Artillery brigade
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Anartillery brigadeis a specialised form ofmilitarybrigadededicated to providingartillerysupport. Other brigades might have an artillery component, but an artillery brigade is a brigade dedicated to artillery and relying on other units for infantry support, especially when attacking.
Initially, a brigade was normally formed for eitheroffenceordefence,but in the 20th century, as warfare became generally more mobile and fixed fortifications became less useful, artillery brigades were formed for either purpose, the main exception beingcoastal defence.During theSecond World War,the use and formation of artillery brigades (normally having between 3,000 and 4,000 personnel, with between 24 and 70 guns) gained prominence, as they could be attached todivisionsthat needed them, then detached and re-attached elsewhere as the need arose.
A specialised type of artillery brigade is theanti-aircraftbrigade. During the Second World War, many anti-aircraft brigades served both to defend from air attack and as offensive units againstarmoured vehicles- this was especially true with the effectiveGermanartillery.
Modern artillery brigades tend to be smaller and even more specialised than in the past, often specifically trained to handle just one or two types of artillery. In tactical terms, the use ofhelicoptershas taken over much of the historic advantage of the artillery brigade.
Royal Artillery
[edit]From 1859 to 1938, "brigade" ( "brigade-division" 1885–1903) was also the term used for a battalion-sized unit of theBritish Army'sRoyal Artillery.This was because, unlike infantry battalions and cavalry regiments, which were organic, artillery units consisted of individually numberedbatterieswhich were "brigaded" together. The commanding officer of such a brigade was alieutenant colonel.In 1938 the Royal Artillery adopted the term "regiment" for this size of unit, and "brigade" became used in its normal sense, particularly for groups of anti-aircraft artillery regiments commanded by a brigadier.[1]
Artillery Division
[edit]Specialised artillery divisions were established by theRed Armyduring theSecond World War,in October 1942.[2]Initially composed of eight regiments, they were supplemented by four-brigade artillery divisions by December 1942. They are mostly used by large armies with large territories to defend and with a large manpower base. Examples include34th Artillery Divisionand51st Guards Artillery Division.Artillery divisions are usually tasked with providing concentrated firepower support to higher combined arms formations such asCorps,Combatant CommandsorTheaters.Artillery divisions were then established by theIndian Armysince 1988 (two Artillery Divisions), theIraqi Armyfor a short time between 1985 and 1998, and by thePeople's Army of Vietnambetween 1971 and 2006. The concept of the Artillery Division is deeply rooted in Soviet military doctrine relies on treating artillery as a unique combat arm in its own right capable of achieving large results with its resources. It is a means to concentrate overwhelming firepower in a small geographical area to achieve a strategic breach in the enemy defences.