220th Siege Battery was a heavy howitzer unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) raised in Essex and Suffolk during World War I. It saw active service on the Western Front at Arras and Ypres, in the 'Great Retreat' of March 1918 and in the final Allied Hundred Days Offensive.

Mobilisation On the outbreak of war in August 1914, units of the part-time Territorial Force (TF) were invited to volunteer for Overseas ServiceBecke, Pt 2b, p. 6. and the majority of the Essex and Suffolk Royal Garrison Artillery did so. This unit had mobilised as part of No 14 (Essex & Suffolk) Coastal Fire Command at Landguard Fort, charged with defending the Haven ports of Harwich, Felixstowe and Ipswich and the associated naval base.Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, pp. 402, 409.Maurice-Jones, p. 185. By October 1914, the campaign on the Western Front was bogging down into Trench warfare and there was an urgent need for batteries of siege artillery to be sent to France. The WO decided that the TF coastal gunners were well enough trained to take over many of the duties in the coastal defences, releasing Regular RGA gunners for service in the field.WO Instruction No 248 of October 1914. Soon the TF RGA companies that had volunteered for overseas service were also supplying trained gunners to RGA units serving overseas and providing cadres to form complete new units.Maurice-Jones, pp. 200–1.

In August 1915 Harwich was chosen as one of the depots for forming these units, under the command of Major G.W. Horsfield of the Essex & Suffolk RGA.The rest of the personnel were returning wounded Regulars, men of the Special Reserve, 'Kitchener's Army' volunteers and 'Lord Derby men'.Army List, August 1914.Penstone, pp. 9–14.

220th Siege Battery, RGA, was formed at Harwich on 31 July 1916 from the Essex & Suffolk RGA under Army Council Instruction 1544 of 8 August 1916.Army Council Instructions August 1916.Frederick, pp. 702–6.Raising of 206 to 221 Siege Btys RGA at Long, Long Trail.

Western Front Arras

The battery went out to the Western Front on 25 December 1916, equipped with four 6-inch 26 cwt howitzers. The advance party joined 72nd Heavy Artillery Group (HAG) at Bertrancourt in the Somme sector on 26 December and was sent to Sailly-au-Bois next day. The main body of the battery joined on 8 January 1917 and moved to the battery positions the advance party had prepared. 72nd HAG was serving under Fifth Army, which was renewing operations on the Ancre after the previous year's Somme Offensive.RGA at Long, Long Trail.'Allocation of Siege Batteries RGA', The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 95/5494/4.'Headquarters Heavy Artillery Groups', TNA, file WO 95/5494/1.72nd HAG War Diary November 1916–February 1919, TNA file WO 95/323/6.

72nd HAG was engaged in counter-battery (CB) fire and in shelling the German front lines and villages, including Serre-lès-Puisieux, for the small-scale attacks being attempted. On 22 January the Germans retaliated, bombarding Sailly and smashing the carriage of one of 220 Siege Bty's howitzers. 72nd HAG bombarded the trench known as Ten Tree Alley, which was captured on the night of 10/11 February. On 24 February the front line troops noticed that the Germans were retiring from in front of Serre – part of their planned withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line (Operation Alberich). The British followed up against German rearguards, and pushed their artillery forward across the zone of devastation left by the enemy: 220th Siege Bty reached Beauval on 21 March.Falls, 1917, Vol I, pp. 65–9, 72–3, 95–6.

Arras On 22 March 72nd HAG moved north to join Third Army in the Arras sector. There 220th Siege Bty transferred to the command of 81st HAG. At first it was firing on trench systems, but from 1 April it joined with the other batteries of 81st HAG in CB fire and registering individual strongpoints as targets for the forthcoming Arras Offensive. The four-day preliminary bombardment (V, W, X and Y days) began on 4 April and was extended by an extra day (Q, inserted between X and Y). Z Day was 9 April, and as the infantry of VI Corps went 'over the top' at 05.30 the 6-inch howitzers began firing a standing barrage on the German support trench. When the field guns' creeping barrage reached this line ahead of the infantry, the howitzers lifted onto the second objective. The group's forward observation officer (FOO) moved up with the infantry and set up his observation post (OP) on Observation Hill. The infantry were delayed in capturing the Blue Line (the fourth line of enemy trenches) and there was not time to push on to the Brown line that night. They renewed their attack behind a new barrage at dawn on 10 April and completed the task.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 89–98.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 169–74.81st HAG War Diary December 1916–December 1917, TNA file WO 95/230/1.Falls, 1917, Vol I, pp. 182–6, 198–200, 214–25, 248–51.Farndale, Western Front, pp. 165–6, 170–1.

Next morning, 220th Siege Bty moved up to a forward position where it came under 32nd HAG. It continued firing CB tasks and against strongpoints such as Guémappe and on towns further back like Biache as the offensive continued. On 21 April 32nd HAG began the bombardment to support VI Corps' next operation (the Second Battle of the Scarpe) beginning on 23 April. Firing went on for 10 hours at a time and included hurricane bombardments of villages along the German lines, but the CB fire was less effective and the German artillery was not mastered. VI Corps did manage to take Guémappe. The next major operation (the Third Battle of the Scarpe on 3 May) was even less successful, despite 32nd HAG's efforts to disrupt German communications.32nd HAG War Diary April 1916–July 1919, TNA file WO 95/389/2.Falls, 1917, Vol I, pp. 381–2, 389–94, 438–40.Farndale, Western Front, pp. 177–8.

