Our problem was Moses had rotated to the US so we were down to one pitcher, Capt. Keep me posted. My Mother (Muriel) or we kids got to fire the howitzers (pull the cord). 26th Field Artillery Battalion Courage and Action in Operation Lttich At night, signals are given by the chief of section to the drivers and winch operator by the use of socially modified flash lights. Hi lions44-- I have a picture of my father in uniform, are you looking for those, or only with the howitzers? It is impossible to know what will be in a given AAR. Welcome to the 324th Field Artillery Battalion documents section. In addition, steering commands received from the computer are transmitted to the missile which directs it toward the predicted intercept point. They completed their training at Camp Rucker, Alabama. Because he was an officer, there was a lot of paper work that mentioned him, but much of it was repetitious, mostly lists of soldiers in the B Battery as they changed over time. Was the increase in FOs officially part of the T&O? The Battalion Exec, a Major Stein was the only man in his West Point class who was still a Major or the last of his class to make Major. (4) 11 Oct 56 to 27 May 57: Battalion S-1 and Adjutant However, AARs for smaller units, such as Field Artillery Battalions, Combat Engineer Battalions, Armored units, or Military Police outfits, tend to provide more detail in connection with the individual service of their collective soldiers. The Employment of Negro Troops. I realized why when we hit a storm in the North Atlantic and spent three days at sea anchor during which time we were feeding 85 troops that could still eat. The Ivy League schools supplied the artillery branch with hundreds of officers throughout the war. It is possible he was assigned after the massacre from another unit. These documents are provided for by Dave Curry, historian of the 83rd Infantry Division Association. I was allowed to go into the kitchen anytime 24/7 and get food. I use the word approximately because once combat operations began, it was rare for any unit (Division, Battalion, Regimental, etc.) For a buck you could be a big shot and buy the section Lowenbraus all night. By the way I used a lot of high angle fire to get defensive fire coverage in close to FEBA, thank you i'll be waiting and thank you for this site i think i may be able to add some pictures i will dig them out and see what i have. The shift of several large caliber artillery units, particularly segregated African American battalions, to Bastogne during the first 48 hours of the battle helped save the city from capture. I'm not certain if that means they are attached to each other or used independently. I will check the 20th Corps order of battle just to confirm. This pamphlet was edited by 1Lt Robert A. Hentzen, who later became a reknowned sports reporter with a Topeka newspaper. The Missile Assembly and Test Building provides facilities for the uncrating, assembling, and testing of the missiles in the battery. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on September 19, 2016: Thx Greener. One of the men I feature in my book was in fire control. (3) 7Jun 56 to 11 Oct 56: Gun Platoon Commander, A Battery (2nd Gun Platoon) FA Btry (762-mm Rocket), 84th Lock - United States Army The battery is only 25% mobile and is classified as a semi-mobile battery. 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! Hope you can help. Movement out of a position after firing normally required approximately 10 minutes. One of the members of the 83rd group. In one letter, he sent me a color picture of a 400 pound tiger carcass tied to a pole in the middle of one of the firebases. And Edgewood Arsenal, he was there. So I can ask around about the unit, etc. necessary to prepare and fire the round. 264th Infantry 66th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized) 266th Engineer Combat Battalion 366th Medical Battalion 66th Division Artillery 870th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer). TACTICAL USAGE This smaller version of the 105mm howitzer replaced the 75mm gun in Army airborne units and cannon companies. Then it surges into space with a roar at an ever mounting speed. Turned out I used those bonds to pay for my first 2 years of college when I was discharged. If you have an email I can send them to you. A few years ago I ran across a book entitled Private Presley by Andreas Schroer which documents Elviss years in Germany and I swear it is as good as a high school yearbook for memories. I still have a 5 cent bill. 2nd / 5th FA - US ARMY Babenhausen Kaserne 1901-2007 I have been able to get in contact with people with unit history books of each battery of the 666th but my father is not listed in any of the books. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on May 13, 2020: Hi Mr. Gruber, I do. I have been trying to find information about my father during WW2 and hoping you can answer a question I have regarding field artillery replacement troops. General Lauer commanded the division until its deactivation in November 1945. I am wondering if this could be him? -- I also have a mimeographed copy of the Battalion's history during World War II, its reactivationon 7 Jul 52, its acquisition of the 280mm Guns, its deployment to Baumholder in Nov. 1953, and ending with the Battalion's participation in the field exercise "Battle Royal" with Belgian forces of the Northern Army Group. Organization [ edit] V Corps Artillery A driver and assistant driver rounded out the 105mm section, making for a total of nine men. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. But Fort Sill might be come through for me. