Z Battery Royal Artillery " For the WW2 anti - aircraft weapons codenamed ' Z Batteries ' see Z Battery " Z Battery RA is a Battery of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery in the Royal Artillery . It currently serves in the Surveillance and Target Acquisition role and is equipped with various weapon platform locating equipment using radars and acoustic sound ranging assets . Early history . First formation . Z Battery was originally raised in Poona , India on 1 April 1824 as 4th Troop , Bombay Horse Artillery , part of the Bombay Presidency Army of the Honourable East India Company . As a result of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , the British Crown took direct control of India from the East India Company on 1 November 1858 under the provisions of the Government of India Act 1858 . The Presidency armies transferred to the direct authority of the British Crown and its European units were transferred to the British Army . Henceforth artillery , the mutineers most effective arm , was to be the sole preserve of the British Army ( with the exception of certain Mountain Artillery batteries ) . On 19 February 1862 , the Bombay Horse Artillery transferred to the Royal Horse Artillery as its 4th Brigade and 4th Troop became D Battery , 4th Horse Brigade , RA . A reorganization of the horse artillery on 13 April 1864 saw 1st Brigade split as A and B Brigades , 2nd Brigade became C Brigade , 3rd Brigade became D Brigade , 4th Brigade became E Brigade , and 5th Brigade became F Brigade . As battery designations were tied to the brigade the battery was assigned to , the battery was now designated D Battery , E Brigade , the first of a bewildering series of redesignations . From 1866 , the term " Royal Horse Artillery " appeared in Army List hence the battery was designated D Battery , E Brigade , RHA from about this time . Throughout this period , the battery was based at Ahmednager . On 1 February 1871 it was designated H Battery , C Brigade , became H Battery , D Brigade on 16 January 1873 and E Battery , E Brigade on 1 April 1875 . Another reorganization on 1 July 1877 saw E Brigade disbanded with its batteries distributed amongst A , B and C Brigades . The battery was now redesignated E Battery , C Brigade at Aldershot . By January 1882 , the battery was at Kirkee . On 1 April 1882 , C Brigade was in its turn disbanded with its batteries distributed amongst A and B Brigades . The battery was now redesignated N Battery , A Brigade at Canterbury . The battery was disbanded in February 1884 . The brigade system was abolished on 1 July 1889 . From now on , RHA batteries would be designated in a single sequence . Reformed . Z Battery , RHA was reformed on 13 February 1900 . The Brigade system was revived on 1 March 1901 and the battery was assigned to the 4th Brigade - Division , RHA on formation ( along with AA Battery , RHA ) . In 1903 , the brigade was redesignated IV Brigade , RHA and was stationed at Newbridge in Ireland . On 1 October 1906 , the brigade was redesignated XIV Brigade , Royal Horse Artillery and was broken up on 1 August 1913 . The battery was transferred to II Brigade , Royal Horse Artillery at Canterbury and was disbanded again on 24 December 1913 . World War I . ( Tempy ) Z Battery . As a result of the Action at Néry on 1 September 1914 , L Battery , RHA was almost destroyed as an operational unit : of five Officers , three were killed and two wounded ; of 200 Other Ranks , 20 were killed and 29 wounded ; and five of six 13 pounder s were lost . It had to be withdrawn to England to reform . ( Tempy ) Z Battery , RHA was formed on 1 September from the Centre and Left Sections of I Battery , RHA to replace L Battery in VII Brigade , Royal Horse Artillery , 1st Cavalry Division . On 3 September , the Left Section of I Battery was replaced by a Section of D Battery , RHA . On 15 September , this section returned to D Battery and on 17 September a section of J Battery , RHA joined . On 27 September , the sections of I and J returned to their batteries and ( Tempy ) Z Battery ceased to exist . The next day , H Battery , RHA joined 1st Cavalry Division in its place . During the battery ' s brief existence , 1st Cavalry Division saw action in the First Battle of the Marne and the First Battle of the Aisne . Z Battery . Z Battery , RHA was reformed on 9 October 1914 equipped with six 13 pounder s . It joined the Ipswich based G Battery and O Battery in V Brigade , Royal Horse Artillery . V Brigade , RHA was assigned to 8th Division on formation in October 1914 . With 8th Division , it crossed to France on 4 and 5 November 1914 and served with the division on the Western Front until January 1917 . While with the division , it served in the battles of Neuve Chapelle , Aubers Ridge , and of the Somme . On 8 June 1915 , the battery was re - armed with six 18 pounder s . On 13 January 1917 , V Brigade , RHA left 8th Division and became V Army Brigade , RHA . At the Armistice , it was serving as Army Troops with the Fourth Army . By October 1919 , the battery had joined the newly reformed VIII Brigade , Royal Horse Artillery . On 4 January 1920 , the battery was absorbed into B Battery , RHA . Recent operations . Z Battery deployed on Operation Herrick 13 Afghanistan . See also . List of Royal Artillery Batteries