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42nd
Field Artillery Brigade
V Corps Artillery
Looking for more information from military/civilian
personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army
in Germany from 1945 to 1989. If you have any
stories or thoughts on the subject, please email me (webmaster).
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| 42nd
FA Group/Brigade History |
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| 1953
- 19.. |
42nd Field Artillery
Group DUI
42nd
Field Artillery Gp/Bde DUI (approved 22 Nov 1967)
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(Source:
Annual Historical Report 1953-54, HQ USAREUR)
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The
42nd Field Artillery Group was activated
in Nellingen, Germany, and assigned to Seventh Army effective 2
January 1953. The group consisted at the time of only the Headquarters
and Headquarters Battery, which provided the command structure for
the 280mm artillery battalions subsequently assigned to Seventh
Army upon their arrival in the theater.
By the spring of 1955, all six of the planned 280mm battalions had
arrived in theater. One was assigned to each corps (V Corps - 216th
FA Bn attached to the 36th FA Gp; VII Corps - 867th FA Bn attached
to the 35th FA Gp), the other four 280mm battalions (59th, 264th,
265th and 868th FA Bns) remained attached to the 42nd FA Gp, which
was assigned to Seventh Army Artillery.
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(Source:
Annual Historical Report 1957-58, HQ USAREUR)
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Support
of the Northern Task Force
The Northern Task Force
(NORTAF), formerly the 1st US Artillery Task Force (Provisional),
had a wartime mission of providing atomic support to the Northern
Army Group (NORTHAG). Its peacetime mission was to be so trained,
organized, and equipped as to insure successful accomplishment of
its wartime mission. NORTAF, or the 42nd Field Artillery Group,
was regularly assigned to the US Seventh Army for peacetime training,
administration, and logistical support. In the event of an emergency
NORTAF would be reassigned to USAREUR (Theater Army) on order of
CINCUSAREUR, who alone had the authority to move the force -- or
parts thereof -- when directed by higher headquarters. If and when
NORTAF was deployed to, or carried out peacetime training exercises
in, the NORTHAG area, USACOMZEUR was to provide wartime advanced-weapons
support and post D-day resupply of atomic weapons as well as conventional
logistical support.
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ORGANIZATION
(30 June 1958):
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UNIT
DESIGNATION
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LOCATION |
COMMENTS |
| 3rd
FA Msl Bn (HJ), 21st Arty |
Wackernheim
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| 265th
FA Bn (280mm Gun) |
Baumholder
[1] |
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| 559th
FA Msl Bn (CPL) |
Mainz
[1] |
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| 601st
FA Msl Bn (CPL) |
Zweibrücken
[1] |
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| 868th
FA Bn (280mm Gun) |
Baumholder
[1] |
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[1]
STATION LIST, 17 April 1957
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(Source: Annual Historical Report 1958-59, HQ USAREUR) |
Atomic Delivery Weapons for NORTHAG
Article moved to Overview Page, Field Artillery section. |
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PENTOMIC Changes - 1957/58
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ORGANIZATION (30 June 1958): |
UNIT DESIGNATION |
LOCATION |
COMMENTS |
| 3rd Msl Bn, 21st FA (HJ) |
Wackernheim [1] |
prob formed from old 84th FA Btry (762mm RKT) |
| 265th FA Bn (280mm) |
Baumholder [1] |
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| 559th FA Msl Bn (Cpl) |
Gonsenheim [1] |
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| 601st FA Msl Bn (Cpl) |
Zweibrücken [1] |
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| 868th FA Bn (280mm) |
Baumholder [1] |
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| [1] STATION LIST, 30 June 1958 |
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(Source: History of the 42nd Field Artillery Brigade, Bde PAO, 1980s) |
On 2 January 1953, the 42nd Field Artillery Group was activated at Nellingen, Germany and subsequently moved to Giessen.
2nd HOW Bn, 92nd Artillery arrived in Europe on 25 June 1958 and was attached to the 42nd FA Gp with station at Rivers Barracks, Giessen.
3rd Bn, 79th Artillery arrived in Europe on 1 June 1959 and was located at Rivers Barracks where it was attached to the 42nd FA Group.
1st Bn, 333rd FA, a LANCE battalion, arrived in Europe on 1 Sept 1971 and was attached to the 42nd FA Gp with station in Wiesbaden.
On 16 September 1980, the 42nd FA Gp was redesignated as the 42nd FA Brigade.
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| If you have more information on the history or organization of the 42nd FA Brigade (or any of the subordinate units), please contact me. |
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| (Source: Email from Hayes N. Thomas, Hq/Hq Btry, 42nd FA Gp) |
I was the 22nd man in the brand new 42nd FA Group. I got there before the CO, Col White, did. I arrived in Germany on the 26th of Jan 1953; was at Zweibrücken for a few days at the repo depot then straight to Nellingen Airfield where we stayed about 4 months and then to Baumholder behind the Rhine for the rest of my tour.
I was a college graduate electing to remain as an enlisted man instead of spending 4 years OCS, Korea as FO, etc. All Sgt billets were filled by re-uppers from Korea so Cpl was as high as we could get. They came along about three months before I rotated and offered four of us a commission by signing up for 18 months. I told the guy that I had 22 years in as a civilian, let me out I was going for 75 (I made 76 on Mar 9) so instead of pushing up daisies (or bamboo) in Viet Nam, I am writing you this email. Col White's (his first name escapes me, I'm thinking Charles) brother in law ran the repo at Zweibrücken so the 42nd got the pick of the crop as long as he was there. About a month later they offered two of us a First Lt commission. I have never regretted my decision to get out.
I was in the S2 section of Hq & Hq Battery of the Group headquarters. My main job was getting the paper work - 398 forms (or was it 298 - personal history for Top Secret clearance - 4 legal size pages back and front of one form and I had to make about 4 carbon copies - one mistake anywhere and I had to start all over again), as I recall, for practically everybody in Hq & Hq except the Wire Section and the cooks. Half of Hq & Hq was Wire Section and the rest were in the S-1 thru S4 sections, plus the Battery Hq (total about a 100 men). We had, on average, more education than the officers did and we had three West Point officers including Col White, a Lt (later Capt Middleton), and a 1st Lt by the name of Rienken.
Once the guns got there, most of the forms for Top Secret were with the FBI or whoever did the background checks and I spent a lot of time with our S-2 (Captain Young) visiting the units. One of my jobs was posting the daily weather report on the bulletin board. I would call somebody in Kaiserslautern and I had two stencils cut, one said RAIN and the other said SNOW and I posted one or the other it seems like everyday. The few days that the sun shone I was so happy that I would type the whole thing out. We also had a 'classified' trash can in every office and every day I collected the contents and burned them. I have burned more classified cigarette butts than anybody you ever heard of.
The official Class 'A' summer uniform consisted of OD pants, OD overseas cap, OD tie and kakhi shirt. It was so soon after the war that we could not wear civilian clothes on leave or pass in Germany until November of 1953. The first day we could wear civvies, one of our 2nd Lt's showed up in our barracks room in civvies ready to go to town with us. We all had college degrees and the only difference was he had had ROTC. The other officers wives had gotten there by this time and he was one lonesome puppy.
Before we got to Baumholder as a unit, a group of about 4 or 5 of us went ahead (Apr 1953) with a couple MP's and engineers. We measured EVERY bridge (took pictures of them, too) in what used to be called the northern part of the French Zone which was shaped like an hour glass. We had never seen the guns as they did not get there until Nov 1953, so we improvised by sawing off a broom handle about 18 inches long (2 of them) tied a rope between them which was supposed to represent the guns length, we would then walk around a curve and if the rope hit the wall, that building had to come down in case the Russkies came over the border.
