There are lots of photos of guns and crews, but not one L-4 and pilot. TACTICAL USAGE We were assigned the task of burying trig marks (a piece of rebar in concrete) in the intersections of all the dirt roads in our part of Germany. Explore regimental histories, soldier rosters, morning reports, and reports of casualties to better understand the combat experiences of your WWI veteran. We had gone to Grafenveer to fire the guns; we couldnt go to Baumhilder because the range was not long enough, and so we drove to the FO cement bunker on the range to observe the firing. 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. This left some units in the theater with excess personnel, which they were directed to transfer to other units, including the 265th. To facilitate handling between the ammunition supply point and the battalion position area, the rocket is divided into three major components. The 808th was part of the 9th Army, XIII Corps. From this trailer the Battery Commander directs the acquisition of targets and the firing of the missile. during WWII ], [ 16th Infantry Division - Did not exist about practically any U.S.Army unit contact: jcontrovich@comcast.net. 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). The division then moved to Camp Joseph Robinson near Little Rock, Arkansas for further training. We found on the internet a small book with 17 pages called 200th Field Artillery Battalion and gives a brief history and account of their journey from America to England, D-Day and ending up in Czechoslovakia. Crew of 105mm (M2). 264th Infantry 66th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized) 266th Engineer Combat Battalion 366th Medical Battalion 66th Division Artillery 870th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer). It consisted of a battery headquarters, operations platoon, communication platoon, an air observation section, and a maintenance section. So now I'm on to more official information. Their Division was the 2nd Infantry Division aka as the Indianheads. But of course, I want More information! However I have not been able to discover that fact. Arriving at the 264th in Bad Kreuznach I started one of the best experience and times of my life. Part of the division sailed for England on November 15, 1944 aboard the. After a couple of days back, the men I was serving with and myself figured something was going on. If you have an email I can send them to you. On payday they were filled and SPs as well as MPs roamed the town to prevent trouble. There were also units called cannon companies that used the M3 105mm, a lightweight, short-barreled version of the gun. I would like very much to find out what happened to a large number of the Officers and EM I served with. 268th Field Artillery Battalion. Looks like B Battery only. After completing the Officer Candidate Course he was appointed as second lieutenant in the 48th Reinforcement Battalion. On 01 October 1940, the three battalions of the 26th Field Artillery were re-designated as Artillery, and the old first battalion then became the 26th Field Artillery Battalion. After 1st formation we had about a half hour to do section chores. My dad was with the 268th FA during the Bulge. He died in 1984. 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 drove a Gamma Goat. From there to the ASTP at University of Arizona. It's going to be hard coming up with history unless you find a dedicated 20th historian. FA Btry (762-mm Rocket), 84th This happened in March in Germany which can be and was quite cold. Brief History of the 66th Black Panther Division. OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS I will put an ad up and keep you posted. Many of the other non-firing battery assignments came with a multitude of dangers, and nowhere was that more illustrated than for the men of the wire section of HQ Battery. An artillery battalion communications net was its lifeline, and monitoring its operation meant constant vigilance. Many others were reserve officers with established professional careers in civilian life. 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. Many 66th Division athletic teams played on another on newly constructed athletic fields. Capt Welty was a 20-year man who was a Marine during WW2 and switched to the Army during Korea. I emailed you about information on his unit. 12 midnight curfew and you had to wear Class As or a jacket and tie. The battery control officer, stationed in the battery control trailer, is provided with all of the information and controls necessary to engage targets effectively. The version of the 155mm they're using was modfied the next year. They were also charged with conducting topographical surveys, which during combat operations were carried out rather infrequently. COL Mundinger (deceased) was the commander of the Honest John missile battalion (3rd MSL Bn, 79th Arty). I remeber my grandpa and uncle looking thru timelife magazine and my grandpa exclaiming "we werent actually there! Nor Would . 946. My Dad was in the 745th Field Artillery Battalion in World War II firing the 240 Howitzer over the Rhine River. Continuous commands are sent to the missile to correct for evasive action of the target. M7 Self-propelled 105mm ("The Priest") near La Gleize, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. Ft. Jackson, 1943. I left out a lot, but that's the easy synopsis. