Where did the 536 Field Artillery serve in World War 2?

Answer 1

Answer Italy The book "15th Army Group History" is a history of the 15th Army Group for the last 5 months of the war. It has an organizational chart that lists the 536th FA as follows:

5th Army

+ II Corps

++ 423 Field Artillery Group - Col James H. Workman

+++ 178 FA

+++ 536 FA

+++ 985 FA

+++ 11 Battery, 54 Super Heavy Regiment(British)

The 536FA is mentioned inthe US Army history of WW2, the volume "Cassino to the Alps" and states:

"Also in March the 536th and 527th Field Artillery Battalions, both equipped with powerful 8-inch howitzers, arrived from the US. Those were later joined by the 530th Field Artillery Battalion(155-mm guns), the 765th and 766th Field Artillery Battalions(155-mm Howitzers), and headquarters of the 428th Field Artillery Group."

Answer 2

Yes. The 766th Field Artillery Battalion earned credit for the following Campaigns in Italy:

......Rome-Arno - Winter-Spring 1944

......North Apennines - Fall 1944

.....Po Valley - Spring 1945.

During the Po Valley Campaign, the 766th Field Artillery Battalion was attached to the 92nd "Buffalo" Infantry Division. The 765 and 766 FA Battalion arrived in Italy were operating the 155-mm Howitzer artillery gun.

Sources:

Dept of Army Pamphlet 672-1 "Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register", July 1961.

"15th Army Group: 16 Dec 1944- 2 May 1945" by Battery Press.

"Buffalo Soldiers" by Thomas St. John Arnold.

US Army History Series, volume entitled "Cassino to the Alps" on the Italian Campaign. Mentions the 766FA Battalion on Page 415.

Answer 3

Hello I just consulted my Grandfather's diary who served in the 153rd field artillery group and found at least one engagement in the Rhine river area near the town of Osterath. A fire mission was established to support soldiers of the 94th infantry division. Apparently a heavy german gun, possibly mountain on a train chasis was firing intermitantly at night. The 535th fired on the weapon but without evidence of a hit. I'm sure they had more action, but this is what occured when they were briefly under my Grandfather's units control.

Answer 4

The 765th Field Artillery Battalion was a 155MM howitzer battalion. Its howitzers were pulled behind trucks until they went into battery to fire their weapons. The artillery was America's most effective combat arm in WWII. Every US infantry division had four artillery battalions in it - three of 105MM howitzers and one of 155MM howitzers.

In addition to this powerful divisional artillery the army created hundreds of "separate', or "independent" artillery battalions. These were to provide additional firepower. These "independent" battalions were independent because they were not an official organic part of any larger formation. They were assigned to higher HQs than a division - to a corps, or a field army. The idea was that the corps or army commander could move the "independent" artillery around to supplement the firepower of the divisions as needed. In practice the corps commander would often "attach" separate artillery battalions to divisions, sometimes semi-permanently. The separate artillery battalions under the control of the corps commander were often referred to as the "corps artillery".

The 765th FA Bn was an independent artillery battalion.

The 765th FA Bn was assigned to the US II Corps, as part of the US Fifth Army in Italy. The Fifth Army was part of the 15th Army Group. It appears to have arrived in Italy in early 1945 or late 1944. Italy had become a back water of the war by that time. When Germany surrendered there were over 230 independent artillery battalions in the European Theater, but only 16 in the Mediterranean Theater, including the 765th.