One thing I remember about the three weeks was that, because we were in the French Zone, two French officers with drivers had to accompany us to see what we were up to. We could not get the French up in the morning so about on the 3rd day we got up, had a leisurely breakfast and left them sleeping. We never saw them again and I have always wondered what those two wonderful officers reported back.
By the way, if you remember, in that part of Germany there most have been what seems like a million short bridges going across the bachs (streams). If a bridge was short enough so that only one wheel of the prime movers got on, the bridge had to support only about 3 tons. Besides the forms, it took us sometime to write, edit and type the report of this trip giving the Bn's instructions where they could go with the guns and where they couldn't go.
When we first got to Baumholder, we had no office building, so we had to double up with 16 of us in a German barracks room built for 6 or 8 men. We ate with the 2nd Armored Div, as we had no mess hall at first. Tempers were short as none of the NCO wives had arrived yet. So. with crowded conditions, NCO's with nothing to do but yell at us, and breakfast delayed as the 2nd Armored ate first. I think they rotated the 2nd Armored after I left, same tanks, different patches. The bottom floor was used as the officies for the Hq until the building was built.
I found this web site by wondering what I would get if I did a Google on 42nd Field Arty Gp.
By the way, that was the first time I ever knew we had a unit badge, we wore nothing except the 7th Army patch.
We were kind of the 'show piece' for NATO after our office building was built, we had to wear Class 'A's a lot of the time and as a matter of fact, I wore mine out but I still have them I spent about 3 or 4 weeks in the field the whole time I was in Germany and got paid TDY for that. The few times we were in the field, a Russian Zil or whatever it was soon parked near by and 'spied on us'. I hope they liked the pictures of the latrines they took.
I will never forget the day that Col White came in about to wet his knickers because 'the GUNS are coming.' Remember, everything was Top Secret. He got the info out of the Stars and Stripes. The guns came early and I bet you are not going to hear this anywhere else, they dropped a round that hit in the town of Lawton, Ok. The next day the offending Bn was shipped out for Germany, all that is except one safty officer.
Since I sent you the first e-mail, I have had a chance to read some of the other emails on your site. I read that the first guns got there in Oct and not Nov as I remembered it. I spent about month (Oct 53) at combat intelligence school at Oberammergau and when I got back to Baumholder (early Nov), the guns were in Germany.
Sometime in 1953, the whole army had some kind of maneuvers and since we had no toys, we acted as umpires wearing soft caps and a white arm band letting the world know we were 'officials' We had to drive all over the place and I remember we were up in Hessen or Greater Hessen and we had been on the move so much for several days, the three of us (S2, S2 Sgt and yours truly). We had had nothing to eat so when we got to this small town I was sent in to find something we could eat raw. We were there to set off a simulated atomic explosion. We had rigged up a 55 gallon oil drum, cut the top out of it and mixed up a bunch of chemicals. When we threw a match in, it would send up the prettiest 'mushroom' cloud way in the air you ever saw. While I was in the small town getting food, I had a bottle of cognac in my field jacket we had been sipping on for a few days (big bottle). When I came out of the gasthaus, a column of self propelled 155's was going by. On the first or second one was a full bird sitting up front on the back. He stopped the SP and yelled at me walking around by myself wanting to know "Soldier, where is your helmet?" I pointed to the white armband and realized it was a couple layers down and while reaching in to expose the armband, the bottle of cognac fell at my feet breaking and giving me a bath up to my knees. He laughed and took off. I returned to the place where we were going to explode our firecracker and while I was gone General Hoge (the commanding officer for all of Europe) had dropped out of the sky in a helicopter. He ordered the S-2 to set it off. Right in the middle of this I come strolling up with a loaf of bread under my arm and the remains of a huge bottle of cognac all over my pants up to my knees. The general laughed, but Capt Young failed to see any humor in it.
My next encounter with a general was about a month or so before I rotated. We were in the field. We rigged up two of those big 6 byes with the huge square structures (I think they were called vans) on the back. We would then back them together like two very friendly dogs and had a blackout tarp over them. We had the S-2 and S-3 sections with huge wall maps, etc right together with lights and everything. My replacement had gotten there so he was being trained for his job during the day. I had the night duty. One of my buddies and I had staid in a tent all day (it rained the entire day) drinking cognac. He went to sleep and I went on duty drunk and as I climbed up the steps, I grabbed some feet to help me. I continued to climb up whoever's body it was, and when I got to the top, it had 4 stars on the shoulders. It was the 7th Army commander, Gen McAuliffe (the Bastogne guy that said 'nuts' to the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge). He had to see my condition and as the S-2 Sgt explained that I was getting ready to return to the land of the big PX, he laughed That was the second time that I was happy to find out that generals have a better sense of humor than Lt's and Sgt's do.
I rotated on 26 June 1954, one of the first to come home.
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| (Source: Email from
Roger
Boehnke, Avn Sec, HHB, 42nd FA Gp, 1956-59)
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I was stationed at Baumholder, March 1956 to September 1959. Flew out of Hoppstädten all that time for the 42nd Artillery Group. I remember the H-13 (whatever the model was) had the battery under your feet when you flew solo. When you picked up a passenger you had to move the battery back on the tail boom. Kinda blows my mind to see the sophistication of Army aircraft now.
I was back at Baumholder last spring and the place was really run down. Had a hard time finding Hoppstädten. The air strip was abandoned, overgrown with weeds, and was being used by a glider club. Our old hanger was being used by a government sign making company. The 98th General Hospital, which was a few blocks away and where our son was born, is now a college campus. I walked out on the old runway and a young girl came out to see what I was doing and she assured me that airplanes never flew off the air strip and that there had never been a hospital there. Kinda depressing. It was a great place to be when we were there and flying was fun and loose.
We had signs up that said "Welcome to Happy Valley".
Some time late 1956 they changed 42nd FA Group to 42nd Artillery Group. The Group had three battalions and a headquarters company. The 265th FA Battalion and the 868th in Baumholder had 280 guns (atomic cannons), and the other Bn (?) in Pirmasens had Corporal missiles. Each Bn had two L-19s and the Hq Co had one L-19 and one H-13. Early 1957 the Group got a L-20.
I was in Group headquarters and the only one checked out in the L-20, so I got to go to Stuttgart to pick it up. A big deal for us at that time. Right after that I went down to 7th Army Instrument School to get an instrument ticket. On our final check ride we flew radio ranges and approaches all the way to Hamburg and spent the night there. Most of which was on the Reeperbahn. Anyhow, there were some big headaches on the flight home.
We flew the L-20 on instruments all over western Europe. It was great for IMC, the clouds would come in from the North Sea and back up to Alps and stay like that for months with no turbulence. All we had was an AN/ARC-12 radio and radio direction finder (forget what it was called). Everybody except the French would let us lumber along on their airways. The French would tell us to get off their airways (we were too slow and low and didn't have the right frequencies) and we would just ignore them.
The Gp had nuclear weapon support for 7th Army and the British Army of the Rhine. I still have my NORTHAG patch. We spent a lot of time up around Düsseldorf and Wildenrath with the British and NATO forces. When we would go on maneuvers up there with the British, we would take our dress blues with us because the British would always have a dining in night while we were there. You had to be tough to survive their parties. We always stayed with the British Army pilots on maneuvers and got to know them real well. They could drink anybody under the table and would fly the same day. They flew Austers that were maintained by the RAF and were always having engine failure. We also had a couple H-34s attached to us part of the time. Our job was to go with them to get the "bird cages" which had the nuclear part of the warhead.
