USAFFE
United States Army Forces
in the Far East 1941

Artillery and Tanks

by Greg Novak

Artillery

The artillery of the division was not as lucky as the infantry in regard to new equipment. Though the 75mm pack howitzers and 105 howitzers were starting to come off the assembly lines in 1941, none had been shipped to the Philippines. They were still using the weapons of WWI and in the case of the 2.95" pack howitzer, the weapons of the Philippine Insurrection!

For artillery, the Philippine Division had the following:
All units Experienced; Morale: 9

12th Artillery Brigade, with;

    Headquarters Battery, with:
      1 command stand
      1 command car
      1 staff radio truck
      1 support stand
      1 medium supply truck

    23rd Artillery Regiment (PS), lst Battalion only, with:

      1st Battalion Headquarters, with:
        1 command stand
        1 spotter stand
        2 command cars
        1 support stand
        1 ammunition supply truck
        1 baggage supply truck
        1 supply truck with field kitchen

      3 Batteries, each with

        1 gun crew stand (ds)
        1 limber
        1 2.95" mountain gun

    24th Artillery Regiment (PS), with:

      Regimental Headquarters, with:
        1 command stand
        1 command car
        1 staff telephone truck
        1 support stand
        1 medium supply truck

      2 Battalions, each with:

        Battalion Headquarters, with:
          1 command stand
          1 spotter stand
          2 command cars
          1 support stand
          1 baggage supply truck
          1 supply truck with field kitchen

        3 Batteries, each with:

          1 gun crew stand (ds)
          1 medium truck
          1 75L33 field gun

    86th Artillery Regiment (PS)
    1st Battalion only, with

      1st Battalion Headquarters, with
        1 command stand
        1 spotter stand
        2 command cars
        1 support stand
        1 ammunition supply truck
        1 baggage supply truck
        1 supply truck with field kitchen

      3 Batteries, each with:

        1 gun crew stand (ds)
        1 tractor
        1 155L36 field gun

    88th Artillery Regiment (PS) (as 24th Artillery Regiment

Pensacola Convoy

To help fill out MacArthur's command, what was known as the Pensacola Convoy was en route to the Philippines, and was due to arrive on December 14. In addition to 54 A-24 dive bombers, 18 additional P-40 fighters, and 340 motor vehicles for USAFFE, it had with it the following units:

    2nd Battalion, 131st Field Artillery Regiment, Texas National Guard, 75mm gun truck drawn
    147th Field Artillery Regiment, (both battalions) South Dakota National Guard*
    1st Battalion, 131st Field Artillery Regiment, Idaho National Guard, 75mm truck drawn

Stanton's WWII Order of Battle claims this unit was issued the 105mm howitzer before sailing, and when split into two separate battalions in 1942, he lists them as 105mm howitzers tractor drawn. All accounts that I have seen of the ships cargo mention 48-75mm guns, or a total of four battalions worth.

The organizations of the National Guard units were identical to those of the Scouts, although I would rate them as Regular; Morale 9. To follow the Pensacola convoy was to be another with 131 75mm field guns, 48 155Ll4 howitzers, and 24 155L36 field gum; to allow MacArthur to complete his divisional/corps artillery. It appears that once the heavier weapons arrived in the Philippines, the artillery units listed above would be converted to those, and their 75 and equipment passed on to the Philippine Army.

For AA work, the 200th Coastal Artillery, AA, of the New Mexico National Guard had arrived. Its organization was:

Regular; Morale: 9

200th Coastal Artillery, AA, with:

    Regimental Headquarters, with:
      1 command stand
      1 command car
      1 staff telephone truck
      1 support stand
      1 medium ammunition truck
      1 medium supply truck
      1 baggage supply truck
      1 supply truck with field kitchen

    Battery A, with:

      1 command/support stand
      1 support stand
      3 towed searchlights
      3 medium trucks

    Batteries B, C, D, each with:

      1 command/support stand
      1 light truck
      1 gun crew stand (ds)
      1 medium truck
      1 3" AA gun

    Battery E, with:

      6 AAMG stands (ds)
      6 medium trucks

    Batteries F, G, H, each with:

      1 command/support stand
      2 gun crew stands
      3 light trucks
      2 37L54 AA guns

Notes

1. At the start of the war, the 200th Coastal Artillery Regiment was split down the middle into two regiments, the 200th, and the 200th Provisional, later the 515th Coastal Artillery Regiment. This was done by drawing on stores on hand, and adding personnel from the Scouts and the Philippine Army. The organizations were the same except that the 515th did not have a Battery E, instead add one AAMG stand to Batteries B, C, D, F, G, H.

