Royal Artillery
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224090519
2008-07-07T07:10:26Z
Blackshod
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/* The Royal Artillery Today */
{{Mergewith|Royal Regiment of Artillery|date=April 2008}}
{{Redirect|RGA|other uses|RGA (disambiguation)}}
{{British Army Arms}}
The '''Royal Artillery''', is the common name for the '''[[Royal Regiment of Artillery]]''', is an Arm of the [[British Army]]. Despite its name, it is made up of a number of [[regiments]].
==History==
[[Image:Royal Artillery Cap Badge.jpg|thumb|left|Cap Badge of the Royal Regiment of Artillery.]]
[[Image:British 39th Siege Battery RGA Somme 1916.jpg|thumb|left|[[BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk 1 - 5|8-in howitzer]]s of the 39th Siege Battery, [[Royal Garrison Artillery]], in action near [[Sausage Valley|Fricourt]] in [[World War I|WWI]].]]
[[Image:BC RGA Leaders In England.jpg|thumb|left|Officers and senior enlisted men of the Bermuda Contingent, Royal Garrison Artillery ([[Bermuda Militia Artillery]]).]]
Before the 18th century, [[artillery]] 'traynes' were raised by Royal Warrant for specific campaigns and disbanded again when they were over. On [[26 May]] [[1716]], however, by Royal Warrant of [[George I of Great Britain|George I]] two regular [[Company (military unit)|companies]] of field artillery, each 100 men strong, were raised at [[Woolwich]]. On [[1 April]] [[1722]] these companies were grouped with independent artillery companies at [[Gibraltar]] and [[Minorca]] to form the Royal Regiment of Artillery, commanded by Colonel [[Albert Bogard]]. The [[regiment]] expanded rapidly and by [[1757]] had 24 companies divided into two [[battalion]]s, as well as a Cadet Company formed in [[1741]]. By [[1771]] there were 32 companies in four battalions, as well as two Invalid Companies comprising older and unfit men employed in garrison duties. In January [[1793]], two [[troop]]s of [[Royal Horse Artillery]] (RHA) were raised to provide fire support for the [[cavalry]], joined by two more in November 1793. All RHA personnel were mounted. The [[Royal Irish Artillery]] was absorbed in [[1801]].
The regiment was under the control of the [[Board of Ordnance]] until the Board was abolished in [[1855]]. Thereafter the regiment came under the [[War Office]] along with the rest of the army. In [[1861]] the regiment absorbed the artillery of the [[British East India Company]] – 21 horse batteries and 48 field batteries – which brought its strength up to 29 horse batteries, 73 field batteries and 88 heavy batteries. On [[1 July]] [[1899]], the Royal Artillery was divided into three groups: the Royal Horse Artillery and [[Royal Field Artillery]] comprised one group, while the coastal defence, mountain, siege and heavy batteries were split off into another group named the [[Royal Garrison Artillery]]. The third group continued to be titled simply ''Royal Artillery'', and was responsible for ammunition storage and supply. Which section a gunner belonged to was indicated by collar badges (R.A., R.F.A., R.H.A., or R.G.A.). The RFA and RHA also dressed as mounted men, whereas the RGA dressed like foot soldiers. The three sections effectively functioned as separate corps. This arrangement lasted until [[1924]], when the three amalgamated once more. In [[1938]], RA Brigades were renamed Regiments. There used to be hundreds of regiments within the Royal Artillery - at the end of the Second World War, the RA was larger than the [[Royal Navy]]{{Fact|date=July 2007}}.
The [[Royal Horse Artillery]], which has always had separate traditions, uniforms and insignia, still retains a separate identity within the regiment, however, and is considered (by its members at least) to be an élite.
Before the [[Second World War]], Royal Artillery recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 4 inches tall. Men in mechanised units had to be at least 5 feet 8 inches tall. They initially enlisted for six years with the colours and a further six years with the reserve or four years and eight years. They trained at the Royal Artillery Depot in Woolwich.<ref>[[War Office]], ''His Majesty's Army'', 1938</ref>
==The Royal Artillery Today==
[[Image:Royal Artillery Tactical Recognition Flash.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tactical Recognition Flash]] of the Royal Artillery]]The Royal Artillery is equipped with a variety of equipment and fulfils a wide range of roles, including:
*Long range observation
*Unmanned air vehicle surveillance
*Amphibious / Airborne artillery
*Armoured Artillery
*Long Range Missile Systems
*Air defence.
