Active 1917–1918 | Country Portugal Branch Heavy artillery Size 1600 | |
The Portuguese Independent Heavy Artillery Corps (Corpo de Artilharia Pesada Indepedente in Portuguese, Corps d'artillerie lourde portugais in French), or the CAPI, was a Portuguese railway heavy artillery unit that operated on the Western Front, during World War One.
The CAPI was created in response to a request from France for artillery support. It was independent from the much larger and better known Portuguese Expeditionary Corps, which also fought on the Western Front. The unit operated 320-millimetre (12.6 in), 240-mm and 190-mm railway guns, which were supplied by Britain, and operated under the control of the French Army. Most of the CAPI's personnel came from the Portuguese Army foot artillery branch, which in Portugal was responsible for manning the heavy guns of the coastal and garrison batteries. Other personnel came from the naval artillery.
Organization
The CAPI was made up of:
Each group consisted of three batteries, one of 320-mm guns, while the other two were equipped with either 190-mm or 240-mm guns.