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30,2 (3371H) A5 RARE 33711I FITZ) Tolivilu.Ariiii Rafrx)'1 1XR, 6

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30,2 (3371H) A5 RARE 33711I FITZ) Tolivilu.Ariiii Rafrx)'1 1XR, 6 uA 30,2 (3371H) A5 RARE 33711i FITZ) tolivilu.ariiii rafrx)'1 1XR, 6. a, 19:4.4 c,ied ,V,2Y ,44.: 4 44.), 4/4/ School Flew Owanona Fott StIk Av Q RECLASSIFIED TO SIL-7-•1-RigTE.D BY AVi AGF '46) GN0B1 Or Hci (DG)(28 Dec 330 011411 DATE .17/7 (b ALUM 9,31 • A " n 4 • HSANUARTAS 337TH FULD BATTALIOX Ou 88 UNIT&D GNUS AWAY 1 uctober 1944 5UBJ4T: Unit History of the 337th F. A. Bn. for Uonth of Septamber. to ciaumanding Gdnertil, 138th Infantry Division, A:),) 88, U Army. The first dAy of 3eptember 1944 found the J37th field Artillery Battalion in position on the south brink of the Arno Rivtlr near Soandicci, /tall. The batuklion WAS firing mostly narrassing fires and was in Support of the 442nd Infantry. On September 2nd, six months to the day after the 337th crossed the 0,424wriaiAno River and entered combat in the Italian aa4paign, the 337th crossed the Arno River before the Gothic Line and went into position near peretola which is on the westorn edge of Florence (Firenze) The battalion crossed the river at a ford near the West bridge entering the city. The bridge had blen blown by the enemy. The 349th relieved. the 442nd infantry, and the .337th went in direct support of the 349th. The battalion sent out two forward observers, Lt Yemen and S/Sgt Ryser to ',ark with Wm, 91st flacon. on september 3rd. 'Our Irasilian officers arrived at the OP to observe operations of the 337th. The battalion fired 476 rounds during the day at enemy personnel and strong points. September 4th enemy resistance remained strong in the Prato .... Sesta sector and the 337th fired 1273 rounds at targets ranging from inter- diction to enemy vehidlos und enemy infantry in the open. An infantry patrol leaner and patrol were pinned down by an es- timated 15 Germans on September 5th when Lt MONamard, Able FO, Adjusted fire far the patrol leader. The 337th concentration landed on the elAemy killing several of them and allowed the patrol to withdrw successfully. A total of 653 rounds were expended during the period. On September 6th the battalion received the largest PX ration to date. The rations contained approximately 12 bottles of boor and 13 bars of candy per man besides some toilet. articles, soap, etc. Tne beer was issued to the men at the rate of three bottles per des per man. Pros Septemb,r 7th through September leth the battalion remained in position near peretola and followed a training schedule with emphasis on maintenance in preparation to entering the fight in the Gothic Line whenever the Seth Division went out of I/ Corp Reserve and into the line. On the 12th the battalion quota of % to: attended the Joe Louis Boxing Show in the sports Stadium in Florence. Two men from the 337th, Sgt Barnosky and Pvt Goldner, participated in the 5th Amy show traveling with the Louis Xxhibiticn. The battalion maintained continuous reconnaissance as the lines moved forward in preparation to entering the fight. - 1 - page 2 Unit Hiptory for month of -epteviour (contld) On the 19th the battalion moved up just north of Vaglia into a bivouac area to k,ep close enough to the advancing 5th krgy lines to enable the 337th to go into position without any delay once we were ()omitted. ;then the 337th WA3 given the "go ahead" signal to enter the Gothic Lilo on 3epteuber 26th, the Gothic Line had been breached in our sector, as far as the little village of Barco which is just over the peak of Mt 41tuaso. The battalion arrived late on the evening of the 20th and %font into position near La 'Croce. It was raining /kw the ridge line road was very narrow and slick. This, combined with blackout caused two howitzers to roll off the road. The rest of the battalion got into position skitiefactorily. In this and other similar instances the battalion could have used an R.4 bulldozer to save the LOSS of ehuns and vehicles on narrow roads and to greatly speed Up the occupation of position. Firing Wad light on the 21st, bqt on the 42n4 Charlie Fe, Lt Shields, and Ln 0 3 Lt Mensing, adjusted 427 rounds on enemy personnel and machine guns. Un the evening of the 23rd half of the PDC and 12 howitzers moved to 93‘4-0648 which is about 3000 yards east of Firenzuola. The SP battery of six tuns remained behind in firing position in the old area. The rest of the battalion and the SPs moved up the next morning. The battalion fired S71 rounds the 23rd most of which was observed. As the lines continudd moving, the battalion Lloved to vicinity 96.10 on .he 24th and continued to fire on large numbers of enemy tr000s and vehicles. 