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30 July 2015

The School of Artillery is the South African Army's specialized artillery training school

HistoryBefore the establishment of a South African artillery school in 1934[1] there were a number of earlier artillery

training establishments. The first was formed at the Cape in August 1786 with Lt. Louis-Michel Thibault, later

better known as an architect, as head of the ‘Militaire School’. It did not operate for long.

Almost a hundred years later an artillery school was proposed by Capt W E Giles, Royal Artillery, in a document

submitted to the Cape Colonial Government in March 1880. It was not accepted.

On 14 September 1912 when the five regiments of the SA Mounted Rifles were about to be established, aSchool of Gunnery was opened at Auckland Park, Johannesburg, in the lines of the Transvaal Horse Artillery. Its

purpose was to train officers and NCO’s for the first three permanent batteries that were to be established. The

school closed down when war broke out in 1914 after only two courses had been completed.

The next artillery training institution was the Artillery Training Depot, established at Wynberg Camp, Cape Town,

in August 1915 to train the artillery batteries that fought in East Africa, and later in Palestine.

A corps of South African Artillery was established by proclamation on 1 September 1934 to incorporate all thePermanent and Citizen Force units. And on 7 September the two batteries lost their battery status and were

formed into an Artillery Training Depot, armed with 4.5 inch howitzers, 18-pdrs and 3.7 inch howitzers.

The Depot staff was responsible for the training of all artillery recruits and all artillery units, except Cape FieldArtillery (CFA), which was the responsibility of the Cape Command Training Depot.

By August 1935 the Artillery Training Depot was organized as a Depot Headquarters with three batteries. And on

24 October 1936 the title was altered to that of ‘Artillery School’. War was declared on 6 September 1939 andwith no suitable area near Pretoria for gunnery practice the School moved to Potchefstroom.

During the time the School was at Potchefstroom it underwent various changes of designation and became a

unit of the Citizen Force when its title was altered to Artillery and Armoured Corps Training School (V), SouthAfrican Artillery from 1 January 1944.

When the war was over it was re-established on 14 June 1946 as a Permanent Force unit known as the School of

Artillery and Armour. It was housed in the main camp but when 4 Field Training Regiment was formed in 1953the School moved to the former SA Air Force base below Hospital Hill.

Armour training was moved to Bloemfontein in 1964, and the school became a separate unit known simply as

the School of Artillery on 1 February 1964, a name it has since retained.[2]

It was awarded the freedom of Potchefstroom on 10 March 1978.

Training

The School conducts the following training:

Basic Instruction which includes: drill, safety, operation of muzzle loading, procedures for each position of a crew.

Students are provided with knowledge of the various artillery systems, knowledge in the areas of observed fire,

fire direction, and to manage maintenance.

Advanced Instruction includes: drill, safety, and operation up to battery level. Students are provided with the

knowledge of manoeuvre force, target acquisition, survey, and counter-fire. Also included are typical field gunnery

problems, fire direction, observed fire, and firing battery operations.

Officers are trained to manage fire direction operations, target acquisitioning, and deployment, in support

management, maintenance and supply procedures, as well as communications/electronics. Officers may be

eventually utilised as commanders, fire support officers, or fire direction officers.

Instructors Training: Students may also become Instructors in their own right after a period of time in the

Formation.

From Commanding Officers To

10 December 1963 Cmdt H.J. Greyvenstein UKLGSC[a] 2 October 1966

3 October 1966 Cmdt C.L. Viljoen[ b] 31 January 1968

1 February 1968 Cmdt R.F. Brown 18 December 1968

19 December 1968 Col J.D. Potgieter SM 29 August 1969

30 August 1969 Col R.F. Brown 30 April 1970

1 May 1970 Col F.E.C. van den Berg UKLGSC 14 August 1973

15 August 1973 Col J.J. Bisschoff 29 February 1976

1 March 1976 Col P.M. Lombard UKLGSC 7 January 1980

8 January 1980 Col C.F. Wentzel 31 December 1982

1 January 1983 Col J.A. Laubscher 8 January 1987

9 January 1987 Col J.G. Jacobs 3 January 1991

4 January 1991 Col M.A. Schalekamp SM MMM 30 April 1995

1 May 1995 Col T.J. Coetzee HC MMM 31 December 1998

1 January 1999 Col P. Franken MMM 1 January 2002

1 February 2002 Col K. Makina 1 December 2004

1 January 2005 Col T. Zungu 31 March 2008

1 April 2008 Col D.B.J. Schoonwinkel Present

From Regimental Sergeants Major To

4 January 1957 WO1 J.J.D. Nortjé 2 July 1967

6 July 1967 WO1 A.P. Van Den Berg 30 June 1969

1 July 1969 WO1 J.D. Kruger 31 December 1969

1 January 1970 WO1 J.H.J. Willemse PMM 12 May 1974

13 May 1974 WO1 M.T. Terwin 31 December 1977

1 January 1978 WO1 A.E. Hook 6 December 1980

7 December 1980 WO1 D.J. Venter 31 December 1982

1 January 1983 WO1 W.J. Van Coller 28 February 1984

?

