CMK F35334 Austro-Hungarian WWI Artilleryman

At the beginning of World War I in August 1914, the artillery of the Danube monarchy, i.e. Austria-Hungary, totaled about 2900-3000 guns, including fortress artillery. A large part of it was assigned to infantry and cavalry units, especially at the divisional and corps levels. The infantry division consisted of one division artillery consisting of one 77 mm cannon regiment, which consists of 5 batteries, and one 104 mm howitzer squadron, consisting of 2 batteries. In turn, in the cavalry division, artillery units were clearly weaker and consisted of a single horse artillery unit. It is worth noting that the heavy artillery in the Austro-Hungarian army was directly subordinate to the high command, and included 305 and 240 mm mortars, 150 mm howitzers and 120 mm cannons. To this we should also add fortress artillery, which consisted of about 280 guns. It is worth adding that the artillerymen of the Austro-Hungarian army were - as in almost every European army of the time - soldiers of the basic service, which lasted 2 years, and with time - also reservists. In general, despite the efforts made before 1914, the artillery of the Central Committee of the Army, although it is difficult to consider it completely outdated, did not meet German standards.