264th field artillery battalion
The 265th had a massive turnover of Officers and men during my 36 month posting to the Battalion. The detail platoon has the communications and survey personnel necessary to support the battery's operations. 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. My father just passed away last week and I've been trying to find out about the actual unit he served in. I was introduced to my new Sgt. Published: Jun 17, 2016 Total records: 10,633. Explore regimental histories, soldier rosters, morning reports, and reports of casualties to better understand the combat experiences of your WWI veteran. Red and white aiming posts were laid to the rear of the sight, almost in a straight line. It appears to me to be more pre Bulge. Many of them had graduated from college but had not completed the summer training after their junior year required for commissioning. A battalion not attached to a Corps may be given a tactical mission of general support of the Field Army; general support of the Field Army -- reinforcing a specific Corps Artillery; or reinforcing a specific Corps Artillery. It seems they needed to replace the man who did the calculations during the surveys and the review of my schooling made me their choice. 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. Up front were tank divisions, then armored infantry, then 105s, then 155s then 8 inch guns and then us. https://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/usarmy/ http://indianhead-roster.com/roster/15th-field-art https://83rdinfdivdocs.org/units/908th-fa-bn/. 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. 264th CSSB Phone: (910) 396-4218 Location: 2420 Quartermaster St., BLDG M-1433 Fort Bragg, North Carolina Hours of Operation: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-F Closed on weekends, training and federal. His detailed service records were lost in the St.Louis fire. If he has any pics he would like to share, please send. . The other calibers were the 8-inch, the 240mm, and the 4.5-inch gun. After his military service, he attended the University of Florida where he was a member of the ATO fraternity and where he became a lifelong Gator fan. The Missile Assembly and Test Building provides facilities for the uncrating, assembling, and testing of the missiles in the battery. 419th CSB Sponsorship; 406th Army Field Assistance Trupp. When we returned to Bad Kreuznach I was called to the Battery Commanders office. 2791 JBSA-FSH, TX 78234 U.S. Army Element (USAE) After Hours Duty Phone: (210). Turned out I used those bonds to pay for my first 2 years of college when I was discharged. The 808th was part of the 9th Army, XIII Corps. They may have been detached, but these are the assigned battalions. It is usually in general support of a division. The 264th has deployed overseas to France, Vietnam, Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Afghanistan, and Iraq . I made friends quickly, Pfc Jonathan Ahlbrand, Pfc Muhammad Blaylock, Cpl Juan Then, Pvt. during WWII ], [ 18th Infantry Division - Did not exist Most of the time, it was on jacks because all the ammo inside broke the axles! The 2nd Battalion 5th Field Artillery was constituted in the Regular Army as a Light Artillery Regiment in January 1907, and organized in May with existing units at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas and the Philippines. 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. 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. I left out a lot, but that's the easy synopsis. Anything out there?? Behind the safety plate, on the left side of the breech, the gunner corporal worked a telescopic sight known as the gunners quadrant (or gunners scope), containing an azimuth scale that measured horizontal deflection, which he set on orders from the firing officer. Any information you have would certainly be appreciated. He was corporal gunner. The SS then opened fire with machine guns and bazookas killing my granddad and PFC Lusk with the other two managing to escape. Gardner. A few minutes before the arrival of the gun, the line of fire and center of the turntable are marked with white tape to guide the chief of section and driver, in employing the piece. Between the wars, there were important changes to the standard practices of the branch. Regardless of the theater in which they operated, the branch was able to put all of these innovations into use. One or more of the battalions of a group might be attached for direct support to an individual division. Will do my best and get back to you as soon as I can. A few years ago I ran across a book entitled Private Presley by Andreas Schroer which documents Elviss years in Germany and I swear it is as good as a high school yearbook for memories. I 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. He told me numerous times that he served in a 155 mm Howitzer Battalion that used high speed tractors to pull the guns, Corps Artillery attached to the 3rd Army, and at times attached to the 20th Corps. My father was with the 662nd FA Battalion in Europe in WWII. Within those battalions were some of the most highly skilled personnel that the U.S. Army had throughout the war. 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. 6c DC-4 Skymaster 1958 Army-Air Force Postal Service, A.P.O. 555th Field Artillery Bn (105MM) (The Triple Nickel) 674th Field Artillery Bn (105MM) 187th RCT . He is living in Temple, TX and can be reached by phone or mail. He was a World War II veteran who participated in the Battle of the Buldge, where he was a Staff Sergeant in the 264th Field Artillery Battalion. There is an active Div Association. He was in Normandy, northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe. Thank You! I believe that gun ("Atomic Annie") is the one now on display at the Artillery Museum at Fort Sill. Mostly though we were all E3s or E4s. After firing, the rocket becomes a missile immune to countermissile electronic interference. My Dad's battalion (6th of the 9th) won some kind of award for scoring a "direct hit" on the test range. You can either email me, friend me on Facebook or my Red Legs page. There was more interaction between the ranks and you really got to know who you could depend on in the field. Use my Facebook page and I can make my "Red Leg of the Week." US Army, Europe 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). 