The story of the artillery used by the armed forces of the Republic of Ireland (Eire), from independence to the present day. Following on from the author's acclaimed book on AFVs in Irish service, this new book covers the operations and equipment of all the artillery units in the Irish armed forces. From the early days of Independence and civil war to modern-day peace keeping, from coastal artillery to light mortars, all the units and their equipment are described and illustrated. Profusely illustrated with photos, maps, and scale plans. Essential reading for all military historians and artillery enthusiasts!
Born in the Civil War of 1922–23, the army of the Republic of Ireland occupied a sensitive place in the national culture for many years. In World War II, it faced the challenge of maintaining Ireland's integrity as a neutral. Post-war, it found a new role in 1960, providing troops for the United Nations intervention in the war-torn Congo; and since then has supported UN missions in the Middle East and elsewhere. More recently the border with troubled Ulster has obliged the Republic to invest in reform and modernisation. Ireland's freedom to seek examples and equipment worldwide has created an interesting progression of uniforms, illustrated in this study of Ireland's forces over 80 years.
In 1687 a Royal Warrant was issued for the establishment of an Office of Ordnance and Train of Artillery in Ireland, which had a staff of only 40 distributed among several garrisons, but Ireland lacked its own specialist Artillery Corps. Furthermore, down to 1755 no Irishman whatsoever was allowed to be enlisted for the Army serving in Ireland - a consequence of the Test Act of 1673, directed against Catholics which, among other things, permitted recruiting for the Army on the Irish Establishment only from English Protestants. In February 1756 this was amended to include Protestants from the Province of Ulster. On 1 April 1756 the Train of Artillery was expanded to a company and further increased in 1760 to four companies and designated a regiment with the full title The Royal Irish Regiment of Artillery with the Earl of Kildare as its first Colonel in Chief. By 1800 the Royal Irish Artillery had reached its high point of twenty Marching Companies and an Invalid Company with a total strength of 2,132 men. After the Act of Union in 1801 the regiment was absorbed into the Royal Regiment of Artillery as the 7th Battalion RA. During its forty years as an independent regiment the Royal Irish Artillery saw its fair share of action, either as a unit or in supplying volunteers to the Royal Artillery units overseas. Volunteers fought in RA batteries during the American War of Independence; they were in action in Flanders in 1794 and in the West Indies in 1795 when yellow fever killed more than the French: out of 11 officers and 288 other ranks only 4 officers and 43 men survived. Back home they were engaged in several engagements in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. But the main focus of the book is on domestic aspects, and to this end there are numerous tables giving strength returns, establishment details, pay, recruiting figures and dress. There is the succession of Colonels, the roll of officers who entered the Royal Irish Artillery from 1756 to 1801, giving dates of entry and rank, the rank attained afterwards, dates of retirement or leaving the Regiment or death; and finally there is the list of officers who transferred to the Royal Artillery in April 1801 with details of their service.
The period of 1923-1948 in Irish Republic history, carried the sombre undertones of an unrealized and unrealizable ideal. In spite of riots, shootings and death, 500 unconvicted men eked out the war years in Tintown University. Here, they tell their story, spanning 25 years of history.
This book explores the military life and experiences of the gunners stationed in Ireland's Kildare Barracks over the course of almost 100 years while it was under both British and Irish military commands. Built in 1901 to train British artillery brigades for service in the Boer War, and closed in 1998, the barracks provides an exceptional spotlight for the local history of County Kildare and the military history of 20th-century Ireland. Through numerous personal histories, the book reflects upon the importance of the barracks in shaping the activity and development of the county. These tales - both informative and touching - provide a means of examining landmarks in Irish and international 20th-century history, including the Curragh Mutiny, World War I, the Irish War of Independence, the Irish Civil War and the Emergency - while telling the story of a national military institution and the personnel who passed through. The fascinating personal histories offer poignant reflections on those who served at the barracks.
