Artillery Battalion (Estonia)
The Artillery Battalion (Estonian: Suurtükiväepataljon), formerly the Artillery Group (Suurtükiväegrupp) is the artillery force of the Estonian Defence Forces, which has a supportive military formation role among the Estonian Ground Forces. The main task of this formation is to provide artillery support for the infantry operating on the battlefield.
Subunits
Artillery Battalion
Staff
Artillery school
2 batteries
History
The Artillery Battalion was created on 16 January 1918. On 21 November 1918 the Estonian Minister of War named the captain Hugo Kauler to the commander of the 1st Artillery Battalion. The unit fought during the Estonian War of Independence mainly on the Narva, Tartu and Viljandi fronts. The unit also participated in the Landeswehr war in Northern Latvia (Cēsis). Most of the combat firings were carried out by direct firing from the positions.
Present day
This battalion is dislocated in Tapa Army Base, Tapa. It trains conscripts for wartime artillery units. This battalion has good opportunities for live fire because of large Central Training Area. What is important, 60–120 mm mortars belong to infantry battalions, not artillery, in the Estonian armed forces.