page_title: Edinburgh City Artillery
section_title: North West Europe
hierarchical_section_title: Edinburgh City Artillery / World War II / 51st (Lowland) Heavy Regiment / North West Europe
caption_attribution_description: English: The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 7.2-inch howitzer in action, 2 September 1944.
context_page_description: The Edinburgh City Artillery was a part-time unit of Britain's Volunteer Force raised in the City of Edinburgh in 1859. It was the parent unit for a number of batteries in the later Territorial Force, including heavy batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery that fought on the Western Front during World War I. It later formed a heavy regiment that served in the Battle of France and the campaign in North West Europe during World War II, while a spin-off medium regiment fought in Sicily and Italy. Its successor units continued in the postwar Territorial Army until the 1960s.
context_section_description: 51st (Lowland) Heavy Rgt landed in Normandy with 4 AGRA in June 1944, shortly after D-Day. On 8 and 9 July, the guns of 4 AGRA were part of the massive artillery support for I Corps' attack on Caen (Operation Charnwood). After the breakout from the Normandy beachhead, I Corps was tasked with clearing the port of Le Havre on 10 September (Operation Astonia), again supported by 4 AGRA engaged in counter-battery (CB) fire.
  By now, I Corps was operating under the command of First Canadian Army advancing into the southern Netherlands. At the end of October, 51st (L) Hvy Rgt was detached from 4 AGRA to support II Canadian Corps in its attack on Walcheren (Operation Infatuate). It returned to 4 AGRA in I Corps on 4 November and deployed around Etten-Leur, with a section of 7.2s west of Breda, directing harassing fire (HF) against German movements on the Moerdijk bridges. From 5 to 8 November, the regiment was engaged in CB and HF tasks around the Maas estuary, 2 and 6 Btys expending 800 rounds on CB tasks on 6 November alone. On 11 November, the regiment moved, establishing RHQ at De Rips, with 1 and 2 Btys (7.2-inch) on 11th Armoured Division's front east of Deurne, 4 and 6 Btys (155mm) on 3rd Division's front between Oploo and Overloon. The gunners then spent the next few days preparing gun positions. From 15 to 24 November, 1 and 2 Btys supported 11th Armd Division and 15th (Scottish) Division in their attack towards the Mass, though there was only a little CB and counter-mortar (CM) fire. On 25 and 27 November, 4 Bty carried out shoots against a German strongpoint at Kasteel, directed by Air Observation Post (AOP) aircraft. On 28 and 29 November, 4 and 6 Btys carried out small CB programmes, but 1 and 2 Btys were now out of range.
  On 1 December, the regiment moved back into Belgium to join XXX Corps. During late December the corps was diverted south to strengthen the northern side of the 'Bulge' formed by the German Ardennes Offensive, and by early January 1945, 51st (L) Hvy Rgt was with 9 AGRA in XII Corps in the southern Netherlands, supporting 7th Armoured and 52nd (Lowland) Divisions with CB and HF missions.
  Once the Ardennes crisis was passed, Second Army began planning Operation Blackcock to clear the Roer Triangle. The regiment was split up, with the 7.2-inch howitzers of 1 Bty west of Sittard attached to 13th Medium Rgt in 3 AGRA, supporting 7th Armd Division, while 4 Bty was attached to 43rd (Wessex) Division for CM tasks. 51st (L) Heavy Rgt supplied 9 AGRA's liaison representatives at these two divisional HQs. The bulk of the regiment moved to Gangelt and began the artillery preparation for 'Blackcock' on 15 January. During this bombardment, 4 Bty fired on dug-in tanks near Berberen. On 20 January, the regiment shifted its positions so that the 155mm guns could reach targets across the River Ruhr. The fire tasks were completed and 4 Bty reverted to regimental control by 23 January. The regiment moved to 'harbour' at Loon op Zand 1–3 February except 2 Bty, which was under 68th Medium Rgt supporting the Canadians.
  For Operation Veritable (the clearance of the Klever Reichswald), 51st (L) Hvy Rgt reverted to 4 AGRA, which was assigned to XXX Corps to support 51st (Highland) Division. The batteries moved into 'hides' near Beers ahead of the operation. The assembly of heavy guns and ammunition in forward areas for this offensive along inadequate roads was a major achievement. The concentration of artillery fire was the greatest employed by the British Army so far in the war. The guns opened fire at H Hour (10.30) on 8 February. XXX Corps' commander, Lt-Gen Sir Brian Horrocks, later recalled that 'The noise was appalling, and the sight was awe-inspiring. All across the front shells were exploding. ... It soon became clear that the enemy was completely bemused as a result of our colossal bombardment; their resistance was slight'. The infantry followed the artillery fire closely, at the risk of incurring casualties from friendly fire, and overran the German forward positions. However, the battle slowed down into a series 
caption: 7.2-inch howitzer firing, 2 September 1944.
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