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on October 03, 2017: thank you for your service mr burr, you are a true american hero. He only spoke of the war on a few occasions. Published: Jun 17, 2016 Total records: 10,633. Thank you so much for sharing this information. Let me know and that can help the search be more specific. After firing, the breech was opened by the #1, and the shell casing would drop out automatically, where it was picked up by one of the loaders to be tossed aside. During this period I also served as Asst S-2, with duties as Custodian of all Special Weapons, Special Weapons transports, and Bn SW classified documents. World War II unit histories Junior commanders were expected to use their own initiative. It's a great place to begin the search. My other assignment in the section was to drive the Lts jeep. He did ship out to Europe the same date as this battalion. The following records were acquired from the American Battle Monuments Commission on June 17, 2016. The entire battalion is 100% mobile. and velocity is again measured and compared to the standard trajectory. 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion - Wikipedia 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. PDF Field artillery Part 2 - history.army.mil The Nike utilizes a command guidance type of control. After a couple of days back, the men I was serving with and myself figured something was going on. A group of Marylanders who had recently returned home from voluntary military training . Did the 274th Field Artillery Battalion have a towed 155 MM Battery attached to it anytime during the war?? John Gatens, U.S. Army Ret., Personal interview, October 17, 2011. Sorry about that, I've been receiving one request per day lately. Spec4 was my rank. Is prin The position area should have good access roads and firm ground as well as good natural cover and concealment. TACTICAL USAGE 865th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (SP) - Korean War Coffee at the snack bar followed by more section training and bug out time. I am hoping to find any information about my Dad's service and whether my Dad could entitled to this award plus the Army of Occupation Medal. I am doing a blog about the 100 letters my uncle Charles D Knight wrote home while in Europe in the 15th FAB section B using the 105mm howitzer. I can't find hardly any information about the 2nd FA Obv Bn or the 894th Ord HAM Co and am hoping you may be able to help me with any information about either of these units? Thank you. I'll have to confirm that. Forward observation team near Cherbourg, France, June 1944. Giving NARA another shot. 175mm SP Gun, 6th Bn, 9th FA) could have included my dad, Lt. Col Henry Strickland (walking out of the picture in the right foreground and Col Wallace Magathan right most of the three guys in the center talking). It is usually in general support of a division. The Battalion was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC). dates given are day-month-year [e.g. I remember Rivers Barracks. The 1-151 FA provides combatant commanders with a trained and ready force to destroy, defeat or disrupt the enemy with timely, accurate and integrated fires; additionally, the 1-151 FA is prepared to support the State of Minnesota with troops capable of assisting in a disaster. Will send over the excerpt. Here is where I lose track of him and can find no records of what battalion he was assigned . 14710 Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Love the cigarettes around all that powder. 66th Infantry Division (United States) | Military Wiki | Fandom FA Bn (280mm Gun), 216th 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). I would be glad to furnish you with that. They were just fascinating. I lucked out and was given KP duty, which I didnt like at first. Since diodes and chips were not available, the Q-10 radar set operated on vacuum tubes. I'm just trying to find out what actual unit my father served in while in the combat zone? The letter, dated 3 May 1954, shows the Adjutant General, 264th Field Artillery Battalion, requested a copy of the FSM's DD Form 214. He was a Artillery Mechanic and recently celebrated his 99th birthday! The guidance platoon contains both the operational personnel necessary to guide the missile and the specialist personnel required to maintain the fire control equipment. The radar tracks the missile and provides the computer with the missile's location in the sky. By the Korean War, they had added six guns to the standard battery. 254th Engineer Combat Battalion 187th FA Group (751st and 997th FA Battalions) 190th FA Group (62nd, 190th, 272nd, and 268th FA Battalions) 406th FA Group (76th, 941st, 953rd, and 987th FA Battalions) 1111th Engineer Combat Group (51st, 202nd, 291st, and 296th Engineer Combat Battalions) Like Ms. Southall, my father was in two different FABs, and someone at the 83rd site said that because he, my dad, was regular army (West Point), he would be staying for the Occupation, which he did, for another year, and that's about when the change occurred, I think, from the 908 to the 323. The 8" howitzer battery is the general support weapon of the field artillery and is normally employed in battalion-sized organizations; however, a battery or either of its two platoons can operate independently in certain tactical situations for limited periods. It's a mix of WWII, Korea and Vietnam, but their webmasters and historians are good. A group was usually assigned from two to six battalions. Although this concept was much more limited in the artillery branch than in other branches, in practice each batterys CO had great autonomy on officer assignments. US Army Units in the Korean War I believe that gun ("Atomic Annie") is the one now on display at the Artillery Museum at Fort Sill. I'm honored to have helped honor your uncle. PDF U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps Troops December, 1944 CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on January 30, 2017: John, go to my homepage and contact me via FB or email, etc. Went to a few bistros, a few gasthauses, the bahnhof. The version of the 155mm they're using was modfied the next year. The missile's velocity is measured by the doppler radio and assisted by the computer, shuts off the rocket engine when the missile reaches the appropriate speed consistent with the desired range. Firing positions are prepared in advance and survey completed to a stake which marks the location for the center of the turntable. The 8" howitzer battery may receive a fire mission while on the march or while in a prepared position. The assignments were made back in the US and continued upon deployment. Sorry for the delays. My father was with the 662nd FA Battalion in Europe in WWII. Hoping get something out of that. Hello- My grandfather served in WWII with the 20th Field Artillery Batallion as a T/5 with the 155 mm Howitzer I believe. I remember his sons (Kurt - my brothers age) and Greg (my age) and their dachshund (Herman). According to it's unit history - the 274th Field Artillery also fought in the Kassel, Regansburg then ended the war in Austria? Under the pressure of a fire mission, these tasks were hellish in the freezing, wet weather of Northern Europe. Hi Mr. Walters, do you mean Service Battery? I do have some informationI got from other members before they passed. The locations are correct for the unit. When I ETS'd & came home, my accent was thick, broken English! 105mm crew preparing the shells during training exercise. I don't remember if I got to fire one. Rank was hard to come by because the 280s were being phased out and the battalion seemed to be a place for Officers who were being phased out. This happened in March in Germany which can be and was quite cold. It aids in laying in the guns by taking into account the Y Azimuth distance between true north and magnetic north. A few minutes before the arrival of the gun, the line of fire and center of the turntable are marked with white tape to guide the chief of section and driver, in employing the piece. about practically any U.S.Army unit contact: jcontrovich@comcast.net. Their officer would take a reading from the aiming circle so that the four guns of the battery would be aligned and shoot parallel with each other. ORGANIZATION(Feb 1957): (Source: Annual Historical Report 1957-58, HQ USAREUR) Support Mention of how important to the success of the artillery was the role of the Liaison aircraft. The risk of being spotted by enemy observers was ever-present. World War II By the end of World War II, the U.S. Army had established several hundred temporary burial grounds around the world. After firing, the rocket becomes a missile immune to countermissile electronic interference. Jones graduated from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, and commissioned as a Quartermaster Officer in December 2002. Sometimes brings in units' other families looking for info too. Its strength was 3,300 men. CJK -- how do I send you a photo? I have been trying to find out more information on the service of the 689th FA battalion (155mm). John Schafner, U.S. Army Ret., Email interivews. We went all the way to the championship game which we lost 2 to 0. This is the best article I have read on the US Army Field Artillery in World War II. The crews on the 155mm had different challenges. Find A Battery, 264th Field Artillery Battalion unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. Artillery Antiaircraft . He also mentioned that he was transferred to the 274th FAB in the United States and started training on the M7 105 MM Howitzers Mounted on tracks. Personal Accounts Record Battle Opened 56 Years Ago (by Mr. Mitchell Kaidy) Who Really Liberated Bastogne? He had a simple strategy if war ever broke out. If you didnt go to town the EM club at The Depot was first rank. World War II: Then and Now: Canton cannoneer I have found them with XX Corps in the 204th FA Group from March through the end of war with Germany, but I can't find them from Normandy across France. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on May 17, 2020: I might have some contacts for you, when you have a minute, just email me. Can I ask one more question? in Germany from 1945 to 1989. After 1st formation we had about a half hour to do section chores. 3 M 12 81 mm 412 AIRBORNE 40 (H) 32 M-7 Priest 60 36 I remember his children, Wally, Shelly, Pam, Barbara, Earl, and Nancy (my age). Research a World War I Veteran (WWI WW1) - Golden Arrow Research In a tactical situation the guns are placed in positions of concealment with batteries separated by about 8,000 to 12,000 meters. Prewar service The 65th Territorial Rifle Division was formed in May 1931, based in Tyumen, Kamyshlov, and Ishim. I believe the 15th FAB has a Facebook page too. during WWII ], [ 21st Infantry Division The multitude of different caliber weapons combined with pre-configured firing tables meant no escape from its power, no matter how deep you tried to dig or how far you tried to run. I made friends quickly, Pfc Jonathan Ahlbrand, Pfc Muhammad Blaylock, Cpl Juan Then, Pvt. The latter part of my stay there, I met a German family whom lived in Allendorf, through Sabine & Greg, the Stockhauses. When the situation was more fluid, as was the case in the summer and fall of 1944, the observation team may stay with a particular infantry unit for an extended time. WW2 Army Unit Records Research | WW2 Research 65th Rifle Division - Wikipedia Just like the enlisted, the cross-training of commissioned personnel was essential in every battalion. Thank you for any other sources that I can be directed to. Dr. Foy, Darryle LSSGB - Lead Ops/Logistics Exercise Planner - ITility Yes, I am familiar with, and a member of the facebook page, and have used Dave Curry's site. The trip to Germany was an experience. I saw a former A 3/6 member, Pfc David Lee Marcum, in the same unit. The 200th was a 155mm Long Tom unit, correct? (part of the Green Series). Can you tell me where I can find this information? Is there a list of the names in his Battery B? The Nike system is designed to operate with three sections per battery and four launches per section, but may use a smaller number. 