The Captain General of the regiment is [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]]. The post was previously known as Colonel-in-Chief until [[George VI of the United Kingdom|King George VI]] expressed the desire to be known as Captain General. The head of the regiment is the [[Master Gunner, St. James's Park]].
The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises both regular (full-time) and Territorial (part-time) units. The current regiments of the Royal Artillery are:
===Regular Army===
The [[Royal Regiment of Artillery]] comprises the Royal Artillery and the [[Royal Horse Artillery]]. The Regular Army units are:
'''Regular Regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery'''
{{main|Royal Horse Artillery}}
*[[King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery]] is a ceremonial unit equipped with [[Ordnance QF 13 pounder|13 pounder]] guns for firing salutes, and is located in St John's Wood in [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]].
*[[1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery]] - equipped with [[AS90]] [[self-propelled artillery]] at Assaye Barracks in [[Tidworth]]
*[[3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery]] (The Liverpool and Manchester Gunners) are equipped with the [[AS90]] [[self-propelled artillery]], based at Caen Barracks in [[Hohne]], [[Germany]].
*[[7th (Parachute) Regiment Royal Horse Artillery]] - Equipped with [[L118 Light Gun|L118]] 105MM light gun and are currently part of [[16th Air Assault Brigade]] based in [[Colchester]]
'''Regular Regiments of the Royal Artillery'''
*[[4th Regiment Royal Artillery]] - (The North East Gunners) are equipped with [[AS90]] [[self-propelled artillery]] at Roberts Barracks in [[Osnabruck]]
*[[5th Regiment Royal Artillery]] - (The North, East & West Yorkshire Gunners) are equipped with [[Artillery STA|Surveillance and Target Acquisition]] and based at Marne Barracks in [[Catterick, North Yorkshire]]
*[[12th Regiment Royal Artillery]] - (The Lancashire and Cumbrian Gunners) are equipped with [[Starstreak HVM]] and are based at Dempsey Barracks, [[Sennelager]]
*[[14th Regiment Royal Artillery]] - are the Training and Support Regiment based at Stirling Barracks in [[Larkhill]]
*[[16th Regiment Royal Artillery]] - (The London and Kent Gunners) are equipped with [[Rapier missile|Rapier]] and are based at [[Royal Artillery Barracks]], in [[Woolwich]]
*[[19th Regiment Royal Artillery]] - (The Highland Gunners) are equipped with [[AS90]] [[self-propelled artillery]] at Horne Barracks in [[Larkhill]]
*[[26th Regiment Royal Artillery]] - (The West Midland Gunners) are equipped with [[AS90]] [[self-propelled artillery]] at Mansergh Barracks in [[Gütersloh]]
*[[29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery]] - (The Commando Gunners) are equipped with the ([[L118 Light Gun|L118]] 105MM light gun, and are currently part of [[3 Commando Brigade]], with most batteries based at the Royal Citadel in [[Plymouth]], and one battery based at the same location as the [[Special Boat Service]] in [[Poole]]
*[[32nd Regiment Royal Artillery]] - are equipped with [[Artillery STA|Surveillance and Target Acquisition]] and [[Unmanned Air Vehicles]] and are based in Roberts Barracks in [[Larkhill]]
*[[39th Regiment Royal Artillery]] - (The Welsh Gunners) are equipped with [[M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System|MLRS]] and GMLRS and are based at Albermarle Barracks near [[Ouston, Stamfordham]]
*[[40th Regiment Royal Artillery]] - (The Lowland Gunners) are equipped with [[AS90]] [[self-propelled artillery]] at Alanbrooke Barracks in [[RAF Topcliffe|Topcliffe]]
*[[47th Regiment Royal Artillery]] - (The Hampshire and Sussex Gunners) are equipped with [[Starstreak HVM]] and are based at Baker Barracks, [[Thorney Island (West Sussex)|Thorney Island]]
===The Territorial Army===
*[[Honourable Artillery Company]] ([[Artillery STA|Surveillance and Target Acquisition]]) ([[London]]) (Not part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery)<ref>Although the [[Honourable Artillery Company]] currently has an Artillery role, it is a separate regiment in its own right, with its own colours, uniforms and traditions</ref>