There was a TAAM Co (Transportation Army Aircraft Maintenance Co) next to us at Hoppstädten, which moved to Hanau early 1957. An aviation section from the 2nd Armored Div moved into their hanger. All the pilots in our Gp were glad we weren't in the Armored Div. I don't think they knew what to with their aircraft and their pilots did about everything except fly. Think there was a little jealousy about flight pay. We had some good parties with them.
We had a good relations with the Germans in the area. We let them fly their gliders off the air strip and they would let us fly with them. We got invited to a lot of hunting lodges and parties. From late 1956 to mid 1959 I was the only pilot in Gp that had an instrument ticket and was checked out in the H-13. Gone all the time, which my wife will be glad to tell you about. Anyhow, it was a great place for a new 2nd Lt and pilot right out of flight school. Wow, really rambled on. Hadn't thought about this stuff until we went back to Baumholder last spring.
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42nd FA Gp
Hoppstädten, 2006 |
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Hoppstädten - 
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1. Hangar (KB)
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2. Looking southwest (KB)
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3. Looking southwest (KB)
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| (Source: Email from Harvey Rubin, HHB, 42nd FA Gp, 1965-1967) |
SGT Rubin at Graf
Here on the eve of Veterans Day, I thought I'd go over your nostalgic website again. As I read the various information you have compiled, including the emails from other vets of the 42nd and its constituent units, it occurred to me that I might be able to fill in some gaps.
I arrived in Bremerhaven in April or May of 1965 after crossing the Atlantic from Brooklyn on the USNS General William O. Darby - a wonderful 8 days at sea. Then, by night train to the Repo Depot in Frankfurt, and on to Giessen. With my MOS of 051 (later 05B), Radio Operator, I was assigned to the Comm Platoon at HHB, 42nd Arty Group, in the U-shaped barracks at the Giessen depot, as described by others. My recollection is that our neighbors were the 308th QM, with whom we shared a mess hall. I was there until I rotated and REFRAD in August 1967.
At that time, the Group CO was Col. Robert O. Van Horn, and I recall Sergeant Major Seiffert. At Headquarters Battery, the CO was Capt. Parks, XO was 1LT Wenzel. Most memorably, the First Sergeant was John Stephens of Mississippi, who only wanted to be known as "Bear" - very apt nickname, and that was what was displayed on his parking spot marker.
The units comprising the Group at that time were:
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6th Bn, 9th FA |
175mm SP guns |
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2nd Bn, 18th FA |
8 in. SP Howitzers |
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2nd Bn, 92nd FA |
8 in. SP Howitzers |
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3rd MSL Bn, 79th FA |
Honest John |
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All but 2nd Bn, 18th FA were stationed at Rivers Barracks; 2-18 was at Butzbach, and later moved to Rothwesten (as I recall - but they certainly did move from Butzbach).
I recall being at Graf, and a unit of the 1/26 TAB was located near our radio rigs - I recall they were in a shelter mounted on a 2½, and had a pet parrot in a large cage! Strange group, though they did remarkable things with various slide rules and charts in the days before computers.
I can recall Col. Van Horn retired (super-annuated and passed over for BG), to be replaced by Col. Magathan, mentioned by another vet. Short guy, uniforms always looked couple of sizes too big. Battery Commander Capt. Parks left (Viet Nam, I suspect along with several NCOs) to be replaced as BC by 1LT Wenzel. I also remember SSG Briere running the Motor Pool. The BG commanding V Corps Arty was a big guy, wore a 1911A1 45 Cal in a leather shoulder holster, fancy buckle on his leather belt, had a fancy shelter on a 2½ that reminds one of the shelter used by Gen. Bradley in the movie, "Patton".
I can try to recall more, and I may also have some photos that I can scan as JPEGs and send to you, if you are interested.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Comments to the photos shown below and above...
1. The 42nd Arty Gp HQ building is shown from what I thought to be the front! However, looking at your Army Depots - Giessen page, I noted that you have a picture of the real front, from the time of Flughafen-Giessen, its former life. I do not believe in the nearly two years I spent on the kaserne I ever saw the other side of the building. Our garrison radio station was on this side, second floor.
2. The two radioteletype rigs, AN/GRC-46, were photographed at the Motor Pool. Best I can recall the troops in the photo are Lloyd and Sheffield. Memory getting a bit dim.
3, 4 & 5. The static shots of the 8" and 175 mm artillery pieces and the Honest John were taken at Rivers Barracks where these units were based - likely an Army Day or similar celebration. The CG of V Corps Arillery was there, along with Bundeswehr officers.
The last shot (above) is of me at Graf, in front of the luxurious accomodations. Even in the winter, it was sometimes better to be in the field as opposed to these buildings - heated by little coal stoves. By this time I was promoted to SGT E5, and was Radio Section Chief.
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42nd FA Gp
Rivers Bks, Giessen |
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1. Hqs Bldg, 42nd FA Gp
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2. AN/GRC-46 RTTY
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3. 175mm SP Gun, 6th Bn, 9th FA |

4. 8in SP Howitzer, 2nd Bn, 92nd FA |
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5. Honest John, 3rd MSL Bn, 79th FA |
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| (Source: Email
from Ben Rutherford, Sr.) |
I was stationed
in Giessen, Germany, from mid 1966 through early January 1968. I served
with HQ 42nd Artillery Group. Our unit
was housed in a U-shaped barracks in the compound. The 42nd was only
one of three units housed there. An MP unit was one of them, but don't
remember what the other may have been. Our CO was 1st Lt. Wenzel,
can't recall his first name. Prior to Lt. Wenzel, our CO was Capt.
James D. Parks. I also recall some wonderful visits from a Col. Walter
Magathan...think he may have been from V Corps.
Insofar as the mission of the HQ 42nd Arty Gp, we were a support unit
for the 6th of the 9th Bn and another Bn that I simply cannot recall.
6th of the 9th was housed a distance from our unit and since I was
only there on one or two occasions, can't bring to memory where. I
spent about a week there as a Chaplain's Assistant, which was my MOS,
but the chaplain & I didn't mesh very well and I opted to go back
to the HQ unit.
Unfortunately, as I was drafted, I wasn't much interested in the history
of the unit. Just wanted to serve my time and get back home unscathed.
Ours wasn't a big unit. I worked in the Motor Pool as a Dispatch Clerk
and eventually wound up in the PLL shed working with two other guys
ordering parts, Sp4's Lewis and Clem. Our Motor Pool serviced our
vehicles and the other Battalions as well. The NCO in charge of the
Motor Pool was a Sergeant Brier and he rotated out midway through
my tour by a Sergeant Weisgerber.
We had several officers, the product of the Army's OCS. Most of whom
were attached to the Crypt portion of our unit. We also housed the
mess that served the other two units in the barracks. Some of the
names I can recall: Sp4 Brian Muscott of St. Louis, Michigan; PFC's
Billy Collison and Danny Jackson both were from Nebraska (mechanics);
Sp4 John Davies, another mechanic; PFC Michael Jackson (not that one)
a medic; Sp4 Bufalino, an officer's driver; we also had a mail room.
I recall a Sergeant Couch in charge of the mail room and some other
duties.
