The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery (), formerly and commonly known as the Royal Canadian Artillery, is the artillery personnel branch of the Canadian Army.
History Many of the units and batteries of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery are older than the Dominion of Canada itself. The first artillery company in Canada was formed in the province of Canada (New France) in 1750.
Volunteer Canadian artillery batteries existed before 1855 but their history is mostly unknown. Seven batteries of artillery were formed after the passage of the Militia Act of 1855 which allowed Canada to retain a paid military force of 5,000 men. One of the pre-1855 volunteer batteries formed in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1793 was called the "Loyal Company of Artillery" and exists today as the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, RCA.
After Confederation On 20 October 1871, the first regular Canadian army units were created, in the form of two batteries of garrison artillery; thus, that date is considered the regiment's birthday. "A" Battery in Kingston, Ontario, and "B" Battery in Quebec City, Quebec, became gunnery schools and performed garrison duties in their respective towns. They are still active today as part of the 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (RCHA).
The Royal Canadian Artillery was granted its 'Royal' prefix by Queen Victoria on May 24, 1893.
The Royal Canadian Artillery has participated in every major conflict in Canada's history.
Riel Rebellions In 1870, in response to the Red River Rebellion led by Louis Riel, Colonel Garnet Wolseley led a force of British regulars and Canadian Militia across Northern Ontario to quell the uprising. The force never partook in any combat. Following the establishment of Manitoba in May 1870, the militia portion of the force was garrisoned along the Red River. After 1872 this included the newly formed Manitoba Demi-Battery, which was composed of Regular gunners of "A" and "B" Battery.
In 1885, when Riel led the North-West Rebellion in the District of Saskatchewan, A and B Batteries, as well as several militia batteries, including the Winnipeg Field Battery, were dispatched to quell the uprising. Upon arriving in Saskatchewan, "A" Battery and Winnipeg Field fought at Fish Creek and Batoche. "B" Battery moved west to Swift Current where they participated in the Battle of Cut Knife, which saw the first use by Canadian soldiers of the machine gun, and the last time in Canadian history that bows and arrows were used in battle.
In 1886, the Regular Gunners of A & B Batteries returned east, transferring their guns to the North-West Mounted Police.
Boer War
During the war in South Africa, Canada contributed the Brigade Division of the Canadian Field Artillery. It consisted of three batteries, named "C", "D" and "E", each of six 12-pounder field guns. Each battery consisted of three sections of two guns each, and was manned by a core of Permanent Force soldiers, with additional members from the Militia. The militia for "C" and "D" batteries came from Ontario and Winnipeg, while "E" battery had militia from Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
"D" and "E" Batteries arrived in Cape Town aboard the SS Laurentian in February 1900, and were soon sent north to form part of a column based at Victoria West under Colonel Sir Charles Parsons. In March and April they took part in an operation in the Kenhardt district, covering in six weeks, seeing little action, but much heavy rain. On 29 May, "E" battery was part of another operation under Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Warren, when it was attacked at Faber's Put. The Boers were eventually driven off, though the battery had one man killed and eight wounded. In his subsequent despatch Warren particularly mentioned "E" Battery's Major Ogilvie and Captain Mackie. By the end of June "E" Battery had been split up into sections and was stationed along the Kimberley–Mafeking Railway.
In July 1900 "D" Battery moved to Pretoria to operate in the Transvaal in a column commanded by Colonel Ian Hamilton, and saw much action, with a section particularly distinguishing itself at the battle of Leliefontein, when 100 men of the Royal Canadian Dragoons and 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles, bolstered by a single Colt machine gun and the two 12-pounders of the battery, repelled an attack by 200 mounted Boers while covering the withdrawal of the main column. Three Victoria Crosses were awarded for valour during the engagement.
"C" Battery arrived at Cape Town aboard the SS Columbian in March 1900, but within two weeks were re-embarked to sail to Beira, from where they travelled by train, cart, and forced march to join Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Plumer's column south of Otse by mid-April to take part in the relief of Mafeking. Colonel Baden-Powell, the garrison commander at Mafeking, sent a telegram to the Canadian Government: "Mafeking relieved today, and most grateful for invaluable assistance of Canadian Artillery, which made record march from Beira to help us". From the end of May the battery operated with Plumer's column in the Zeerust district until November, seeing action regularly.
The unit never operated as a whole, with the batteries, and sometimes even sections, operating independently, often for months at a time, and it was only reunited when it regrouped to return to Canada in June 1901.
