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15th Field Artillery Regiment |
15 Allons! |
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Movement Overseas
Credit: National Archives Following this, a 770 mile road march began on 27 September 1944 and carried the 15th FA Bn to Schoenberg, Belgium. By 4 October 1944, the 15th FA Bn crossed into Germany and opened fire on elements of both the 2nd and 3rd SS Panzer Grenadier Divisions. On 17 December 1944, the 15th FA Bn fought as an integral part of the 2nd Infantry Division’s attack on the Siegfried Line near Elsenborn. By 1 February 1945, the area known as Heartbreak Crossroads was taken after a multi-divisional battle.
Credit: National Archives On 21 March 1945, the 15th FA Bn crossed the Rhine River into Germany on a pontoon bridge near Remagen, and took up firing positions near the town of Leutesdorf. After several heavy engagements, the 15th FA Bn moved to new firing positions at the town of Vaake, near the Weser River, arriving there on 7 April 1945. Throughout the remainder of April 1945, the 15th FA Bn moved many times and even had to engage the enemy with direct fire from its howitzers. By 5 May 1945, the 2nd Infantry Division moved into Czechoslovakia along with the 15th FA Bn. The war was officially over on 8 May 1945.
Credit: National Archives As their contribution to help defeat the forces of evil and to win WW-II, the 15th FA Bn was in combat for 336 days and fired 151,000 rounds while providing direct fire support to the 2nd Infantry Division and general support to several other divisions. For their efforts and sacrifices the 15th FA Bn was awarded streamers for five major campaigns during WW-II including: Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; and Central Europe.
Streamer image: Institute of Heraldry Additionally, the 15th FA Bn was awarded the Belgian Fourragere, and was cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for extraordinary combat action in the battle of the Ardennes and Elsenborn Crest. Individual decorations awarded to members of the 15th FA Bn during WW-II included: 6 Silver Star Medals; 91 Bronze Star Medals for Gallantry; 83 Bronze Star Medals for Meritorious Service; 20 Air Medals; and 170 Purple Hearts. All of the honors earned by the 15th FA Bn and its members during WW-II did not come cheaply as twenty-nine (29) members of the 15th FA Bn were killed in action [WW-II Scroll of Honor]. The Indianheads of the Fighting Fifteenth had paid their dues - Again! Written by: Dan Gillotti (15th Historian)
"Typical
Cannoneer of the 15th FA Bn The
15th Field Artillery Battalion The 15th Field
Artillery Battalion left the USA and arrived in Northern Ireland late October
1943. The 15th was billeted near Armagh, at and around Markethill, a small
village. The Battalion HQ and staff and Battery commanders plus other officers
were housed in Gosford Castle, one of the oldest and largest castles in Ireland.
The Battalion trained here while in N. Ireland. Before we left N. Ireland we
were addressed and inspected by General Patton. The 15th moved on
April 17th, 1944, embarked on the James T. Parker to our marshalling area at
Porthcawl in South Wales. After finishing tactical training, the Battalion was
billeted in a group of resort hotels along the Esplanade overlooking the Bristol
Channel, and began specialized training. While in Porthcawl the
Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Robert L. Cassibry, staff officers and Battery
Commanders were billeted in a large two-story house. I can't remember the name
of the lady who owned it. She remained at the home and was so very helpful in
"caring" for us. Often we would provide her with rations and she
would cook "home cooked" meals. I have never forgotten this! I am sure
this home is still there... All the people in Porthcawl were nice to all of us,
soldiers and officers -very helpful, always. After a month of
preparation the 15th moved to Barry, south Wales for final staging in
anticipation of the coming invasion. Here the Infantry-Artillery combat teams
were made up. The 15th FA Battalion formed a combat team with the 9th Infantry
Regiment. It was here that we were addressed by the First Army Commander, Lt
General Omar Bradley and inspected by various General Officers. The forward echelon of
the 15th moved by rail to board the US Army Transport George Goethals on June
2nd 1944, in Swansea harbor. The unit materiel and remainder of personnel were
loaded on the (Liberty ship) Charles Sumner. With the 2nd Infantry Division
assigned to follow the 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions landings in France, the
9th Combat team (9th Infantry-15th FA Battalion) received the mission of the
initial 2nd Division landing. On June 7th 1944, D+1,
at 15.30 hours, the 15th Battalion commander, Lt Col. Cassibry, and
reconnaissance party, which included all the firing battery commanders, (A
Battery - Captain Ed Hrdlicka; B Battery - Captain Emil Meis; C Battery -
Captain Herbert Hartung) landed on the French coast at St. Laurent-sur-Mer
(Beach: Omaha, Easy Red.) With great success the Battalion moved into action
with extremely low casualties and began the Trevieres offensive. I lost, killed
in action, only one soldier on D+1. I remained as A
Battery commander throughout the war, winding up in Losina, Czechoslovakia, near
Pilzen, on May 7th, 1945 and May 9th, 1945, VE Day, when war ended. We had 336 days of
fighting, including five major campaigns: I retired on Feb 1st
1970, in San Antonio, Texas - 30 years active service.
Tire advertisement from WW2 "While the Battle of
the Bulge couldn't have been won by artillery alone, it was the superhuman effort of the
artillery that prevented it from being lost on several occasions." Help build the Wall of Liberty memorial... The landscaped park is intended to serve as the setting for the Wall of Liberty, honoring the memory of American soldiers who fought on the beaches of Utah and Omaha beaches, June 6, 1944, and throughout the European Theater of Operations. The first phase of the project will be to list the names of the original 66,000 contributors of the "Battle of Normandy Foundation," and also the names of American soldiers who died on D-Day. Once this goal has been achieved, additional circular gardens may be erected to list the names of all Americans who served in the European Theatre of Operations WWII.
The proposed Memorial Park, which will be a counter friendly addition at UTAH BEACH, to the beautiful American Cemetery overlooking OMAHA BEACH at Collevile-sur-Mer. For more details see: US WW2 Wall of Liberty Foundation
Visitors since March 7, 2001
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