The artillery division is a specialized form of military brigade designed to provide artillery support. Other combat units may have an artillery component, but an artillery division is an armed unit designed for artillery and supported by other units to support infantry, especially during an attack.
Formation
Initially, the division was usually formed either for attack or defense, but in the 20th century, when military operations became more mobile and stationary fortifications became less useful, artillery divisions were created for defensive purposes. The main exception was coastal defense. During WWII, the use and formation of artillery divisions (usually having from 3,000 to 4,000 men and from 24 to 70 guns) acquired significant importance, since they could be attached to units in need, and then disconnected and reconnected elsewhere as needed .
Anti-aircraft brigades and divisions
A specialized type of artillery battalion or brigade is the anti-aircraft brigade. During World War II, many anti-aircraft units served both to protect against air attacks, and as offensive units against armored vehicles - this was especially important for effective German artillery.
Modern anti-aircraft artillery divisions are usually smaller and even more specialized than in the past, often specially trained to work with only one or two types of artillery. In tactical terms, the use of helicopters captured most of the historical advantage of the artillery brigade. Separate anti-aircraft artillery divisions are awarded special awards for their collective exploits.
History
From 1859 to 1938, the term "brigade" was used to refer to the battalion unit of the Royal Artillery of the British Army. This happened because, unlike the infantry battalions and cavalry regiments, which were organic, the artillery units consisted of individually numbered batteries, which were essentially divisions.
The commander of the formation was a lieutenant colonel. In 1938, the Royal Artillery adopted the term “regiment” for this size unit, and the word “division” began to be used in the usual sense, especially for anti-aircraft regiment groups under the command of a brigadier. These units consisted of artillery divisions.
Separate artillery units in the USSR
What can be said about the Soviet experience in this area? Specialized howitzer artillery divisions became fashionable in the Soviet Army in the later stages of World War II. For example, the 34th artillery division and the 51st guards artillery division. Artillery divisions are usually tasked with providing concentrated support for firepower to groups of higher unified weapons, such as corps, battle commanders, or theaters.
India and Iraq
Later, the artillery divisions were adopted by the Indian army in 1988 (two artillery divisions), the Iraqi army for a short time between 1985 and 1998, and the PAVN in the period from 1971 to 2006. The concept of the artillery division is deeply rooted in the Soviet military doctrine and is based on the view that artillery is a unique independent combat weapon capable of achieving large-scale goals, using only its own resources and assets - this is a way to concentrate the vast majority of massive firepower in a small geographical area to achieve strategic and overwhelming breakthrough in the enemy’s defense. Especially for this purpose, self-propelled artillery divisions are effective.
In Germany
The 18th artillery division was a German formation formed during WWII in 1943. Being the first independent mobile artillery force, it never rose to its planned strength. The division fought on the Eastern Front.
The 18th artillery division was formed by combining the headquarters and some of the remaining parts of the corps from the 18th Panzer Division, disbanded on October 1, with other small units. This was the first unit planned as independent and mobile artillery forces. A special element of this unit was that it had its own (heavy) infantry element - Schützen-Abteilung 88 (tmot), also known as Art.-Kampf-Btln. 88 and Art.-Alarm-Abteilung 18. Having a mission to protect artillery in all dangerous situations, this battalion, carefully trained in rear operations, saved the division from complete destruction at least three times.
Battle glory
The division was part of the XXXVIII Army Corps of the 1st Tank Army. He acted until the end of March 1944, when he was surrounded in the Kamenetz-Podolsk pocket. Although he managed to break through, he lost all the heavy equipment. Until November 4, 1944, he participated mainly in infantry battles; and due to heavy losses, the division almost ceased to exist. The last time in April 1944 he was listed as one as Kampfgruppe 18. Art. Div. and was officially disbanded on July 27, 1944. The remaining officers and soldiers from headquarters and troops were used to form Panzerkorps Großdeutschland, and the artillery regiments were transformed into several independent artillery brigades.