World War I
The Canadian Artillery and the Garrison Artillery were the designations of the Non-Permanent Active Militia as of 1 January 1914. The Canadian Artillery and the Garrison Artillery were collectively re-designated the Royal Canadian Artillery on 3 June 1935. +FormationSub-UnitsBy November 1918, the 1st Canadian Division had expanded to the following artillery units:1st Brigade, C.F.A.1st Field Battery 3rd Field Battery 4th Field Battery 2nd Howitzer Battery2nd Brigade, C.F.A.5th Field Battery 6th Field Battery 7th Field Battery 48th Howitzer Battery 1st Division Ammunition ColumnBy November 1918, the 2nd Canadian Division had expanded to the following artillery units:5th Brigade, C.F.A.17th Field Battery 18th Field Battery 20th Field Battery 23rd Howitzer Battery6th Brigade, C.F.A.15th Field Battery 16th Field Battery 25th Field Battery 22nd Howitzer Battery 2nd Division Ammunition ColumnBy November 1918, the 3rd Canadian Division had expanded to the following artillery units:9th Brigade, C.F.A.31st Field Battery 33rd Field Battery 45th Field Battery 36th Howitzer Battery10th Brigade, C.F.A.38th Field Battery 39th Field Battery 40th Field Battery 35th Howitzer Battery 3rd Division Ammunition ColumnBy November 1918, the 4th Canadian Division had expanded to the following artillery units:3rd Brigade, C.F.A.10th Field Battery 11th Field Battery 12th Field Battery 9th Howitzer Battery4th Brigade, C.F.A.13th Field Battery 19th Field Battery 27th Field Battery 21st Howitzer Battery 4th Division Ammunition ColumnCanadian Corps Troops – Corps Heavy Artillery1st Brigade, C.G.A.1st Siege Battery 3rd Siege Battery 7th Siege Battery 9th Siege Battery2nd Brigade, C.G.A.1st Heavy Battery 2nd Heavy Battery 2nd Siege Battery 4th Siege Battery 5th Siege Battery 6th Siege Battery3rd Brigade, C.G.A.8th Siege Battery 10th Siege Battery 11th Siege Battery 12th Siege Battery5th Divisional Artillery13th Brigade, C.F.A.52nd Field Battery 53rd Field Battery 55th Field Battery 51st Howitzer Battery14th Brigade, C.F.A.60th Field Battery 61st Field Battery 66th Field Battery 58th Howitzer Battery 5th Division Ammunition ColumnArmy Service Corps 5th Divisional Artillery Motor Transport DetachmentCanadian Cavalry Brigade – Artillery Royal Canadian Horse Artillery BrigadeArmy troops – Attached to the British Expeditionary Force – Artillery8th Army Brigade, C.F.A.24th Field Battery 30th Field Battery 32nd Field Battery 43rd Howitzer Battery 8th Army Brigade Ammunition Column "E" Anti-Aircraft Battery
World War II
The R.C.H.A. and R.C.A. expanded tremendously during the war to contribute the following units to the European theater: +FormationRegiments1st Canadian Infantry Division1st Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery 2nd Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery 3rd Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery 1st Anti-Tank Regiment 2nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment2nd Canadian Infantry Division4th Field Regiment 5th Field Regiment 6th Field Regiment 2nd Anti-Tank Regiment 3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment3rd Canadian Infantry Division12th Field Regiment 13th Field Regiment 14th Field Regiment 3rd Anti-Tank Regiment 4th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment4th Canadian (Armoured) Division15th Field Regiment 23rd Field Regiment (Self-Propelled) 5th Anti-Tank Regiment 8th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment5th Canadian (Armoured) Division17th Field Regiment 8th Field Regiment (Self-Propelled) 4th Anti-Tank Regiment 5th Light Anti-Aircraft RegimentI Canadian Corps Troops7th Anti-Tank Regiment R.C.A. 1st Survey Regiment R.C.A.II Canadian Corps Troops6th Anti-Tank Regiment R.C.A. 2nd Survey Regiment R.C.A. 6th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment R.C.A.First Canadian Army Troops No. 1 Army Group R.C.A. 11th Army Field Regiment 1st Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery 2nd Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery 5th Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery No. 2 Army Group R.C.A. 19th Army Field Regiment 3rd Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery 4th Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery 7th Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
Other regiments included the 9th Anti-Tank Regiment (Self-Propelled) (Argyll Light Infantry), RCA.
Coastal defences Pacific coast The RCA was also responsible for the defence of Canada on both the west and east coasts. In 1936 a review was done by Major Treatt of the Royal Artillery of the existing defences and potential sites for new forts. Efforts to improve the existing fortifications and build new ones were well underway by 1939.
There were approximately 10 armed forts and gun positions established along the Pacific west coast. The ones in the Strait of Juan de Fuca were integrated with the U.S. coastal defences. As the war progressed and the threat of attack diminished, the forts were gradually drawn down and demobilized. The last active coastal defence fort on the west coast, Fort Rodd Hill, was deactivated in 1958.
A list of forts and gun positions on the West Coast section
Korean War
Cold War The Regular and Reserve components of the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Royal Canadian Artillery and Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery were collectively re-designated the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery on 29 October 1956.
Afghanistan "F" Battery, 2nd Regiment, RCHA, fired the first Canadian artillery rounds in Afghanistan in February 2004 as part of Operation Athena's first rotation. The mission was shot with a 105 mm LG1 and consisted of illumination rounds shot in a range spread to identify a potential rocket launching site used by insurgents.
In December 2005, 1st Regiment, RCHA, conducted an inaugural firing of its first 155 mm M777 towed howitzers. The first six guns delivered were supplied by the United States Marine Corps under a foreign military sales (FMS) contract between the U.S. and Canada. The Canadian guns were first fired by "A" Battery, 1 RCHA, at CFB Shilo and then were deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Archer, and were put into service in the Canadian theatre of operations around Kandahar in early 2006. This marked the first use by any nation of the M777 in combat operations. Regular RCHA units, reinforced by volunteers from Reserve units, continued to support operations until Canada completed its combat mission in Afghanistan in March 2014.
Since Afghanistan