The 1st Artillery Regiment is a regiment of artillery in the French Army tracing its modern history to 1791 when the Régiment de La Fére was re-organised into the 1st Artillery Regiment after the French Revolution.
| Régiment de La Fère 1ére Régiment d'Artillerie à Pied 1ére Régiment d'Artillerie | |
|---|---|
 Insignia of the 1st Artillery Regiment | |
| Active | 1671–Present |
| Country |  France |
| Branch | French Army |
| Type | Artillery |
| Part of | 1st Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Belfort |
| Motto(s) | Royal d'abord premier toujours |
| Conflicts |
|
| Decorations | Croix de guerre 1914-1918 with two palms |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | LtCol Raphaël Bernard |
History
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It was raised as the Régiment de la Fère in 1765, from the 1st battalion of the Régiment Royal-Artillerie. In 1791, after the French Revolution, it had the title of its aristocratic patron removed and was given the number 1, as the seniormost French regiment of artillery. In 1785, Napoleon Bonaparte was commissioned into this regiment as a sous lieutenant. He officially served until 1790, but he spent most of that time on leave in Corsica, where he led a battalion of Republican volunteers.[1]
Between the wars
editThe regiment was assigned to the 15th Infantry Division and was stationed notably in Auxonne and Dijon, under the name 1er Régiment d'Artillery Divisionnaire (1st Divisional Artillery Regiment).
World War II
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Attached to the First Army and the 4th Army Corps.
Composed of a battery hors-rang, three groups of 75 and a Divisional Anti-Tank Battery (BDAC) of 75mm or 47mm.
The regiment was doubled and created the 1st Divisional Heavy Artillery Regiment (RALD), equipped with 105C and 155C.
Current Organisation
editThe current organisation of the regiment is:[2]
- Command and Logistics Battery
- 1ére Batterie (MLRS M270 and 120 mm mortars)
- 2éme Batterie (MLRS M270 and 120 mm mortars)
- 3éme Batterie (MLRS M270 and 120 mm mortars)
- 4éme Batterie (COBRA counter-battery radars, SL2A acoustic artillery location systems, and GA10 ground alert and impact zone early warning systems)
- 5éme Batterie (COBRA counter-battery radars, SL2A acoustic artillery location systems, and GA10 ground alert and impact zone early warning systems)
- 6éme Batterie (Reserve)
- Maintenance Battery
References
edit- ^ Cronin, Vincent (1973). Napoleon. Harmondsworth, UK: Pelican Books. ISBN 978-0140217162, p. 47.
- ^ "1er régiment d'artillerie". www.defense.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
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