1918-1941
High command (Major Commands)
In the interwar army, there were two types of the higher command of the artillery. It was a six army (army artillery headquarters) and eighteen choral artillery command (corps artillery headquarters). This command was in charge of the management of the assigned artillery units and operations at the corps level or army. Army headquarters consisted of its own headquarters and an ammunition column (Ammunition Train). All the other artillery and support forces and means should be allocated from the advances of the General headquarters (General Headquarters Reserve (GHQR)) depending on the current situation and according to the needs of the assigned task. After the completion of the task or change the situation should be the headquarters again withdrawn and GHQR is meant to give away to these forces and resources were used as efficiently as possible. The ammunition convoy should ensure the supply of ammunition for these allocated units. Corps headquarters consisted with his own headquarters and corps artillery brigade. The task of the headquarters was to coordinate the activities of the corps artillery brigade and the divisional artillery brigades, and also the activities of the units assigned from the army's artillery velitelstrví or directly from the advances of the General headquarters. All the army and choral artillery headquarters, with the exception of II. and In the. corps, was established in 1921 in the framework of Organized backups. Headquarters for II. and In the. the choir was set up in the framework of the National guard and assigned to the states of New York and Ohio. In 1928 she was all army and choral artillery headquarters has been removed from the geographically relevant ward areas and apparently demobilized.
Field artillery brigade (Field Artillery Brigades)
Field artillery brigade followed the activities of the assigned to field artillery regiments and other allocated forces and resources. Their task was the planning, coordination and management of direct and indirect fire to support the advancing units. Divisional brigades were to provide direct fire in support of the cavalry and infantry corps a brigade and a brigade from the GHQR should provide counter-battery fire and the deep by, enemy suppression barrage. From the point of view of organization and equipment there were several types of field artillery brigades. It was a divisional brigade (divisional), choral brigade (corps), light brigade (light), medium and heavy brigade (medium & heavy, M&H) and the brigade carried on conveyors. Each brigade should consist of their own command, the command battery and the two or more field artillery regiments. In 1921 passed the divisional brigade reorganization and consisted only of the two light regiments with horses drawn (horse-drawn) 75mm houfnicemi (H). Divisional medium artillery regiments with the 155mm houfnicemi have been moved to the chorus of artillery brigades. Choral brigade now had four regiments - three regiments with the 155mm houfnicemi (H) and one 155mm canons (G). From 1929, when the army introduced in the arsenal of the newer and more mobile, truck-drawn (truck-drawn) 155mm howitzer, have a divisional brigade again regiments with the 155mm houfnicemi. Choral brigade at the same time lost one regiment of 155 mm houfnicemi. The light brigade, medium and heavy brigade and the brigade carried on the conveyors have been moved under the advance General headquarters. The light brigade and the brigade carried on the conveyors consist of their own command, the command battery and the three battalions with 75mm truck-drawn or on conveyors vezenými battalions. Medium and heavy brigade apparently had fixed the breakdown, however, normally consisted of two regiments with the 155mm houfnicemi, two regiments with 240mm houfnicemi and one regiment with 6palcovými canons. Further allocated to the two arms of the company (heavy maintenance) (ordnance company (heavy maintenance)). All medium and heavy regiments were drawn by goods vehicles. Brigade GHQR should be controlled by the GHQ and assigned to the army headquarters according to current needs.
For most of the period of 1921-1939 was in the Regular army only five brigades in the active state - four in the division and one for corps. 11. field artillery brigade in Hawaii was after 1921, the only fully active brigade with three regiments. The planners of the war Department believed that the mobility of its medium regiments is not a problem, because her job was mainly using permanent position on Oahu. The other three active division brigade lost one medium regiment and in addition they had to disable parts of the other regiments. The only active choral brigade, 13. field artillery brigade at Fort Bragg, had to also disable a portion of their units. In 1930, the army began with the reorganization of his artillery units and thanks to the efficiencies of other components could in the years 1934 and 1935 reactivate 6. and 4. field artillery brigade. In October 1939, were all the divisional brigade cancelled within triangularizace infantry divisions.
