Thx. The 8" howitzer battery may receive a fire mission while on the march or while in a prepared position. Those howitzers were big, firing "small bombs" that weighed nearly 50 pounds each,. My father was with the 662nd FA Battalion in Europe in WWII. The two tracking radars feed target and missile. Thus, once fired, the HONEST JOHN Rocket is a weapon delivering an atomic warhead comparable with the larger missiles requiring intricate and sometimes unreliable electronic guidance systems. Since going to school and working to pay for it was a drag I figured that if I went in to the Army, Uncle Sam would pay for my college. My father just passed away last week and I've been trying to find out about the actual unit he served in. Comments: Ed McCrea was part of the U.S. Army 865 Unit in the Korean War. Can you help me to find anything about where they went and what they did? 284th Field Artillery Battalion. During my time there he received his Captains bars. 155mm battery during the Battle of the Bulge. For a buck you could be a big shot and buy the section Lowenbraus all night. Towards the end of summer 1958 the Army switched to dollars and I remember waking up to hear women screaming along the depot fence. Will do. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on May 12, 2020: Hi Mr. Walters, still looking for info on either the Battalion or at least a FA group history. Went to a few bistros, a few gasthauses, the bahnhof. When we got there a French unit with about a dozen 20mm cannons were shooting at a wooden tower with a bunch of what looked like Generals with BC scopes watching the results. (by Mr. Mitchell Kaidy) A.S.T.P. The SS then opened fire with machine guns and bazookas killing my granddad and PFC Lusk with the other two managing to escape. So I can ask around about the unit, etc. The 155mm battalion supported the units or areas most in need at the discretion of the Division artillery commander (better known as Divarty). Orders are transmitted by the computer to the missile through the missile tracking radar. But I will pursue Ft. Sill and see what they say--always worth a try! I'm not sure that the 196th was part of the 79th. The Nike utilizes a command guidance type of control. In Korea I was the Fire Direction Chief as a Major, 64th Field (Lancer 3) - the T&O gave me 3 FO's per firing battery - whether that was a permanent change I have no idea. I remember one of the Lieutenants (a company commander?) Surnames N-R. 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. Fields of Honor; Heroes of the 2nd World War; D-Day Overlord association; Forum of memory 44; Nara - AAD; France Crash 39-45; Goldstarfamilyregistry.com ; Find A Grave; Wwii research and writing center; My father was part of the 147th FA. Any information about this unit in the interim would be great! I assumed because of the increase to 6 guns that there were more observers, but I was not sure if the 3 FO was a standard. I know that Corps Artillery Units are hard to trace and that units were disbanded and soldiers with low points were transferred to other units. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on September 23, 2019: http://www.84thrailsplitters.com/history.html. Most of the time, it was on jacks because all the ammo inside broke the axles! Every time it was moved, it took hours to get it up and running again. These thing never turn up! Upon arriving at a new hide position the crewmen transfer another rocket onto the launcher, and await the next fire mission. I impacted some girl's forehead with my front teeth. 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. also his papers say he was on a 5in gun but i can find no other mention of a 5 in gun his papers also say he was awarded 5 bronze stars any info you could provide me with will be greatly appreciated thanks in advance. According to it's unit history - the 274th Field Artillery also fought in the Kassel, Regansburg then ended the war in Austria? I can share with you his story of stepping on a landmine. in Germany from 1945 to 1989. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on September 25, 2017: Hi Mr. Rodgers. Under the pressure of a fire mission, these tasks were hellish in the freezing, wet weather of Northern Europe. to have a complete table of organization. My father was in WWII. On 16 August 1987, HHB, 1st Bn, 333rd FA was reorganized and redesignated as Battery A, 333rd FA and assigned to the 1st Cav Div. U.S. Army 1966. 264th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion - Wikipedia The 175 mm guns were usually parked in the same corner, just in front of these corner buildings (just west of them). USAREUR Units - Field Artillery - USArmyGermany.com 1st Battalion, 151st Field Artillery - Minnesota National Guard I had always thought that he had 175mm SPHs there. Another radar, the missile-tracking radar, locks on the missile prior to firing and tracks that missile throughout the entire flight. 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. Fire planning and fire support coordination are functions of higher artillery headquarters. H&HQ as well as A Btry were there in April 1958 and B & C Btry were at Rivers Barracks. 