I know our unit was comprised of less than 50 soldiers. Any pictures
I had from that time are long gone or buried in photo albums. We often
went on alert exercises because of our support for the Artillery Battalions.
One of the most memorable was a week long duty during which we spent
a couple of days in Gafenwoehr. |
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| (Source: Email from Christopher F. Kiger, HQ 42nd FA Gp, 1969-71) |
I was the S3 Clerk/junior NCO at Headquarters, 42nd FA
Group in Giessen, West Germany from August 1969 to Mar 1971. 42nd Group at the time I left Germany consisted
of: 6/9th, 2/83rd, 2/92nd, 3/79th and a TAB (A
Battery, 1/26).
The
6/9th was 175mm; 2/83rd and 2/92nd
were 8"; and the 3/79th was equipped with the Honest John Rocket.
Our CO
was Col Mike Malone, Exec was LTC Felske, HHB CO was
CPT Snow and the First Shirt was O'Holloran (or
Holloran). All battalions were are Rivers Barracks,
TAB was up on the "hill", and HHB 42nd was at Giessen
Army Depot. The S3 at HQ was Maj Coates, the Asst S3
Capt Dunn (who took over as CO of the TAB just before
I left). SGM Clerc was the S3 senior NCO. My
co-clerk/junior NCO was SP5 Herrington. The asst to
SGM Clerc was SSG McCarthy.
Several of the staff
officers including WO's were aviators there being a
airfield attached to 42nd Group and within the Depot.
O1A Birdogs, U6 Beaver and a couple of OH1 helos were
flown.
42nd Group was scheduled to get eplacement
helos, I believe Kiowas.
42nd Group and 36th Group comprised Fifth Corps
Artillery, HQ'd in Darmstadt. I think that 2/92
transferred to 36th Group at the time I left. Fifth
Corps was HQ'd in Frankfurt.
There was a nuclear site (dump) on the depot in
Giessen, and when I pulled Staff Duty they called a
few times overnight via landline for commo checks.
Guard duties were rotated from the troops at the
various battalions attached to 42nd.
What I remember most was the calibur of the
individuals at HHB, from the bottom up, almost to a
man, exceptional, we were more brothers, a family, if
you will. The MPs sharring our elongated building
were okay, but the Supply and Service Companies in
between were just a slight
better than "duty soldiers".
I big hello to anyone who might read this from
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 42nd Field
Artillery Group and any of the attached units.
Christopher Kiger |
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| (Source: Email from Joe Hall) |
Hello, I liked your site. It seems I served with a ghost battalion! I can't find any information on the 2/92nd FA in Giessen at Rivers Barracks.
We were part of the 42nd Arty Group and while I was assigned there, we became the 42nd Arty BDE. We had two nuke-capable 8 inch units and two lance units in the BDE:
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ORGANIZATION (early 1980's): |
UNIT DESIGNATION |
LOCATION |
COMMENTS |
| 6th Bn, 9th FA |
Rivers Bks, Giessen |
2x4 8" tube artillery |
| 2nd Bn, 92nd FA |
Rivers Bks, Giessen |
3x4 8" tube artillery |
| 3rd Bn, 79th FA |
Rivers Bks, Giessen |
LANCE |
| 1st Bn, 333rd FA |
Camp Pieri, Wiesbaden |
LANCE |
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By the way, not only were we a nuclear deterrent, we were also one of two active 8" Bns with a Direct Support role. We were DS to 3/11 ACR.......needless to say, we were in the field a lot!
I was assigned to 2/92 for about 5 years. I was an officer and extended to take command of HHB 2/92 in mid 1984.
I was initially a Battery special weapons officer as well as the FDO ( fire direction officer of C-BTRY). Ultimately I became the BN Special Weapons officer for about a year and then into command.
I guess I was wondering if you knew where I could find out any information about when 2/92 was deactivated or re-flagged..........also, I am available if you or anyone else is doing research on the M110A1 and its capabilities or unit info. etc.
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| (Source: Email from David La Rue, HHB, 42nd FA Bde, 1988-92) |
Very interesting site you have created. I was looking for information to find some buddies I used to be stationed with this unit from August 1988 till 1992.
When I first arrived in Germany I was stationed with HHB 42nd FA (Bde) located on Depot in Giessen Germany. As far as I can remember First Sgt Halter was top then. I can remember him real well because he loved the bavarian outfits and he wore them alot on weekends. We thought it was funny but he loved it.
I was a 31C (Single Channel Radio Operator) or RATT Rigger was the typical name. Col Roe was the Commander at the time. I remember we got moved from Depot to Rivers Barracks in 1989 or early 1990, right before the start of the crisis in Kuwait. When that kicked off I know two line batteries got changed from 8 inch to MLRS. After that all commo guys got shipped to Frankfurt-Hoechst to be trained in the new communication system MSE (Mobile Subscriber Equipment). I know as soon as we got transferred HHB 42 FA got sent to Kuwait.
Been a very long time ago so memories of unit actions are a bit vague. |
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| 59th
FA Battalion (280mm Gun) |
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| 1954
- 19.. |
59th Field Artillery
Bn DUI |
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| (Souce: 59th
Field Artillery Bn, Pirmasens, Germany, printed by Voro-Druckerei
Robert Vogel, Pirmasens, probably 1956) |
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HISTORY
- 59th FA Bn, D'Isly Kaserne, Pirmasens
In 1952 orders were issued to again bring the 59th (FA
Bn) into active service in a new and different role. The
unit was withdrawn from the reserve, allotted to the Regular
Army, and on 25 July 1952 the 59th Field Artillery Battalion
was reactivated at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, this time in its
present status as a 280 mm Gun Battalion -- one of the
first of the artillery battalions with the "atomic" capability.
In 1954 the 59th came to Europe again as a part of the
Army of Occupation. On 15 April 1954 the Battalion sailed
from New York to become a part of the occupation forces
in West Germany, arriving at Pirmasens, Germany on 26
April. Maneuvers were planned and carried out to prove
the mobility and efficiency of the 280 mm Gun Battalion
in action. Among these maneuvers were the Seventh Army
sponsored "Operation Westwind" in October of 1954.
In May of 1955, with the declaration of the sovereignty
of West Germany, the 59th became a part of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization Defense Pact forces. The first Battalion
tests were held in August of 1955, and the 59th also participated
in the NATO sponsored maneuver "Operation Cordon Bleu"
held in October of that year.
The first part of 1956 saw the 59th participating in another
NATO exercise, "Operation Bear Claw". The second annual
Battalion tests were held in June of 1956 at Grafenwoehr,
Germany.
As a 280 mm Artillery Battalion with atomic capabilities,
high maneuverability, and awesome accuracy, the 59th Field
Artillery Battalion adds a reaffirming force to NATO's
Power for Peace . . . . |
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Officers,
59th FA Bn
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Current
Commanding Officer of the 59th FA Bn is Lt Col Leo Cawthron,
Jr.
In 1954, then Maj Cawthron was assigned to the 42nd FA Group.
In May 1955, he assumed command of the 59th FA Bn. In February
1956, he was promoted to his present grade.
The Battalion's Executive Officer is Maj Donald J. Jalbert.
From September 1955 until January 1956, Maj Jalbert served with
the 259th FA Missile Bn in USAREUR. He was transferred to the
59th FA Bn on 27 January 1956, and assumed his present duty
as Bn Exec. |
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59th
FA Bn - 1956
D'Isly Ksn, Pirmasens |
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1.
Command inspection (106 KB)
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2. On
the line (90 KB)
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3. A thorough
check (89 KB)
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4.
