DOlmstead said:
. . . Also I could really use help with a similar break down for the . . . 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery . . .
From
http://www.army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en/1-rcha/history.page
"In March 1967, 1 RCHA deployed to Germany with A, B, and C Battery [note each battery is 2 x four gun 105mm C1 howitzer troops] becoming the permanent "Gunnery" unit supporting 4 CMBG. U Battery was converted to Counter Mortar Radar section and later disbanded in 1970. Shortly after deploying in July 1968 all 105 C1 guns were replaced with 155 mm M109A1 Howitzers. 1 RCHA maintained the two-troop system until the downsizing of the Brigade announced in 1969 and moving to Lahr in 1970. In order to maintain three firing units, the number of guns were scaled back to six per Battery and the single fire unit concept was adopted. [note that this changed us to a more Americanized rather than British artillery battery structure although Canadian batteries were more robust in that the battery also supplied a Fire Support Coordination Center and two/three Forward Observation officer teams to the supported battle group and had a heavier, more redundant Command Post structure and echelon than the Americans]"
. . .
"In October 1970, 1 RCHA together with 4 CMBG, moved from BAOR in Hemer, West Germany to Schwarzwald (Black Forest) with the rest of the brigade group, to become Central Army Group’s reserve force (CENTAG), and was based in Lahr, South West Germany. In 1975, an Air Defence Troop of 15 Blowpipe Detachments was added to the Regiment's establishment as well as the equipment and skeleton staff of a fourth Battery, [note in 1977 the guns were upgraded to M109A3s for a total of 24 guns] resurrecting Z Battery. [note 3 RCHA in Shilo had one of it's batteries (G Bty) designated as the fly-over augmentation battery]
On August 10,1985, soldiers of 3 RCHA, Shilo, Manitoba arrived in Lahr. This increased Z Battery to full strength on a permanent basis. The event made 1 RCHA the largest manned medium gun Regiment in NATO at the time. On June 30,1988, the Air Defence Troop was transferred to 4 Air Defence Regiment. Z Battery was reduced to nil-strength in 1991.
1 RCHA was brought back to Shilo briefly and replaced 3 RCHA on its reduction to nil-strength on July 30,1992. The 4 CMBG disbanded in 1993."
Note that during this period of time there were also artillery air defence resources in 4 CMBG as follows:
From:
http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/corpsbranches/royalregimentofcanadianartillery.htm
"In 1975 two airfield air defence batteries were re-activated in Germany, 128 Airfield Air Defence Battery RCA at Baden-Soellingen, and 129 Airfield Air Defence Battery RCA at Lahr. Both were equipped with 40mm Boffin guns and Blowpipe Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) missiles. The Boffin was a hydraulically driven naval version of the standard World War Two 40mm Bofors. They had been retrieved from decommissioned minesweepers and the aircraft carrier Bonaventure. In 1976, 1 RCHA and 2 RCHA [note Petwawa] each received a troop of Blowpipe. The Germany-based units were augmented in 1976 by the formation of two fly-over batteries - H Battery in 3 RCHA, and V Battery in 5 RALC."
. . .
"In 1987, 4th Air Defence Regiment RCA, (127, 128 and 129 AD Batteries), was formed at Lahr, Germany; the latter two batteries were airfield defence batteries equipped with four Skyguard sections (a Skyguard fire control radar and two twin 35mm Oerlikon GDF-005 gun systems each), and a troop of four ADATS SHORAD missile systems. 127 AD Battery was tasked with protection of 4 CMBG, equipped with 12 ADATS. 119 AD Battery [note formed to replace 2 RCHA's air defence troop, subsequently moved to Gagetown] was also re-equipped with ADATS."
. . .
The 4th AD Regiment was reduced to nil strength in 1992 as part of the reduction of forces and the return of units from Germany, but raised again with a smaller establishment on 2l Jul 1996 as a Total Force unit.
The HQ and 128 AD Battery were located in Moncton, with 119 AD Battery and 210 AD Workshop located in Gagetown. A third battery’s worth of equipment was positioned at Cold Lake, Alberta with a small caretaker staff."
Hope this helps.