All inactive divisional brigade of the Regular army were, after 1926, gradually formed in the framework of the RAI (Regular Army Inactive). As well as the vast majority of the other brigades of the RAI didn't work this brigade as the actual functional command. In RAI, it was after 1926 were formed only a few choral brigades and no brigade GHQR. And that's despite the fact that the total number of artillery brigades RAI after 1933 rose. In the years of 1920 to 1921 was the National guard established eighteen divisional and six choral brigades. All divisional brigade were in the interwar period also formed, on the contrary choral brigade was not formed. not one. In 1923 it was all six choral brigades even included among the deferované National guard units and moved to the Organized reserves. Five of them were in the years 1927 to 1933 demobilizováno. On the contrary, in the years 1940 and 1941 was during the mobilization of the National guard set up and formed six choral brigades. If you don't count the six deferovaných brigades, existed in the twenties in the context of Organised backups of 62 field artillery brigades. From these teams, 27 division, 17 choral, 5 light, 6 vezených in conveyors and 7 medium and heavy. All divisional and corps brigade along with most other brigades were in different years of the interwar period formed. Many of the choir's brigades was in the year 1933 demobilizováno and in the mobilization plans replaced by brigades RAI. Some of the brigade GHQR have never been formed and many of them were in 1933 demobilizováno or disabled, without being in the mobilization plans replaced. Most of the divisional brigades Organised by the backups functional units. Part of the divisional and ward teams sometimes worked as a management headquarters in the training of subordinate units. On the contrary, in the case of the brigades GHQR was functional only a few. Brigade, for which there was the highest activity, should be at the forefront of the backup of colonel or brigadier general. Most of them commanded only a lieutenant colonel or major, and only as a temporary commander, who has not exercised any control over the subordinate regiments.
Field artillery regiments (Field Artillery Regiments)
Field artillery regiment was in the interwar period regarded as a fundamental organizational part of the artillery for combat, training and administrative activities. Structure and types of these regiments in substantial part, directly coming from the artillery regiments serving in the first world war. Postwar analysis concluded that the organizational structure of the field artillery was in principle fine, however a few changes recommended. These changes are mainly related to the brigades and some other part of this weapon, on the contrary, regiments are basically not touched. In the interwar period there were several different types of field artillery regiments. Their organizational structure varies depending on what equipment and to what level of command they were assigned. The divisional brigade consisted of two regiments with horse-drawn 75mm guns. Each regiment had two battalions of twelve kanonech. Three freight cars drawn version of this regiment were an integral part of the light brigades GHQR, and the other three also were at the GHQR in brigades vezených on the conveyors. Regiments with 155mm houfnicemi were in the choir artillery brigades (three regiments in the brigade) and, in the medium and heavy brigades GHQR (two regiments). The regiments have three battalions of eight guns. Regiments with the 155mm guns were located just outside the choir artillery brigades. Each regiment had three battalions after eight kanonech. Regiments with 240mm houfnicemi were just in the middle and the heavy brigade. These regiments had 3 battalions after eight houfnicích. In the same brigades were also included regiments with 6palcovými canons. Split is basically the same as regiments with 240mm houfnicemi. The last type was the regiment with the 75mm houfnicemi dedicated to the transport of the soumarech. Shared as well as the other regiments with 75-mm guns to two battalions of twelve houfnicích. In 1921 they were the horses drawn just regiments that were an integral part of the pedestrian and equestrian divisions. A specific feature were biodegradable 75mm howitzer, which were designated to be transported on the soumarech, most often mules, in inaccessible terrain such as mountains or jungle, and the regiments carried on přepravnicích, i.e. on the buckets of trucks. In other cases, should be a cannon pulled by a truck or artillery tractor. Tractors but in the end it was equipped with just a few units.
In the interwar period was calculated with the fact that in the Regular army will be 87 field artillery regiments. 27 of them were to the January 1920 in the state. In October 1933 there was established or restored other 60. Only 12 of them but had an active regimental headquarters the whole time. 15 other regiments was activated only partially, i.e. at least one activated battalion. 9 of them were formed after different lengths of time in the framework of the regiments RAI. 57 other regiments were at different times formed within units of RAI. Only three regiments of the Regular army remained completely inactive throughout the interwar period. Most of these regiments was in the years 1940 and 1941 reorganized and renamed the division or nedivizní field artillery battalions and activated. Only a small part remained in the form of a regiment, and of them only a few were at the same time activated. Most of the regiments RAI was functional auxiliary units. In general, these were regiments formed in the larger cities and associated with the local program ROTC. In the forefront were mostly major or an officer of even higher rank. Those regiments, which mco nescházely and serve rather only as an item in the mobilisation tables.
In the National guard in the interwar period appeared 107 field artillery regiments. 63 of them were active. The other three were active partially, while two of them were later integrated into other units. 28 regiments was allocated to individual states, but were never formed. These were the regiments of the corps and GHQR. These regiments were in 1923, included among the deferované units. Except for a few exceptions, these were regiments in 1927 demobilizovány. Between 1939 and 1941 was in the National guard formed a further 13 regiments. These were partly formed from units of the National guard, which already existed, but beyond the army mobilization plans. The new units came mostly from the cavalry regiments, which originally belonged to under the repealed riding division of the National guard. The others were former infantry regiments. More than 220 regiments was between the years 1921 and 1929 established or restored and allocated for Organized backups. Most of them were actually formed, but many of them were later deactivated in the context of the formation of regiments RAI. Around 37 regiments Organized advances was later demobilizováno for redundancy. Most of those formed, mainly divisional regiments, it was actually functional units. As well as most of the units Organized advances and these regiments, which were originally strongly geographically spread out, had a tendency to aggregation into larger population centers..