*[[100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery]] (Armoured/Field/Airborne Artillery)
*[[101st (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)]] (STA & MLRS)
*[[103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Regiment Royal Artillery]] (Field Artillery) (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers Band)
*[[104th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)]] (Surveillance and Target Acquisition - Unmanned Air Vehicles)
*[[105th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)]] 'The Scottish & Ulster Gunners' (Field Artillery)
*[[106th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery]] (Air Defence Artillery)
The Royal Artillery's traditional home was [[Woolwich]], in south east [[London]] but much of their training activity takes place at the [[Royal School of Artillery]] at [[Larkhill]] on [[Salisbury Plain]] in [[Wiltshire]]. The Royal Regiment of Artillery is unique in that it has sub-units that often move between Regiments, or placed into Suspended Animation. See [[List of Royal Artillery Batteries]]
==Equipment==
===Air Defence===
The Royal Artillery is equipped with two main weapons in the air defence mission;
*[[Rapier missile|Rapier FSC]] - Rapier is the standard Low Level Air Defence (LLAD) weapon in the British Army. In the Royal Artillery, it equips 16 Regiment, and a battery of 106 Regiment RA(V).
*[[Starstreak missile|Starstreak HVM]] - Starstreak is a continuation of the [[Blowpipe missile|Blowpipe]] and [[Javelin surface-to-air missile|Javelin]] series. In the RA it can be used as a shoulder launched weapon, in the Lightweight Multiple Launcher (LML) or mounted on a Stormer armoured vehicle. The weapon equips 12 Regiment, 47 Regiment, 104 Regiment RA(V), 105 Regiment RA(V), and two batteries of 106 Regiment RA(V).
===Close Support===
In the support mission, the Royal Artillery has three types of weapon;
*[[M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System|MLRS]] - the Multiple Launch Rocket System equips the "heavy" regiments of the Royal Artillery, 39 Regiment and 101(V) Regiment.
*[[AS90]] - the AS90 is a self-propelled gun that equips five field regiments, 1 RHA, 3 RHA, 4 Regiment, 19 Regiment and 26 Regiment.
*[[L118 Light Gun|Light gun]] - the Light Gun is a 105 mm gun used in the close support mission in support of light or specialist forces. It equips three regular regiments, 7 (Para) RHA, 29 (Commando) Regt RA and 40 Regiment RA, as well as three Territorial Army Regiments - 100 Regt RA(V), 103 Regt RA(V) and 105 Regt RA(V).
===Surveillance and Target Acquisition===
*COBRA, MAMBA, ASP - the COunter Battery RAdar (Cobra), Mobile Artillery Monitoring Battlefield Asset (Mamba) and Advanced Sound ranging Program (ASP) are the main pieces of equipment used in the battlefield surveillance mission by 5 Regiment & 101 Regt RA(V).
*[[Phoenix (UAV)|Phoenix UAV]] - the Phoenix [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|Unmanned Aerial Vehicle]] is utilised in the surveillance mission by 32 Regiment.
*[[Desert Hawk]] UAV - the Desert Hawk [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|Unmanned Aerial Vehicle]] is a smaller, more discreet vehicle. Also operated by 32, 47 and 12 Regiment.
==Miscellaneous Facts==
* The Royal Artillery does not carry [[Colours and guidons|Colours]]. Its guns are its colours and are saluted on parade.
* Since it is present in every campaign in which the British Army fights, the Royal Artillery does not have [[Battle Honour]]s. Instead, it has the motto and battle honour ''Ubique'' ("Everywhere"), granted by [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William IV]] in [[1833]]. Its subsidiary motto is ''Quo fas et gloria ducunt'' ("Where Right and Glory Lead"). Both mottoes are shared with the [[Corps of Royal Engineers|Royal Engineers]], due to the shared Board of Ordnance history.
* Many Regular Army batteries bear an Honour Title (in parentheses) commemorating an exceptional act of service.
* Battalions and Companies were renamed Brigades and Batteries in [[1859]].