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. -- I also have a mimeographed copy of the Battalion's history during World War II, its reactivationon 7 Jul 52, its acquisition of the 280mm Guns, its deployment to Baumholder in Nov. 1953, and ending with the Battalion's participation in the field exercise "Battle Royal" with Belgian forces of the Northern Army Group. The position of aiming posts could vary depending on the unit and terrain. (3) 7Jun 56 to 11 Oct 56: Gun Platoon Commander, A Battery (2nd Gun Platoon) LOL, I often wondered how my old Army buddies turned out. NEW ! Im especially curious as to why he changed units. So i just wanted some info even if vaguely describes the 282 during the war. No, the increase in FO's had no relationship to the increase in number of guns. It consisted of a battery headquarters, operations platoon, communication platoon, an air observation section, and a maintenance section. Find A Battery, 264th Field Artillery Battalion unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. He was in the Pensacola convoy and then was in Darwin in early 1942. My grandfather was in the 282nd fab and i saw you respond to mr. Armstrong in the comments and was hoping that u still had access to the information id love to find out more but its very hard to find info in his personell file bc alot of what they actually did differs from what it says they did. Thx. Keep me posted. 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. The battalion itself is 100% mobile. 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. AP580304E--LS $10.00: Add to Cart U.S. A.P.O.'s 6c Air Force 1958 Army-Air Force Postal Service A.P.O. The assignments were made back in the US and continued upon deployment. The fact that Congress was thinking of ending the GI Bill (still hasnt happened) I returned my deferment and volunteered for the draft. Thanks, Mr. McCasland. From there to the ASTP at University of Arizona. I did find a guy who runs a blog/website. You would think I would have realized that after reading your site and getting a LOT of education on what they went through. Then by preset programming it pitches toward the target and moves laterally into the radar beam. Some after the war. They would follow a dead line some distance, usually to a place that had just been shelled. Should have something for you in a few weeks. I think this exercise was a response to Khrushchev banging his shoe at the UN meeting in New York. For an instant the Honest John appears to nudge forward hesitatingly on the launcher rail. A well-trained crew under average condition can occupy a firing position in 12-15 minutes. 8 inch gun Field Artillery Battalions ! The multitude of different caliber weapons combined with pre-configured firing tables meant no escape from its power, no matter how deep you tried to dig or how far you tried to run. They were responsible for guarding the perimeter and hauling extra ammo. It is impossible to know what will be in a given AAR. This was important for the married troops who lived off base because it gave them an extra hour and a half in the AM. By the way I used a lot of high angle fire to get defensive fire coverage in close to FEBA, thank you i'll be waiting and thank you for this site i think i may be able to add some pictures i will dig them out and see what i have. All units in the last year of the war were short men on their roster. Because my Mom didn't want to go back to the States, we lost our PX privleges and had to live "on the economy". 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. If not West Pointers, many were from military schools such as the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) or the Citadel. 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. 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. dates given are day-month-year [e.g. Finding rosters is incredibly hard but they might have them or be able to piece together the info. This great weight makes detailed route, and especially bridge, reconnaissance extremely important. Battalions were also formed into field artillery groups of various calibers. 105mm ammo crew arming shells during the Battle of the Bulge (591st FAB -106th ID). It was the sheer weight and logistics involved with the operations of the 155mm ammo that was daunting. The Battery Commander, by electronic interrogation, can determine whether target indications appearing on the scope are friendly or hostile. Sorry about that, I've been receiving one request per day lately. I have info and other things I could help you with. A 155mm battalion had approximately 550 enlisted men with 30 officers, with each battery having around 120 men. The radar is locked in azimuth on the target line, the computer and doppler are then readied for firing. The Force Artillery Commander normally selects primary areas for CORPORAL Battalions under his control. No luck so far. My older brother said he got to drive a 2 1/2 ton truck (he was 12). Just hit "Contact CJ Kelly.". U.S. Army 1966. The dentist put them in a cast, but could not save the left front one. Walked everywhere! Then he would use a hand wheel to traverse the gun left. 406th Land Field Support Brigade Sponsorship; 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD) 192nd Ordnance Battalion Sponsorship; 50th Signal Battalion . 