Radar
section (108 KB)
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5. (93
KB)
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6. Radio
operator (KB)
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7. Cleaning
the tube (73 KB)
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8. Aviation
support (101 KB) |

9. Pirmasens
Dependent housing (207 KB)
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| 1956
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| (Source: Email
from Elsworth Walker, 59th FA Bn, July 1956 - 1957) |
59th Field
Artillery Battalion, 280mm Cannon (Atomic)
42nd Field Artillery Group
7th Army (Seven Steps To Hell)
NATO, European Theater of Operation, West Germany
Arriving in Europe
We disembarked from the troopship USNS Taylor, at noon, Sunday,
22 July 1956. Stood formation until people were sorted out for troop
trains. Trains were going to France, Italy, Berlin and all over Germany.
Rode all night through Germany sitting up. The train would stop every
so often and let troops off. We would have a little time to buy something
to eat at a vendor.
Finally got to Pirmasens, Germany, which was located in the southwest
of Germany, near the French border. This was wine and grape country.
A jeep met me and we went to D'Isly Kaserne, home of the 59th Field
Artillery Battalion, 42nd F.A. Group. I was assigned to Battery "C."
I was bunked in a squad room that slept six, which was on the third
floor of a former German army hospital. Barracks were stucco covered
and painted white. As Battalion was on a live fire NATO training at
Grafenwöhr, Germany, I had a several days to sew on the 7th Army
patches and get clothing washed and shaped up. Also had indoctrination
on the 59th's mission and history. Learned that the 59th held the
"Santa Barbara Award" (the Patron Saint of Artillery) for firing highest
score at live fire at the Vilseck, Germany, range.
I went on duty with the 59th which was one of six artillery battalions
assigned to the 42 Field Artillery Group and was part of the 7th Army
(Seven Steps To Hell). One atomic shell had same power as bomb dropped
on Hiroshima.
I soon learned this was a "Gung Ho" unit. Uniforms starched and ironed.
(Engineers were sloppy and equipment dirty.) All equipment was kept
top notch, in the 59th. The Battalion had 415 cannoneers assigned.
Three 280 M.M. cannons, named "Cool Cat," "Bugs Bunny," and "Sad Sack"
were the pride of the 59th. One cannon belonged to each Battery: "A,"
"B" and "C." Also, there were Headquarters and
Service Battery, Medical Detachment and Aviation Spotter Unit.
Battalion had a German barber (Joe) and some civilian KP's, they even
went to the field with us. So much money was taken out of our pay
each month for their salary. We also supported a Childrens Home with
new shoes and toys. Our laundry went to a Germany company and came
back starched and pressed. Also a German did tailor work. So you can
see the military was doing a lot to support the economy.
Cannoneer Boogie
I settled into battery as a stranger to artillery as engineers had
a different mission. "C" Battery gun Sgt. went on leave
after NATO live fire exercise, so I was put in as section leader for
two weeks. Battery commander Captain Keys would not listen when I
told him I knew nothing about artillery. He said: "Just do cannoneer
boggie for two weeks." I sure didn't know what that was.
The crew didn't approve of me as I was still "pissing state side water
and was a dud," as they stated. So we cleaned and painted cannon,
"cannoneer boggie," as this was called. I was glad to get reassigned
to Maintenance Section. After Velz-Velz come at me with his bayonet
knife - he had been sitting on a foot locker shining it when I stepped
on the toe of his spit shined boots - I figured I'd better get my
hat.
Maintenance Section
I talked to Lt. Gibbson, Motor Officer, about getting assigned to
Maintenance Section. I was assigned as section leader on engineer
equipment. I had four PFC's and two SP-3's in my section. Also I was
signed for 5-ton tractor and 40-foot low bed trailer, which hauled
D-7 tractor crawler. As section leader I reported to Sgt. Edwards,
Motor N.C.O. Also was assistant wrecker operator. My section also
had three gun generators on trailers and three air compressors on
back of 2½ ton trucks, also shop truck and jeep with trailer for parts
and mail pick up. Also had a 5-ton wrecker.
Guard Duty
I also was corporal of the guard. Here we carried loaded rifles, with
one up the pipe. We had been put on alert as "Intel" got wind of a
communist plot to blow up a gun. We were just a few miles from the
French border, who had a lot of communists. Also, the town of Finton
(sp?) was only about 5 k's away and was a "Communist" town.
I think back of when we would road test vehicles and drive through
Finton, just looking for trouble. Any way my buddy rider opened his
jeep door and knocked a comrade off his bicycle.
Guard post #5 was at our ammo dump. The post was several k's from
the Kaserne. A 24 hour guard shift was required. We had a guard shack,
with bunks and a heating stove. One hot meal a day was brought out.
The rest of meals were C-rations. We did get a good supply of bread
and butter. Made toast on top of stove. Anyway an old German would
come by with a youngster, we would give him extra bread and some C-rations.
He was always very grateful.
Civil Affairs Projects
I worked on some (Civil Affairs) projects for the Germans. I used
the D-7 tractor to knock down a bombed out factory. Pulling the smokestack
down was a job. Steeple jack had climbed to the top of stack to attach
a cable, which broke on the first pull. He would not climb the stack
again so we pulled the bottom out. Stack tipped over and almost got
me on the tractor. I graded a sportsplatz (sports field), also repaired
roads. The D-7 bulldozer was used mainly for digging gun pits on live
fire maneuvers. Was also useful for pulling stuck T-10's and cannon
out of the mud.
Road Marches
The 59th spent a lot of the time in the field either on live fire,
NATO games, or command exercises (CPX). The 280's were a reaffirming
sight and flag bearer as the Navy battle ship was at one time.
My first winter found fog, cold not much snow. Our field trips would
turn into a muddy mess. Also, either had German people cheering us
or dumping their pots on the convoys. The streets were narrow and
we'd be awful close to those second story windows, in the early morning.
The narrow streets were nice when passing through a town. Someone
would "break down" and block the road. Guys would jump out and run
into a Gausthaus and by a liter of beer and food.
On one of our road marches a five ton driver hit an oxen carts and
killed the oxen and frau. The comrade wasn't concerned about his wife
getting killed. He said "he could always get a new one." He just wanted
to be paid for oxen and cart.
Maintenance Section had a large tent, used for working on vehicles;
this became our home, in the field. We had sleeping bags and a "John
Brown," heater which would run out of fuel during the night and no
one wanted to get up and start it.
Alerts
We had many alerts, this meant loading up all equipment and be ready
for road march in two hours. Sometimes we'd get an alert in the middle
of the night, get all loaded up and there would be a stand down, or
head out.
One night in Oct. 1956 we got an alert and no stand down. The convoy
headed southeast and kept going. At the first break rumors were starting
we were going to Austria, at the next break we had "not Rounds" Atomic
warheads, from the blue room. "Mr. Peepers," radioman, was in contact
with 42nd Group, 7th Army and was passing news, against regulations.
We knew later in the day that there was a revolt in Hungary against
the Communists and the rumor was that Russia was invading, which they
were. As things turned out, Russia assured the US that they only were
interested in Hungary not anyplace else. The President backed down
so we turned around and went home. So the cold war lasted another
35 years. We wanted to nuke a few comrades.
War Hawk
Spring mud, fog, snow and rain found the 59th on "Operation War
Hawk," a NATO field exercise. 250,000 NATO Allies - Americans
plus British, Canadians, French, Turks, Italians and many more countries.
Any way we were all together playing games so someday we might stop
the hoards from East.
