The 94th division was sent to the Battle of the Bulge. What do you do in the Infantry, official marching song, 264th Infantry Regiment ! Field Artillery Brigade Sorry for the delays. It's so important these men are not forgotten. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on September 25, 2017: Hi Mr. Rodgers. 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. The battery control officer, stationed in the battery control trailer, is provided with all of the information and controls necessary to engage targets effectively. colin hay eye surgery; ss mariposa wwii how did janice nicholls die shawn eckhardt obituary surcheros sauce ingredients ss mariposa wwii shawn eckhardt obituary surcheros sauce ingredients ss mariposa wwii My grandmother had a newsletter from the 666th field artillery, which was a non divisional battalion, telling about their travels in Europe so I was thinking he was with this battalion. Battery D was descended from Capt. Will send over the excerpt. That raised the total to 6 - my assignment was to "E" Co, 331st Regt. If you served in A Battery, 264th Field Artillery Battalion, Join TWS for free to reconnect with service friends. My Mother (Muriel) or we kids got to fire the howitzers (pull the cord). This usually creates fear and I was no exception. Down time was spent playing poker and drinking beer. General Lauer commanded the division until its deactivation in November 1945. About once a week you pulled guard duty from 5pm to 6am. The division then moved to Camp Joseph Robinson near Little Rock, Arkansas for further training. I believe. Most notably, the safety plate was changed. The gunner and one canoneer set the firing deflection and elevation and stand by to apply final low level wind corrections. Send me an email (link from HP) and I will send the list. He talked about working with the howitzers, and even firing them, but apparently he was attached to the Service Battalion. Looking for more information from military/civilian Frank's Facebook Page. As with the 105mm, color markings were used to differentiate the type of shells. Within the Headquarters and Service Battery there are 10 sections: Headquarters and Service Battery Headquarters, Operations and Intelligence, Survey, Liaison, Communications Platoon, Assembly and Transport Platoon, Personnel, Maintenance, Mess, and Supply. Otherwise, your best bet would be After Action Reports and Unit Histories from the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill or Archives II. Very informative! A battalion may be assigned a mission of general support of the Field Army -- reinforcing a specific Airborne Division Artillery, or air-landed Infantry Division Artillery, which is in a deep Decades after he got back from Vietnam, he later told me he was moving 155mm howitzers around to different (mobile) firebases. LTC Ring was the commanding officer of the 2nd of the 82nd (8" self-propelled howitzers). 264th Signals Battalions . He did not speak of his service- wondering if you have any leads that might help? A split second later a gust of yellow orange flame bursts from the nozzle end of the rocket. This smaller version of the 105mm howitzer replaced the 75mm gun in Army airborne units and cannon companies. These thing never turn up! (5) 27 May 57 to 9 Oct 57: Recon & Survey Officer, B Battery You could read the nomenclature on the bumpers. In August 1940 it was reactivated as part of the Field Artillery of the Ninth Infantry Division, First Army, at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The history of the 26st Field Artillery Regiment from the early days of the horse soldier to the modern, highly trained, mission ready, assault force of today. As these operations are being accomplished, the rocket specialist is inserting the igniter in the pedestal, sealing the forward end of the rocket motor with the heavy closure plug, and arming the spin rockets. I'm honored to have helped honor your uncle. The 26th Field Artillery Battalion fired 5000 rounds at Sejnane, Tunisia in one day in 1943! V Corps Artillery 65th Rifle Division - Wikipedia During my time there he received his Captains bars. during WWII ], [ 15th Infantry Division - Did not exist Always a popular feature and in some cases, it has brought old friends together. Thank you, Mr. Kelly. H&HQ as well as A Btry were there in April 1958 and B & C Btry were at Rivers Barracks. They would follow a dead line some distance, usually to a place that had just been shelled. A lieutenant led the small team of 3 or 4 men to a forward outpost to spend up to several days manning a front-line position. 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. Yes it was WWII. Sorry about that, I've been receiving one request per day lately. 1,557 of these records are those of soldiers whose bodies were missing, and not recovered. Subject: DAVAO; SHIKOKU; YYUSHU '45, '46. Artillery Battalions in World War II - Owlcation This order detonates the three missile warheads simultaneously. I played on the B battery basketball team, touch football team, and fast pitch softball team. I believe the 15th FAB has a Facebook page too. As I recall, the 6th of the 9th was in the building on the right (short end of the rectangle) as you went in the gate. 406th Army Field Support Brigade Sponsorship; 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD) 192nd Duty Battalion Sponsorship; 50th Signal Battalion; Army Golden Cavaliers; 4th ROTC Brigade As the missile is fired it rises slowly and vertically for the first few seconds. They completed their training at Camp Rucker, Alabama. The gun fires a shell weighing 272 kilograms a distance of 27 kilometers. TRADOC 1992. Neither of us including my mother new of each other existed. Self-propelled artillery took on a greater role, and of course, missile and rocket technology changed the branch forever. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on September 25, 2019: Hi Mike, I think I still have the info. Thanks! 