266th Field Artillery Battalion. Hi lions44-- I have a picture of my father in uniform, are you looking for those, or only with the howitzers? However, in practice, they just never seemed to fit into the basic operations of the regiment and, in many cases, ended up being used as perimeter defense. U.S. Field Artillery in World War II. The first units which have been described in some detail are the British 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division & British 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division. I remember the fallout shelter symbols at our school (Giessen American Elementary, I believe) but we had no "duck and cover" drills. Artillery Antiaircraft . Hope to get it to you by the end of the week. I know he also went to Edgewood Arsenal at some point (I don't know my own history!). Movement out of a position after firing normally required approximately 10 minutes. (6) 9 Oct 57 to 1 Jul 57: Executive Officer, B Battery The sergeant in the middle is instructing the soldier on attaching the shell (top part) to the casing below after it has been packed with ammo bags. Change for me! It seems the bar girls and ladies of the night had gotten wind of the change over and were stuck with 1,000s of dollars of soon to be worthless script. Thank you! I think this exercise was a response to Khrushchev banging his shoe at the UN meeting in New York. The 159th Field Artillery Battalion continued to support the 24th Infantry Regiment through heavy fighting in six campaigns. After the battle he jumped ship, changed his name to Jack England and joined the Somerset Light Infantry in the army and was sent right to Flanders in the front line. Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France - Surnames N-R The 66th Division consisted of the following units: 262nd , 263rd, and 264th Infantry Regiments, Headquarters Battery, 721st, 870th, 871st, and 872nd, Field Artillery Battalions, 266th Engineer Combat Battalion, the 366th Medical Battalion, 66th Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment, 66th Quartermaster Company, 66th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, the 566th Signal Company, and Headquarters Special Troops, including a Headquarters Company and a Military Police Platoon. We used to drive there in our White 1966 Volkswagen 1300 (1.3L) which my Dad bought when we first arrived. The Battery Control Trailer contains the computer, the acquisition radar scope and its controls, and a switchboard. The 66th Division was activated on April 15, 1943 at Camp Blanding, Fl. Good luck and I will keep you posted. A well-trained crew under average condition can occupy a firing position in 12-15 minutes. We paid $7 a month for KP and these guys hired Germans who did it for us. 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. 264th Field Artillery Battalion. The turret rear doors are opened and the crew prepares the weapon for action. He dropped it with one round from his M16. John Gatens, U.S. Army Ret., Personal interview, October 17, 2011. His detailed service records were lost in the St.Louis fire. It sounds like you've spoken to just about everybody, including the division association. In addition, steering commands received from the computer are transmitted to the missile which directs it toward the predicted intercept point. It was an M110 (8" SP) Bn. A split second later a gust of yellow orange flame bursts from the nozzle end of the rocket. Regardless of the theater in which they operated, the branch was able to put all of these innovations into use. When we returned to Bad Kreuznach I was called to the Battery Commanders office. FA Msl Bn (Cpl). The rocket launcher is a highly mobile carrier, thus the emphasis is centered upon speed both in firing and in tactical movement to capitalize on targets of opportunity. CJK -- how do I send you a photo? 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. Toggle navigation. If you can't attach it on there, send me your email and I can get back to you. Stay well. The gunner and one canoneer set the firing deflection and elevation and stand by to apply final low level wind corrections. TRADOC 1992. The firing battery, the largest element of the battery, is commanded by the executive officer. CJK. But I'll keep trying. 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. I still have a 5 cent bill. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on September 28, 2017: Hi Mr. Burr. Anything out there?? 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. I read that the first guns got there in Oct and not Novas I remembered it. Find A Battery, 264th Field Artillery Battalion unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. 108th Air Definition Artillery Brigade. The remainder of the battalion was concurrently inactivated. Any help will be appreciated in regards to my questions and my uncle's records. As the missile is fired it rises slowly and vertically for the first few seconds. The 94th division was sent to the Battle of the Bulge. 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. Last week we found a Facebook group for the 200th and sent them a mail about if they knew of the book as it might mention my grandad. The size, in itself, does not pose so great a problem because of the high degree of maneuverability. Also, where did the term red leg come from? Many of the specialists were also grouped into sections and personnel from both the communications section and survey teams often were part of forward observation teams. "Out of sight, out of mind.". Once we sat on the Fulda Gap near the East German border in concentric circles with half of the 7th Army. My other assignment in the section was to drive the Lts jeep. ), and a Service battery (ammunition, basic supplies, mechanics, etc.). Thx. Continuous commands are sent to the missile to correct for evasive action of the target. If you served in A Battery, 264th Field Artillery Battalion, Join TWS for free to reconnect with service friends. 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. Most every one in the unit had at least two years of college and we were treated a little nicer that we expected. 