As the Arras offensive wound down, 220th Siege Bty was transferred to 47th HAG on 16 May. The group was engaged in CB fire by day and harassing fire (HF) by night. It also supported 29th Division's failed attempt to capture Hook Trench on 30 May, and 3rd Division's more successful attack on Long Trench on 14 June, where the heavy artillery halted German counter-attacks.47th HAG War Diary March 1916–July 1919, TNA file WO 95/473/1.Falls, 1917, Vol I, p. 517. The battery's command was changed on 19 June when it came under 48th HAG, continuing CB work on the Arras front,48th HAG War Diary August 1915–June 1917, TNA file WO 95/225/1.48th HAG War Diary July 1917–January 1919, TNA file WO 95/225/2. and changed again when 48th HAG was ordered north on 1 July. Next day 220th Siege Bty transferred to 39th HAG, which was supporting XVII Corps of Third Army.39th HAG War Diary April 1916–December 1917, TNA file WO 95/391/1. The battery continued firing CB tasks and supporting minor operations on XVII Corps' front until 9 August 1917 when it was handed over to 55th HAG with VI Corps.55th HAG War Diary July 1916–December 1917, TNA file WO 95/545/1.

Ypres

After six months with Third Army in what had become a quiet sector, the personnel of Right Section of 220th Siege Bty (Left Section remaining to man the guns) were sent north on 31 August to relieve exhausted gunners of Fifth Army which was engaged in the Third Ypres Offensive. The section joined 56th HAG on 2 September and relieved a section of 173rd Siege Bty. The rest of 220th Siege Bty arrived on 14 September. Many of 56th HAG's targets at this time were concrete pillboxes; 220th Siege Bty took on the strongpoint of Gloster Farm. The Ypres offensive was now restarting: 19 September was Y day for the bombardment preceding the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge. The batteries carried out intense bombardments of the registered strongpoints, interspersed with practice attack barrages. The battle was successful, though more so on Second Army's front than Fifth Army's. The Battles of the Menin Road and Polygon Wood (26 September) were successful because of the weight of artillery brought to bear on German positions and then on their counter-attacks. The Battle of Broodseinde on 4 October was tougher. But as the offensive continued the tables were turned: British batteries were clearly observable from the Passchendaele Ridge and were subjected to CB fire, while their own guns sank into the mud and became difficult to aim and fire. The Battle of Poelcappelle (9 October) was a disappointment and the First Battle of Passchendaele on 12 October resulted in very heavy casualties for Fifth Army. 220th Siege Bty provided barrage fire in all these major attacks, and for the fighting in Houthulst Forest on 22 October. 56th HAG fired a large bombardment programme on 26 October for the opening of the Second Battle of Passchendaele, but the group's firing tailed off thereafter until a last attempt was made on Passchendaele on 10 November. After the ruins of the village had been captured, 56th HAG's batteries fired many rounds in its defence.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 111–20.56th Bde War Diary, August 1916–March 1918, TNA file WO 95/392/2.Edmonds, 1917, Vol II, pp. 247–8, 263–71, 309–14, 334–7, 343–4, 348, 351–2, 358–9.Farndale, pp. 211–13.Wolff, pp. 223–35, 249–51.

Winter 1917–18

Trench raids, CB and HF tasks continued through the winter, with No 7 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps spotting for the guns when weather permitted. Some of the 6-inch howitzers were dragged forward with great difficulty along muddy roads by FWD Model B lorries to bring more distant targets into range. Ammunition expenditure was high despite the difficulty of resupply, made worse on 11 November when a German shell hit an ammunition dump by the light railway, causing a huge crater and leaving 220th Siege Bty unable fire for some time.

By now HAG allocations were becoming more fixed, and they were converted into permanent RGA brigades during the winter. 56th HAG became 56th Brigade on 20 December. Apart from temporary detachments, 220th Siege Bty remained with this brigade until 1919.Farndale, Western Front, Annex E.Farndale, Western Front, Annex M. Major H.M.A. Ward, commanding 220th Siege Bty was awarded the Distinguished Service Order at the new year.

On 7 January 1918 56th Bde was ordered to pull out all its guns ready for a move. Despite snowstorms and freezing conditions, 220th Siege Bty got three of its guns out onto the road before the thaw set in. Finally, all the battery's guns were withdrawn to the Siege Park on 10 January. After a week's rest the brigade entrained for the south, travelling by a circuitous route to Longueau, near Amiens afterwards moving by road to join III Corps Heavy Artillery (HA) at Frières-Faillouël, close to the Hindenburg Line, with 220th Siege Bty billeted in reserve by the end of the month. The order to 'Prepare for battle' came on 28 February and 220th Siege Bty pulled its four guns into position at Clastres, under the tactical direction of 66th Bde, RGA. These guns were ready for action on 1 March,

Spring Offensive