Arty batteries are typically six howitzers or more though. Wouldnt smaller be squadron?
Actually thinking about it, it's more like going from hand load to an auto loader cause he still only has 5 total shots.
Will's father is an idiot if, after learning about that, he still refuses to recognise how useful, and thus correct, Will's decision was.
That is assuming William would even tell his father.
Will being "correct" in his decision is due to pure luck and not a sure thing.
From his dad's perspective, Will gave up researching something that would fundamentally change the entire world to do a job that only dropouts typically do.
Itd be as if the leading researcher for General Theory of Relativity suddenly decided to be a PMC grunt instead.