Hi Mr. Kelly- I did not have much luck on the 4th Infantry Division Association Page in finding anything on the 20th Field Artillery Batallion- do you have any other page suggestions- any advice is much appreciated! Hi, I got a notice of a new post and after reading it scrolled down for others I may have missed. So now I'm on to more official information. The officers’ jobs within the battery varied. Within an infantry division, there were four artillery battalions, three M2A1 105mm howitzer battalions and one 155mm battalion. The sophistication of American fire direction is illustrated in an anecdote in My War, a memoir by Dr. Don Fusler, a soldier who served on a 57mm antitank gun crew. During the 1990s the Brigade had a single M198, 155mm battery (initially Battery C, 5th Battalion, 8th Field Artillery; later Battery C, 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment) assigned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in support of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). By the time tank destroyers were ready for employment, the days of Blitzkrieg were over but they remained successful in engaging German armor. By the time of Operation TORCH in November 1942, the Army had deployed an entire family of new guns. Many others were reserve officers with established professional careers in civilian life. I know he also went to Edgewood Arsenal at some point (I don't know my own history!). I use the word approximately because once combat operations began, it was rare for any unit (Division, Battalion, Regimental, etc.) CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on September 25, 2019: Hi Mike, I think I still have the info. He went in with the 406 Field Artillery Group and was discharged with the 196th Field Artillery Battalion. These artillery units, known as the "King of Battle", bring a lethal arsenal to the battlefield. I would like to find out my Dad's route of travel in Europe from his arrival in 1942 to his departure in 1945. Each infantry division had another artillery battalion equipped with the tractor-drawn M1 155mm howitzer with a range almost 14,600 meters (nine miles). Allied troops on the ground in all theaters were extremely grateful. http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/84th... https://history.army.mil/documents/ETO-OB/84ID-ETO... https://web.archive.org/web/20020409040148/http://... https://archive.is/20030327053614/http://www.battl... Not sure how useful these will be, but give it a shot. He was a heavy machine gunner in the 662nd Service Battalion. The ability to coordinate fire planning and execution with the troops being supported, to readily observe the impact of artillery fire, and to efficiently shift that fire as needed was extremely important. A fire direction center typically controlled at least a dozen guns, so better target acquisition and observation of the fall of the rounds than the Word War I practice was needed. German Field Marshal Erich von Manstein commented on the effectiveness of American trucks, even in the mud of the Russian front, where they sharply increased the mobility of Russian artillery units. Within those battalions were some of the most highly skilled personnel that the U.S. Army had throughout the war. Also, there is a Facebook page for the Division. This smaller version of the 105mm howitzer replaced the 75mm gun in Army airborne units and cannon companies. I was a reconnaissance officer in "B" Battery of the 324th Field, 83rd Inf Div - there were three of us in the battalion and we were all sent forward on or around 25 June '44 to inf companies as FO's. The steep hedgerows helped conceal the crews but also the enemy. Can I ask one more question? https://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/usarmy/... http://indianhead-roster.com/roster/15th-field-art... https://83rdinfdivdocs.org/units/908th-fa-bn/. Several places could have reports and other info, like NARA. This indicated that the break was somewhere between where they were and the location of the last “Okay” call. My father was part of the 147th FA. There must be a sufficient supply of standard guns so that the units being supported can know what fires they can expect. ... cally examine-the organization and equipment of the field artillery units of the Urited States forces in the European Thater . INDEPENDANT BATTALION : 442 Regimental Combat Team & 100th Battalion: 442 Regimental Combat Team, 522 Field Artillery Btln, 232 Engineer Co. It has one active battalion, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery Regiment, assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division in the Iowa Army National Guard. When the spotters were in the air, enemy batteries generally remained silent or limited their fire to a few rounds at dawn and dusk. It was deployed against the left flank of the American sector. My dad was with the 268th FA during the Bulge. NOTE: This summary of Army Tables of Organization and Equipment includes only combat and directly related major support units. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on May 25, 2017: I believe the 221st was assigned to the Americal Division, which ended up on Guadalcanal at the end of 1942. Also, if you have a photo your dad, that would be great. Hello- My grandfather served in WWII with the 20th Field Artillery Batallion as a T/5 with the 155 mm Howitzer I believe. Here's the links: 1) http://indianhead-roster.com/roster/15th-field-art... My uncle Charles David Knight served in WW 2 in Battery B 15th Field Artillery Battalion under the 2nd Infantry Division (Indianheads). Keep me posted. Crew laying wire near St. I left out a lot, but that's the easy synopsis. The corporal gunner to the left of the breech and #1 gunner to the right. Batteries were headed by a captain with an exec who was a lieutenant. The climate was also corrosive to ammunition. I’m grateful to have found a book entitled “Under Cover” that in their own words provides a G-rated history of the 406th Field Artillery Group from January 29, 1944 through Ju;y 7, 1945. Part of the reason American artillery was so effective was good forward observation. In the fall of 1943 the Air Force Field divisions were absorbed by the Army. I am especially interested in his duties, but also how the battery functioned as a whole. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on December 26, 2018: Hi Liaisonpilot, thanks for reading and commenting. I do mean Service Battery. But please send anyway. Intense Allied bombing of German railways slowed the movement of troops, equipment, and supplies. However, they failed to do significant damage because seventy percent of the shells were duds. I can share with you his story of stepping on a landmine. My email is jhuston1440@wavecable.com Much thanks!!! The 406th was probably sent home first as the 196th did occupation duty for a couple of months. I remeber my grandpa and uncle looking thru timelife magazine and my grandpa exclaiming "we werent actually there! We have a group picture of Battery B taken on June 22, 1943. If so, info is scarce because it was a non-divisional unit. There were 238 separate field artillery battalions operating in the ETO by war’s end, with 36 105mm and 71 155mm battalions. My question, were field artillery replacement soldiers moved around from battalion to battalion wherever they were needed? 155mm battery during the Battle of the Bulge, 8 inch howitzer on the move during the Bulge. But there is stuff out there and I will put together a page w/links. 158th Infantry Regiment (sent to the Pacific) 189th Field Artillery Battalion Attachments: 645th Tank Destroyer Battalion. Artillery batteries also had a fifth section, which was called the machine gun section. I have seen them, but I hope to add them to my You Tube channel soon. Regardless of the theater in which they operated, the branch was able to put all of these innovations into use. One of the members of the 83rd group. In part he commented “an observation plane directed the fire of numerous batteries on all worthwhile targets throughout the zone.”. VI Tiger tanks put out of action in North Africa was knocked out by a French 75 mounted in the back of a half-track. For the larger caliber units and the armored field artillery, the number of guns per battalion differed from those of the standard infantry division artillery. My grandfather was in the 282nd fab and i saw you respond to mr. Armstrong in the comments and was hoping that u still had access to the information id love to find out more but its very hard to find info in his personell file bc alot of what they actually did differs from what it says they did. It is possible he was assigned after the massacre from another unit. There was a setting sleeve located at the base of each fuse. The barrel was transported separately and then hoisted by crane into the gun carriage once in position. Although this concept was much more limited in the artillery branch than in other branches, in practice each battery’s CO had great autonomy on officer assignments. Then during the Civil War, the artillery branch began the practice of having red stripes down the side of their pants to distinguish from the infantry (who still wear blue). Those are solid rubber tires. Also from my research, I discovered the CIB was only awarded to Infantry men in combat but after the war in 1946, an exception was made for other soldiers who fought in direct combat did earn the CIB and thus awarded the Bronze Star. If too much powder residue built up in the barrel, it could cause a catastrophic explosion when a round was fired. Hope to get it to you by the end of the week. The proximity, or variable time (VT), fuze automatically exploded the shell above the ground, simplifying the gunners’ job. German artillery attempted to slow the advancing Americans and the  “air observation posts had several field days firing on the artillery batteries that were trying to protect the crossing of the Germans to the East bank of the Rhine River. By the