This article describes the composition and structure of a battery equipped with four 60-pounder breech-loading field guns, as defined in the War Office publication “War Establishments of the New Armies, 1915″ version. It includes details of the battery’s ammunition column.
The 60-pounder gun had a calibre of 5-inches and fired a shell weighing 60 pounds over a range (in later versions) of up to 15,500 yards.
The battery would include, when it was at standard establishment:
- Personnel: 6 officers and 192 men, of which
- The battery would have 5 officers, 8 staff-sergeants or sergeants, 8 artificers, and 146 rank and file
- A Major would be in command, with a Captain second in command, and there would be three Lieutenants or Second Lieutenants
- The 8 staff-sergeants or sergeants would be appointed as 1 Battery Sergeant Major, 1 Battery Quartermaster Sergeant and 6 others
- The 8 artificers would be made up of 1 Farrier Sergeant, 2 Shoeing Smiths, 2 Saddlers, 1 Wheeler, 1 Fitter (a Staff-Sergeant) and 1 Smith
- The 146 rank and file would include 7 Corporals, 6 Bombardiers, 76 Gunners, 51 Drivers, and 6 appointed as Batmen
- 21 of the rank and file would be trained as telephonists
- 2 Drivers of the Army Service Corps would also be attached but not counted into establishment
- 1 French interpreter would be attached (supplied by French government)
- The ammunition column would have 1 officer, 1 staff-sergeants or sergeants, 4 artificers, and 24 rank and file.
- Of the total, 2 men would be trained on sanitary duties and 2 on water duties.
- The battery would have 5 officers, 8 staff-sergeants or sergeants, 8 artificers, and 146 rank and file
- Horses: a total of 30 riding horses, 6 draught horses, and 109 heavy draught horses
- Of these totals, the ammunition column would have 3, 0, 23 horses
Links
The Heavy Batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery
The allocation of Heavy and Siege Batteries to Groups/Brigades