The Regiment Of Artillery is one among the three major Combat Arms of the Indian Army along with the Infantry, Mechanised Infantry and the Armoured Corps. Artillery which is the second biggest arm, next to the infantry and has proved its decisive role in helping the nation win many battles post independence besides playing a crucial role in Counter Insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir as also in the North East.

Artillery is often termed as the game changing arm in the battlefield as the lethal firepower of the booming field guns and howitzers shelling can inflict catastrophic devastation to the enemy and break the backbone of their defences.

The most emphatic role of the Artillery as a combat arm came during the 1999 Kargil War when the highly famed Bofors (Howitzers) went all guns booming to bombard the enemy features on the high ridge lines of Kargil and Dras sector and helped the gallant infantry troops make those valiant charges traversing gradients and slopes to capture enemy positions high up in the mountains.

Artillery Shapes The Battle And Often Changes The Course Of A War

With its genesis from the cannons and canisters used as munitions by armies in the medieval times, the modern day Artillery comprises of field guns, mortars, howitzers, rockets, missiles, radar systems and even Unarmed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which are tactically deployed at strategic locations in the rear to provide surveillance and target acquisition of key enemy locations and then destroy the targets with highly calibrated long range fire.

While the infantry and the armour charge forward to assault and capture enemy positions during combat, the field artillery provides cover fire to the infantry /Armoured Corps in aiding their swift movement / mobilization through heavy shelling on key enemy features.

While the Infantry is Hailed as the 'Queen As Battle', The Armour /Cavalry As 'King Of Battle', the Artillery has been rightly labeled as the 'God Of War' due to the tectonic impact it has in altering the course of a war with the lethality and tenacity of its lethal firepower.

Some Famous Quotes On Artillery By World Renowned Military Commanders

"Artillery Is The God of War" – Stalin

"God Fights On The Side With The Best Artillery" - Napoleon

"I Do Not Have To Tell You Who Won The war. You know, The Artillery Did" - General George S. Patton

So here are some interesting facts about the Regiment of Artillery

History And Origin

The present day Regiment of Artillery in the Indian Army was formerly part of Royal Indian Artillery (RIA) of British Indian Army which itself traces its origins to the Bombay Artillery raised on Sept 28, 1827. This very day is celebrated by the Regiment of Artillery as the "Gunners Day".

Raising Of Artillery Regiments

The Regiment of Artillery was raised on 15 January 1935, when the first three Indian Field Regiments, originally numbered A, B, and C were authorized. Originally called the 'Indian Regiment of Artillery', which later became 'The Regiment of Indian Artillery' on 1 November 1940.

Types Of Arty Regiments

The Indian Army Artillery regiments are of different types or classified into various units depending on the weaponry (caliber of guns) at their disposal and the role they play during combat

The Arty regiments are divided into Light Regiments, Field Regiments, Medium Regiments, Rocket Regiments, Missiles Regiments, SATA Regiment and Batteries

Rank and File

An Artillery Regiment is commanded by an officer of the rank of a Colonel. The three batteries (a section of guns) forming part of the regiment are commanded by officers of the rank of Major or Captain. They are called Battery Commanders

Arty School and Centre

The School of Artillery is located at Devlali near Nashik City in Maharashtra. The Artillery Regimental Centre is located in Hyderabad.

Regimental Insignia

The insignia of the Regiment of Artillery is a gun with a star of India placed above it.

Regimental Motto

The regimental motto is Sarvatra Izzat-o-Iqbal (Everywhere with Honour and Glory), the Hindustani equivalent of the Royal Artillery motto Ubique Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt (Everywhere That Right And Glory Lead)

Regimental Colours

The regimental colours of the Regiment of Artillery are Red and Blue. Red and blue represent the flash and the smoke of the gun according to gunners' folklore.

Standard Arty Weaponry of Indian Army

Light - 120mm Mortar
Field - 105mm Field Gun
Medium -155mm M-777 Howitzers, 155m Dhanush, 130 mm M46
Rocket Launchers - BM-21 and Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher
Missiles - Prithvi, Agni, Bramhos
Surveillance & Target Acquisition: UAV Drones (Heron) System

Regiment Of Artillery Bifurcated Into Arty, Army Air Defence And Army Aviation Corps

The Regiment of Artillery was divided in the mid-1990s between the Field Artillery (Regiment of Artillery), the Corps of Air Defence Artillery (now Army Air Defence) raised in January 1994, and the Army Aviation Corps formed in November 1993

The Regiment of Artillery has produced five Chiefs of the Indian Army

Army Chiefs Belonging To Regiment Of Arty - General Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam, General Om Prakash Malhotra, General SF Rodrigues, General Sundararajan Padmanabhan and General Deepak Kapoor.