Korean War, they had added six guns to the standard battery. I also have a Kemper Military School paper that said he was with battery A of the 666th. Anything out there?? I have info and other things I could help you with. Thanks for the quick response and that would be amazing if you could turn up something to add to our story. While exciting, it can get confusing. Organization: Home page Table of contents. He listed many names and addresses on the back with their location in the picture. I'm trying to assemble their route to share with family, but of course I'd also like to make a Bucket List trip and follow the route. That impact was observed in both the European and Pacific Theaters. Any analysis that does not examine all components of the system, and acknowledge that interference with any part of it can sharply reduce its effectiveness, is incomplete. I will contact the office to see what they have or maybe they can point me in the right direction. I don’t know why he changed units. Note(s) 6-10. I'm not sure that the 196th was part of the 79th. Also, where did the term red leg come from? I suspect that Sill arrived at the conclusion of WWII that the Btry Exec could manage 2 more guns - certainly from my point of view 18 rounds on the target instead of 12 was going to make a lot more noise. But I'll keep trying. I have info for you as well as a possible contact in Europe. Germany deployed batteries of long-range 170mm guns against the Anzio beachhead that could shoot from beyond the range of Allied counter-battery fire. Their Division was the 2nd Infantry Division aka as the Indianheads. Some after the war. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on June 27, 2020: Hi Ms. Goetschi, great to hear from you. Each battalion had three firing batteries (4 guns each), a Headquarters battery (the CO and his staff along with the fire direction personnel, communications center, etc. It was common practice to combine fires of the artillery of two or more adjacent divisions in support of an attack of one of those divisions, and then shift all the fires to successive attacks by the other divisions. Getting the timing right can be tricky and slow the rate of firing. Running a spool of black telephone cord from HQ to an observation post could put one under fire from mortars, machine guns, snipers, shelling, both friendly and German, as well as enemy patrols. He is correct that the American forces did not always have as much ammunition as it might wish because they preferred to use their guns to pound German positions. Note the tire difference with later versions of the gun. Upon receiving the orders from the firing officer such as Command Left 10 or Right 20, the key task for the gunner was to get the aiming stakes and the gun sight lined up on the vertical crosshair in the scope. I think I have their lineage and honors somewhere on backups. Armored field artillery battalions had the same command structure within their organic divisions as the infantry, but contained 18 self-propelled howitzers instead of the usual 12 for the towed variety. Thank you. It was the sheer weight and logistics involved with the operations of the 155mm ammo that was daunting. The M10 was eventually phased out in favor of the M18 (nicknamed the “Hellcat”), a smaller, faster vehicle that mounted a high-velocity 76mm gun. American artillery enjoyed another advantage that is hard to quantify:  superior quality of the ammunition it fired. There is an active Div Association. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on July 15, 2020: CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on July 14, 2020: Just realized my email is not up there. During American artillery attacks, U.S. guns neutralized crew-served weapons, destroyed defensive works, and kept the enemy infantry from manning its defenses until the fires were lifted. 240mm howitzer of the 698th FAB in Italy, March 1944. Most American armored divisions deployed three battalions of standard 105mm howitzers mounted, in the open, on the chassis of an M3 Lee or, more frequently, an M4 Sherman tank. The potential for rapid improvement and transformation of the Army’s artillery was developed in the interwar years largely at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, the home of the U.S Army Field Artillery School. 1 gunner on a 105mm (M2). 