Field ArTillery - US Army Center Of Military History

CHAPTER 7
World War II
Developments during the interwar years had resulted in significant advances
in field artillery weap ons, communications, fire direction techniques, mobil ity, and
organi zation. These advances complemented the reorganization of the large unwieldy
square division of World War I into smaller harder-hitting units that proved so successful
during World War II. For the U.S. Army, World War II marked the high point
in the history of American field artillery, best characterized by rapid movement,
timely and accurate target location, massing of fires, and flexibility of control.
Infantry Division Artillery
Although many of the crucial developments affecting field artil lery had occurred
during the interwar period, they had yet to be proven in a mobile war environment.
Even before the United States had entered World War II, refinements in organizational
structure and equipment continued in response to reports from the European
front. In 1939, field artillery was still organized into regiments, despite extensive
criticism that the regimental headquarters constituted “excessive overhead” and
played “no real part in the control of artillery fire.” 1 When the triangular division
was reorganized in 1940, the field artillery regimental structure was at last abolished.
At this time, the divisional field artillery brigade was reorganized to comprise a
headquarters and headquarters battery, division artillery, and four battalions (three
for direct support and one for general support), which replaced the three former
regiments. With the demise of the regimental headquarters, the division artillery
headquarters became solely a tactical command, making it necessary for the battalions
to perform administrative as well as tactical functions. The new organization
was more responsive in providing support to the maneuver units and complemented
the triangular division concept of each regimental combat team having its own
direct-support battalion. 2
Another significant change that resulted from the reorganization of 1940 was
the replacement the 75-mm. gun with the new 105-mm. howitzer in the division.
1 J. Lawton Collins, “Proposed Organization of the Infantry Division,” p. 5, copy in CMH files.
2 TO 6–10, 1 Aug 1939; TO 6–10, 1 Nov 1940; TO 6–80, 1 Oct 1940; Ltr, AG 320.2 (8–31–40) M
(Ret) M–C, TAG to CG, All Corps/Corps Areas, 10 Sep 1940, sub: Reorganization of Triangular Divisions,
copy in CMH files.