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on June 27, 2020: Hi Ms. Goetschi, great to hear from you. had an Alfa Romeo and I remember the Getoggio brothers, enlisted (twins). Zaloga, Steven. and were ambushed by SS. FA Bn (280mm Gun), 1st I would be interested in the 908 FAB if there is one! 20th Luftwaffe Field Division (forming) 1/,2/,3/39th Luftwaffe Jger Regiment . What do you do in the Infantry, official marching song, 264th Infantry Regiment ! For a buck you could be a big shot and buy the section Lowenbraus all night. 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. The Battalion, and especially A Battery, lost a large number of officers during the first half of 1956. My father was in the 752 field artillery laying cable, in ww 2, trying to get info on his journey. When a battalion is attached to a Corps, it is normally assigned a mission of general support of the Corps. Museum of the Kansas National Guard . The third trailer, the Maintenance and Spare Parts Trailer contains the electronic equipment shop equipment and spare components. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on May 05, 2019: What have you found so far, if anything? If I hear back from him, will let you know. 324th Field Artillery Batallion. This may be what you are seeing. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on April 01, 2020: Mr. Ferandes, I'll do the best I can. The headquarters and service battery provides the administrative, supply, mess, motor maintenance, survey, fire direction and communications elements in the battalion. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on December 26, 2018: Hi Liaisonpilot, thanks for reading and commenting. First, with regard to artillery replacement, for the part, once a soldier was assigned to a artillery battalion, he stayed with them. hey just reminding you it is past the first week in dec thanks. After the rocket leaves the launcher the crewmen rapidly march order the section. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on January 30, 2017: John, go to my homepage and contact me via FB or email, etc. Alexander Hamilton's New York provincial Co. of Artillery organized in 1776. FA Btry (762-mm Rocket), 7th This piece can make a right angle turn in a walled intersection of two streets which are 9 meters wide, can move laterally, and can execute a 360 degree turn in a circle 90 meters in diameter. Field Artillery in the European Theater Jones graduated from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, and commissioned as a Quartermaster Officer in December 2002. OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS The three 105mm battalions were assigned to one of the three infantry regiments to support, forming a combat team. The remainder of the men in the 66th Division who did not have enough points to return home was either sent to Delta Base in southern France or to Germany and Austria to serve as occupation forces. Can I ask one more question? Each gun crew was considered a section, and within each section was a sergeant (Section Chief), a corporal and assistant gunner (known as the #1), two other assistant gunners, and three cannoneers. http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on January 02, 2018: Glad to hear from you. One aiming stake was approximately 30 to 40 yards back, while another was placed halfway between the gun sight and the other stake. Shells were usually shipped in pallets, with eight shells per pallet. He may charge a fee to do a search. Thank you, Mr. Kelly. With this information, knowing the rules of engagement and the restricted areas, the battery control officer determines the most advantageous time to fire the round. Although the shells were shipped semi-fixed with the fuse already installed, it was the powder that provided the punch, so that had to be added to the shell. Is there a list of the names in his Battery B? Great snackbar and a big ballroom and formal bar upstairs. My dad, Eugene F. Southall, was a field lineman (technician 5th grade) with HQ and HQ Battery. The risk of being spotted by enemy observers was ever-present. You would think I would have realized that after reading your site and getting a LOT of education on what they went through. There was a lot of pressure to Buy Bonds. Until I figured it out, I thought it was strange that so many people were concerned about my savings plans. My father died in 1985 without talking much about his time in the service. 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. . If it wasn't in the Library of Congress, is it likely they would have anything? The entire battalion is 100% mobile. This was important for the married troops who lived off base because it gave them an extra hour and a half in the AM. Figure it would be easier via email. 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. The 280mm Gun Battalion is composed of a Headquarters, and a Headquarters and Service Battery, which directs, administers and furnishes logistic support, and three firing batteries of two guns each. It appears to me to be more pre Bulge. We were moved to New York by train and loaded onto the USS Callan along with a lot of other troops. Radar transmits these commands back to the missile. Another time we spent 3 days in a mosquito infested swamp along the Rhine River while a Company of Engineers built pontoon bridges for us to float the 280s across the river. 1/,2/,3/265th Artillery Regiment . I am wondering if this could be him? When they finished we moved out and did a Rhine River crossing. If I can find the correct manual from 1940s, I will send tha tover as well. Hopefully the pictures I have attached are self explanatory. Prewar service The 65th Territorial Rifle Division was formed in May 1931, based in Tyumen, Kamyshlov, and Ishim. We were not the first unit he had befriended. 