A History of Artillery

Secaucus, N. J.: The Citadel Press, 1975. First American Edition [stated], Presumed 1st Printing. Trade paperback. Good. Ruth Deardoff (Cover design). 230, [6] pages. Illustrations. References. Index. Cover as some wear and soiling. Originally published in the United Kingdom as Artillery Through the Ages. Colonel Hugh Cuthbert Basset Rogers OBE was born in 1905 at Wylam-on-Tyne, often referred to as the birth place of the steam locomotive. Educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst he was commissioned in The King's Own Royal Regiment in 1924. Seconded to the Indian Signal Corps in 1926, transferred to the Royal Signals in 1930 and drove a train part of the way through the Khyber Pass. The OBE was awarded for operations in France and Belgium in 1940 and at the end of the war he became Chief Signal Officer in South Iraq and Persia, responsible for telecommunications in the area. His last military appointment was as a on the Staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe. He wrote on both military history and on railway history, and in particular, on artillery. Colonel Rogers has traced the entire history of artillery, its use in sieges in the field and at sea; its value in defence and attack; and its many variations, such as rockets and tanks. He describes the manufacture of field pieces, their limbers, their ammunition and carts and furniture, and the many other accessories that, until the invention of aircraft made the artillery an army's most powerful arm. Illustrated with diagrams, drawings and photographs, will delight both artillery enthusiasts and the general reader. It is written with a great deal of technical knowledge blended with a wealth of historical detail. Artillery is a class of heavy military weapons built to fire munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry's small arms. Early development focused on the ability to breach fortifications. As technology improved, lighter, more mobile field artillery developed for battlefield use. Modern self-propelled artillery vehicles are highly mobile weapons of great versatility providing the largest share of an army's total firepower.