Mountain Artillery
History
Mountain Artillery
Mountain Artillery was developed to allow field guns to accompany forces operating in mountainous regions. The guns were dismantled into three loads (piece, carriage and wheels) and carried on mules. The first mountain train in India was formed in 1840 for service in the 1st Afghan War and disbanded in 1843. Mountain Batteries formed part of the forces raised to defend the territory gained in the 2nd Sikh War in due course known as the North West Frontier Province. The Hazara Mountain Train was the first to be formed in 1850 from a nucleus raised by Capt J Abbott, Bengal Artillery, during the Hazara rebellion of 1848.
Punjab Irregular Force
When the Punjab Irregular Force was formed in 1851 it had four batteries of artillery mainly recruited from defeated Sikh artillerymen. They were known as Punjab Light Field Batteries:
- No 1 Horse Light Field Battery
- No 2 Horse Light Field Battery
- No 3 Horse Light Field Battery
- No 4 Garrison Company
The force later gained two further units:
- Hazara Mountain Train
- Peshawar Mountain Train
The Indian Mutiny
As a consequence of the Indian Mutiny the European artillery regiments (21 horse batteries & 48 field batteries) of the Presidency Armies were taken into the Royal Artillery of the British Army. The Bengal, Madras and Bombay Native Foot Artillery were disbanded except for the Mountain Trains, the Horse Light Field Batteries, three companies of Madras Native Foot Artillery (disbanded in 1870), three companies of Bombay Native Foot Artillery (one disbanded in 1870) and some garrison and local units which were soon disbanded.
Punjab Frontier Force
The Punjab Iregular Force became the Punjab Frontier Force in 1865 and the two mountain trains were redesignated mountain batteries. The No 1 Light Field Battery was disbanded in 1870. In 1876/7 the remaining batteries were renumbered as follows:
| No 2 Horse Light Field Battery | became | No 1 Mountain Battery (PFF) |
| No 3 Punjab Horse Light Field Battery | became | No 2 Mountain Battery (PFF) |
| Peshawar Mountain Battery | became | No 3 Peshawar Mountain Battery (PFF) |
| Hazara Mountain Battery | became | No 4 Hazara Mountain Battery (PFF) |
| No 4 Garrison Company | became | No. 5 Garrison Battery |
In 1879 the titles were further changed to:
| No 1 Mountain Battery (PFF) | became | No 1 (Kohat) Punjab Mountain Battery |
| No 2 Mountain Battery (PFF) | became | No 2 (Derajat) Punjab Mountain Battery |
| No 3 Peshawar Mountain Battery (PFF) | became | No 3 (Peshawar) Punjab Mountain Battery |
| No 4 Hazara Mountain Battery (PFF) | became | No 4 (Hazara) Punjab Mountain Battery |
Also in 1876 the two remaining companies of Bombay Native Foot Artillery became No 1 & No 2 Bombay Mountain Batteries. In 1890 there were again renumbered:
| No 1 Bombay Mountain Battery | became | No 5 (Bombay) Mountain Battery |
| No 2 Bombay Mountain Battery | became | No 6 (Bombay) Mountain Battery |
In 1886 No 1 & No 2 Bengal Mountain Batteries were formed and renumbered in 1899:
| No 1 Bengal Mountain Battery | became | No 7 (Bengal) Mountain Battery |
| No 2 Bengal Mountain Battery | became | No 8 (Bengal) Mountain Battery |
Also in 1899 the 9th (Native) Mountain Battery was raised at Rawalpindi
and in 1900 the 10th (Native) Mountain Battery was raised at Abbottabad
Titles in use in 1900 were again changed in 1901:
| No 1 Kohat Mountain Battery | became | Kohat Mountain Battery |
| No 2 Derajat Mountain Battery | became | Derajat Mountain Battery |
| No 3 Peshawar Mountain Battery | became | Peshawar Mountain Battery |
| No 4 Hazara Mountain Battery | became | Hazara Mountain Battery |
| No 5 Bombay Mountain Battery | became | Quetta Mountain Battery |
| No 6 Bombay Mountain Battery | became | Jullundur Mountain Battery |
| No 7 Bengal Mountain Battery | became | Gujarat Mountain Battery |
| No 8 Bengal Mountain Battery | became | Lahore Mountain Battery |
| No 9 Native Mountain Battery | became | Murree Mountain Battery |
| No 10 Native Mountain Battery | became | Abbottabad Mountain Battery |
1903 reorganisation
The units were again numbered and their names changed:
- 1907 two more batteries were formed: 31st Mountain Battery and 32nd Mountain Battery
- 1920 all batteries were titled 'Pack' rather than 'Mountain"
- 1921 names in bracket were restored to Nos 25-30. No 31 named Dehra Dun. No 32 named Poonch
- 1922 80 added to all numbers
- 1924 became batteries in the Royal Regiment of Artillery
- 1927 100 deducted from numbers and all retitled Indian Mountain Batteries RA
- 1928 Indian dropped from title
- 1939 transferred to the Indian Regiment of Artillery
- 1942 retitled Indian Mountain Batteries IA
Armament
See separate article Mountain Guns
External links
- Indian Army Mountain Artillery www.king-emperor.com
- Mountain Gunners www.victorianmilitarysociety.org
- War Horse: Munitions National Army Museum
- Model Mountain Artillery with Mule Team and Quick Firing Gun, 1908. National Army Museum
- Photograph of Breech loading 10-pounder gun of the 5th (Bombay) Mountain Battery, 1933 National Army Museum
- Film footage of gunners of the Indian Mountain Artillery, probably of 5th Indian Division, manning their 3.7-inch howitzers in action on the Tiddim Road in India/Burma in September 1944. colonialfilm.org.uk
- Obituary of Colonel John Kenyon, 1921-2006 who won an immediate MC as a mountain gunner in the Burma campaign during the critical battle of Kohima. In 1944 Kenyon, a lieutenant, was serving with 5 (Bombay) Indian Mountain Battery, part of 25th Indian Mountain Regiment. telegraph.co.uk
- In action in Waziristan with a Mountain Gun Regiment c 1945-1947 by Graham F Reed from Walks in Waziristan. He was the Signals Officer
- Photograph of 31st Mountain Battery: Mule with part of a dismantled gun flickr.com. No.3 Mule carrying the carriage assembly Probably 31st Mountain Battery. flickr.com
Historical books online
- The History of the Indian Mountain Artillery by Brigadier-General C A L Graham 1957 Archive.org. This book is also available to read online on the Digital Library of India website, where the print quality is better.