Units and Formations

[tonycad]

For many years I regularly passed the "Howitzer" Memorial at Hyde Park Corner in London, to the 49,000 soldiers of the Royal Artillery killed in WW1.

Since then, the high number killed has come as no surprise to me, in view of the size and role of the Artillery in that war.

What did did surprise me was the figure of 30,000 artillery men killed in ww2. This number seems out of proportion to the ww1 numbers to what I think the ratio would have been to other WW1 units.

Tony

[johnreed]

Tony

In WW1 the approximate strength of the Royal Artillery was 900,000

In WW2 the approximate strength was 890,000

Of course the guna in WW2 were further behind the front line, and the AA Batteries were more numerous and were less likely to sustain casualities.

John

[KONDOA]

Hi Tony/John

I would suspect the apparent increase was the use of a greater number of lighter guns which allowed for widespread application and thus more men involved.

There seems to be much less heavy artillery than in WW1 and 25 Pds etc were common.

Not my greatest subject but your statistic certainly is revealing of something.

I do not know that the guns were further back or whatever but it would indicate better counter battery measures etc wherever they were.

Roop

[CSMMo]

The increased range of WW2 artillery helped put them further behind the lines - the warfare conducted was a more mobile type of warfare for the most part, which made detection of battery locations more difficult (as they moved more) - and the guns themselves were improved in many ways. As an example, the unit I'm researching, the 4th Highland Mountain Brigade was ashore and engaging enemy targets on the first day of landings in Gallipoli. There were many instances where they moved their guns into the first line of trenches to be used in a counter machine gun role, for which they were most effective. These locations, however, made these high value targets vulnerable to machine gun and counter battery (artillery) fire. Their old 10 pounder guns had no shields, so they were exposed to many direct hits and Shrapnel bursts. Casulaties were inevitable. This, by no means, intends to take anything away from the dangers or the effectiveness of WW2 Artillery which was, as in WW1, the primary killer on the battlefield and, when located, a high priority target for counter battery and air support.

Mike

[tonycad]

johnreed et al

Thank you for your observations.

Frankly, I had not realised the size of the RA in WW2.

The statistics now fall into place.

My father-in-law was a gunner in ww2, and he had a good war training the West African regiments in gunnery

Thank you

Tony