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词条 Army Group Royal Artillery
释义

  1. Background

  2. Concept

  3. Service

  4. Commonwealth AGRAs

  5. List of AGRAs during World War II

  6. List of postwar AGRAs

  7. Notes

  8. References

  9. External links

{{Use British English|date=January 2019}}{{Short desc|Former British Commonwealth military unit}}{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}

An Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA) was a British Commonwealth military formation type during the Second World War and shortly thereafter. Generally assigned to Army corps, an AGRA provided the medium and heavy artillery support to higher formations within the British Army.

Background

World War I had been arguably the first 'artillery war', in which Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) advanced enormously, both technologically and tactically. The previously independent Heavy and Siege batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) were grouped into Heavy Artillery Groups, later termed 'brigades' (a lieutenant-colonel's command), at the disposal of Army Corps. But despite heated arguments, no higher organisational command structure was evolved.[1]

By the time World War II broke out, the RGA had been integrated into RA and the 'brigades' of 'heavy' and 'siege' guns had become 'regiments of 'medium' and 'heavy' artillery with more modern equipment. But they still lacked a higher command structure for flexibility and concentration in the control of artillery above the divisional level, the need for which became apparent to the British Expeditionary Force during the Battle of France in 1940 and the early part of the Western Desert Campaign.

Concept

The AGRA concept was developed during Exercise 'Bumper' held in the UK in 1941, organised by the commander of Home Forces, General Alan Brooke (himself a Gunner) with Lt-Gen Bernard Montgomery as chief umpire.[2][3] This large anti-invasion exercise tested many of the tactical concepts that would be used by the British Army in the latter stages of the war. The gunnery tacticians developed what became the AGRAs, powerful artillery brigades, usually comprising three medium regiments and one field regiment, which could be rapidly moved about the battlefield, and had the punch to destroy enemy artillery.[4]

Service

AGRAs made their debut with First Army in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations[5] and the concept was adopted during the North West Europe[6] and Far East[7] campaigns.

An AGRA's usual composition was three medium artillery regiments, one heavy artillery regiment and one field artillery regiment. It was commanded by a Brigadier and was transferred at need from corps to corps within an army.[8]

For the most part, each corps in the line was assigned an AGRA; however, when especially heavy fire support was needed, one corps area could be stripped of its AGRA to support another, as happened at the battle for Calais in 1944 (Operation Undergo), or in the initial attack on the Italian mainland (Operation Baytown) when two AGRAs, side-by-side, fired across the Straits of Messina from Sicily. As the British Army manpower shortage developed, the weight of fire that an AGRA could add to an attack became increasingly important.[6]

Commonwealth AGRAs

Canadian corps-level concentrations of artillery were also referred to as AGRAs, despite the fact they were composed of units of the Royal Canadian Artillery as well as the Royal Artillery.[9] Canada had two AGRAs in the Second World War, one served in Italy as part of I Canadian Corps and North West Europe from March 1945 and the other only in North West Europe with II Canadian Corps.[10]

After the war, 59th AGRA appears to have been transferred to the British Indian Army in 1946, becoming 59 Army Group Royal Indian Artillery, retitled 2 Army Group RIA the following year. At Independence in 1947, the order of battle of the RIA included 1 AGRIA, 2 AGRIA and 11 AGRIA (AA).[11]

List of AGRAs during World War II

Where known, with area of operation and dates formed and disbanded.

  • 1st AGRA – formed 1 September 1942; Tunisia and Italy[12]
  • 2nd AGRA – formed 8 September 1942; Tunisia and Italy[13]
  • 3rd AGRA – formed March 1943; North-West Europe, usually attached to XII Corps[14][15]
  • 4th AGRA – formed March 1943; North-West Europe, usually attached to I Corps[14][16]
  • 5th AGRA – formed January 1943; Italy, North-West Europe, usually attached to XXX Corps[14][17]
  • 6th AGRA – formed 16 March 1943; Italy[18]
  • 7th AGRA – formed August 1944; Italy[19]
  • 8th AGRA – formed May 1943 from HQ RA 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division; North-West Europe, usually attached to VIII Corps[14][20]
  • 9th AGRA – formed 1 May 1943 from HQ RA 79th Armoured Division; North-West Europe attached to 21st Army Group[14][21]
  • 10th AGRA – formed 27 July 1943; Italy; absorbed by 7th AGRA March 1945[22]
  • 11th AGRA – formed 1944; Far East[23]
  • 15th AGRA – formed 1944; Middle East[24]
  • 16th AGRA – formed 1945; Far East[7]
  • 17th AGRA – formed 1944; North West Europe[14][25]
  • 59th AGRA – formed September 1944 from HQ RA 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division; North-West Europe and Far East[7][14][26]
  • 60th AGRA – formed from 9th Anti-Aircraft (AA) Brigade in the Far East April 1945[7][27]
  • 61st AGRA – formed from 24th AA Brigade in the Far East April 1945[7][27]
  • 107th AA Brigade – acted as an AGRA during the Siege of Dunkirk in 1944–45, controlling field and medium artillery as well as AA units firing in both the AA and medium roles[28]
  • 1st Canadian AGRA – Italy, North-West Europe (from March 1945)
  • 2nd Canadian AGRA – North-West Europe usually attached to II Canadian Corps[29]

