(7) 1 Jul 58 to 10 Dec 58: Battalion Asst S-3, Special Weapons Training Officer On payday they were filled and SPs as well as MPs roamed the town to prevent trouble. 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". It is possible he was assigned after the massacre from another unit. The 66th Division crossed the English Channel on Christmas Eve 1944. necessary to prepare and fire the round. He shipped over to the Pacific on 29 October 1943 and returned to the US in late 1945 after being with the occupation forces in Japan. I really appreciate it. The gun fires a shell weighing 272 kilograms a distance of 27 kilometers. Working on another unit right now but I can put together a list for you this weekend. (He passed 10 years ago, having said little about his service!) Firing positions are prepared in advance and survey completed to a stake which marks the location for the center of the turntable. The Radar Control Trailer contains the controls and electronic equipment for the target and missile tracking radars. A group was usually assigned from two to six battalions. - Did you get to Buchenwald at the end of the war? The battery is 100% mobile. In addition, I have some Orders and other information contained my 201 File which might be of interest. The 762MM Rocket is a short-range weapon designed primarily for targets of opportunity. Thanks, Mr. McCasland. The group owner very kindly sent us a photo copy of the page where it describes in detail how my grandad and three others were driving two trucks from a supply depot in the rear back to their position with rubber tracks for the prime movers on April 18th 1945 (three weeks before the war ended!) I'm very rarely stymied, but in this case, hard case. Thanks for the insight. Many 66th Division athletic teams played on another on newly constructed athletic fields. Thank you, Mr. Kelly. 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. about practically any U.S.Army unit contact: jcontrovich@comcast.net. McAllister (jeep driver). 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. My dad, Eugene F. Southall, was a field lineman (technician 5th grade) with HQ and HQ Battery. I've been to the area. A 105mm battalion contained just over 500 men. I dont know if he found out about my mother before he left or in fact if he ever did? It was a Corps Artillery unit. FA Btry (762-mm Rocket), 531st CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on May 15, 2020: Thx, Greener. I used to play with Earl (deceased) behind their house in the bomb craters left over from WW II. Mostly though we were all E3s or E4s. 264th Division (Einheiten) Support Units . The wide dispersal of an exploding shell, which could be more than 50 yards, gave the gunners room to be off a little bit. U.S. Field Artillery in World War II. Junior commanders were expected to use their own initiative. We saw a huge convoy approaching us in the passing lane and someone saw that it was the same outfit that Elvis was in. Like most Army units, sports was a big part of off hours. M7 Self-propelled 105mm ("The Priest") near La Gleize, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge. Personal Accounts Record Battle Opened 56 Years Ago (by Mr. Mitchell Kaidy) Who Really Liberated Bastogne? FA Msl Bn (Cpl), 559th You can email me. Note the panoramic scope on the left side of the gun. 264th Field Artillery Battalion - Army Unit Directory - Together We Served Find 264th Field Artillery Battalion unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. This usually creates fear and I was no exception. Stay well. On an HE round, the ammunition crews could set it for either point detonating (PD) or time superquick (TSQ). After completing the Officer Candidate Course he was appointed as second lieutenant in the 48th Reinforcement Battalion. My father was in WWII. Besides the four firing battalions, an infantry divisions artillery complement contained a Division Headquarters component. My dad died in 1987 and never talked much about the war. An artillery battalion communications net was its lifeline, and monitoring its operation meant constant vigilance. According to it's unit history - the 274th Field Artillery also fought in the Kassel, Regansburg then ended the war in Austria? Departed Bremerhaven on USNS Gen. Buckner 12 Dec 58 They completed their training at Camp Rucker, Alabama. There were also a few officers and large numbers of enlisted men who were transferred to the Battalion when the "Pentomic" reorganization took place. Hi Mr. Walters, do you mean Service Battery? 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. Paul Hampton Hickman in the U.S. Army, including panoramic photograph of Company B, 18th Battalion, I. R. T. C. [Infantry Replacement Training We also had black & white Chevrolet station wagon which bit the dust (threw a rod) on the trip down to Munich in 1968. After 5 you could pick up a pass to go to town. Activation of these spin rockets as the missile leaves the launcher reduces inaccuracies caused from thrust malalignnent. Rich Anderson, 2007. In January 2017, the World War I commemorative program expanded when ABMC acquired its 26th cemetery, the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial Cemetery near Paris. Upon receipt of a fire mission, the launcher with a rocket loaded on the rail moves from a concealed position to the firing site. I'm trying to assemble their route to share with family, but of course I'd also like to make a Bucket List trip and follow the route. 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. My other granddad was on HMS Iron Duke at the Battle of Jutland during WW1 and was originally called Jack Bishop. The 155mm battalion supported the units or areas most in need at the discretion of the Division artillery commander (better known as Divarty). 