Western Front, 1914-18 (Sir M.Farndale) (History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery) - Tapa dura

The Great War was a war of the guns as this account of the Royal Artillery on the Western front makes eminently clear. It shows that in August 1914 RA personnel numbered 4,083 officers and 88,837 other ranks in all; by November 1918 the figures were respectively 29,990 and 518,790. Guns and howitzers increased from 486 to 6,437 and expenditure of ammunition of all calibres totalled approximately 170,385,295. After an opening chapter on the state of the Royal Artillery on the eve of war, and with details of the Order of Battle of the Artillery of the BEF which was to fight at Mons, the author takes us through the war in France and Belgium on a year by year basis, describing the part played by the gunners in the battles and offensives. In the annexes and appendices, which take up over 60 pages, there is a wealth of information on a wide variety of topics: senior artillery commanders; growth of artillery; command and control of artillery; Field, Heavy and AA artillery organisation; sound ranging; meteor; training in France; artillery intelligence and the complete order of battle of the artillery in November 1918 and a glossary of artillery terminology. Some of the geography is a bit haywire: Mt Kemmel is SW, not E of Ypres and Wytschaete is S not E of Ypres and there are errors in the Index - 42, 58, 62,63, 74 and 75 were NOT howitzer brigades as shown whereas 65 was. --Naval and Military Press

The part played by the artillery in the fighting on the Western Front, described on a year by year basis. Numerous annexes with details on personalities, organisations, command and control, orders of battle, developments in the science of gunnery and much more. --Naval And Military Press

In 1914, the Royal Artillery began an acivity quite unlike any which had gone before - the engagement of a target moving at speed and in three dimensions in space. The fourth volume in a series tracing the history of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, this book covers the development and operational success of anti-aircraft artillery. The achievements of the men and women shine through the book. With the Royal Air Force, they defended the cities at home and the field armies in desert, jungle and the rain and cold of Europe. This is not a technical account, yet it demonstrates the problems of air defence and ways developed to solve them.