We live fired cannons for 12 hrs only stopping to clean the tube.
Three guns firing and concussion almost drove you nuts. All canvas
on vehicle had to be rolled up and all windows open, or they would
blow out. My job was to help wheel up powder bags for C battery's
gun. We had to fire all old rounds, as they were six months old.
Every country had different vehicles, ammo, field equipment. I don't
know how we would have won any war. Our support unit on "War Hawk,"
was a cavalry unit with the 82nd Airborne Division. We watched them
jump and drop equipment.
A jeep was wrecked on drop. A 75mm gun went barrel first into the
ground. Airdrop includes Quad. Fifty Cal. machine guns on small track
vehicles. Jeeps with 75mm guns, small tanks.
We were "straight legs," to them. They were all crazy and liked to
pull jokes on us. Their favorite was to sneak up behind you, in the
chow line and stick a blank bullet in your open rifle chamber, which
was at sling arms; snap it shut and pull the trigger. We soon kept
chambers shut, against regulations.
In the second week my section was assigned to guard ammo trucks, several
k's away from the firing batteries. We got bored on our assignment
guarding the 5 ton ammo (280mm rounds) trucks, which were in a rock
quarry. So did some trading with a German who worked there. We traded,
three Jerry cans of 15 gals of gas and some cigarettes for a couple
cases of beer (liters), wurst and hard bread. We ate well for three
days, which made up for sleeping on the ground, in sleeping bags.
We also "liberated" extra boxes of C and K rations when we went to
mess tent, for our one prepared meal a day. Anyway on the weekend
we handed out cans, boxes and cigarettes to the Germans. They always
went for a walk on Sundays. The cigarettes were like straw but they
liked them.
After two weeks we went back to the post. I was lucky, as I had been
back to pick up parts and mail, so took a shower there. Otherwise
none for two weeks, some did go to a radar station, AF, for a shower
and a movie.
Paris, France
I left for Paris on a week's leave. Found the French not too friendly.
Paris was dirty, didn't impress me. I saw all the sights.
TDY U.S. Army Engineer School
Shortly thereafter, I got orders to go to Murnau, Germany for refresher
course on the D-7 crawler. I left by train and changed at Munich.
This is where I run into my "Airborne friends." My uniform was bloused
boots, "they told me to on blouse them, as only airborne could wear
bloused boots." I did so as they ment business. When I got back on
the train, I bloused them again.
As I had all my field equipment, duffel bag and rifle I didn't dare
sleep. Then I had three comrades, one with an arm missing, starring
me down and talking about me. They kept eyeing my rifle. As I had
it broke down and some parts in my duffel bag. I was sure they wouldn't
get it. I took my bayonet and put it on my lap and put duffel bag
strap through my belt. Anyway when they got off the train I was relieved.
After that I fell asleep and missed my stop at Murnau. The car was
unhooked and a comrade was sweeping the floor. He must have been afraid
to wake me up. I asked him about Murnau and he pointed to a train
going back, which I jumped on. No one asked me for a ticket or got
too close. So with that I was at Murnau.
The Engineer School was housed in Barvarian style buildings with murals
painted on them. Engineer classes were from Monday through Friday
with weekends free.
Every weekend I went on a different U.S.O. tour. I went to the Garmish
ski area and Switzerland. Next weekend to Munich and visited castles,
next weekend to Salzburg, Austria, Castles and "Eagles Nest".
A German made our beds, shined our shoes and other chores, we paid
him in carton's of cigarettes, per week, which he went out and sold
on the black market. A carton cost us $1.00 and a ration coupon; he
could sell them for 20 marks or $5.00, on the German economy.
First two weeks were classroom. Second two weeks we did civil action
projects for the Germans. Such as moving rock, grading and smoothing
out road beds. Germans that were worked for in southern Germany were
friendlier and gave us, beer and schnapps.
59th to Gyroscope back to States
April 1957: the 59th received orders that they would "Gyroscope,"
whole unit would go back to Fort Jackson, S.C. and be deactivated.
Missiles were going to replace the cannons. I volunteered to stay
in Germany. I had less than a year to do in the army and did want
to do the time in the States, as filler. Also wanted to go to some
other countries.
I received orders to report to the 559th Field Artillery Missile (Corporal),
Atomic.
I can't leave the 59th without remembering Battery Commander Captain
Keys. He was a Mustang (former enlisted man), Airborne during WWII,
infantry in Korea, battlefield commission. Was tough as nails on us.
He liked to take the battery out and double time us for a couple miles,
about every week. As he had to go for a medical check-up one week
he sent a Second "Lewie" out to run us. We ran him until he was in
the ditch puking.
Click here to proceed to Elsworth's recollections of the 559th
FAM Bn.
Email to Elsworth Walker |
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| 264th
FA Bn (280mm Gun) - 3rd Gun Bn, 82nd Arty |
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| 1954
- 19.. |
264th Field Artillery Bn DUI |
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| (Souce: Email
from SSG William Terry (then PFC-CPL William Terry) USA Ret, 264th
FA Bn, Fort Sill OK to Bad Kreuznach, Germany - October 1953 thru
February 1957) (Updated email: william.p.terry(AT)us.army.mil - replace (AT) with @) |
The
Beginning
I am trying to recall this from memory and please understand it has
been nearly 50 years so if I err on some of the information, forgive
me. I'll begin with me completing Basic Infantry Training at the Field
Artillery Replacement Training Center (FARTC) at Fort Sill OK in October
1953. After completion, a direct assignment to the 264th
FA Bn with two weeks leave before reporting to Battery
B. My military records show I had an additional eight weeks of 155mm
Long Tom gun training with the 36th FA Bn, but actually I was sent
straight to the 264th for On The Job Training (OJT). The 264th was
getting up to strength to Gyroscope to Germany. This is where the
whole unit goes and in some cases swapped places with a unit in Germany.
If this was the case with the 264th I do not know. |
280mm
cannon,
Des Gouttes Ksn
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At
the 264th in Fort Sill we only had one 280 gun per battery
and we did the "cannoneer boogie" on the famous(?) Atomic
Annie and the other gun was a 75mm Pack Howitzer, just
about the smallest artillery piece in the Army. We rotated
training on the guns.
I was transferred to the Fire Direction Section (FDC)
and began my training with them and I remember my section
chief was one of the youngest Master Sergeants (E7) in
the Army at the time. He was 22 years old, the sole survivor
of a platoon in Korea.
In February 1954 we loaded on a troop train and traveled
north, through Chicago to Camp Kilmer, NJ. After about
a week there (we were allowed passes to go into NYC and
I gotta tell you that was an experience for an Alabama
country boy) we were moved to Brooklyn Army Terminal and
departed to Bremerhaven aboard the MSTS Geiger.
That was my first, but definitely not my last trip aboard
a troop ship. All in all not a bad trip, considering the
weather on the Atlantic. After arriving in Bremerhaven
we entrained and our next stop was in Bad Kreuznach, GER.
We moved into the Des
Gouttes Kaserne, at the intersection of
Bosenheimer Strasse and Alzeyer Strasse. |
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We were the first
inhabitants of the kaserne since the German Army. It was in sad shape.
We immediately began making it habitable and did a lot of work ourselves.
In fact we found a lot of unexploded ordnance in the ground and in
the bomb shelters in the area.
Composition of the 264th
The 264th was composed
of three firing batteries, A, B & C and a HQ and Service Battery.