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. We would go to Rivers Barracks every Sunday for mass. At a roadblock one battery destroyed twelve attacking enemy tanks with direct fire. Then the fuse had to be set using a special wrench. I remember going to Grafenwoehr for some sort of Family weekend and my Dad was wearing his .45 cal Colt M1911A1 and ear plugs. We also had black & white Chevrolet station wagon which bit the dust (threw a rod) on the trip down to Munich in 1968. Dense woods, thick mud, and snow made repairing the lines physically demanding work. The 200th was a 155mm Long Tom unit, correct? The first units which have been described in some detail are the British 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division & British 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division. FA Msl Bn (Cpl). The black telephone cables were constantly shot up, and there were up to several miles of cable laid out between an observation post and the FDC or battery. US 9th Army, 12 December 1944 - CGSC - YUMPU Postal History Search Results 15 minutes prior to firing the countdown is started. There also was a 155 outfit at Rivers Barracks so there was plenty of competition between the troops. Gardner. during WWII ], [ 16th Infantry Division - Did not exist The third area, which is apart from the Administrative and Control Areas, is the Launching Area. 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. Giving NARA another shot. This pamphlet was edited by 1Lt Robert A. Hentzen, who later became a reknowned sports reporter with a Topeka newspaper. Time and time again in postwar interviews, German soldiers mentioned the fear that American artillery engendered along the front lines. Other times we would go out from Giessen for 10 day periods as part of NATO exercises or just to practice maneuvers. 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 was a Corps Artillery unit. The 264th has deployed overseas to France, Vietnam, Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Afghanistan, and Iraq . He enlisted Feb 42 and was sent to Ft Sill, then to CP Bowie TX until deployment 21 Aug 1943 from NY to ETO arriving Oran Algeria 2 Sep 1943. All of these units, regardless of their group or assignment, were considered Corps artillery. FA Bn (280mm Gun), 59th Thx. Any sources would be appreciated. There was even an instance within the 106th ID when a battery commander was actually manning an observation outpost at the time of the initial attack during the Bulge. (by Mr. Mitchell Kaidy) A.S.T.P. I used to play with Earl (deceased) behind their house in the bomb craters left over from WW II. Can you tell me where I can find this information? If any of you guys who served in the late fifties or sixties want to see what your contemporaries looked like check this book out. Besides being in charge of the survey crew he was also the FO when we fired the guns. https://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/usarmy/ http://indianhead-roster.com/roster/15th-field-art https://83rdinfdivdocs.org/units/908th-fa-bn/. The two assistant gunners and three other cannoneers in the section were responsible for packing the shells with powder bags, setting the fuses according to the mission specifics, and loading. Click here to open 'USArmyGermany' This gave me the envious position of sitting in the jeep while the other men pulled the measuring chains and recorded the angles. I would love to talk to anyone connected with the 908 FAB B Btry, if there are any descendants who have pictures to share, or stories, if you come across any. of three firing batteries. The Division has an excellent veterans association which is very helpful to families, see americal.org. The author of this history is unknown My other granddad was on HMS Iron Duke at the Battle of Jutland during WW1 and was originally called Jack Bishop. Top of the safety plate can be seen upper right. I remember his sons (Kurt - my brothers age) and Greg (my age) and their dachshund (Herman). 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. The Employment of Negro Troops. There is an active Div Association. Maybe a quick bio on your dad (West Point class, hometown, etc.). Sacrifice: The 333rd Field Artillery at the Battle of the Bulge The 274th was an Armored Field Artillery unit using the "Priest," 105mm on an M7 chassis. We have since been sent some letters from his family that he wrote home but is does not talk about any action or locations due to security and censorship. Maj. Robert White is a native of West Palm Beach, Florida. It's a great place to begin the search. 8 inch battery histories can be touch to find. CJK. Hi Mr. Oakley, I'm assuming this is WWII? Seventh Army artillery: 59th, 264th, 265th & 868th FA Gun Bn The "Honest John" rocket batteries that arrived in command during the fiscal year were located at Kitzingen, Ansbach, Schwbisch Gmnd, Darmstadt, Hanau and Leipheim. The 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (264th CSSB) is a U.S. Army support battalion stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. I also have some general information about the 280mm Gun, including a photo copy of the pamphlet "Test of the 280mm Gun" published by the Artillery Center in May, 1953. For a buck you could be a big shot and buy the section Lowenbraus all night. This area is composed of the buildings and items of equipment necessary for assembling, testing, fueling, and firing a NIKE missile. Field Artillery - 25th Infantry Division Association The history of Battery B, 1 st Battalion, 214 th Field Artillery Regiment begins in Statesboro with the organization of the Headquarters Detachment, 264 th Coast Artillery Battalion. Then went back to duty. The battalion itself is 100% mobile. US Army, Europe Many 66th Division athletic teams played on another on newly constructed athletic fields. My father was in WWII. '44/'45. Anything out there?? The Battalion motto is "Support for Victory". I passed your name along. Rex G Welty, the Exec. Hi Mr. Gruber, the 20th was part of the 4th Infantry Division and a ton of information on the unit can be found on that unit's WWII pages. The CORPORAL Battalion is the firing battery rather than the battery. The Headquarters and Service Battery normally supplements the Firing Battery with communications personnel and equipment, and additional ammunition carrying vehicles when the battery is separated from the battalion. 