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade Media; Armed; Dental Health Activity; 419th Contracting Support Regiment. He is living in Temple, TX and can be reached by phone or mail. The surviving descendant of the 20th FA is 2nd BN 20th FA which is now MLRS. This indicated that the break was somewhere between where they were and the location of the last Okay call. 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). I remember going for the parade day thing and a change of command ceremony. If you can, use the email provided as it will be easier for you to contact me. Within those battalions were some of the most highly skilled personnel that the U.S. Army had throughout the war. Another key feature of American artillery during the war was the role of non-divisional artillery battalions of all calibers. I do know that he landed in England February 26, 1944 and France on June 14, 1944. CJ Kelly-- We have corresponded before (see way below); my dad was the CO of the 908FAB B Btry, 83rd Inf Div. The galley crew quickly informed me to never miss a meal and to eat all the time. If you have any Also, there is a Facebook page for the Division. The NIKE-HERCULES Battalion consists of a battalion headquarters battery, with 17 officers and 101 enlisted men, and 4 firing batteries containing 8 officers and 133 enlisted men. If we had won, the team would be in a fix because a lot of us would be out of the service before the tournament was played. She was worried about the German toilet paper (too rough), so just before he left we bought a big freezer and bought a side of beef and tons of American toilet paper. 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. The moto-mechanized brigade consisted of head quarters, three tank battalions, a reconnaissance battalion, an infantry battalion, a motorized artillery battalion, a troop transport battalion, special troops, and services. I've seen so many. FA Msl Bn (Cpl), 558th He did not talk much about his experience except one instance when he was in Italy as a Forward Observer being shelled so badly one night that his buddy's hair turned white by the next morning. Robert Allen Gribben Sr. (1923-2012) - Find a Grave Memorial We were to fire one round from each gun to give the Russians something to think about, blow up the Breech blocks, and race like hell for the Spanish coast. 264th CSSB CSM :: Fort Bragg - United States Army The size, in itself, does not pose so great a problem because of the high degree of maneuverability. 224th Field Artillery. 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. You can email me. Thanks. Or did the units adjust while in the field during Korea? This test culminated in the firing of the first atomic round at Frenchman's Flat firing range in Nevada, by the Officers and men (and one gun) of the 867th FA Bn. In a postwar study, the Army noted that the group command structure was one of the keys to success during the war because it permitted the commanders to shift artillery battalions from army to army, corps to corps or even to support individual divisions. Shells were usually shipped in pallets, with eight shells per pallet. (5) 27 May 57 to 9 Oct 57: Recon & Survey Officer, B Battery After a couple of years it dawned on me that I would have to serve my two years with Uncle Sam when I was done with school. 264th Field Artillery Battalion | American Battle Monuments Commission We were not the first unit he had befriended. Our uncle, Richard V. Fritts, was a Technical Fourth Grade in the 993rd Field Artillery Battalion, in the Pacific Theater in 1944 and 1945. Empty shell casings near gun section, Elsenborn Ridge, 1944. Thankfully my sister is older and paid more attention! Red Legs of the Bulge FB page. I read that the first guns got there in Oct and not Novas I remembered it. Out-Processing Section :: Fort Bragg | Fort Bragg | Moving and PCS The medical section, in addition to performing the normal functions of such a unit, is specially trained in the treatment of injuries resulting from exposure to nitirc acid, aniline and electric shock. My dad was with the 268th FA during the Bulge. Looking for more information from military/civilian I'm also available on Google + or Twitter. Mr. Burr, I do a "Red Leg of the Week" on my Facebook and I would be honored could send a photo. 286th Field Artillery Battalion. In this request, the assistant adjutant commented that the FSM had been discharged as a master sergeant to accept a battlefield commission as a second lieutenant. The majority of the shells expended during fire missions were usually high explosive (HE). We are still trying to get hold of the full copy so if anyone out there who can help then please get in touch. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on January 08, 2018: Would love it. They may have been detached, but these are the assigned battalions. Looking through the sight once again to determine that he was still lined up with the aiming stakes, his last task would be to level the bubble and shout Ready! This told the Section Chief that the gun was ready to fire; he then held up his right arm as a signal to the gun crew. Please take as long as you need. Charles (Mac) Armstrong 283nd. The remainder of the battalion was concurrently inactivated. The lineage and honors of 2/20th is in the link.