4mmo expenditure for the 441v was 664 rounds. The drive on towards Castel Del Rio found the Infantry encountering very strong resistance and the Fos and La Os calling for an increasing number of observed targets on the 25th. The majority of the 2475 rounds expended during the day were observed and fell on enemy Infantry and mortars. Tn. battalion area r ceived quite a lot of *Moiling with three men in Charlie battery injured by shell fragments. The battalion remained in position on the 26th as the 2nd battalion, 349th withstood eevena counter attacks which tri,d to retake hill 822. Baker FO, 2nd Lt ieiier, and Ln 0 2, Lt Koehler, did the wet of the adjusting during the day which poured the tremendous total of 2989 rounds into enemy positions. Each time the Krauts attacked the 337th incroased their rate of fire and later investigation of the area showed between 100 and 150 de;:d and WOU14414 GOrman3 in the area where the counter attacks formed. The batt lion moved to vicinity of Val/aka on the 27th and was in position theme as the month came to an end. The progress of the lines was hOld up mostly by the heavy rains during the last three days of the month. ThO oanraaleers fired 1446 rounds during the 27th with Ln 0 1, Capt Lester, adjutiting on enemy infantry with good effeat and Ln 03, 1st Lt uensing, adjustint; on SP guns and le machine iiuns. Observation vote very bad the 28th and activitry was Most of the 1iring on the 29th and 3Cth was unobserved and was largely Wrests- int; and interdiction. .t• FetTA 3 Unit History for Month of Septowber (contld) Oil, in this position at Valsalva the 337tn tire6 missions supporting sath Division Infantry making drives on the three L.ain, mountains which were holding up the progre3s of the Division. These mountains were Mt La Fine, Mt Cappello and Mt Battaglia. Mission fired on Mt La Fin* were in direct support of the 349th Infantry while fifes on Cappello and Battaglia were reinforcing on our extreme left which had 337th howitzers firing on a front of approximately 344 mils sector. During septsmbdr 2nd Lt Joseph J. re4zyk was commissioned from a FO party in Charlie Battery where he held th leatin4 of Seroant. Six officers who joined the battalion during Septembdr were: let Lt aral R. Music, w 2nd Lte J. W. Ray, Stanley J. Wailer, Jumes MA Sanders, John J. Candner, and Robert R. Tucker. The 13,426 rounds of ammo that the 337th and attached units fired at the encv during Septembor bruit the .337th total expended in the Italian amiipaigt to 82,031 rounds. The 337th battery* received their aaditional two howitzers per battery the last few days of the month and although fire power has been increased by Xr per cent, the buttery comanders ttelieve that another AgtIs rating should be added aLd number of cannoneere in the battlry raid because they do not feel that the smaller gun soctions.oan stand the 24 hbur shifts re- quired of a gun section for the length of time a battery is usually in the lingo during a drive. Also the firing buttery* find that the addition of guns to the battery should be supplemented by the addition of anothor fifth section truck. 444teitzaz • major) 337ith FA Dm, Commanding.' • 'Am 'Skiaro' .. 337TH FIE'LD ARTILLFRX PATTI LION HISTORY RECLASSIFIED TO NOVFMBIR 1944 LELTEICTZ- D BY iL Ltr Fig CF O. 01/411 (DC) Dec '46) GNGLit • 1., E .41X L'I-VRARY School Field A•t, 0anorna Fort so‘ AR= "P" ' =An ADM (Xi, tAITH INF Dv* aisANpavatas 337w PLu) arm-IA:At aArmaoslnjtjalsz°tie. untuid States 14rmy pate: I Dee 44 44.1'u tictl 1 December 1944 SUM t Unit History of the 337th Field Artillery Battalion for the month of November, 1944. Commanding General, Seth Infantry Division, APu atio us Army. November 1 The 337th Field Artillery Battelion wah in position near 3an Clemente, Italy on November 1# 1944 ana firing in direct stxpport of the 349th Infantry itagiment. /n addition to nib own Battalion of 18 duns Major Hargreaves had the 349th ennaon Company of 6 guns, 6 3Pe attached, 3 unk Destroyers, and 40 Tanks under his covmandl making a total of i3 dune. The Tanks and Tas Aore wployed on long range harassing targets, witile the rest of this tremendous fire power group WUts ubea for direct suFport assions for the Doughtv,s and other fires on 041. The combat team ‘f the 337th 1,4 Bn and tno 349th Infantry Regiment had just eompleted,the capture of mt.
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