Field ArTillery - US Army Center Of Military History

144 THE ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY OF FIELD ARTILLERY
division having an aggregate war strength of 7,463. In 1928, the horse artillery
battalion was increased to a regiment. 41
In 1929, the structure of the infantry division artillery changed. The possibility
of manufacturing enough 105-mm. howitzers for use as divisional artillery
seemed extremely remote, and the new models of the 155-mm. howitzer were
more mobile than the old because of improvements in their carriages. Since there
was a small budget increase that year, the War Department decided to reinstate
the 155-mm. howitzer regiment in the division artillery brigade and to reduce the
corps artillery brigade by one 155-mm. howitzer regiment. These regiments were
motorized, and each was to be organized at reduced strength and have only two
bat talions. Another measure designed to provide a mobile field army with heavy
artillery was the transfer of trench mortars from the Coast Artillery Corps to the
field artillery branch. 42
Reinstatement of the 155-mm. howitzer in the division, an increase in increments
from ground troops to the Air Corps, and reductions in enlisted men and animals
were all factors contributing to a reorganiza tion of field artillery in 1930. A number
of disbanded units were reconstituted and activated, some were inactivated, some
headquarters and service units were reduced, and a number underwent changes in
armament. Nevertheless, the reorganization did not halt the decrease in artillery
because of increased levies on ground troops by the expanding Air Corps. In 1931,
the field artillery in the Regular Army had five skeleton brigades (1st, 2d, 3d, 11th,
and 13th), one observation battery, and twenty-one regiments (none with more than
two bat talions). Some regiments were down to two firing batteries, and even the
batteries were below strength . 43
By 1934, with the motorization program implemented, the Army grew in personnel
and underwent a reorganiza tion on 1 December. One of its objectives was
to have one active element in each field artillery brigade of the nine Regular Army
infantry divisions and three cavalry divisions as a mobilization base. The authorized
increase of 7,487 enlisted men in the field artillery provided much needed
personnel. The field artillery personnel situation was also improved because the
exten sion of motorization released many enlisted men from stable duties for other
tasks. By 13 Septem ber 1935, there were forty-four gun or howitzer battalions
41 Rpt, Lassiter Cmte, 8 Jul 1920, pp. 2–7, MHI files; Memo, Maj. Gen. Peyton C. March, CofS, for
Special Cmte, 31 Aug 20, copy in CMH files; Extracts from “Report of the Cavalry Board, A.E.F., on
Organization and Tactics,” reprinted in General Staff College, 1919–1920, vol. 5, Training, p. 126, copy
at MHI; TOs 401W, Cav Div, 4 Apr 21 and 1 Jul 29, CMH files; Rpt of the Superior Board, AEF, on
Organization and Tactics, pp. 32–62, AGO 320 (6-21-20), box 1737, Entry 37c, RG 407, NARA.
42 WD Cir 21, 13 Apr 29; WD Cir 29, 16 May 29; WD Cir 27, 26 May 30; WD GO 2, 1 Mar 28;
Annual Rpts, CofFA, FY1926, p. 86, box 1342, and FY1929, pp. 31, 35, box 1337, file 319.12, Entry
37g, RG 407, NARA.
43 Annual Rpt, CofFA, FY1930, p. 18, file 319.12, box 1336, Entry 37g, RG 407, NARA; H[arry]
G. Bishop, “The Trend of Field Artillery,” Field Artillery Journal, March-April 1931, p. 128, chart H;
FA TO & Ref Data, 1934 ed., pp. 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, copy in CMH files. See also Wilson, Maneuver and
Firepower, ch. 5.