Each battery had a captain as a CO, a First Sergeant and a Chief of
Firing Battery. There were 2 gun platoons (sections) in each battery,
commanded by a lieutenant and a SFC. Each firing section had a Section
Chief (Staff Sgt) who was also the gunner and an assistant gunner
and six cannoneers as I remember. Also included were an artillery
mechanic (also the platoon leader's driver), 2 transporter drivers
and 2 assistant drivers.
We also had a counter battery radar section in the battery but I don't
know the make-up of it. Of course we had the Supply Section, Motor
Pool Section and had a bull dozer assigned to each battery. The battery
also had a commo section and a survey section.
Life
in the 264th
After a short stint in the FDC I asked for a transfer as I was math
poor and was really out of my element. So I was transferred to a gun
section as a truck driver/ammo handler. I was assigned a 5-ton ammo
truck and trailer and had full responsibility for it. The trucks in
the motor pool were rotated monthly with the trucks in the ammo dump
that had the basic load on them and were ready to go, so maintenance
could be kept up.
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The
dump was/is located on Kuhberg Hill, about five miles
from the kaserne. I say this because I visited there this
past October (2002) and the ammo dump is still in use.
The 264th was the only occupant of the kaserne and HQ,
2d Armored Division was about 3 blocks from us on Alzeyer
Strasse.
The Army was very different then. What the soldiers now
would consider "chicken sh**" was the norm then. For instance,
we had reveille every morning at 0600 and work call at
0700. In that hour we had to shave, clean the barracks
and latrines and eat. At the 0700 formation we had inspection
in ranks and everyone, including ALL the officers (and
the battalion commander and staff) attended. Then we would
go back into barracks and change into work clothes. Every
Saturday was inspection of the barracks, equipment and
persons. Passes were privileges and woe be unto you if
you failed any part of the inspection. I remember once
my section chief folded my field suspenders on my bed
layout wrong and I had my pass pulled for a week. He said
I should have known better and done it myself. |
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Military justice
was swift and sometimes severe. Small infractions (like insubordination
or screwing up in the barracks) were usually dealt with by the platoon
sergeant. He would usually just pull your pass for a couple of weeks.
For more serious infractions and you had to see the First Sergeant,
it meant Article 15, your name in the "Red Book" and loss of a stripe.
For real serious stuff and you had to see the Battery Commander, you
might as well pack your belongings in a duffle bag as you were certainly
going to the stockade in Kaiserslautern or the rehab barracks at Crailsheim
for at least thirty days. Soldiers quaked at the threat of Crailsheim
because of the extreme re-training that was done there.
Every evening (except weekends) a retreat formation was held in Class
A uniform at 1700 hours. The evening meal in the mess hall was in
either Class A uniform or "appropriate civilian attire," which was
coat and tie. This was also the requisite clothing for going on pass.
We got around the tie thing by using western string ties. |
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We
did not have to do KP duty in garrison as we had German
civilians to do that, but we were required to do it in
the field. We did perform our own guard duty, including
the main entrance guard. Guard duty was somewhat looked
forward to, as you could compete for "Colonel's Orderly".
The prized guard posts were the ammo dump and fuel dump
on Kuhberg Hill because it was impossible for the guard
officer to sneak up on you and it was peaceful and quiet
up there in the woods.
Mornings were spent training, both on the guns and classroom.
At 1300 everyone went to to "Motor Stables" where you
wiped the vehicle down and tried to tighten all the screws
that you had tried to tighten the day before even though
the vehicle had not moved. After the one hour motor stables
it was maintenance on all the other equipment. The Schneider
Optics factory was directly behind the motor pool and
the workers had several breaks during the work day The
pretty ladies would stroll by the motor pool fence and
that was a great treat for us GI's. I actually had several
dates with one of them. |
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Before going
on duty the guards were inspected by the officer of the day and was
quizzed on General Orders and Special Orders and evaluated for sharpness
of person and uniform and weapon. The one picked for orderly got 24
hours off, other than making the bed for Staff Duty Officer. If picked
three times in a month, he got a three day pass and off the duty roster
for a month. That was a great deal. We really prepared for that too.
Khaki's were highly starched and there were people that had someone
hold their trousers and two more insert the person into the trousers
so as not to break the crease. OD (wool) trousers sometimes had tinfoil
sewed into the legs to make sharp creases and were never cleaned to
make them stiffer. Corcoran jump boots were highly prized and remember,
this was the "brown shoe" Army and the boots were shined to a glaze.
The owners walked flat-footed so as to not break the polish in the
creases on the boots.
Only 15% of the unit was allowed out on pass during off duty hours.
Overnight passes were allowed but only on Saturday nights. Week night
curfews were 2300 hours and Saturday 2400 hours. You had to be off
the street between those hours and 0600. I loved to go to Wiesbaden
as it was an Air Force town and they didn't enforce the curfews plus
they had great places to go. One was the Eagle Club which is now a
luxurious casino. Another favorite place to go was Bingen and Ruedesheim
on the Rhine River. I still go there when I go to Germany.
We trained quite heavily and my platoon had the best platoon in Germany
so we were selected to go all over Germany and demonstrate the Atomic
Cannon. Until I left Germany my platoon held the best emplacement
time for the gun. From the time the command "Prepare for action" until
we announced "On the way" (the shell had been fired) was 7 minutes
flat. Of course we did some highly unauthorized shortcuts, like literally
dropping the gun from the transporters, but it worked for us. We got
some great TDY from it. |
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Remember
this was during the height of the cold war and we were
a nuclear equipped unit and I do mean equipped. We had
actual nuclear rounds in the basement of the Charley Battery
under 24 hour guard. Also our kaserne was a restricted
kaserne, meaning you could not get in there unless you
had a special pass or lived there. We did our own base
security and many times we had to double the perimeter
guards because of a threat.
For annual firing exercises and training we went either
to Baumholder or Grafenwoehr and convoyed there. At Graf
we had to fire from off-base positions, either near Vilseck
or Pegnitz. At one training trip, when firing from near
Pegnitz, we were using a new batch of proximity fuzes,
when one was set off by a rain cloud. I understand it
sprinkled shrapnel over three towns. For those not familiar
with the 280mm round it weighed 600 pounds and was about
5 feet long.
(Photo: a typical kid gathering. Any time we stopped,
no matter where, kids always came up and hung around.
Even in the darkest forests at night kids would always
come up. And I have never run across such honesty. We
would give them money and they bring us beer, wine, bread
and wurst. There were times when we moved out before the
kids got back and they would chase us down on bicycles
and give us our goods. It was amazing.) |
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On one trip back
from Graf, one of the guns lost an air hose (the throttle and brakes
of the rear transporter were controlled by the front transporter by
air hose connections), there by losing all air pressure and thusly
the brakes. It was a long steep incline and the drivers had been warned
to use low gear going down. Our drivers didn't and needless to say,
the gun reached about 80 MPH going down. Luckily the autobahn is wide
and relatively straight so the gun made it to the bottom without incident.
At that time I was driving the platoon leader's jeep, which always
preceded the gun with red lights and siren. I saw the gun was in trouble
and was bearing down on me (my jeep would only go about 60 MPH) so
I got out of the way. My 2d LT told the transporter drivers if he
had known they were in trouble he would have stayed in front of them
with the light and siren. That instantly reinforced my opinion that
all new 2d LTs were nuts.
Another year one of the ammo 5-ton trucks had a transmission explode
going down the same place on the autobahn and it lost the air brakes
as well as the power steering. The driver managed to get the truck
safely to the bottom of the mountain, got out of the truck and fainted.
