Artillery battery

In military science, a battery is a group of artillery cannons or rockets, so grouped in order to facilitate battlefield communication and the organization of barrages. In modern military organization, the military unit typically has 6 to 8 howitzers and 100 to 200 personnel. They are subdivided into:

Related Topics:
Military science - Artillery - Cannon - Rocket - Battlefield - Communication - Barrage - Military unit - Howitzer

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Field batteries, equipped with 105 mm calibre howitzers or equivalent;
• Medium batteries, equipped with 155 mm calibre howitzers or equivalent;
• Heavy batteries, which are equipped with guns of 203 mm or more calibre, but are now very rare; and
• Various more specialised types, such as anti-aircraft, missile, or Multiple Launch Rocket System batteries.
• Headquarters batteries, which themselves have no artillery pieces, but are rather the command and control organization for a group of firing batteries (for example, a regimental or battalion headquarters battery).

The battery is typically commanded by a captain in U.S. forces and is analogous to the infantry company. In UK and Commonwealth forces a battery commander (like his infantry company commander counterpart) is a major.

Related Topics:
Captain - Infantry - Company

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Historically, many countries also maintained coastal defence batteries, typically equipped with very heavy guns in fixed, fortified emplacements along approaches to seaports, and intended to provide defense against warships. These are now obsolete. A few countries maintain coastal defence artillery units, but these units are organised and equipped quite differently to traditional artillery, often with rockets and torpedoes.

Related Topics:
Fortified - Seaport - Warship - Torpedo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Groupings of mortars are referred to as platoons rather than batteries; although they resemble artillery, mortars are typically considered infantry weapons.

Related Topics:
Mortar - Platoon - Infantry

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 
Artillery battery: See also ►