46 Vaihingen, Germany 7th Army Band Airmail to Cherry Valley, Ill. Light stains. Many times I would climb the fence (8ft with three lines of barbed wire atop it). FA Btry (762-mm Rocket), 85th The latter part of my stay there, I met a German family whom lived in Allendorf, through Sabine & Greg, the Stockhauses. FA Msl Bn (Cpl), 558th We would go to Rivers Barracks every Sunday for mass. US Marine artillery crew on Guadalcanal operating a 75mm pack howizter. The other calibers were the 8-inch, the 240mm, and the 4.5-inch gun. 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). I was 8 years old (3rd grade - 4th grade) at the time so my memories are not crystal clear. 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. I can send you a description of his duties as an FC Operator. The CORPORAL Battalion is the firing battery rather than the battery. 406th Army Field Support Brigade Sponsorship; 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD) 192nd Duty Battalion Sponsorship; 50th Signal Battalion; Army Golden Cavaliers; 4th ROTC Brigade I played on the B battery basketball team, touch football team, and fast pitch softball team. 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. 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. https://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/usarmy/ http://indianhead-roster.com/roster/15th-field-art https://83rdinfdivdocs.org/units/908th-fa-bn/. All units in the last year of the war were short men on their roster. http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/84th https://history.army.mil/documents/ETO-OB/84ID-ETO https://web.archive.org/web/20020409040148/http:// https://archive.is/20030327053614/http://www.battl Not sure how useful these will be, but give it a shot. He was in the Pensacola convoy and then was in Darwin in early 1942. 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). pany. 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. Yes, I am familiar with, and a member of the facebook page, and have used Dave Curry's site. Is there a list of the names in his Battery B? One of the men I feature in my book was in fire control. I think this exercise was a response to Khrushchev banging his shoe at the UN meeting in New York. My father was with the 662nd FA Battalion in Europe in WWII. The bits and pieces I have seem to point to him being in the 325th FA 84th Infantry Division Railsplitters. Thank You! The majority of the shells expended during fire missions were usually high explosive (HE). The jungle environment created unique problems for observers because of the tree canopy. He's to the right of the breech responsible for elevating the gun and attaching the firing pin. Goodman was FDC section chief. Movement out of a position after firing normally required approximately 10 minutes. The fuses were shipped in crates, about 25 per box. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. 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. I remember the big fat missile thing (shown in one of your pictures) which we thought was an ammo depot or air raid shelter. Find out whether your WWI veteran was awarded medals for battlefield heroism or for wounds received in action. They were responsible for guarding the perimeter and hauling extra ammo. 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. Orders are transmitted by the computer to the missile through the missile tracking radar. Thanks! Is prin Gouttes Kaserne, composed external powder bags), the duties of the 155mm crews were essentially the same. There are some resources on the 666th as well as a book that was published. Part of the division sailed for England on November 15, 1944 aboard the. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on January 08, 2018: Would love it. Much appreciated. (5) 27 May 57 to 9 Oct 57: Recon & Survey Officer, B Battery Thank you. 9. My father was in Battery B 563RD Field Artillery Battalion and he did not talk at all about his service. 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. The officers jobs within the battery varied. Between the wars, there were important changes to the standard practices of the branch. No luck so far. Many Thanks Chuck Armstrong son of Sgt. 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. 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. Using the vernacular of today, they could be described as a heavy weapons company on steroids. I was a reconnaissance officer in "B" Battery of the 324th Field, 83rd Inf Div - there were three of us in the battalion and we were all sent forward on or around 25 June '44 to inf companies as FO's. Upon command of the chief of section, the weapon is fired sending the 200 lb HE projectile on the way to the target. I remember Rivers Barracks. We have been putting together some information about my granddad recently after putting out a Facebook message. The 26th Field Artillery Battalion fired 5000 rounds at Sejnane, Tunisia in one day in 1943! I have info for you as well as a possible contact in Europe. frameset, 868th The KPS even came into the field with us. Thank you. At the ammo dumps, these were broken down for shipment by truck to the batteries. Occasionally fights broke out between the Batterys and the Engineers who were stationed at Rivers Barracks. Museum of the Kansas National Guard . 