For good reason as the truck (and trailer) was loaded with 280mm shells
and powder as well as small arms ammo.
We did a lot of maneuvers in the Black Forest and I mean it is black
there at night. And of course we were total blackout conditions. Lots
of nights the only way to find the area was by the sound of the generators.
When reading General Colin Powell's autobiography, he mentioned that
as an Infantry 2d LT, his platoon had done perimeter security for
a 280mm gun outfit. I wondered if it might have been ours. We always
had an Infantry Company, an anti-aircraft battery and sometimes a
tank platoon attached to or with us. In B Battery we had a great,
alcoholic cook/baker that was in his element cooking on the field
stoves and always made biscuits and cinnamon rolls for us in the field.
He always made enough for the Infantry guys and they really appreciated
it, as their meals were usually WWII C-rations.
Once the military police chased our bull dozer transporter into the
motor pool because he wouldn't stop for them. As he tried to leave
the kaserne the battalion exec wrote the MP up for entering a restricted
area without a pass and speeding in the motor pool.
Which brings up another story or two. The troops at the 2nd Armored
Division up the street really resented us. Can't say I blame them
too much. The 264th FA Bn was a very close knit unit and we stood
up for each other. So we virtually took over Bad Kreuznach when we
arrived. Consequently there were hard feelings between us, especially
us and the MP's. Our Battalion Commander, LTC O.B. Lawrence had said
that if we got back to the kaserne we were home free. Many nights
we outran the MPs home. The Rose Barracks kaserne was on the way to
our training area on Kuhberg Hill. At 1700, the gate MP's at Rose
Barracks would bring a little stool to the middle of the street at
the entrance gate to direct traffic. Our transporter drivers would
see how close they could come to the MP on the stool. Remember the
280 gun in traveling mode was about 85 feet long and 12 feet wide.
The MP's would see us coming and would jump off the box and drag it
back into the kaserne. We thought this was hilarious.
I went through most of the jobs in the gun section. Ammo section and
truck driver, cannoneer, assistant gunner, gunner and finally as artillery
mechanic. I was responsible for all the maintenance on the gun and
drove the platoon leaders jeep. I was also trained in assembling the
nuclear round. I was a corporal when the military came out with the
specialist ratings and changed to SP3 which later was SP4. This was
in 1956 I believe when they created the E8 and E9 grades.
I attended the 7th Army NCO Academy in Munich in 1956 and graduated
with honors. That was a surprise to me. You were allowed only 20 demerits
during the whole one month course and I got 10 my first week. If you
got the 20 you were returned to your unit with recommendation for
a one paygrade reduction.
I left Germany in February 1957 and was assigned to the 3rd Missile
Command, and Honest John missile unit at Fort Bragg, NC, as a nuclear
weapons assembly specialist.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The photos below are of Big Ike II. Big Ike I was at Fort Sill. "A" Battery had the original Atomic Annie, if I remember correctly.
Back in those days the names had to begin with the 1st letter of the battery; so, everything in "B" Battery had to start with a B; in C Battery a name for a gun had to start with a C. For the life of me I cannot remember what the 2d gun section's gun was named. It'll probably come to me later. |
264th FA Bn, 1954
at Mannheim |
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1. BIG IKE II, 1955 (KB)
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2. Same cannon, same timeframe (KB) |

3. BIG IKE II on side of autobahn (KB)
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| (Source: Email from Rev. Robert Reid) |
I was assigned to the 264th FA Battalion on April 12, 1957. I served with the 264th at
Bad Kreuznach until late June of 1959 when I returned to states for
discharge.
The 264th was redesignated 3rd Bn, 82nd Artillery in June of 1958. We were
moved north to Giessen, Germany and initially the whole bn was based at
Rivers Barracks. After a few months, due to cramped space, HH&S and A
Batteries were moved to the QM Depot in Giessen across town. B & C Batteries
remained at Rivers Barracks where they shared the post with the 594th FA Bn
and the 93rd Engineer Bn. The 594th was a 8" self propelled unit.
Enjoyed
seeing the photos of Bad Kreuznach post. I lived in building in the first
photo.
I do not recall in my time in Germany of our being assigned to any artillery
group. I was always under the impression that we were just part of V Corps.
I was personnel clerk in HH&S. I cut orders for the Bn. and also arranged
port calls for the troops going home. I also typed the morning reports that
had to be done every morning by 9 a.m.
While we were at Bad Krueznach, around the spring of 1958, we shipped home
for discharge, individuals that were not high school graduates. We referred
to this as the "dumb bell" discharge. We sent home a couple hundred, mostly
canoneers from the gun batteries.
One of my favorite tasks was sending home the disliked officers by boat. In
those days about sixty percent of the troops had to cross the Atlantic on
troop ships. I was in the vantage point of being able to arrange the mode of
travel. Top notch commanders were assured of my getting them an air port
call through Frankfurt. The ones that were known to be hard-nose rank
pullers I would let my friends in 7th Army headquarters know that I thought
this or that officer would make a fine troop ship officer on the 10 day trip
on the Atlantic.
I had a few arrogant 1st Lts. that tried to go over me and get their port
calls changed so that they would fly home. I had a tight connection in
Stuttgardt and even the call of my Lt.Col. C.O. couldn't get their
transporation changed. As a result of my job, I would get a little more in
the chow line. The cooks knew to take care of me. I remember when I would
go through the chow lines at mess, a seasoned cook would always tell the new
cooks to take care of me in the chow line and I would take care of them when
it came to "flying" home. |
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| (Source: Email from Jerry Wilson) |
I served with 3rd Gun Battalion 82nd Artillery at River Barracks in Giessen Germany. There was 4 batteries with 2 280 MM cannons each.
We went to Graf at least once a year for military exercises. One of the things that I remember most was how hard it was to maneuver the gun units through the small streets in some of the cities. Many time we would tear into the brick buildings with a gun. Sometimes we would have to pull the rear unit used to tote the gun sideways with a wrecker which we always had with us. Once we turned one of the unit used to carry the gun over and injured a soldier. Another time there was a very sad incident where a young German kid was killed when one of the units hit him. I am sure he was really curious to see the one of the 280 MM cannons and got too close to a wheel of one of the gun units with the huge wheels and the driver could not see him due to the size of the unit.
The biggest draw back to the 280 mm cannons was the time it took to get them ready to fire, pick them up after firing, and getting to a hiding place. I remember once when we were on maneuvers every vehicle in our unit was stuck in the mud including the gun units, wrecker, 3 quarter trucks, and jeeps.
We faced bitter cold on all maneuvers.
I remember once we camped out on an air strip in Frankfort when the temperature was 20 below zero with strong winds. We slept in our clothes in our sleeping bags. The next morning you could scrape ice from the inside of your pup tent.
We did however enjoy the time we spent in the woods by the fires at night when our Captain allowed us to make a run to the nearest tavern to get a truck load of beer. None of our vehicle had heaters with maybe the exception of the ambulance we had with us. We all idolized ELVIS stationed near Frankfort south of Giessen who had a heater in the jeep he drove.
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| 265th FA Bn (280mm Gun) - 3rd Gun Bn, 81st Arty |
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| Nov 1953 - 19.. |
265th Field Artillery Bn DUI |
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(Source: 265th FA Bn - Best of All, June 1956 - submitted by Jan R. Perrin)
I served in the 265 FA from December 1954 until June 1957
Jan Perrin |
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The 265th Field Artillery Battalion
1952-1956 | |