264th CSSB CSM :: Fort Bragg - United States Army The 808th was part of the 9th Army, XIII Corps. This really made us feel like little soldiers - lol. On September 27, 1939, Headquarters Battery, 1 st Battalion, 264 th Coast Artillery at Statesboro was reorganized as . That GI was from a divisional artillery unit. A driver and assistant driver rounded out the 105mm section, making for a total of nine men. Officially, it was called the M12A2 panoramic telescope. My dad volunteered for Vietnam in 1968 and we stayed in Munich, Germany while he was there (Central Highlands, Pleiku, Da Nang, Nah Tran, etc). 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. Overall the 66th Division suffered the following casualties: 804 killed, 268 wounded, seven missing, and nineteen captured. Interesting article. Estimates of the number of German forces left behind in these pockets ran from fifty to one hundred thousand. The picture is small so I can't be sure. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on September 16, 2016: Absolutely, Nancy. or Vilseck at least twice a year and stayed in primitive quarters. His name was Gayle W. Huston and he died in 1975. From there to the ASTP at University of Arizona. It was a short cut to our apartment complex. It rotates constantly at a predetermined speed and targets coming within its range are presented pictorially on a radar scope to the Battery Commander at his tactical control position. The fire control area must be a minimum distance of 1,000 yards from the launching area, and there must be line-of-sight between the two areas. 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. Within the first couple of weeks the outfit went to the field for training for a week. I was afforded a wonderful chance to see Germany from the inside. I'm not sure that the 196th was part of the 79th. He was a Artillery Mechanic and recently celebrated his 99th birthday! Stay well. Each shell could take up to seven bags of powder, which were wrapped in silk and tied together. Working on another unit right now but I can put together a list for you this weekend. There were also units called cannon companies that used the M3 105mm, a lightweight, short-barreled version of the gun. It was some kind of Battery test so the radar crew was given a truck load of C rations and stuck in a remote site away from the rest of the unit. 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. The command for this maneuver is stored on board the missile until it reaches denser atmosphere where its control surfaces are most effective. Dr. Foy, Darryle LSSGB - Lead Ops/Logistics Exercise Planner - ITility We went all the way to the championship game which we lost 2 to 0. 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. It is very interesting and quite humbling. My dad was with the 268th FA during the Bulge. he left for normandy july 2 1944 could he have been assigned after the masacre ? 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). CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on May 05, 2019: What have you found so far, if anything? 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. and initiative, [ 39th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 47th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 49th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 51st Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 52nd Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 53rd Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 54th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 56th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 57th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 58th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 60th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 61st Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 62nd Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 64th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 67th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 68th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 72nd Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 73rd Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], [ 74th Infantry Division - Did not exist during WWII ], Leo van Bussel (from Holland) & Ron Villegas. I'll have to confirm that. Amazingly, those incidents were relatively rare considering the near-constant use that most of the weapons received. 865th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (SP) - Korean War After the rocket leaves the launcher the crewmen rapidly march order the section. 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. There are lots of photos of guns and crews, but not one L-4 and pilot. This great weight makes detailed route, and especially bridge, reconnaissance extremely important. FA Bn (280mm Gun), 216th For those of you who are looking for info. I know he also went to Edgewood Arsenal at some point (I don't know my own history!). One of the members of the 83rd group. We had a great little dining room where we started off each day with eggs to order and copies of the Stars and Stripes. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on June 07, 2019: Hi Mr. Armstrong, can you email me directly? I would be interested in the 908 FAB if there is one! The aiming circle was a small scope graduated with 6,400 mils as opposed to the usual 360 degrees (a mil is 1/6400 of a circle). The gunner lays the beam on the proper deflection in the same manner as a conventional artillery piece. The version of the 155mm they're using was modfied the next year. The Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 caused such a manpower crisis in infantry units that even some artillery units ended up sending non-essential personnel to the infantry as replacements. As the vehicle stops with its sight mount over the surveyed hub, three crewmen lower the side and rear jacks while other crewmen elevate and extend the launching beam to the firing position. 264th Division (Einheiten) Support Units . Just like the enlisted, the cross-training of commissioned personnel was essential in every battalion. 8 inch gun Field Artillery Battalions ! ORGANIZATION(Feb 1957): (Source: Annual Historical Report 1957-58, HQ USAREUR) Support We bowled, played softball, went to the library or just tried to look busy. Coffee at the snack bar followed by more section training and bug out time. Here is where I lose track of him and can find no records of what battalion he was assigned . SFC Stewart saw potential in me as a clerk instead of a gun bunny because when I was at A 3/6 FA, Ft. Riley, I OJT'd as a 94B (cook). () Gene Bane Stars and StripesBad Kreuznach, West Germany, September, 1956: 264th Field Artillery Battalion soldiers from Battery C's 2nd Gun Platoon, who set a 280mm gun firing record, pose. Keywords: Edwin L. McCrea proudly served in the 865 AA unit in the . It's going to be hard coming up with history unless you find a dedicated 20th historian. I will keep at it. I remember playing with race car sets and the day we melted down a bunch of .45 cal slugs on the stove and made a lead Frisbee like the one "Odd-Job" used in the James Bond movie, "Goldfinger". They were just fascinating. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on October 15, 2016: Hi Ms. Southall, I would like a picture of your dad in uniform. When I woke up in my sleeping bag the first morning a fire had been started and all our boots were around the fire getting warm. Information on this unit has been hard to come by, do you have any notion of how I might find out more about the 689th? The tank battalions are now shown as present in the source document, but an armored division isn't much of an armored division without its armored battalions. Change for me! The trip to Germany was an experience. necessary to prepare and fire the round. Does anyone have suggestions on where to look or find roster of the unit, or unit picture? As you can see from the pictures I sent, the Guns were named Apache and Alley Oop in A Battery, Big Ike and Big Mo in B Battery, and Comanche and Cheryl in C Battery. In a tactical situation the guns are placed in positions of concealment with batteries separated by about 8,000 to 12,000 meters. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on December 29, 2018: Yes, most units had a yearbook published, one while in the State training. If anyone can share any knowledge or similar experiences, I would appreciate it. Once situated near Marseille, the 263rd staffed the St. Victoret staging area and the 262nd and 264th staffed the Arles staging area. We are still trying to get hold of the full copy so if anyone out there who can help then please get in touch. 264th Field Artillery Battalion 401st Field Artillery Group 187th Field Artillery Battalion 809th Field Artillery Battalion 7th Armored Division: Brigadier General R.W.Hasbrouck CCA CCB CCR 23rd Armored Infantry Battalion 38th Armored Infantry Battalion 48th Armored Infantry Battalion . I also have the two small booklets that were published about the 2nd Infantry Division. He was a heavy machine gunner in the 662nd Service Battalion. 315th field artillery regt btry f-hq co 318th fa regt 106370634: 997: 318th field artillery regt hq co-btry b 319th fa regt , 106370635: 998: 319th field artillery regt btry b-vet det 321th fa regt 106370636: 999: 321th field artillery regt enl ord-btry b 322nd fa regt, 106370637: 1000: 322nd field artillery regt btry b-btry b 324th fa regt . . The division included the 193rd, 194th, and 195th Rifle Regiments, the 65th Artillery Regiment, a tank battalion, reconnaissance and sapper companies, and anti-aircraft and anti-tank batteries. 66th Infantry Division - U.S. Army Center of Military History His service records were burned in the ST Louis fire when I contacted NARA and did get one page which stated he spent 20 months with the 894th Ord HAM Co; however, I don't think that is correct. Included in the operations platoon was an instrument and survey section along with a meteorological section. Click here to open 'USArmyGermany' There were 238 separate field artillery battalions operating in the ETO by the wars end, with 36 105mm and 71 155mm battalions. All we had to go on was a name from my gran. WW2 Army Unit Records Research | WW2 Research He was discharged in NYC on December 26, 1945. If you have a photo and bio for your dad, I would love to add him to the Red Leg of the Week feature I do. 14710 Colleville-sur-Mer, France. 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. I remember the U-shaped layout of staff/office buildings with the Officers Club, NCO club, and chapel in the NE corner (as you came in the gate, not sure of the absoulte orientation). 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. The term Red Leg began in the Civil War, First during the Kansas border wars and then the Army adapted it later. Many times I would climb the fence (8ft with three lines of barbed wire atop it). Guns continued to be improved while others were phased out. Let me know if you have trouble, and I can just list them here. So i just wanted some info even if vaguely describes the 282 during the war. It consists of a firing battery headquarters, four howitzer sections and an ammunition section. OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS Goodman was FDC section chief.