List of postwar AGRAs

After World War II, AGRAs were mainly used to control Territorial Army (TA) units, particularly AA units that did not form part of Anti-Aircraft Command. Later, a few were created in the regular Army for the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR).

  • 1 AGRA (Field) – formed 24 April 1955 from 68 AA Brigade (the wartime 42nd AA Brigade); joined BAOR 1958; became 1 AA Brigade 1961.[30][31][32]
  • 2 AGRA (AA) – formed ca 1955[33][34][35]
  • 5 AGRA (AA) – formed 1955 in BAOR; disbanded 1957.[34][36]
  • 7 AGRA (AA) – formed 1955 in BAOR.[37]
  • 40 (AA) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 April 1959, disbanded 1 May 1961.[33][38]
  • 41 (AA) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 August 1955 from 74 AA Brigade; disbanded 1 May 1961.[33][34][38]
  • 42 (AA) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 August 1955 from 69 AA Brigade; disbanded 1 May 1961.[33][34][38]
  • 84 (Field) AGRA (Highland) (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; disbanded 3 June 1950.[33][38][39][40]
  • 85 (Field) Army Group Royal Artillery (Lowland) (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; became HQ RA 52nd (Lowland) Division 1 July 1950.[33][38][39][40]
  • 86 (Field) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947 from HQ RA 46th Infantry Division; disbanded 31 October 1956.[33][38][39][40]
  • 87 (Field) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947 from HQ RA 55th (West Lancashire) Division; disbanded 1 May 1961.[33][38][39][40]
  • 88 (Field) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; disbanded 31 October 1956.[33][38][39][40]
  • 89 (Field) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; became HQ RA 54th (East Anglian) Division 31 October 1956.[33][38][39][40]
  • 90 (Field) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; disbanded 31 October 1956.[33][38][39][40]
  • 91 (Field) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; disbanded 1 August 1950.[33][39][40]
  • 92 (AA) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; disbanded 9 September 1948.[33][38][39][40]
  • 93 (AA) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; became 93 AA Brigade 1 September 1948.[30][33][38][39][40]
  • 94 (AA) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; disbanded 9 September 1948.[33][38][39][40]
  • 95 (AA) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; became 95 AA Brigade 1 September 1948.[30][33][38][39][40]
  • 96 (AA) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; disbanded 31 October 1955.[33][38][39][40]
  • 97 (AA) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; disbanded 5 December 1950.[33][38][39][40]
  • 98 (AA) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; disbanded 9 September 1948.[33][38][39][40]
  • 99 (AA) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; became 99 AA Brigade 1 September 1948.[30][33][38][39][40]
  • 100 (AA) AGRA (TA) – formed 1 January 1947; disbanded 9 September 1948.[33][38][39][40]