ONSE VADER

Onse Vader wat in die hemele is,

laat u naam geheilig word.

Laat u koninkryk kom,

laat u wil geskied,

soos in die hemel net so ook op die aarde.

Gee ons vandag ons daaglikse brood,

en vergeef ons ons skulde,

soos ons ook ons skuldenaars vergewe.

En lei ons nie in versoeking nie,

maar verlos ons van die bose.

Amen

OUR FATHER

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

NCO & CO Mess Etiquette - Grace

South African Army Artillery Formation

The South African Army Artillery Formation is the controlling entity of all South African Army artillery units. It

draws much of its history from the South African Artillery, established in 1934 but with roots that reach back to

1921. The formation consists of both regular and reserve units. There is a separate South African Army Air

Defence Artillery Formation that directs army anti-aircraft warfare units.

History

The South African Permanent Force, created in 1913 as the Permanent Force and re-designated with effect from

23 February 1923, included the South African Field Artillery (SAFA), and the South African Permanent Garrison

Artillery (SAPGA). The SAPGA had begun operations some time before, when the coastal defences of the Cape

Peninsula (manned by the Cape Garrison Artillery) had been handed over to South Africa in December 1921.

In Proclamation No. 246 of 1934, the Governor General of the Union of South Africa merged the two

organisations with effect from 1 September 1934 and created one Corps titled the South African Artillery (SAA)

(see South African Army corps and branches).

Nine field regiments, two medium regiments, and three anti-tank regiments served in North Africa and Italy

during the Second World War. (http://nigelef.tripod.com/saregt.htm)

1st Medium Regiment SAA (SAHA) was formed briefly from 1 October 1939 - July 1941, when it was broken up in

Egypt to provide replacements for the field regiments of the SAA. It was reformed with headquarters at Cape

Town from 1 January 1946. It was transferred from Cape Town and out of Cape Command to Oudtshoorn from

31 December 1953, but was then disbanded after a Citizen Force reorganisation on 1 March 1960.[3]

From 1 July 1951 8 Field Regiment SAA was active, but was redesignated the Johannesburg Regiment in 1960.

The army's reorganisation after the creation of the new South African National Defence Force was lengthy. The

SA Army Office was established. The Corps were restructured with Regular and Reserve Regiments under

command. The so-called “Type Formations” were established which assumed responsibility for the provisioning

of combat-ready forces to be employed under the direction of Joint Operations Division.

10 Artillery Brigade, active with 4 and 14 Regiments since 1983, and 14 Artillery Regiment disbanded on January

1, 1993.

In 1997 the 7th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, active since the 1960s, was disestablished. Regiment Overvaal

(ROV) was established on 1 April 1969 as an Afrikaans Anti-Aircraft Regiment based on Vereeniging Military Base

in Vereeniging. P Battery of Regiment Vaalrivier was transferred on 1 October 1969 to form 8th Light Anti-

Aircraft Regiment (8LLA). The name changed from 8LLA to ROV on 27 April 1993. The regiment was

disestablished in 1997.[4]

The South African Artillery re-organised itself into the South African Army Artillery Formation, directed by the

SA Army Artillery Formation Headquarters.[1][2] The South African Army Arty Formation HQ was established in

April 1999.[5]

In the annual report for the 2013-14 fiscal year, the SANDF reported the development of artillery cooperation

and the establishment of the Namibian Army School of Artillery.[6] The SA Army assisted the Namibian Defence

Force with the development of courses and ultimately the establishment of the Namibian School of Artillery.

Regular unitsSchool of Artillery

4 Artillery Regiment (Composite Regiment) (Potchefstroom)

Artillery Mobilisation Regiment

Reserve units[edit]

Maj Gen Roy Andersen with the GOC, Brig Gen Deon Holtzhausen, and Sgt Maj of the Formation accompanied by

the NFA OC, Major Craig Nel, just just after the NFA gunners fired the salute at the Gunner's Memorial Service in

Durban 2014Cape Field Artillery (CFA)

Natal Field Artillery (NFA)

Transvaal Horse Artillery (THA)

Regiment Potchefstroom UniversiteitTransvaalse Staatsartillerie

Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment

Pretoria Highlanders

Cape Garrison Artillery (CGA)Regiment Oos Transvaal

Regiment Vaalriver

18 Light Regiment (Detached to 44 Parachute Regiment - equipped with 120 mm mortars)

Equipment[edit]The Formation uses the following equipment, among others:

GV6 155 mm self-propelled howitzer (43)

GV5 155 mm howitzer (75) replaced the G4 155 mm gun and the G2 140 mm gunBateleur 127 mm 40 tube self-propelled multiple rocket launcher (51)

1 Battery of ATE Vulture Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicles for daytime reconnaissance and artillery spotting

M5 120mm light air deployable mortar

Reutech Radar Systems ESR220 Thutlwa mobile battery fire control post and early warning radar.To be acquired:

G7 lightweight 105 mm gun still under development by Denel Land Systems