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). On payday they were filled and SPs as well as MPs roamed the town to prevent trouble. Giving NARA another shot. The bigger the gun, the more men you needed, though the basic battalion structure for both the 105mm M2A1 and 155mm M1 units was similar regardless of the gun. If the command was left 10, the head of the site would then be moved off of the aiming stakes by that many degrees. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on January 30, 2017: John, go to my homepage and contact me via FB or email, etc. 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). If it wasn't in the Library of Congress, is it likely they would have anything? 20th Luftwaffe Field Division (forming) 1/,2/,3/39th Luftwaffe Jger Regiment . CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on December 14, 2017: Hi Mr. Rodgers, my so called "sources" turned out to be a dud. In Giessen places like the Florida Bar, the Pilshaus, the Pilsner Bar were the EM hangouts. I am interested in any info or interviews. The picture is small so I can't be sure. 66th Infantry Division (United States) | Military Wiki | Fandom CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on September 14, 2016: Passion, you are correct. There is some data and reports out there. On this page documents related to the 324th Field Artillery Battalion can be downloaded in the PDF format. 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. Later in the war, field commissions for qualified noncoms became commonplace. The size of the battalion depended on its main weapon. If so, info is scarce because it was a non-divisional unit. 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. I left out a lot, but that's the easy synopsis. just wondering if you were able to find anything on my grandfather thanks. objective area. The people I remember were our CO Capt. 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 you copy this link into the web this is the small booklet I mentioned. When they finished we moved out and did a Rhine River crossing. 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. On October 1st, 1940, the three battalions of the 26th Field Artillery were re-designated as three separate battalions under the Commanding . Thanks for the quick response and that would be amazing if you could turn up something to add to our story. 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. 999th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (155mm) 99th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) 8219 Artillery Topo Map Service . Or did the units adjust while in the field during Korea? Any information you have would certainly be appreciated. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on January 08, 2018: Would love it. There was a replacement system, but the exigencies of combat left all units in the combat arms (infantry, armor, engineer or artillery) short of men. I do know that he landed in England February 26, 1944 and France on June 14, 1944. This website is only in its very early stages, aiming to give a full spectrum of data on World War II fighting units, including details on organization, commanders, and literature. The unit crest on his IKE Jacket is the 2nd FA Obv Bn and he attained the rank of Tech 5. Type in 83rd Infantry Division. The galley crew quickly informed me to never miss a meal and to eat all the time. As you might expect, a number of these personnel turned out to be considerably less than desirable, and caused no end of problems. I will contact the office to see what they have or maybe they can point me in the right direction. The reading was then given to each gunner while the howitzers were at zero deflection and a minimal elevation from level. Oh by the way, when we left, quite a number of C ration cases just happened to fall of the back of the truck. We would go to Rivers Barracks every Sunday for mass. But it was the work those battalions did in World War II that set the stage for the rest of the 20th Century and beyond. Up front were tank divisions, then armored infantry, then 105s, then 155s then 8 inch guns and then us. Contact them. The Firing Battery is composed of two platoons each of two sections. I am doing a blog on the 182 letters he wrote home while at Camp McCoy and then in the European Theater. Low level wind measurements are obtained from the wind measuring set, converted to firing data and applied to the launcher immediately prior to firing. 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 firing battery is divided into a guidance platoon and two firing platoons. 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 do mean Service Battery. 406th Land Field Support Brigade Sponsorship; 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD) 192nd Ordnance Battalion Sponsorship; 50th Signal Battalion . Keep me posted. United States, Enlisted and Officer Muster Rolls and Rosters, Enlisted That would be common. It is probably the only gun in existence which was designed specifically to fit the ammunition. I meant when you go to the Battle of the Bulge reunion, if you hear of anyone there interested. Since I had been there such a short time, I didnt know where we went to train. Each of these sections is responsible for the operation of one 762MM Rocket Launcher. We did learn the story of when he was wounded by a landmine near Monchau while looking for a break in the wire. What I have had difficulty finding is information about the duties in a battery. His closest living relatives are we nephews and nieces so we appear not to be able to obtain his D D-214. They knew that as soon as an American spotter plane appeared over their positions, it would only take minutes before a massive barrage rained down death and destruction. I will pass it on. 