2. Three additional National Guard Coastal Artillery Regiments, AA, were under orders to be sent to the Philippines, but the outbreak of the war prevented their sailing.

Mobile Support: Tanks and Self-Propelled Artillery

For mobile support USAFFE could count on an interesting collection of units. To begin with, there were the 192nd and 194th GHQ Light Tank Battalions. These had been formed from the tank companies of various National Guard divisions, and were shipped to the Philippines in the fall of 1941. Each battalion had:

Regular; Morale: 9

GHQ Light Tank Battalion, with:

    Battalion Headquarters, with:
      1 command M-3
      1 support stand
      1 recon M3A1 scout car
      1 medium supply truck
      1 baggage supply truck
      1 supply truck with field kitchen

    3 Companies, each with:

      1 command M 3 light tank
      2 M 3 light tanks

Notes

1. The 192nd arrived in the, Philippines with the following companies:

    Company A, 32nd Tank Company, Wisconsin National Guard
    Company B, 33rd Tank Company, Illinois National Guard
    Company C 37th Tank Company, Ohio National Guard
    Company D, 38th Tank Company, Kentucky National Guard

2. The 194th arrived in the Philippines with the following companies: Company A, 34th Tank Company, Minnesota National Guard Company C 40th Tank Company, Califomia National Guard

3. To balance things out, Company D of the 192nd was transferred to the 194th, so the final organization of the 194th has companies A, C, and D.

4. Two medium tank battalions, equipped with the M-3 Grant, were to have been sent to the Philippines. These would most likely have been the 191st and 193rd Tank Battalions.

In addition to the tanks, 50 of the first 86 M-3 GMC to be produced, along with a shipment of M2 halftracks, were shipped to the Philippines in September. Upon arrival, they were formed into the Provisional Self Propelled Artillery Group. To provide crews and gunners, the 200th Coastal Artillery, the Philippine Scouts, and the Philippine Army, were called on for personnel. Three battalions were formed, each with the following organization:

Regular, Morale: 9

Self Propelled Artillery Group, with:

    Group Headquarters, with;
      1 command stand
      1 M3A1 scout car
      1 staff radio truck
      1 support stand
      1 medium supply truck
      1 baggage supply truck
      1 supply truck with field kitchen

    3 Battalions, each with:

      Battalion Headquarters, with:
        1 command M-2 half track
        1 support stand
        1 medium. supply truck
      4 Companies, each with:
        1 command M 2 half track
        1 M 3 GMC

By December 7, the structure of the USAFFE was in the process of being strengthened. Some 800,000 tons of cargo was sitting on the docks of the west coast, awaiting shipment to the Philippines. Troops were en route, and others alerted to follow. The American build-up in the Philippines was rather amazing, considering the starting date, and the date that the war broke out.

It is doubtful that additional reinforcements could have saved the Philippines from its fate, given that the islands were lost on December 7 at Pearl Harbor. Without a relief force from the United States able to come to the aid of the garrison, they would have to surrender at some point due to lack of supplies. However, based on what was present when the war started, the campaign could have been far different. There are some interesting what ifs that could be gamed out on a strategic/tactical scale.

Bibliography

Order of Battle, US Army World War II, Shelby L. Stanton
The US Army in World War II, The Fall of the Philippines Louis Morton, Office of the Chief of Military History, 1953.
Bataan, Our Last Ditch, John W. Whitman, Hippocrene Books, New York, 1990.

More United States Army Forces in the Far East 1941

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© Copyright 1993 by Greg Novak.
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