This is part one of a four part series of articles exploring the future ready Royal Australian Artillery and how Australia's Gunners will maintain stride with peer fighting forces around the globe. Part one looks at the current role, structure, and application of Australia’s artillery combat capability.

What leadership failures (amongst other battlefield friction) led to the largest capitulation in British military history? Resulting in some 90,000 Allied troops, the majority being Australian, British and Indian, destined to spend the remainder of WW2 in brutal captivity.