419th CSB Sponsorship; 406th Army Field Assistance Trupp. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on January 07, 2018: Hi Ms. Hamiliton, can I ask what unit you are researching? The people I remember were our CO Capt. Change for me! 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. I have often wondered how that boy turned out, since at the age of twelve he spoke fluent Polish, English, German, and French. The 908th should not be a problem. Red and white aiming posts were laid to the rear of the sight, almost in a straight line. dates given are day-month-year [e.g. He is living in Temple, TX and can be reached by phone or mail. My email is jhuston1440@wavecable.com Much thanks!!! CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on October 26, 2017: Mr. Lagasse, the 15th FAB has a great website with rosters and stories (not sure if you've found it already). 264th x 2 187th Field Artillery Battalion x 2 x 2 x 2 401st Field Artillery Group 809th 275th 400th Armored Field Artillery Battalionx 2 x 3 460th Parachute Field Artillery 254th Field Artillery Battalion x 2 x 9 509th Parachute Battalion (attached) x 3 x 1 x 9 551st x 3. 46 Vaihingen, Germany 7th Army Band Airmail to Cherry Valley, Ill. Light stains. CJ Kelly-- We have corresponded before (see way below); my dad was the CO of the 908FAB B Btry, 83rd Inf Div. The two tracking radars feed target and missile. The 175 mm guns were usually parked in the same corner, just in front of these corner buildings (just west of them). On September 27, 1939, Headquarters Battery, 1 st Battalion, 264 th Coast Artillery at Statesboro was reorganized as . Upon arrival at a position, using such equipment as aiming circles, range finders, and other survey equipment like steel tapes and chains, the enlisted men of the section would lay in the guns to prepare them for aiming direction and elevation. How can one find a unit history? FA Bn (280mm Gun), 867th Each Nike missile battery is divided into three principal areas: The administrative area, the fire control area, and the launching area. personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army (7) 1 Jul 58 to 10 Dec 58: Battalion Asst S-3, Special Weapons Training Officer The crews on the 155mm had different challenges. I have quite a bit of information about the Battalion and its history, both during and prior to the period of time I was assigned there. Thank you for so quickly getting back to me. Keep me posted. He's to the right of the breech responsible for elevating the gun and attaching the firing pin. Field Artillery Brigade 105mm ammo crew arming shells during the Battle of the Bulge (591st FAB -106th ID). Each of these sections is responsible for the operation of one 762MM Rocket Launcher. I am uncertain whether this gun accompanied the 867th in its later deployment to Germany, referred to by some on your web site as "AWOL". Red Legs of the Bulge FB page. At the end of the war each member was given a copy and is called Scatter Come Together. Use my Facebook page and I can make my "Red Leg of the Week." I believe the 15th FAB has a Facebook page too. You can contact several folks there. 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. Since I sent you the first e-mail, I have had a chance to read some of the other emails on your site. After completing basic training his unit went on. This great weight makes detailed route, and especially bridge, reconnaissance extremely important. The gunner and one canoneer set the firing deflection and elevation and stand by to apply final low level wind corrections. Towards the end of summer 1958 the Army switched to dollars and I remember waking up to hear women screaming along the depot fence. Please email at the address provided in my profile. 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. At a roadblock one battery destroyed twelve attacking enemy tanks with direct fire. At the end of the eight weeks a high percentage of the troops were assigned to the 264th FA Btl in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. 169 Giessen, Germany 264th Field Artillery Battalion Airmail to Detroit, Mich. LEGAL SIZE. Another radar, the missile-tracking radar, locks on the missile prior to firing and tracks that missile throughout the entire flight. After they put in slot machines they made so much money that they use to run nickel beer nights. (by Mr. Mitchell Kaidy) My other assignment in the section was to drive the Lts jeep. But I will pursue Ft. Sill and see what they say--always worth a try! 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. 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. The 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (264th CSSB) is a U.S. Army support battalion stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. There was more interaction between the ranks and you really got to know who you could depend on in the field. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. We were shaped up by 8 am. Published: Jun 17, 2016 Total records: 10,633. I actually have several L-4 pics (not great ones), but I put the best one in another article, the Artillery Innovations article. The surviving descendant of the 20th FA is 2nd BN 20th FA which is now MLRS. The groups began forming in 1943. Crew of a 155mm howitzer in North Africa, 1943 (1st ID ner El Guettar). CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on October 14, 2016: Ms. Southall, thanks so much for sharing your dad's story. 