pulpit-like machine gun ring, and following on from the Bishop and...
and were involved in the Battles for the Gothic LineGothic LineThe Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
and River Po in Italy.
Cold War
- 1947 - B Battery, as part of the 1st Armoured Division, returned to PalestinePalestinePalestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
to assist the civil police in attempting to keep the peace. - 1949 - The Battery in the Suez CanalSuez CanalThe Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
Zone, was equipped with 25-pounder self-propelled SextonsSexton (artillery)The 25pdr SP, tracked, Sexton was a self-propelled artillery vehicle of World War II, based on an American tank hull design, built by Canada for the British Army, and associated Commonwealth forces, and some of the other Allies....
. - 1952 - Moved to BAORBritish Army of the RhineThere have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
in MünsterMünsterMünster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
and HildesheimHildesheimHildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
. It was equipped with M44 155 mm Howitzers. - 1965 to 1967 – B Battery were trained on the Italian 105 mm Pack HowitzerOTO Melara Mod 56The OTO-Melara Mod 56 is an Italian-made 105 mm pack howitzer built and developed by OTO-Melara. It fires the standard US type M1 ammunition.-History:...
and sent to AdenAdenAden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
. There, it fought in the emergencyAden EmergencyThe Aden Emergency was an insurgency against the British crown forces in the British controlled territories of South Arabia which now form part of the Yemen. Partly inspired by Nasser's pan Arab nationalism, it began on 10 December 1963 with the throwing of a grenade at a gathering of British...
and engaged in gunnery actions in the RadfanRadfanRadfan or the Radfan Hills is a region of the Republic of Yemen. In the 1960s, the area was part of a British protectorate of Dhala and was the site of intense fighting during the Aden Emergency...
.
Northern Ireland
- 1969 – B Battery served in BelfastBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. - 1972 / 1974 / 1976 - Served in Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Persian Gulf War
The Battery went into Suspended Animation, as 1 RHA provided augmentees to 40 Regt RARoyal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
. A composite Battery called A/B/E Battery RHA was formed from the remainder of the Regiment, converted to the M109
M109
M109 may be:* M109 howitzer, a self-propelled 155 mm howitzer* M-109 highway , a state highway in Michigan* Messier 109 , a spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major* Barrett XM-109, an anti-material weapon...
self-propelled gun in readiness for deployment as Battle Casualty Replacements (BCRs), but did not deploy.
On its return from the Persian gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, B Battery was reformed and moved to Assaye Barracks in Tidworth
Tidworth
Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. Situated at the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, it is approximately 10 miles west of Andover, 12 miles south of Marlborough, 24 miles south of Swindon, 15 miles north by north-east of Salisbury and 6 miles east...
, where it is still located and equipped with the AS-90
AS-90
The AS-90 is a lightly armoured self-propelled artillery piece used by the British Army. It was first delivered in 1993...
self-propelled gun
Self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery vehicles are combat vehicles armed with artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery...
.
Balkan Wars
- 1996 – The Battery, formed as B/L Battery, was deployed with IFORIFORThe Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
in GlamocGlamocGlamoč is a town and municipality of the same name in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is in Canton 10, in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, BosniaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. - 1998 - The Battery was deployed with SFORSFORThe Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
in GlamocGlamocGlamoč is a town and municipality of the same name in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is in Canton 10, in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, BosniaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. - 1999 – The Battery TAC Group helped spearhead the advance of the NATO-led force into KosovoKosovoKosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. - 2000 - A troop from B Battery deployed with A BatteryA Battery (The Chestnut Troop) Royal Horse ArtilleryA Battery Royal Horse Artillery is the senior Battery in the Royal Regiment of Artillery and is part of 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery...
to Sanski MostSanski MostSanski Most is a town and municipality in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located on the Sana River in Bosanska Krajina, between Prijedor and Ključ. Administratively it is part of the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
, BosniaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. - 2000 – A troop from B Battery deployed with L/N Battery to Luzanne, KosovoKosovoKosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
- 2002 - The Battery returned to SipovoŠipovoŠipovo is a town and municipality in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the western part of the Republika Srpska entity and the southern part of the Bosanska Krajina region. The municipality covers an area of , much of which is forested. The Glogovac monastery of the Serb Orthodox...
in BosniaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
as the UK Artillery Battery.
Operation TELIC in Iraq
- 2004 – B Battery deployed with 1 RHA1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the armoured field artillery role, and is equipped with the AS-90 self-propelled gun...
to BasraBasraBasra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
in IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
on Telic 4. - 2007 - B Battery deployed with 1 RHA1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the armoured field artillery role, and is equipped with the AS-90 self-propelled gun...
to BasraBasraBasra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
in IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
on Telic 10, and was responsible for security in the town of Az Zubayr in Basra Province.
See also
- British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
- Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- Royal Horse ArtilleryRoyal Horse ArtilleryThe regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
- List of Royal Artillery Batteries