4 Artillery Regiment is based at Potchefstroom, responsible for the training of soldiers allotted to Field and Medium Artillery.

History

Origins

Under the UDF

On May 28, 1945, authority was granted for the formation of 4 Field Artillery as a full-time regiment with effect 1 April 1945.

=Successor to 4 Field Brigade

= 4 Artillery was the successor to 4 Field Brigade, which had made a name for itself at Combolcia,

Dessie Dessiè City which is politically oppressed by the past Ethiopian government systems due to the fact that most of the population follow Islamic religion. Dessie ( am, ደሴ, Däse; also spelled Dese or Dessye) is a town in north-central Ethiopia ...

and

Amba Alagi Imba Alaje is a mountain, or an amba, in northern Ethiopia. Located in the Debubawi Zone of the Tigray Region, Imba Alaje dominates the roadway that runs past it from the city of Mek'ele south to Maychew. Because of its strategic location, Emba ...

in Ethiopia. The regiment served at El Alamein under its own name – as part of 1 SA Division – and in Italy as part of 6 SA Armoured Division, notably at

Monte Stanco Monte may refer to: Places Argentina * Argentine Monte, an ecoregion * Monte Desert * Monte Partido, a ''partido'' in Buenos Aires Province Italy * Monte Bregagno * Monte Cassino * Montecorvino (disambiguation) * Montefalcione Portugal * Mont ...

. In May 1946 the unit became part of the Permanent Force's 11 Armoured Brigade. When the latter was disbanded in 1951, the unit continued on as 10 Field Battery.

=4 Field Training Regiment

= Based in Potchefstroom, it became 4 Field Training Regiment in 1953 with 10, 11 and 12 Field Batteries at Potchefstroom,

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legislative capital Cape To ...

and

Oudtshoorn Oudtshoorn (, ), the "ostrich capital of the world", is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, located between the Swartberg mountains to the north and the Outeniqua Mountains to the south. Two ostrich-feather booms, during 1865– ...

respectively. It was disestablished as a training institution in November 1967. It continued as 4th Field Regiment from 1967 to 1975 with 1 Medium, 41 and 42 batteries based at Potchefstroom and 43 battery in Walvis Bay. 1 Medium battery used the BL5.5-inch medium howitzer (eighty pounder) whereas 41, 42 and 43 batteries used the Ordnance QF 25-pounder.

Under the SADF

=Border War

= The Regiment reactivated in 1975 and took part in most operations since

Operation Savannah Operation Savanna (or Operation Savannah) was the first insertion of SOE trained Free French paratroops into German-occupied France during World War II. This SOE mission, requested by the Air Ministry, was to ambush and kill as many pilots as ...

in 1976. It was back in action in August and September 1981 in support of

Operation Protea Operation Protea was a military operation during the South African Border War and Angolan Civil War in which South African Defence Forces (SADF) destroyed a number of South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) bases in Angola. During the ...

with 41 Bty (120mm mortar) and 43 Bty (120mm mortar) and Operation Daisy with 43 Bty (120mm mortar) in support of 61 Mechanised Battalion Group. In 1983 the Regiment became part of

10 Artillery Brigade 10th Brigade may refer to: Australia * 10th Brigade (Australia) Canada * 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade Greece * 10th Mechanized Infantry Brigade (Greece) India * 10th Cavalry Brigade (British Indian Army), of the British Indian Army in the Firs ...

(with 14 Artillery Regiment) and was renamed 4 Artillery Regiment the next year. By 1987 4 Artillery was structured as: * 41 Battery * 42 Battery * 43 Battery and * 1 Medium Battery In 1987 the Regiment took part in

Operation Moduler Operation Moduler (sometimes incorrectly called "Modular") was a military operation by the South African Defence Force (SADF) during the South African Border War. It formed part of what has come to be called the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. The An ...

and in 1988 in Operation Hooper,

Operation Displace Operation Displace was a military operation by the South African Defence Force during the South African Border War and Angolan Civil War. It involved maintaining the illusion that the SADF had remained in brigade strength east of Cuito Cuanava ...

and

Operation Prone Operation Prone was a proposed military operation by the South African Defence Force (SADF) and South West African Territorial Force (SWATF) during the South African Border War and Angolan Civil War between May and September 1988. With the advan ...

. In 1989, the Regiment was part of the Merlyn Brigade based at

Grootfontein , nickname = , settlement_type = City , motto = Fons Vitæ , image_skyline = Grootfontein grass.jpg , imagesize = 300px , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_si ...

, returning home after Namibian independence. The Artillery Brigade and 14 Artillery Regiment disbanded on January 1, 1993. SADF Merlyn Forces emblem 1989 South West Africa

SADF Merlyn Forces emblem 1989 South West Africa

Internal operations

In 1985 and 1986 the unit had tours as provisional infantry in

Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...

Tembisa Thembisa, formerly Tembisa (Dindela), is a large township situated to the north of Kempton Park on the East Rand, Gauteng, South Africa. It was established in 1957 when black people were resettled from Alexandra and other areas in Edenvale, Kem ...

, Alexandra and in the KwaNdebele homeland.

Under the SANDF

=Organisation

The regiment is currently organised as a composite unit and has a growth capability for the establishment of additional regiments if required: * 4 Regimental Support Battery (4 RSB) * 41 (Papa) Battery

Soltam M-65 The Soltam M-65 is a 120 mm mortar that was developed by Tampella in 1953 via introduction of new baseplate for 120 Krh/40 invented by Hans Otto Donner. In 1960s Soltam Systems of Israel bought a license. The mortar system comes in two versi ...

120mm mortar * 42 (Quebec) Battery G6 155mm Gun/Howitzer * 43 (Romeo) Battery Bateleur FV2 127mm

multiple rocket launcher A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a volle ...

* 44 (Sierra) Battery G5 155mm Gun/Howitzer * 45 Battery Target Acquisition Bty

Regimental Colours

In March 1973 the unit broke with artillery tradition, which recognises the unit's guns as its colours, and took possession of a regimental colour, becoming the first artillery regiment to be presented with a regimental colour and claims to be the first to have appointed an honorary colonel.

Insignia

Previous Dress Insignia

Leadership

* Col (Hon) Johann Oosthuizen 1984 2012 * Lt Col Nick Bierman CBE 19461947 * Lt Col Bob Meintjies DSO 1950 1953 * Cmdt Sarel Buijs 1991 * Col Deon Holtzhausen 19941997 * Lt Col Sarel Kruger * Lt Col Thulani Zungu * Lt Col André J. Claassen 2004-2006 * Lt Col Victor Khasapane 20062010 * Lt Col Jongile Maso 20142016 * Lt Col Mimy Matimbe 20172020

Freedom of the City

The regiment was awarded the Freedom of Potchefstroom in 1984.

References

{{SA Army Units Artillery regiments of South Africa Military units and formations in Potchefstroom Military units and formations established in 1945 Military units and formations of the British Empire Military units and formations of South Africa in the Border War