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). We are planning a trip to Europe to retrace the units movements. Field Artillery in the European Theater "Out of sight, out of mind.". We bowled, played softball, went to the library or just tried to look busy. I am assuming that my father was in a 3rd Army towed 155 mm battalion until VE-Day and then transferred to the 274th in Austria during the reorganization & disbanding of units. There were seven different propelling charges, with TNT being the most frequently used. Discover unknown details about your veteran's family: civilian occupations . The lineage and honors of 2/20th is in the link. We got along great with my math background. I remember the big fat missile thing (shown in one of your pictures) which we thought was an ammo depot or air raid shelter. This test culminated in the firing of the first atomic round at Frenchman's Flat firing range in Nevada, by the Officers and men (and one gun) of the 867th FA Bn. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on October 14, 2016: Ms. Southall, thanks so much for sharing your dad's story. At night, signals are given by the chief of section to the drivers and winch operator by the use of socially modified flash lights. 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. 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. I came to Rivers Barracks while the whole post was at REFORGER, so it was basically empty. My father was in WWII. That baffled me til someone pointed out that in his situation, points wouldn't matter, and exactly what you said--the regrouping of men. 8 inch battery histories can be touch to find. It could be rotated manually 360 degrees. The radar tracks the missile and provides the computer with the missile's location in the sky. Normally the battalion occupies a position area with a common perimeter, requiring an area of about 1000 by 1500 meters. These battalions were directly under the command of their respective Corps, which had its own commanders and staff to coordinate all its elements. 1125th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 8.54 KB: 999th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 9.14 KB: 991st Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 9.28 KB: 987th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 8.53 KB: 978th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 9.02 KB: 977th Field Artillery Battalion.pdf 8.88 KB Their response was which corner. Finding the break in a line required both skill and a little bit of luck. I am doing a blog about the 100 letters my uncle Charles D Knight wrote home while in Europe in the 15th FAB section B using the 105mm howitzer. I use the word approximately because once combat operations began, it was rare for any unit (Division, Battalion, Regimental, etc.) Born in March 1920 in Flagstaff, Arizona, Mr. Mendoza enlisted into the United Army and joined the 264th Field Artillery Battalion saw action in the European Theater in the following battles and campaigns: Northern France, Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge), Rhineland, Central Europe and Battle of Hrtgen Forest. 406th Army Field Support Brigade Sponsorship; 192nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD) 192nd Duty Battalion Sponsorship; 50th Signal Battalion; Army Golden Cavaliers; 4th ROTC Brigade The remainder of the battalion was concurrently inactivated. 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. 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. In the first two years of the war, the 105mm self-propelled and 75mm howitzer were their main weapons. Occasionally fights broke out between the Batterys and the Engineers who were stationed at Rivers Barracks. I am incredibly proud of my history and thanks for keeping this alive through your work, i appreciate everything you are doing thank you. I forgot to ask but if you are able to find out any more information on my granddad or the unit it would be very much appreciated. (5) 27 May 57 to 9 Oct 57: Recon & Survey Officer, B Battery Please pass them on. 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. 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. Neither of us including my mother new of each other existed. Subject: DAVAO; SHIKOKU; YYUSHU '45, '46. The rocket itself is free-flight, that is, there are no electronic flight control gear since the accuracy of the weapon depends solely upon an initial azimuth lay. The Battery Control Trailer contains the computer, the acquisition radar scope and its controls, and a switchboard. At the end of the eight weeks a high percentage of the troops were assigned to the 264th FA Btl in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. 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. I guess we will all be pursuing our parents for the rest of our lives. COL Mundinger (deceased) was the commander of the Honest John missile battalion (3rd MSL Bn, 79th Arty). I returned to the University of Illinois and let Uncle Sam pay for my degree in Mechanical Engineering. 285th Engineer Combat Battalion. The guidance platoon contains both the operational personnel necessary to guide the missile and the specialist personnel required to maintain the fire control equipment. Thanks! Sometimes brings in units' other families looking for info too. Was the increase in FOs officially part of the T&O? Appreciate the reminder. 1 gunner on a 105mm (M2). With this completed, the electrical circuits are connected and the rocket is armed and ready to fire. This usually creates fear and I was no exception. Giving NARA another shot. I realized why when we hit a storm in the North Atlantic and spent three days at sea anchor during which time we were feeding 85 troops that could still eat. Each Launching Section consists of four launcher-loaders from which missiles are fired, a missile storage building, and a personnel shelter which protects personnel during firing and houses electronic equipment. Hi lions44 -- Somewhere below I saw that you hoped Ft. Sill would still come through for you. and velocity is again measured and compared to the standard trajectory. 