Ubique

The Royal Artillery in the Second World War

During World War II the Germans assessed the Royal Artillery (RA) as the most professional arm of the British Army. British gunners were accurate, effective, and efficient, and provided better fire support for their armored and infantry colleagues than in any other army. The RA provided much more than field and medium artillery battlefield support. Gunner regiments manned anti-tank guns on the frontline and light anti-aircraft guns in divisional regiments to defend against air attack at home and abroad. The RA also helped to protect convoys that brought essential supplies to Britain, and AA gunners had their finest hour when they destroyed the majority of the V-1 flying bombs launched against Britain from June 1944. This volume thoroughly covers the RAs state of preparedness in 1939; the many developments that were introduced during the war, including aerial observation and self-propelled artillery; the growth of the regiment; and its effectiveness in its many roles.