The Artillery Park of an Army Corps

The Mobilization of a Field Artillery Regiment (Part 3)

While assembling hundreds of men, horses, and vehicles into ammunition columns, the depot of the 47^th Field Artillery Regiment also completed the modest task of forming the headquarters for the ‘2^nd Echelon of the Artillery park of the 7th Army Corps’ (2^ème Échelon du Parc d’Artillerie du 7^ème Corps d’Armée)

Composed of six officers, five sergeants, and fifteen cannoneers, this little outfit provided an army corps with an organizational home for half of its ammunition columns. (The remaining ammunition columns would report to the 1^st Echelon of the Artillery Park of the 7th Army Corps.)

The commander of the 2nd Echelon wore the rank of a chef d’escadron (‘squadron chief’). As such, he qualified as the peer of the officers commanding twelve-piece field artillery groups and the superior of the commanders of both batteries and ammunition columns, all of whom ranked as captains.