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Brief
History of Artillery in Newcastle
Copyright 2005© RAA
Association (NSW) Newcastle Branch
By
G. K. MILIC and D. ROWORTH
The recorded history of artillery in Newcastle
commenced in 1855 when the Maitland Mercury newspaper reported that a meeting
had been held on the first of December "…at which resolutions were
passed having for their object the formation of a Newcastle Volunteer artillery
and rifle corps…".
At the beginning of 1856, the artillery unit
was unofficially established but by the end of the year, the unit was disbanded
together with all NSW military units.
In 1861, the 3rd Battery Volunteer Artillery, Newcastle,was
established as a field artillery unit. This was the
beginning of the present-day 113 Field Battery, 7 Field Regiment, RAA.
In 1880 / 82, a fort was built on Allen’s
Hill, to protect Newcastle Harbour.This was manned by regular gunners and in
1884, the volunteer artillery unit was converted to garrison artillery, to
supplement the regular forces manning the fort which was later to be called Fort
Scratchley.
Field artillery returned to Newcastle in 1922
with the formation of the 1st Brigade field artillery at Hamilton.
This unit consisted of two batteries of 18 pounders and one battery of 4.5 inch
howitzers. In 1937, a third battery of 18 pounders was added and the
transportation of the guns was changed from six horse teams to mechanical
tractors.
The strength of the coast battery in 1930s was
such that they were able to man one additional gun at Fort Wallace, on the North
side of Newcastle harbour. Before WW II the Fort Wallace guns were replaced with
9.2 inch Mark X guns on a Mark VII mounting. Also defending Newcastle by WW II
was a battery on Shepherds Hill and on Tomaree at Nelson’s Bay. A Regiment of
40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns was also deployed around Williamtown airbase and
the industrial area of the city, during WW II.
The Newcastle Battery is unique in the annals
of Australian Military history when it was called upon to defend Newcastle on
the morning of the 8th June 1942 at 2.25am when the Japanese submarine ‘I-21’ surfaced off Newcastle Harbour and commenced shelling the industrial area of
Newcastle. The battery returned fire with four rounds forcing the submarine to
end the engagement and submerge.
After the introduction of National Service,
‘R’ Battery, 23 Field regiment was established in Hamilton in 1952. The
battery was equipped with 25 pounder guns. This was followed in 1954 by the
formation of 34th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment equipped with 3.7 inch guns. The
34th was located at Fort Scratchley awaiting the building of a new purpose built
depot at Adamstown and in 1957 it was announced that the unit would be
disbanded. In a major re-organisation of The Army and the end of National
Service saw the disbandment of ‘R’ Battery in 1960 and some personnel
transferred to the Newcastle Coast Battery.
Changes in technology by the late 1950’s and
early 1960’s of war ships and military aircraft sounded the death knell of
fixed coastal defences, resulting in 1963 with the conversion of the coast
battery to an independent anti-aircraft battery equipped with 40 mm Bofors, located at Fort Scratchley. A rationalisation of military depots in Newcastle
resulted in the relocation, in 1972, of the battery to the Adamstown depot.
After 90 years, the history of the Newcastle
battery turned a full circle when it became an independent field battery again
equipped with 105 mm L5 Pack Howitzers and later with 105 mm M2A2 Howitzers. Within twelve months the battery was placed
under command of 7 Field Regiment.
Today, The Newcastle Battery is still a part
of 7 Field Regiment, equipet with the 105 mm Hamel and is located in the redesigned Adamstown depot which was
recently renamed Bullecourt Barracks and houses all the Newcastle Reserve units.
Under the current Defense Capability Plan 2009 - Project LAND 136 will see all Army reserve Artillery units being equip with the 81 mm Mortars - 113 Field Battery RAA should take up this capability in 2011
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