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. I have the names of two experts on the 285th. frameset, Victor Gensmer's photos of the 317th Sig Bn (Const), Des First, with regard to artillery replacement, for the part, once a soldier was assigned to a artillery battalion, he stayed with them. He did ship out to Europe the same date as this battalion. And Edgewood Arsenal, he was there. I knew almost all of the original personnel who brought the Battalion to Germany, plus a number of the Officers who joined the Battalion for short periods of time when left behind by their units which rotated to the States before they were eligible to return to the States. personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army Three Launching Sections form the firing components of the battery. Both he and the gunner corporal were also responsible for keeping the crew away from the tremendous recoil of the barrel, which could kill or maim, especially in the 155mm. 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. 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. Any predictable range error will result in a computation of a final range correction maneuver which is sent to the missile immediately. 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. These documents are provided for by Dave Curry, historian of the 83rd Infantry Division Association. We practiced RSOPs (Reconnaissance, Selection, Occupation of Position) till we could do them in our sleep. 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! Red Legs of the Bulge FB page. Thanks, CJK, my grandfather also passed before i could talk to him of his service. Some day I would like for me and my brother to travel the same route together. That raised the total to 6 - my assignment was to "E" Co, 331st Regt. The 26th Field Artillery Battalion fired 5000 rounds at Sejnane, Tunisia in one day in 1943! 324th Field Artillery Batallion. Please take as long as you need. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on October 03, 2017: thank you for your service mr burr, you are a true american hero. Since I sent you the first e-mail, I have had a chance to read some of the other emails on your site. But overall, finding info on this unit post Bulge is very hard. They were responsible for guarding the perimeter and hauling extra ammo. My father left behind a narrative of his service years. 15 minutes prior to firing the countdown is started. I would be glad to furnish you with that. After completing basic training his unit went on. The 406th was probably sent home first as the 196th did occupation duty for a couple of months. 268th Field Artillery Battalion. We went to the firing ranges in Graf. I've been to the area. I did not see you mention, so I'm assuming you have not seen it. World War II By the end of World War II, the U.S. Army had established several hundred temporary burial grounds around the world. Can I get your dad's full name and rank? For example, if the setting sleeve was turned parallel to the shell, it was set for superquick. Another key feature of American artillery during the war was the role of non-divisional artillery battalions of all calibers. A CORPORAL Battalion Commander makes the detailed reconnaissance and selection of these positions. He is living in Temple, TX and can be reached by phone or mail. The latter part of my stay there, I met a German family whom lived in Allendorf, through Sabine & Greg, the Stockhauses. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on May 13, 2020: Hi Mr. Gruber, I do. A 105mm battalion contained just over 500 men. It appears to me to be more pre Bulge. In theory, it was supposed to provide supplemental firepower for the infantry companies. It was here that I learned the folly of placing the barbs on the barbed wire a hand space apart. My gran lived in the next town called Bideford where they had a relationship. Then went back to duty. A driver and assistant driver rounded out the 105mm section, making for a total of nine men. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on December 26, 2018: Hi Liaisonpilot, thanks for reading and commenting. Home Counties Division 44th (Home Counties) Division 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division He went in with the 406 Field Artillery Group and was discharged with the 196th Field Artillery Battalion. Thanks, Mr. McCasland. Enough about me lets talk about the 264th FA Battalion. 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. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on January 04, 2018: Hi Mr. England, with regards to the cook lying dead in the photo, it is not him. It's a mix of WWII, Korea and Vietnam, but their webmasters and historians are good. The administrative area is composed of the facilities necessary for billeting, feeding, and recreation of the personnel of the battery. This great weight makes detailed route, and especially bridge, reconnaissance extremely important. Click here to open 'USArmyGermany' After a couple of days back, the men I was serving with and myself figured something was going on. 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 command element of the groups was structured very similarly to that of a divisional artillery HQ with such features as a fire direction center, H&H battery and service battery. 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).

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