Notes

1. ^Farndale, Western Front, Annex E.
2. ^Bryant, pp. 256–8.
3. ^Doherty, p. 35.
4. ^Farndale, Years of Defeat, p. 99.
5. ^Fraser, p. 251.
6. ^1 Fraser, p. 322.
7. ^1 2 3 4 Farndale, Far East.
8. ^Jones.
9. ^Falconer.
10. ^Dickers.
11. ^Kempton, p. 49.
12. ^1st AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 30 March 2016 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123111415/http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/agra/index.html |date=November 23, 2008 }}
13. ^2nd AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 30 March 2016 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413153345/http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/agra/page2.html |date=April 13, 2016 }}
14. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 Ellis, Appendix IV.
15. ^3rd AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 4 September 2015
16. ^4th AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 4 September 2015
17. ^5th AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 4 September 2015 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413164856/http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/nweuro/page27.html |date=April 13, 2016 }}
18. ^9th AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 30 March 2016 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424020916/http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/agra/page6.html |date=April 24, 2012 }}
19. ^7th AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 30 March 2016 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123110827/http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/agra/page7.html |date=November 23, 2008 }}
20. ^8th AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 4 September 2015
21. ^9th AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 4 September 2015
22. ^10th AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 30 March 2016 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123012136/http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/agra/page10.html |date=November 23, 2008 }}
23. ^11th AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 30 March 2016 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123111748/http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/agra/page11.html |date=November 23, 2008 }}
24. ^17th AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 30 March 2016 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123111649/http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/agra/page12.html |date=November 23, 2008 }}
25. ^17th AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 30 March 2016 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407020716/http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/agra/page14.html |date=April 7, 2016 }}
26. ^59th AGRA at RA 39–45, accessed 30 March 2016
27. ^1 Routledge, p. 249.
28. ^Routledge, p. 323.
29. ^2nd Canadian Army Group RCA at RA 39–45, accessed 4 September 2015 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064556/http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/nweuro/page30.html |date=March 4, 2016 }}
30. ^1 2 3 AA Brigades at British Army 1945 on. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043302/http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/territorial-army-royal-artillery/aa-brigades-67-106-2.html |date=March 4, 2016 }}
31. ^Lord & Watson, p. s90.
32. ^RA Formation badges at British Badge Forum.
33. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 AGRAs at British Army 1945 on. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235502/http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/territorial-army-royal-artillery/agra.html |date=March 3, 2016 }}
34. ^1 2 3 Routledge, Table LXXV, p. 442.
35. ^Lord & Watson, p. 89.
36. ^Routledge, p. 434.
37. ^Routledge, p. 440.
38. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Lord & Watson, pp 197–201.
39. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Watson.
40. ^1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Litchfield, Appendix 5.

References

  • Sir Arthur Bryant, The Turn of the Tide, 1939–1943, London: Collins, 1957.
  • {{cite book | ref = harv | last = Dickers | first = Robin | year = 2012 | location = London | publisher = Lonsdale | title = The History of the 2nd Canadian Army Group Royal Artillery | isbn = 978-0-9569969-9-2}}
  • Richard Doherty, Hobart's 79th Armoured Division at War: Invention, Innovation and Inspiration, Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2011, {{ISBN|978-1-84884-398-1}}.
  • Major L. F. Ellis, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West, Vol II: The Defeat of Germany, London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, {{ISBN|1-845740-59-9}}.
  • {{cite book | ref = harv | last = Falconer | first = D.W. | year = 1985 | location = Madison | publisher = the University of Wisconsin - Madison | title = Battery flashes of W.W. II: a thumb-nail sketch of Canadian artillery batteries during the 1939-1945 conflict | isbn = 0-9691865-0-9}}
  • Gen Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Western Front 1914–18, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1986, {{ISBN|1-870114-00-0}}.
  • Gen Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, {{ISBN|1-85753-080-2}}.
  • Gen Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Far East Theatre 1939–1946, London: Brasseys, 2002, {{ISBN|1-85753-302-X}}.
  • Gen Sir David Fraser, And We Shall Shock Them: The British Army in the Second World War, London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1983, {{ISBN|0-340-27085-3}}.
  • John Philip Jones, Battles of a gunner officer: Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy and the long road to Germany, Barnsley: Praetorian Press, 2014, {{ISBN|978-1-78337-606-3}}.
  • Chris Kempton, A Register of Titles of The Units of the H.E.I.C. and Indian Armies, 1666–1947, (British Empire & Commonwealth Museum Research Paper Number 1), Bristol: British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, 1997, {{ISBN|0-9530174-0-0}}.
  • Norman E.H. Litchfield, The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, {{ISBN|0-9508205-2-0}}.
  • Cliff Lord & Graham Watson, Royal Corps of Signals: Unit Histories of the Corps (1920–2001) and its Antecedents, Solihull: Helion, 2003, {{ISBN|1-874622-92-2}}.
  • Brig N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, {{ISBN|1-85753-099-3}}.

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20150829181242/http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/ British Army units from 1945 on]
  • British and Commonwealth Military Badge Forum
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20140806195614/http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html Derek Barton, Royal Artillery 1939–1945]
  • Graham Watson, The Territorial Army 1947
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20080807115137/http://www.mail-1.connectfree.co.uk/artill1.htm History of 9 AGRA] – dead link 30 March 2016

2 : Units and formations of the Royal Artillery|Military units and formations of the United Kingdom by size
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