Our artillery division
The 34th Guards Artillery Division of the Ground Forces of Russia and the Soviet Army was formed in Potsdam and served there together with a group of Soviet troops in Germany. In 1993, he inherited the awards of the 2nd Guards Artillery Division. The division entered Mulino in 1994 and was disbanded in 2009. Now it is a reactive artillery division.
History
The division was formed as the 34th artillery division as part of a group of Soviet occupation forces in the 4th artillery corps of Germany in Potsdam from June 25 to July 9, 1945. It included the 30th, 38th Guards and 148th cannon artillery brigades. In 1953, the 4th artillery corps was disbanded, the division was subordinated to the GSFG headquarters.
In 1958, the 38th Guards Artillery Brigade was renamed the 243rd Guards Artillery Regiment. In 1960, she became the 248th Guards Cannon Artillery Regiment. She later returned to the Soviet Union in 1960 with the 6th Artillery Division. The 17th cannon artillery regiment and the 245th regiment of heavy howitzers were transferred to the 34th of the 5th division.
70s
In 1970, the 245th regiment became the 288th heavy artillery howitzer brigade. In 1974, the 243rd became the 303rd Guards Artillery Brigade. In 1982, the 303rd was re-equipped with 48 2S7 Pion. In 1989, the 303rd was re-equipped with the 2S5 Giatsint-S, the 122nd anti-tank artillery brigade joined the division in January 1989.
In 1993, the division inherited the honors of the disbanded 2nd Guards Artillery Division and became the 34th Guards Perekop Red Banner Order of the Suvorov Artillery Division. From April 10 to September 1, 1994 he was recalled to Mulino, where he replaced the 20th Artillery Training Division. The division was disbanded in 2009.
Kutuzov Division
The 127th Order of the Kutuzov Machine Gun Artillery Division of the second degree (127 machine gun and artillery division) was a division of the Russian ground forces, which traced its history to the 66th Rifle Division of the Second World War.
The division was originally formed on May 14, 1932 in the village of Lutkovka-Medical in the Veditsky Shmakovsky District of the Ussuri Region of the Far Eastern Military District as the 1st or 2nd Collective Farm Artillery Division. It was renamed the 66th Infantry Division on May 21, 1936.
The division was part of the 35th Army of the Independent Coastal Group in the Far East in May 1945. In August 1945, the division as part of the 1st Far Eastern Front participated in the Soviet operation against Japan. On August 9, 1945, the division began operations as part of the 35th Army, advancing 12 kilometers, crossing the Songacha River in the northern part of Heilongjiang. The division fought on the Ussuri River in the Khotunsky, Mishansky (Mishansky), Border and Dunininsky fortified districts, capturing the cities of Mishan, Jilin, Yangtze and Harbin. For valor in battle and courage on September 19, 1945, the 66th Rifle Division was awarded the Order of Kutuzov of the Second Degree. The division personnel were awarded three medals of the Hero of the Soviet Union, 1266 awards and 2838 medals.
On November 29, 1945, it was reorganized into the 2nd Panzer Division, but in 1957 it was again renamed the 32nd Panzer Division, and in 1965 into the 66th Panzer Division. On March 30, 1970, the division became the 277th motorized rifle division. However, their firepower is not a match for anti-tank artillery divisions.
In May 1981, the division headquarters was transferred to Sergeevka. On June 1, 1990, the 277th mechanized infantry division was transformed into the 127th machine gun artillery division. The 702nd motorized rifle regiment was disbanded and replaced by the 114th machine gun artillery regiment. It included the 114th and 130th machine gun artillery regiments, the 314th motorized rifle regiment, the 218th tank regiment, the 872th artillery regiment and the 1172th anti-aircraft missile regiment.
Our days
In mid-2008, the division, under the leadership of the new commander, Sergei Ryzhkov, replaced some of its former personnel units with high-alert units. The regiment arrived from Sergeevka, two regiments of constant readiness from Kamen-Rybolov (438th motorized rifle regiment). On the western shore of Lake Khanka and in Ussuriysk (231st Motorized Rifle Regiment). These changes actually turned the division into a motorized rifle force, although it was still designated as a static defensive force.