264th Infantry 66th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized) 266th Engineer Combat Battalion 366th Medical Battalion 66th Division Artillery 870th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer). I'm not finding information about the 325th FA after that. The people I remember were our CO Capt. This pamphlet was edited by 1Lt Robert A. Hentzen, who later became a reknowned sports reporter with a Topeka newspaper. Upon the German surrender on May 8, 1945, the 66th Division moved to the area near Koblenz, Germany for occupation duty and to guard German POW camps. The computer compares this information to a standard trajectory and generates commands to keep the missile directed toward the target. The 264th Field Artillery Battalion, Latz's unit, landed at Utah Beach in Normandy 10 days after D-Day. On October 1st, 1940, the three battalions of the 26th Field Artillery were re-designated as three separate battalions under the Commanding . The target is initially picked up by the acquisition radar. What do you do in the Infantry, official marching song, 264th Infantry Regiment ! 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. But his task did not end there; he also operated the breech block, set the primer, and pulled the lanyard upon the order, Fire! When target and missile converge, the missile is detonated and the Missile Tracking Radar automatically transfers to the next missile readied for firing. Since your dad was assigned in late '43, he probably ended up on Bouganville and then the Philippines. 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. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on June 27, 2020: Hi Ms. Goetschi, great to hear from you. Me again. 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. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on January 07, 2018: Hi Ms. Hamiliton, can I ask what unit you are researching? 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. Such was the case with many African American artillery battalions. Sorry I misunderstood you. My father died in 1985 without talking much about his time in the service. He did ship out to Europe the same date as this battalion. He had a simple strategy if war ever broke out. 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. I have seen them, but I hope to add them to my You Tube channel soon. FA Msl Bn (Cpl), 559th My other granddad was on HMS Iron Duke at the Battle of Jutland during WW1 and was originally called Jack Bishop. Lt. Col. Ricardo Jones is a native of Kansas City, Missouri. We practiced RSOPs (Reconnaissance, Selection, Occupation of Position) till we could do them in our sleep. The medical section, in addition to performing the normal functions of such a unit, is specially trained in the treatment of injuries resulting from exposure to nitirc acid, aniline and electric shock. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on June 09, 2018: I'm going to assume you know these sites? The projectile is fuzed and placed on the loading tray, and power rammed into the breech recess. A split second later a gust of yellow orange flame bursts from the nozzle end of the rocket. Continuous commands are sent to the missile to correct for evasive action of the target. John Schafner, U.S. Army Ret., Email interivews. This depended on how it was turned. 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. He may have landed in Scotland. pany. 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. Or did the units adjust while in the field during Korea? 15 minutes prior to firing the countdown is started. 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. One of the keys to the success of the artillery branch in World War II lays in the structure of the battalion and its personnel. in Germany from 1945 to 1989. 264th Infantry Regiment HHB Division Artillery 721st Field Artillery Battalion (155mm) 870th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) 871st Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) 872d Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) 66th Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized 266th Engineer Combat Battalion 366th Medical Battalion 66th Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment 254th Engineer Combat Battalion 187th FA Group (751st and 997th FA Battalions) 190th FA Group (62nd, 190th, 272nd, and 268th FA Battalions) 406th FA Group (76th, 941st, 953rd, and 987th FA Battalions) 1111th Engineer Combat Group (51st, 202nd, 291st, and 296th Engineer Combat Battalions) Or you can go to FB, and message me. The tell tale dust cloud makes it imperative that the section displace immediately, to avoid enemy counter fire. Looks like B Battery only. Thx. Can I ask one more question? While I have found quite a bit of information about his unit, including a book published by the South Dakota Historical Commission, a book by Richard Cropp, and the daily reports for his battery. According to it's unit history - the 274th Field Artillery also fought in the Kassel, Regansburg then ended the war in Austria? The position area should have good access roads and firm ground as well as good natural cover and concealment. 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. Once we sat on the Fulda Gap near the East German border in concentric circles with half of the 7th Army. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on May 13, 2020: Hi Mr. Gruber, I do. who does research at the Library of Congress, did a search on my father for me. external powder bags), the duties of the 155mm crews were essentially the same. Kidd was a gun chief. As you might expect, a number of these personnel turned out to be considerably less than desirable, and caused no end of problems. 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. I dont know if he found out about my mother before he left or in fact if he ever did? I am interested in any info or interviews. The 406th was probably sent home first as the 196th did occupation duty for a couple of months. The latter part of my stay there, I met a German family whom lived in Allendorf, through Sabine & Greg, the Stockhauses.
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