Field ArTillery - US Army Center Of Military History

BETWEEN THE WARS
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regiments, temporarily losing its 155-mm. howitzer regiment. With the devel opment of
a light howitzer, as had been recommended by both the Hero and Wester velt boards,
the howitzer regiment would be retained in the divisional artillery brigade. The artillery
ammu nition train was to become part of the brigade, but other ammunition was
to be carried in the divisional supply train. Trench mortars were eliminated from the
division artillery. 38
For the corps artillery brigade, the committee recommended three 155-mm. howitzer
regiments (twenty-four howitzers each), one 155-mm. gun regiment (twenty-four
guns), one two-company observation battalion (the flash-ranging component of the
former sound- and flash-ranging battalions, with the sound-ranging function being
transferred to GHQ artillery), and an ammunition train. The corps artillery’s function,
as defined, was to neutralize or destroy enemy artillery, to interfere with or prevent
the enemy’s with drawal, and to impede services in the enemy’s rear areas. 39
The mission of army artillery, according to the committee, was to fire on areas
well beyond the line of friendly infantry, to strike strategic areas, and to paralyze
the service of the enemy’s rear lines. The only organic artillery recommended was
a headquarters and an ammunition train, similar to the corps ammunition train. For
the GHQ reserve, one hundred forty-four 75-mm. guns (in three motorized and
three portée regiments), forty-eight 155-mm. GPF guns (in two regiments), and
twenty-four 6-inch guns (one regiment) were allotted for each army. For training
and control while in the GHQ reserve, these would be organized into two brigades,
one light and one medium-heavy. When the regiments were detached to an army,
they would pass to the direct control of the army artillery headquarters. The GHQ
artillery for six armies would be six times that allowed for one, plus one regiment
of twenty-four trench mortars (the number to be increased when an improved model
was developed), one regiment of 12-inch railway guns, one regiment of 16-inch
railway mortars, a sound-ranging service (headquarters and ten companies), and
antiaircraft artillery and machine guns. Except for the 75-mm. gun regiments, the
Coast Artillery Corps was to man all GHQ artillery. 40
For the cavalry division, the Superior Board had recommended two cavalry
brigades (two regiments each), an artillery regiment, an armored car squadron, an
engineer unit, and supply and service units, for an approximate strength of 16,500
men. The Lassiter committee, however, favored a smaller division in line with
the newer thinking of having lighter, more mobile striking forces. The committee
outlined a divisional structure of two cavalry brigades (with two regiments and a
two-troop machine gun squad ron), a battalion of mountain artillery (pack), and
supply and service units. Chief of Staff March approved the latter organi za tion,
but changed the mountain artillery battalion to one of horse artillery, the modified
files.
38 Rpt, Lassiter Cmte, 8 Jul 1920, pp. 2–7, MHI files.
39 Ibid.; Lane, “Tables of Organization,” pp. 486–503.
40 Lane, “Tables of Organization,” pp. 486–503; Rpt, Lassiter Cmte, 8 Jul 1920, pp. 2–7, MHI