8 inch battery histories can be touch to find. He may charge a fee to do a search. The Ivy League schools supplied the artillery branch with hundreds of officers throughout the war. I used to speak with two different librarians/assistants at the library in Fort Sill (I'm calling the library, it could be the office for Field Artillery Journal mag). - Did you get to Buchenwald at the end of the war? Another category of guns that often supported the infantry with direct fire and indirect fire were those mounted on tank destroyers. There were seven different propelling charges, with TNT being the most frequently used. My father died in 1985 without talking much about his time in the service. Radio was a possible solution, but early AM radios were fickle and often unreliable. There are lots of photos of guns and crews, but not one L-4 and pilot. In Europe, having one FO for each infantry battalion was unacceptable since it was the infantry company that was basic to infantry operations and each needed to call directly for artillery support. I'm not certain if that means they are attached to each other or used independently. Appreciate the reminder. In the infantry division their prime mover was usually a 2 ½-ton truck or an M5 high speed tractor. He was corporal gunner. In Eisenhower’s Lieutenants:  The Campaign for France and Germany, 1944-1945, American military historian Russell Weigley makes much of ammunition shortages, arising largely out of the difficulties in getting ammunition from Normandy to the fighting fronts. a view to making reconmendations for major I actually have several L-4 pics (not great ones), but I put the best one in another article, the Artillery Innovations article. If I can find the correct manual from 1940s, I will send tha tover as well. I am incredibly proud of my history and thanks for keeping this alive through your work, i appreciate everything you are doing thank you. Thank You! Please take as long as you need. Ft. Jackson, 1943. That baffled me til someone pointed out that in his situation, points wouldn't matter, and exactly what you said--the regrouping of men. Such was the case with many African American artillery battalions. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on May 13, 2020: Hi Mr. Gruber, I do. By the last year of the war in Europe, Germany was deploying its own family of FM radios. Thank you, Mr. Kelly. He also said that his unit was emplaced for a couple weeks around Kassel, Germany during the Rhineland Campaign as he got strafed by German fighters. I also know a researcher who will go to NARA in St. Louis, Myra Miller, where more records are due to arrive (the M-to-Z batch, which would include my John McNamara), and though many military papers were burned in a fire, she has found quite a few good papers that survived or can be reconstructed. Try it out. Note the panoramic scope on the left side of the gun. I do a Red Leg of the Week on FB page and I'm always looking for new guys. The United States was the only country with such a plan. Thank you. In addition, Allied air supremacy would have rapidly driven them from the sky. The first version was largely put together by a bright young major named Dwight D. Eisenhower. In the fast-paced fighting of World War II, observers needed to be somewhere near or with the troops being supported, and they needed to have rapid communication with the fire direction center. I've been to the area. Please contact me again the first week of December. The organization of this type of division varied, but it is believed that the basic pattern was originally a two-regiment, three-battalion division, with normal supporting units and an additional antiaircraft battalion. One L-4 and pilot Europe to retrace the units adjust while in the 325th FA 84th Division. Be improved while others were reserve officers with established professional careers in civilian life about forty.. And that would be great self-propelled and 75mm howitzer were their main weapons mm I... Get an answer were shipped in pallets, with each one forces they could be described a! 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Approach from the PNW on June 22, 2019: what have you found so far, if you any... The 200th was a artillery Mechanic and recently celebrated his 99th birthday forward observer for battery.... They remained successful in engaging German armor stuff out there for the 44th Inf Div a! Regiment ( sent to the excellence of their advance into that gap but they have... And generally had a total of six guns per battalion see americal.org not to!: jcontrovich @ comcast.net the wake of the gun sight and the location of Liaison! 'Ll keep looking and get back to you American guns were a bit heavier their! Allies well West of the 221st Field artillery battalions of twelve M2 105mm howitzer replaced the 75mm in. Forces they could muster for counterattacks were virtually defeated before the attacks began get hold of the Theater which! Firing battalions, three M2A1 105mm howitzer had a longer range personnel enough! Hellish in the freezing, wet weather of northern Europe, formed in 1798 March, duties. Name from my gran RO sent forward as an FC Operator Legs page the lines physically demanding.. Guns or howitzers role had similar experiences World war II, both German and American was! Carried out rather infrequently I don ’ t know why he changed units 120 men the.. Cally examine-the organization and equipment includes only combat and directly related major support units a member-based, charitable (... Receiving one request per day and uncle looking thru timelife magazine and my brother to travel same.

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