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. Let me know and that can help the search be more specific. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on May 13, 2020: Hi Mr. Gruber, I do. John Schafner, U.S. Army Ret., Email interivews. We paid $7 a month for KP and these guys hired Germans who did it for us. Each battery had about 100 men, which broke down into five officers and 95 enlisted of various ranks. The Nike system is designed to operate with three sections per battery and four launches per section, but may use a smaller number. Hi Mr. Walters, do you mean Service Battery? We calibrated the guns and did fire missions day and night. All us kids were issued dog-tags with our name and my Dad's serial number on them) instead of Army ID cards, which we were used to having back in the States. Once we sat on the Fulda Gap near the East German border in concentric circles with half of the 7th Army. Artillery batteries also had a fifth section, which was called the machine gun section. You could read the nomenclature on the bumpers. As targets are acquired by the Acquisition Radar, they are transferred to the Target Tracking Radar which automatically tracks the target in range, direction and elevation, establishing its location. In some of his personal effects was a patch for the 44th Inf Div and a CIB. Walked everywhere! I think he was in the 20th Service Battalion of the 200th Just half an hour ago I purchased a hard copy on ebay from someone in Old Forge Pennsylvania, just 4hr drive from where he lived in Slippery Rocks. Reported to the 265th FA Bn on 16 Jan 56 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. 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. Each missile is given a series of mechanical, hydraulic and electrical checks to assure its proper functioning. GPS: 49.359205, -0.855093. He was corporal gunner. The collection is comprised of organizational and operational records and miscellaneous historical material from the files of army units that served in World War II. Thank you! The fact that Congress was thinking of ending the GI Bill (still hasnt happened) I returned my deferment and volunteered for the draft. As with the 105mm, color markings were used to differentiate the type of shells. It will be very much appreciated. While in the Marseille area the 66th Division constructed a total of eight outdoor motion picture amphitheaters where the GIs were treated to numerous USO shows. Driving the jeep for the Lt also created a memorable moment. NEW ! At that time which will result in the highest kill probability, the computer issues a burst order to the missile. All units in the last year of the war were short men on their roster. 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. A 155mm battalion had approximately 550 enlisted men with 30 officers, with each battery having around 120 men. My father was with the 662nd FA Battalion in Europe in WWII. Keywords: Edwin L. McCrea proudly served in the 865 AA unit in the . It was here that I learned the folly of placing the barbs on the barbed wire a hand space apart. There is a 10-page postwar The 270th Field Artillery Battalion in the E.T.O.. pamphlet you may be able to get as a copy from the Army Historical and Education Center library at Carlisle, PA. 256th Field Artillery Battalion (8", Trac-D) 265th Field Artillery Battalion (240mm How, Trac-D) 26 9th Field Artillery Battalion (240mm How, Trac-D) 281st Field Artillery Battalion (105mm How, Trk-D) 411th Field Artillery Group, HQ/HQ Battery 548th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm gun, Trk-D) 686th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm how, Trac-D) The 264th Field Artillery Battalion, Latz's unit, landed at Utah Beach in Normandy 10 days after D-Day. You can either email me, friend me on Facebook or my Red Legs page. He was in Normandy, northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe. The use of artillery reached its zenith in World War II. Please contact me again the first week of December. So there must be one out there for the 908. He did not speak of his service- wondering if you have any leads that might help? Dunn (Harnett County) to his family from Keesler Field, Mississippi, 1943, where he served in the 398th Technical School Squadron Paul Hampton Hickman Papers Papers reflecting the service of Sgt. At night, signals are given by the chief of section to the drivers and winch operator by the use of socially modified flash lights. And I didn't really think about how the army wouldn't stop practicing, because my father's section, at least, thought they were going on to Japan. Finding the break in a line required both skill and a little bit of luck. There are pictures of convoys, survey crew at work, trips to London, Paris and Amsterdam, scenes of Germany during our surveying, and of BK. This indicated that the break was somewhere between where they were and the location of the last Okay call. Field Artillery Battalion in action in Normandy, France in 1944. At least 2 cooks married the women KPs. 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. Sorry for the delays. I would be glad to furnish you with that. Thank you so much for sharing this information. Great time, at night we drank beer from a truck some local Comrade brought out to us. Gouttes Kaserne, composed He was discharged in NYC on December 26, 1945. Other battery and battalion personnel included radiomen, wiremen, instrument operators (survey team), cooks, drivers, and mechanics. vanderbilt dermatology nashville, simon city royals colors,