Veteran IRA leader Ernie O’Malley criticised County Kilkenny as being ‘slack’ during the War of Independence, but this fascinating new study of the period, by historian Eoin Swithin Walsh, challenges that view and reveals that Kilkenny was truly at the forefront of the struggle for Irish freedom. No Kilkenny citizen escaped the revolutionary era untouched, especially during the turmoil that followed the Easter Rising of 1916, the upheaval of the War of Independence and the tumultuous Civil War. Key personalities, revolutionary organisations and dramatic events in Kilkenny illuminate the country-wide struggle. Not to be forgotten, the lives of the ‘ordinary’ men and women of the county are explored, emphasising a life beyond politics and conflict. The listing of Kilkenny fatalities during the War of Independence is examined and, for the first time, combatants and civilians who died during the Truce and the Civil War are recorded, revealing an even more deadly conflict than previously believed. Presenting a complete history of the county in the opening decades of the twentieth century – including the use of previously unseen archival material – Kilkenny: In Times of Revolution, 1900–1923 is an indispensable contribution to the literature on the turbulent birth of the Irish nation.
"Shelldrake is an informative and detailed synopsis of the carefully preserved and restored guns and artillery on display in Canada. The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery is represented by a long and distinguished line of gunners with historical ties back to the days before Canada's Confederation. The honour of defending Canada while standing steady to support operations overseas in peace and war continues to this day. In doing so, it is necessary to remember that the weapons of war are an integral part of what keeps this nation safe, although the examples that have been used to make it so are few and far between. The descriptions of Canadian artillery and the places of honour where they can be viewed highlights the importance of the equipment that brought our nation forward at key turning points in history when our guns were in use as tools of war at home and overseas. This guide book will show the interested reader where to find examples of the historical guns preserved in Canada, and perhaps serve as a window on how Canada's military contribution to security in the world has evolved."--Page 4 of cover.
The 40mm Bofors Gun, first produced in the 1930s, has become one of the most famous artillery pieces of all time. It shows no sign of fading from the defence scene even though, in the second decade of the twenty-first century, it performs in many roles that were not contemplated by its original designers. It has also proved to be so versatile that it is now allied to electronic and other technological marvels that were mere pipe dreams only a few years ago. When the Bofors entered the international defence market, its primary quarry, the military aircraft, was still a slow and fragile machine that could be terminally damaged by a single hit from a 40mm projectile. Terry Gander describes this early period in the gun's development and he shows how, despite recent?increases in target speed and other performance parameters, it can still inflict a one-hit kill on almost any aircraft, helicopter?or guided missile. Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of the story is that the fundamentals of today's Bofors guns remain virtually unchanged from the very first examples to come off the Karlskoga production line in Sweden. In all its forms, the Bofors continues to be a sound, reliable and lethal piece of military hardware that has given good service to gunners all over the world.?Terry Gander's comprehensive account of the history of this remarkable weapon over the course of almost eighty years is fascinating?reading and an invaluable work of reference for military historians and artillery specialists alike. It is the definitive work in the field.??As featured on BBC Radio Guernsey.
"Breaching the Marianas" by John C. Chapin is a book about the WWII campaigns and Marine Corps history. The book gives a detailed account of what happened on the Mariana Islands of Saipan during the war. Excerpt: "Breaching the Marianas: The Battle for Saipan by Captain John C. Chapin, USMCR (Ret) It was a brutal day. At first light on 15 June 1944, the Navy fire support ships of the task force lying off Saipan Island increased their previous days' preparatory fires involving all calibers of weapons. At 0542, Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner ordered, "Land the landing force." Around 0700, the landing ships, tank (LSTs) moved to within approximately 1,250 yards behind the line of departure. Troops in the LSTs began debarking from them in landing vehicles, tracked (LVTs). Control vessels containing Navy and Marine personnel with their radio gear took their positions displaying flags indicating which beach approaches they controlled."
