Themes
Sea service
Article highlights
-
Royal Marine Artillery
Royal Marine Artillery
The Admiralty decreased the size of Royal Marine detachments as advances in naval engineering science caused the employment of more and more stokers aboard ship.
These advances made it clear that the Royal Marines would have to re-train in order to ensure their own existence. Towards end of the 19th century, the reduction of the size of Royal Marine detachments led to a reduction in numbers for the Corps.
Officials rationalised that if they did not reduce the numbers within the two Corps, then the decreased time at sea and the increased time on land would not be beneficial to the training and ability of the men.
6-inch gun crew training at RMA Barracks, Eastney, c.1902/4. (RMM)
The increased size of the fleet after the Naval Defence Act of 1889, however, made it impossible to man the guns of the fleet from naval resources alone. Many ship’s captains began to employ Marines at the guns and ensure their regular training. The Royal Marine Artillery had already begun to expand into ship’s gunnery.
By 1826 the RMA were receiving regular instruction. In 1859 the RMA built the first Royal Marine sea service battery at Fort Cumberland.
The Sea Service Battery re-created the atmosphere of a ship's battery with curved floors and guns positioned as they would on a broadside in order to teach the Marines how to operate in such an environment.
Over time, the RMA replaced the old guns with newer equipment in order to keep pace with developments in naval gunnery.
In 1896 they added a machine gun battery and by 1898 they replaced muzzle loading guns with two 6-inch quick firing guns and one 4.7-inch quick firing gun.
The 12-inch drill turret at RMA Eastney Barracks, c. 1913. (RMM)
In 1913 a new battery, a mechanical turret that simulated the movements of a ship, was fitted with 12-inch gun that was more in line with the big guns now fitted to most modern battleships.
