- Artillery brigade
An artillery brigade is a specialised form of
military brigade dedicated to providingartillery support. Other brigades might have an artillery component, but an artillery brigade is a brigade dedicated to artillery and relying on other units for infantry support, especially when attacking.Initially, a brigade was normally formed for either
offence or defence, but in the 20th century, as warfare became generally more mobile and fixed fortifications became less useful, artillery brigades were formed for either purpose, the main exception being coastal defence. During the Second World War, the use and formation of artillery brigades (normally having between 3,000 and 4,000 personnel, with between 24 and 70 guns) gained prominence, as they could be attached to divisions that needed them, then detached and re-attached elsewhere as the need arose.A specialised type of artillery brigade is the
anti-aircraft brigade. During the Second World War, many anti-aircraft brigades served both to defend from air attack and as offensive units againstarmoured vehicle s - this was especially true with the effective German artillery.Modern artillery brigades tend to be smaller and even more specialised than in the past, often specifically trained to handle just one or two types of artillery. In tactical terms, the use of
helicopter s has taken over much of the historic advantage of the artillery brigade.ee also
*
41st Fires Brigade (United States)
*Artillery Brigade (Finnish Army)
*Artillery Group (Estonian Army)
*Military unit
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