43rd Battery, XII (How) Brigade RFA, 6th Division

[Stephen Barker]

I'm finding out about this unit for a colleague at work.

What type of Howitzers would they have been using?

Were they involved in any famous/infamous incidents?

If you can tell me anything at all about them I'd be grateful. I know little about the artillery really.

Thank you

Stephen

[RobertBr]

Stephen

43rd Battery 12th(Howitzer) Brigade were at Chivy (Battle of Aisne) on 26th Sept 1914 as the 6th Division arrived to support the BEF.

In October 1914 they took part in the First Battle of Ypres.

RFA Brigades were later reorganised so that each brigade consisted of 3 x18 pounder batteries (usually A, B & C) and 1 x 4.5" QF Howitzer battery (D). Some batteries retained their old numbers. Eventually they had 6 guns per battery.

At the end of the war 43rd Battery were part of 24th Brigade RFA but still part of 6th Division.

24th Brigade were at Cambrai (1917) attacking the Hindenburg line from Ribecourt to Premy Chapel .

They were also involved in the Kaiser Offensive of March 1918 at one stage firing over open sights covering the withdrawal of the infantry.

I have been researching D Battery 281st Brigade RFA. You should be able to find posts on this and the 4.5 QF Howitzer via the search engine. These will help you build up a picture of how a howitzer battery fared.

Bob

[Stephen Barker]

Thanks Bob for that - very useful.

Stephen

[Stephen Barker]

Does anyone have any further thoughts?

Stephen

[sjustice]

Does anyone have any further thoughts?

Stephen

On 8th October 1918 43 (H) Battery (XXIV Bde RFA, 6 Division) was part of the array of divisional artillery laying down a barrage before Fourth Army completed the expulsion of the opposing Germans from their last finger-hold in fortified and/or continuous positions (Hindenburg Reserve System) on the Western Front. In this action they were supporting IX Corps.

The other divisional artillery was 1, 32 and 46.

So IX Corps had, at it's disposal, the massed artillery of four infantry divisions, two army brigades (RHA), five other army brigades (RFA), eight brigades (RGA) and five unbrigaded siege batteries. A total of 586 artillery pieces for assaults on a two-division front about four miles wide.

On IX Corps' left were the American II Corps who had taken over from the Australian Corps on their final withdrawal from the fighting (6th October). On IX Corps' right was the French First Army.

The Fourth Army assaults of 8th October had been postponed from 6th October to allow more ammunition and supplies to be brought up and the guns brought forward. On 9th October Birch (GHQ Artillery Advisor) marvelled "that they were now throwing 12,000 tons of shells in twenty-four hours".

Barrages were laid down on Fourth Army's front on the morning of 9th October as it spearheaded what was to become known as 'The Pursuit to the Selle'.

Cheers,

SMJ