2nd Infantry Division Artillery (United States)

Country United States United States of America
Branch Army
Type Field artillery
Role Division Force Fires HQs
Size Brigade
Part of 7th Infantry Division
2nd Infantry Division
Garrison/HQ Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Nickname(s) Warrior Strike
Equipment M119A3 / M777A2
Battle honours World War I
World War II
Korean War
Commanders
Current
commander		 COL Philip Raymond
Command Sergeant Major CSM Timothy Cohen
Notable
commanders		 GEN Lesley J. McNair, 1937-1939
MG James L. Collins, 1939
LTG David D. Halverson, 1999-2001

The 2nd Infantry Division Artillery (DIVARTY) or "Warrior Strike" is the Force Fires Headquarters for the 2nd Infantry Division. The DIVARTY served with the division from 1917-2006, including combat service in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. In addition to peacetime service with the division at Fort Lewis, Washington, Fort Benning, Georgia, and in Japan and Alaska, the DIVARTY spent 40 years ensuring the Armistice in Korea. Currently station at Fort Lewis once again, the DIVARTY provides fire support coordination and mission command for the training and readiness of two Field Artillery battalions.

History

World War I & Interwar

2nd Infantry Division Artillery[1] was constituted on 21 September 1917 in the Regular Army as Headquarters, 2d Field Artillery Brigade. It was partially organized in October 1917 at Governors Island, New York, and assigned to the 2d Division (later redesignated as the 2d Infantry Division); organization completed 1 January 1918 in France, consisting of the 12th, 15th and 17th Field Artillery regiments, and the 2nd Trench Mortar Battery. The Brigade was deployed to France during World War I in support of US and Allied Forces and fought in many key battles, to include: Aisne, lle de France, Aisne-Marne, Lorraine and Meuse-Argonne. For its actions the 2nd FA Brigade was awarded the French Croix de guerre with two Palms and the French Fourragère. After the war was over the brigade returned home to Fort Sam Houston, where it was disbanded on 7 October 1939.

World War II

The DIVARTY was reconstituted on 10 September 1940 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2d Division Artillery and activated on 1 October 1940 at Fort Sam Houston. Following training in the United States, the unit left for Europe to take part in World War II, where on 7 June 1944 it fired in support of the Normandy landings that took place on the previous day. Under the new "triangular" organization, the DIVARTY was composed of its headquarters battery, a 155mm general support battalion (the 12th Field Artillery Battalion) and three 105mm direct support battalions (the 15th Field Artillery Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Battalion and 38th Field Artillery Battalion). The 38th Field Artillery Battalion was detached to the 9th Armored Division for a few days in May 1945, and the DIVARTY received the attachment of numerous field artillery batteries, battalions and groups over the course of fighting from 13 June 1944 to 28 April 1945.

2d Division Artillery moved through Europe to support the division in France, Belgium, Germany, and finally into Czechoslovakia. Following the end of the war, it left Europe to return to Camp Swift, Texas in July 1945 in preparation for deployment to the Pacific. For its actions in World War II the unit earned campaign streamers embroidered Normandy, Northern France, Reinhold, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. 2d Division Artillery was also awarded the Belgian Fourragère for actions in Ardennes and Elsenborn Crest.

Cold War

Korean Conflict

Alerted on 8 July 1950, the Division Artillery, commanded by Brigadier General Loyal M. Haynes, departed from Tacoma, WA on the USNS "General Funston" on 22 July 1950, and arrived in Pusan on 20 August. The individual battalions shipped with their Regimental Combat Teams (details to be developed). In August 1950, during the Korean War, the 2nd Infantry Division moved into the Pusan perimeter to relieve the 24th Infantry Division. 2d Division Artillery moved with its division and fired in support of US, ROK and UN forces until the end of the war. In 1954 2d Division Artillery returned to the U.S. at Fort Lewis, Washington. For actions in Korea the unit earned 10 Campaign streamers and was awarded two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations. At least six members of the Division Artillery headquarters and medical detachment were awarded the Silver Star for actions during the Korean Conflict:

In 1955, the 15th and 37th FA Bns were converted from 105mm towed units to 105mm self-propelled. In 1957, the DIVARTY reorganized as part of the Army's conversion to the Pentomic organization. The new DIVARTY consisted of a headquarters, a single 105mm howitzer battalion with five batteries, and a composite general support battalion, with two 155mm howitzer batteries of six guns, a four gun battery of 8-in howitzers, and a Honest John rocket battery with 2 launchers. In 1960, the DIVARTY reorganized into five composite battalions, each with a battery of 155mm howitzers and a battery of 105mm howitzers. Each battalioni was designed to provide direct support to one of the division's five infantry battle groups. Two of the battalions (6th How Bn, 37th Arty and 5th How Bn, 38th Arty) were equipped with self-propelled howitzers, while the other three battalions fielded towed howitzers. An composite general support battalion consisted of 8-in howitzers and Honest John rockets.

On 14 June 1958 the unit was reorganized and redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2d Infantry Division Artillery.

In 1965 the colors of the 2d Infantry Division Artillery left Fort Benning, Georgia, and went to Korea, where they were used to reflag the 1st Cavalry Division.

Post Cold War

In September 2005, the Division Artillery moved from Camp Stanley to Camp Casey, and began reorganization as a provisional 2nd Fires Brigade as part of the Army's transformation to modularity. On 30 November 2006, the 2nd Infantry Division Artillery was inactivated, and its personnel and equipment assets used to activated the 210th Fires Brigade.

The 2nd Infantry Division Artillery was reactivated at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, on 25 September 2014 to provide training oversight and professional development to the two cannon battalions at JBLM and to two cannon battalions in Alaska.[8]

Lineage & Honors

Lineage

Campaign Participation Credit

World War I: Aisne; Aisne-Marne; St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Ile de France 1918; Lorraine 1918

World War II: Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe

Korean War: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea, Summer-Fall 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea, Summer 1953

Decorations

Heraldry

No Heraldic Items Authorized[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 2d Infantry Division Artillery". History.army.mil. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  2. ↑ http://www.koreanwar2.org/kwp2/usa/2id/go/USA_2ID_GO_1950_87-89.pdf
  3. ↑ http://www.koreanwar2.org/kwp2/usa/2id/go/USA_2ID_GO_1951_317-332.pdf
  4. ↑ http://www.koreanwar2.org/kwp2/usa/2id/go/USA_2ID_GO_1951_124.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.koreanwar2.org/kwp2/usa/2id/go/USA_2ID_GO_1951_173-174.pdf
  6. ↑ http://www.koreanwar2.org/kwp2/usa/2id/go/USA_2ID_GO_1951_112-113.pdf
  7. ↑ http://www.koreanwar2.org/kwp2/usa/2id/go/USA_2ID_GO_1951_138-139.pdf
  8. ↑ http://www.army.mil/article/134800/2nd_Infantry_DIVARTY_activates_on_JBLM/
  9. ↑ McKenney, Janice E. (2010). "Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2d Infantry Division Artillery". Field Artillery Part 1. Army Lineage Series. United States Army Center of Military History. pp. 38.

External links

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