* Until [[1794]], the Royal Artillery hired civilian horses and drivers to haul its guns. In that year, the Corps of Captains' Commissaries and Drivers was formed to provide these services. This was reformed as the Corps of Gunner Drivers in [[1801]]. In [[1806]] these became the Royal Artillery Drivers. In [[1822]] these were disbanded and from that date all men enlisted into the Royal Artillery as "Gunner and Driver" until [[1918]], when they simply became Gunners. None of this applied to the Royal Horse Artillery, which had always had its own drivers.
* On [[1 April]] [[1947]], all Royal Artillery units (except the Royal Horse Artillery) were placed on a single roll. This meant that each battery and regiment carried a unique number (whereas before there could have been, for instance, a 10th Field Battery, 10th Heavy Battery, 10th Coastal Battery etc). The numbers of the batteries within a regiment bear no relation to the regiment or each other. Royal Horse Artillery batteries (and batteries that used to be RHA) bear letters instead of numbers.
* All British coast defence artillery units were disbanded in the 1950s.
* When on parade with its guns, the Royal Horse Artillery takes precedence over every other regiment and corps in the British Regular Army (and parades at the right of the line). Otherwise it immediately follows the [[Household Cavalry]]. The rest of the Royal Artillery takes precedence immediately after the regiments of the [[Royal Armoured Corps]]. If the Territorial Army were included in the parade, the honour of parading at right of the line of the Territorials would fall to the [[Honourable Artillery Company|HAC]] as the oldest regiment which has guns as colours. The Territorial Army itself ranks after Regular units in precedence.
* In [[1871]] the Royal Regiment formed two batteries of garrison artillery which became the [[Royal Canadian Horse Artillery]].
* During [[World War II]], the Royal Artillery created a new type of formation, the [[Army Group Royal Artillery]] to command artillery assets at levels higher than division.
* In recognition of its history, 25/170 (Imjin) Battery of 47 Regiment wears the United States [[Presidential Unit Citation (US)|Distinguished Unit Citation]] that was awarded to 170 Battery for its service at the [[Battle of the Imjin River]] during the [[Korean War]] (see [[Non-U.S. recipients of U.S. gallantry awards]]).
==Order of Precedence==
{{start box}}
{{order of precedence |
before= [[Royal Armoured Corps]] |
title= [[British Army Order of Precedence|Order of Precedence]]|
after= [[Corps of Royal Engineers]]
}}
{{end box}}
==Affiliations==
*{{CAN}} - [[Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery]]
*{{AUS}} - [[Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery]]
*{{NZL}} - [[Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery]]
*{{IND}} - [[Regiment of Artillery (India)|Regiment of Artillery]]
*{{PAK}} - Regiment of Artillery
*{{SRI}} - [[Sri Lanka Artillery]]
*{{SIN}} - Singapore Volunteer Artillery
*{{MLT}} - [[Armed Forces of Malta]]
*{{MAS}} - [[Rejimen Artileri Diraja]]
*{{GIB}} - [[Royal Gibraltar Regiment|The Royal Gibraltar Regiment]]
*{{RSA}} - [[South African Army Artillery Formation|South African Artillery Corps]]
==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
{{Portal|British Army|Flag of the British Army.svg|65}}
* [[Artillery]]
* [[Royal Artillery Memorial]]
* [[Royal Artillery Barracks]]
* [[Royal School of Artillery]]
* [[Firepower - The Royal Artillery Museum]]
* [[Bermuda Militia Artillery]]
* [[Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery]]
* [[Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery]]
* [[Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery]]
* [[79th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery]]
==External links==
* [http://www.army.mod.uk/royalartillery/ Royal Regiment of Artillery]
* [http://www.26thregra-asc.com/ 26th Regiment Royal Artillery Association]
* [http://www.duffy-eu.com/94loc/index.htm /94 Locating Royal Artillery]
* [http://www.geocities.com/lightackack/ 92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA, 1940-1946]
* [http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/British_artillery.htm Royal Artillery of the Napoleonic Wars]
{{Unreferenced|date=January 2008}}
[[Category:British administrative corps]]
[[Category:Royal Artillery]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1722]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War]]
[[Category:Organisations based in the United Kingdom with royal patronage]]