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. Field artillery Part 2 army lineage series Compiled by Janice e. McKenney CenTer OF miliTary HisTOry UniTeD sTaTes army WasHingTOn, D.C., 2010 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. World War II By the end of World War II, the U.S. Army had established several hundred temporary burial grounds around the world. I am wondering if this could be him? My other assignment in the section was to drive the Lts jeep. Sorry for the delays. Please pass them on. Radar transmits these commands back to the missile. Figure it would be easier via email. Im grateful to have found a book entitled Under Cover that in their own words provides a G-rated history of the 406th Field Artillery Group from January 29, 1944 through Ju;y 7, 1945. The first units which have been described in some detail are the British 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division & British 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division. The reading was then given to each gunner while the howitzers were at zero deflection and a minimal elevation from level. during WWII ], [ 16th Infantry Division - Did not exist I remember one of the Lieutenants (a company commander?) If they received an answer, they had to keep moving, and the procedure was repeated until they did not get an answer. Here is where I lose track of him and can find no records of what battalion he was assigned . Subscribe to 264th Field Artillery Battalion Footer menu Cemeteries & Memorials Burial Search About Us Education Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 If you didnt go to town the EM club at The Depot was first rank. I've seen so many. We were not the first unit he had befriended. Dastrup, Boyd. he left for normandy july 2 1944 could he have been assigned after the masacre ? OPERATIONAL CONCEPTS As with the 105mm, color markings were used to differentiate the type of shells. I lived with them mostly from Friday eves to Sunday eves to learn everything about them. You could read the nomenclature on the bumpers. Have been researching my Dad's WWII service for past 2 years. Other times we would go out from Giessen for 10 day periods as part of NATO exercises or just to practice maneuvers. At appropriate zenith of its trajectory, the missile's location One of the pictures on your site (3. The Nike system is designed to operate with three sections per battery and four launches per section, but may use a smaller number. I lost the picture, but it was impressive. Armored field artillery battalions had the same command structure within their organic divisions as the infantry but contained 18 self-propelled howitzers instead of the usual 12 for the towed variety. This really made us feel like little soldiers - lol. At the count of zero a button is pushed on the firing panel box. Red Legs of the Bulge FB page. You can contact several folks there. There are vets with home pages, etc. John Gatens, U.S. Army Ret., Personal interview, October 17, 2011. From what I have gathered he was with 5th Army as part of II Corps and or VI Corps Artillery through North Africa, Italy, then with VI Corps, VII Army through Southern France, and into Germany. Click here to open 'USArmyGermany' U.S. Army 1966. Arriving in England in February 1944, the 333rd and 969th battalions shipped over to Normandy in July and provided vital artillery support to American forces through months of hard fighting, including at the siege of Brest, France. After shut-off the missile follows a ballistic trajectory toward the target and is guided by the radar in azimuth only. There are three principal elements within this Self-Propelled Howitzer Battery organization; the battery headquarters, a detail section, and the firing battery. I have seen them, but I hope to add them to my You Tube channel soon. The 66th Division was activated on April 15, 1943 at Camp Blanding, Fl. 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". had an Alfa Romeo and I remember the Getoggio brothers, enlisted (twins). Try it out. The fire direction center computes the mission and sends firing data to the weapons. I'm looking for whatever I can find. Each shell could take up to seven bags of powder, which were wrapped in silk and tied together. 264th Infantry 66th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized) 266th Engineer Combat Battalion 366th Medical Battalion 66th Division Artillery 870th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer). 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. Reported to the 265th FA Bn on 16 Jan 56 It looks like the picture was of an inspection or something. The position area should have good access roads and firm ground as well as good natural cover and concealment. 12 midnight curfew and you had to wear Class As or a jacket and tie. We are planning a trip to Europe to retrace the units movements. I'm also available on Google + or Twitter. The 224th became a separate unit at Fort Meade, MD on March 12th, 1942 after being the 2nd Battalion of the 110th Field Artillery. Sgt Pappy Bryant was another gun chief. Hi Mr. Kelly. 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. Even the famous infantry replacements rarely moved. 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 dad volunteered for Vietnam in 1968 and we stayed in Munich, Germany while he was there (Central Highlands, Pleiku, Da Nang, Nah Tran, etc). I had always thought that he had 175mm SPHs there. FA Bn (280mm Gun), 265th CJ. I'll post your story. After graduating from high school in 1951 and registering for the draft, I received a college deferment and went off to the University of Illinois. Thx. A well-trained crew under average condition can occupy a firing position in 12-15 minutes. Can I get your dad's full name and rank? While exciting, it can get confusing. Brief History of the 66th Black Panther Division. The 8" howitzer battery may receive a fire mission while on the march or while in a prepared position. Since I sent you the first e-mail, I have had a chance to read some of the other emails on your site. I have info and other things I could help you with. 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. Toggle navigation. 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. I remember, in Giessen, we had to have two weeks worth of rations ready at home in case the Russians came in and we (dependents) had to bug out. We paid $7 a month for KP and these guys hired Germans who did it for us. 