There is a tendency at times to look at the American Army of World War II as a "one size fits all" army, as the American Army tended to rely on fixed TO&Es. If you build one unit-it works for all. However that is not always the case, as a look at the following units might indicate. 175th FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION (Late 1942-early 1943) Troop Quality: TRAINED (later EXPERIENCED) Morale 9 HEADQUARTERS AND SERVICE BATTERY, with: 1 Command Stand 1 Forward Observer Stand 2 Jeeps 1 Recon Jeep with AAMG 2 Supply Trucks with trailers 3 FIRING BATTERIES, each with: 1 25 lbr Field Gun 1 Gun Crew Stand (DS) 1 Medium Truck 244th FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION (August 1944 on) Troop Quality: EXPERIENCED Morale 8 HEADQUARTERS AND SERVICE BATTERY 1 Command Stand 1 Forward Observer Stand 2 Jeeps 1 Recon Jeep with AAMG 2 Supply Trucks with trailers 3 FIRING BATTERIES, each with: 1 Command Stand 1 Tractor with AAMG 1 Medium Truck 2 Gun Crew Stands WEAPONS POOL 3 88L56 AA Guns (German) 4 105L28 Howitzers (German) 3 150L30 Howitzers (German) 4 155L16 Howitzers (French) CANNON COMPANIES, 90th INFANTRY DIVISION (late 1944 on) Troop Quality: EXPERIENCED Morale 9 Each With: 1 Command Stand 3 Gun Crew Stands (DS) 3 Medium Trucks 3 120mm Mortars Notes 1. The 175th Field Artillery Battalion arrived in England in the summer of 1942. In an attempt to aid in the ability of American forces to fight alongside their British counterparts, the 175th was issued 25 lbr British Field Guns in lieu of its 105mm howitzers. So equipped, it took part in the Operation TORCH, and the subsequent "Race to Tunis". It was not reequiped with its 105mm howitzers still after the campaign ended in North Africa, causing some problems for the supply elements of the 34th Division, which it served with throughout this period. 2. The 244th arrived in France as a towed 155mm Gun Battalion, but was quickly converted over to a new status as a "Captured Weapons" battalion. To ease the shortfall in American artillery ammunition, the 244th was equipped with captured German Artillery. It was not used as Field Artillery per se, but was used to give additional artillery support for areas of the line in need of support which had captured German supplies on hand. Elements of it served around Metz for example during the siege of that town. Anyway, here's your change to get to fire an 88 back at your German foes, and see how they like it. 3. The Cannon Companies of the US Infantry Regiments presented an interesting enigma for their parent organizations. When first formed, they had used SP 75mm and 105mm Howitzers on M3 halftracks, but they had reverted in 1943 to a lightweight towed 105L16 howitzer, the same weapon used by the airborne 105mm Artillery Battalions. No one was very pleasedwith this unit, as it tended to duplicate the services offered by the attached Field Artillery Battalion under the RCT concept, and since the weapons were towed they were not very helpful as assault guns. The 90th Infantry Division under Major General James Van Fleet pulled the 105mm howitzers from their Cannon Companies, and issued instead 120mm captured German/Soviet mortars in their place. Whereas each section of artillery had been equipped with two howitzers, they were now issued four mortars in their place. The success of this program was such that when the US Infantry Regiments were reorganized in mid 1945, a Heavy Mortar Company equipped with 4.2" Mortars replaced the old Cannon Companies. The 5307th Composite Unit, Provisional The following organization is presented so as to give you a different sort of unit to fight against your Japanese Army with. Troop Quality EXPERIENCED, (3rd Battalion VETERAN) Troop Morale 9, (3rd Battalion Morale 8) GROUP HEAQUARTERS, with: 1 Command Stand 1 Pack Staff Radio 1 Recon Infantry Stand 1 Infantry Stand 4 Pack Mules 1st BATTALION, with: 2 COMBAT TEAMS (Red, White), each with: 1 Team Command Stand 1 Pack Staff Radio 1 Recon Infantry Patrol-Burma Rifles 1 Engineer Stand 2 Command Stands 4 Infantry Stands 2 Weapons Stands 1 81mm Mortar Stand 4 Pack Mule Stands 2nd BATTALION, with: 2 COMBAT TEAMS (Blue, Green) [As 1st Battalion] 3rd BATTALION, with: 2 COMBAT TEAMS, (Orange, Khaki) [As 1st Battalion] Notes 1. The above organization was designed to operate in Burma as part of the Wingates Chindit Columns, but never did, though it kept the above organization. 2. Each Pack Mule Stand carries 1/2 ton of supplies. The Pack Staff Radio Stand, and the8lmm Stand each weightone half ton. In addition, for each pack mule lost by a team, reduce that teams morale by 1. Mule stands may fight, and have a ROF of 1, and a Range of 4" for Effective, and 8" for Long. They move at a rate of 16" road and 8" cross country. 3. The 81mm Mortar stand is a single, not double stand. The same rules apply to it as a non-nal stand for movement, etc, but it canies with it only 10 rounds of ammunition. 4. If a team loses its staff radio stand, reduce its morale by 2. 5. The above unit is better known by the nickname given to it by the press, Merrill's Marauders. 6. Members of the 3rd Battalion were veterans of the War of the Pacific who had volunteered for service with this unit. Back to Table of Contents -- Command Post Newsletter #5 To Command Post Quarterly List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1991 by Greg Novak. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com