It served on the Western Front, including the Battles of Arras, Messines and Passchendaele, and the crushing victories of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive in 1918.

[1][2] It went out to the Western Front in October 1916, equipped with four 6-inch 26 cwt howitzers, and joined 47th Heavy Artillery Group (HAG) with Third Army.

Although this attack was characterised by the surprise explosion of 19 huge mines under the German lines at Zero hour, it was preceded by days of preliminary bombardment aimed at destroying strongpoints and the opposing artillery hidden behind the Messines–Wytschaete ridge.

This began on 21 May, with the assistance of Royal Flying Corps observation aircraft, and continued until 02.40 on 7 June, when the guns fell silent.

Although the range was long (9,000 yards (8,200 m)) the regimental historian records that 'the results were exceptionally good and the wire was no obstacle when the attack went in'.

The Battle of Messines was a strictly limited operation, and there was no intention of exploiting further, with all the attendant difficulties of moving the artillery forward.

Gun batteries were packed into the Ypres Salient where they were under observation and counter-battery (CB) fire from the Germans on the higher ground.

Casualties among guns and gunners were high, and despite the massive preparation Fifth Army failed to take all its objectives when it attacked on 31 July (the Battle of Pilckem).

[3][4][14][15][16] The offensive continued through the summer and autumn of 1917: the Battles of the Menin Road, Polygon Wood and Broodseinde were highly successful because of the weight of artillery brought to bear on German positions.

It was not involved in the first phase of the German spring offensive of 1918, but was directly attacked and driven back from its positions during the following Battle of the Lys.

[4][5][25] 79th Brigade joined the reconstituted Fourth Army on 18 August, soon after the beginning of the final Allied Hundred Days Offensive that lasted to the end of the war.

On 29 September IX Corps carried out an assault crossing of the St Quentin Canal, with 79th Bde amongst the mass of artillery supporting the operation.

[36] As the regimental historian relates, 'The guns of Fourth Army demonstrated, on 23 October, the crushing effect of well co-ordinated massed artillery.