1st Mountain Battery (Australia)

November 2019 1st Mountain Battery File:USA-P-Papua-p170 AUSTRALIAN 3.7 INCH PACK HOWITZER is dismantled before being loaded on a Japanese motor-driven barge which was captured at Milne Bay. milner.jpg A 3.7 inch mountain howitzer of the 1st Mountain Battery being dismantled before being loading onto a Japanese motor barge (captured at Milne Bay). 1942–46 Australia Australian Military Forces Artillery One battery World War II Battle of Buna–Gona Salamaua–Lae campaign The 1st Mountain Battery was an Australian Army artillery battery formed in July 1942, that served during the Second World War, seeing action against the Japanese during the Battle of Buna–Gona and the Salamaua–Lae campaign in 1942–43. The unit was added to the 1st Parachute Battalion in August 1944 providing an organic indirect fire support, equipped with Short 25-pounder guns, but did not see further action in this role. The battery was disbanded in 1946. History Formation The 1st Mountain Battery was formed in July 1942 in response to an urgent request from New Guinea Force. Captain Martin O'Hare, an officer of the Regular Army, was appointed battery commander, while personnel were drawn from artillery units in I Corps and from the 6th Motor Regiment, which had previously been converted from the light horse role. Equipped with 3.7-inch pack howitzers hastily obtained from the Royal New Zealand Navy, it was formed as a four-gun battery with a strength of four officers and 209 other ranks. Initially it was intended that the guns would be moved by pack horse; however, following the unit's arrival in Port Moresby in early October it soon became clear that horses would be unsuited to the humid conditions in New Guinea with the guns to be moved by jeeps and native carriers instead.Horner 1995 342 It took about 90 porters to move one gun without ammunition.McCarthy 1959 357 Battle of Buna–Gona thumbnail|right|Closing in on the Japanese Beachhead 16–21 November 1942 The battery supported the Australian and American forces during the Battle of Buna–Gona. It was the only artillery in place to support the Allies during the opening engagements on 19 November 1942.McCarthy 1959 356Two 25-pounders of the 2/5th Field Regiment were brought into action on 22 November, having been brought forward from Oro Bay.McCarthy 1959 362 Oro Bay was about 10 mi km directly southeast along the coast. Shortly after, further guns arrived by air.McCarthy 1959 365 notes On 15 November, a detachment of the left section, with one gun was flown into Kokoda to support the Australian 7th Division, which had driven the Japanese back along the Kokoda Track. By 16 November the division was preparing to cross the Kumusi River and advance against Japanese positions at Gona and Sanananda.McCarthy 1959 355Horner 1995 342–344Allan Cutts 1994 40–41 & 62The unit history (Allan & Cutts, 1994) reports this as a detachment while the other sources simply refer to it as a section. notes Meanwhile, the right section, with two guns, was also provided to support the US 32nd Division which was preparing to seize Buna.Horner 1995 342–344 The section was flown to Pongani, on the north coast of New Guinea, on 12 November. It was then moved along the coast by barge. During the battle, the section initially deployed to a position about 1000 yds m north of Cape Sudest on 16 November. The following day, it moved to a position about 600 yards (600 m) north of Hariko.McCarthy 1959 356 It later moved to a position on the Dobodura–Buna track. This was about 2,000 yards (1,800 m) south of the bridge between the two strips.McCarthy 1959 382Milner 1957 260 & 265 On 5 December, the detachment from Kokoda joined the right section at Buna.Allan Cutts 1994 47However, the Center of Military History publication records this gun in support by 26 November.Center of Military History 1990 32 notes On 26 December, the howitzers ran out of ammunition and took no further part in the fighting.Milner 1957 278McCarthy 1959 474Center of Military History 1990 32 Advance towards Salamaua In late February 1943, a section of 1st Mountain Battery was flown into Wau to support the advance to Salamaua.Horner 1995 351 The section accompanied the 17th Brigade from Wau. As the terrain and thick jungle prevented additional guns being moved forward, this was the brigade's only artillery support. By June, the 3rd Division was finally approaching Salamaua, with the 17th Brigade advancing from the south-south-west. The brigade was supported by two 3.7 inch howitzers from the 1st Mountain Battery as well as one US field battery.Horner 1995 358–359 Forward observers from the battery often directed fire from positions as close as 50 m yds from Japanese positions due to limited observation as a result of the thick jungle canopy and low cloud; however, the battery's guns proved highly accurate. They were subsequently involved in the successful attack on Komiatum on 16 August, which saw the divisional artillery concentrated to support the brigade.Horner 1995 360 Parachute role In August 1944, the battery was added to the 1st Parachute Battalion, providing an organic indirect fire support, equipped with Short 25-pounder guns.Dunn 1999 120 Although the battalion was warned for deployment on a number of occasions,Dunn 1999 195 the battery saw no further action before the war ended. It ceased to exist in 1946 when the 1st Parachute Battalion was disbanded.Lord Tennant 2000 16 Notes Footnotes notes Citations 2 References As It Seemed To Us: The 1st Australian Mountain Battery, RAA, AIF Allan Jack Cutts Chis AEbis Pub 1994 Brisbane, Queensland 0646175157 Center of Military History http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/100/100-1/CMH_Pub_100-1.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20141213023816/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/100/100-1/CMH_Pub_100-1.pdf 13 December 2014 Papuan Campaign: Buna-Sanananda Operation 16 November 1942 – 23 January 1943 1990 United States Army Center of Military History Washington, D.C. 21992748 91601186 19 December 2014 dead Dunn J.B. 1999 Eagles Alighting: A History of 1st Australian Parachute Battalion 1 Australian Parachute Battalion Association East Malvern, Victoria 0-646-37323-4 The Gunners. A History of Australian Artillery Horner David David Horner 1995 Allen & Unwin Sydney, New South Wales 1-86373-917-3 Lord Cliff Tennant Julian 2000 ANZAC Elite: The Airborne & Special Forces Insignia of Australia and New Zealand IPL Books Wellington, New Zealand 0-908876-10-6 Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army 5 South-West Pacific Area: First Year: Kokoda to Wau McCarthy D. 1959 Australian War Memorial Canberra 1st https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070204/ 186193870 Milner Samuel 1957 Victory in Papua http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Papua/ United States Army In World War II Washington, D.C. Center of Military History, United States Army 56-60004 Category:Artillery units and formations of Australia Category:Military units and formations established in 1942 Category:1942 establishments in Australia Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1946 Category:1946 disestablishments in Australia