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. I'll have to confirm that. Church steeple) and line up the angle on that. My father taught at Ft. Sill right after the war, and again at various times over the years for shorter stints (summer camp?) For example, if the setting sleeve was turned parallel to the shell, it was set for superquick. The sight had an alcohol bubble which he had to level prior to firing while using the number wheel to traverse the tube left or right. 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade Media; Armed; Dental Health Activity; 419th Contracting Support Regiment. This area is composed of the buildings and items of equipment necessary for assembling, testing, fueling, and firing a NIKE missile. His MOS, according to his discharge papers, was Fire Control Instrument Operator (645). I never thought to look for information on him there -- Can you tell me what department or person I would approach for that? If I hear back from him, will let you know. The Field Artillery OCS at Fort Sill (one of three during the war) produced 25,993 second lieutenants during the war years, which included over 3500 ROTC cadets who had completed between six and eight semesters of ROTC. (3) 7Jun 56 to 11 Oct 56: Gun Platoon Commander, A Battery (2nd Gun Platoon) FA Bn (280mm Gun), 264th Surnames N-R. The 265th had a massive turnover of Officers and men during my 36 month posting to the Battalion. Hoping get something out of that. It referred to Unionists in the State. The 66th Division was part of the Sixth Army Group and participated in the Northern France campaign. In Giessen places like the Florida Bar, the Pilshaus, the Pilsner Bar were the EM hangouts. 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. The letter, dated 3 May 1954, shows the Adjutant General, 264th Field Artillery Battalion, requested a copy of the FSM's DD Form 214. talion. CJK -- how do I send you a photo? Ft. Jackson, 1943. I am incredibly proud of my history and thanks for keeping this alive through your work, i appreciate everything you are doing thank you. It was a short cut to our apartment complex. To be commissioned, those ROTC cadets had to attend OCS after going through basic training and AIT. One aiming stake was approximately 30 to 40 yards back, while another was placed halfway between the gun sight and the other stake. 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. That is what I had when I arrived and a year later what I had when I left. There was a field behind the gun "parking lot" where there might have been one "kind of museum piece" 175mm SPH. The 666th was a non divisional battalion which frequently moved to different groups so wondering if this battalion was made up of field artillery 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. Within an infantry division, there were four artillery battalions, three M2A1 105mm howitzer battalions and one 155mm battalion. 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. 284th Field Artillery Battalion. Published: Jun 17, 2016 Total records: 10,633. Keep me posted. Up front were tank divisions, then armored infantry, then 105s, then 155s then 8 inch guns and then us. . The author of this history is unknown 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. Otherwise, your best bet would be After Action Reports and Unit Histories from the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill or Archives II. during WWII ], [ 21st Infantry Division You can either email me, friend me on Facebook or my Red Legs page. I remember a black guy (Pvt/Cpl/Sgt? 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). Whilst driving their truck under blackout they found a steel wire across the road and stopped. After receiving the on the way and splash we watched the French. 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! After they put in slot machines they made so much money that they use to run nickel beer nights. We took a trip last fall to the areas where both of my parents were during the war (my mother was a nurse at an evacuation hospital closest to the Battle of the Bulge, outside Liege), and Myra found wonderful information for me on where my father was at various times, places we visited, like a farmhouse command post, and a church where he was observing as it was being shelled. If anyone can share any knowledge or similar experiences, I would appreciate it. The division headquarters was in Tyumen in a two-story house on Republic street, and the . This order detonates the three missile warheads simultaneously. Driving the jeep for the Lt also created a memorable moment. From 9 to 10:30 we had section training and in FDC that meant running through our computations and cleaning our gear. This left some units in the theater with excess personnel, which they were directed to transfer to other units, including the 265th. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. The surviving descendant of the 20th FA is 2nd BN 20th FA which is now MLRS. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on June 27, 2020: Hi Ms. Goetschi, great to hear from you. For a buck you could be a big shot and buy the section Lowenbraus all night. Mention of how important to the success of the artillery was the role of the Liaison aircraft. He apparently has a lot pics, etc. The Division has an excellent veterans association which is very helpful to families, see americal.org. 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? World War II era item - Christmas 1943 Service Battery 264th Field Artillery Battalion Camp Hood Texas - 4 page program with an ornate cover - good to very good condition with some handling wear and a couple of light stains - Buyer pays $6.00 shipping, US only, no international orders - Email with questions.