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Interesting A Soldiers Guide to Italy

Article about: Guys Picked this up this week for a few quid from Ebay Interesting writing inside? Any ideas? I am thinking 175th Field Artillery Battalion ? Cheers in advance !

  1. #11
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    I'm guessing a convoy of ships, and quite possibly carrying the troops for the landing force. They could have lowered nets over the side for the troops to clamber down to the landing craft. You will need to research the history of the 175th to confirm if they were there.

  2. #12

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    Thanks
    I'm assuming Joseph E Kelly was the CO of the 175th
    Apparently they were the first US to fire an artillery shell at the Germans in the ETO

  3. #13

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    The Ortranto was built at Vickers in Barrow in Furness, i have been working there this year for months !

  4. #14

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    Based on my research from my World War Two Order of Battle Book by Shelby Stanton:

    The 175th Field Artillery (105 mm howitzers-Trk-D) Truck Drawn was part of the 34th Infantry Division. The unit left the US on April 30, 1942 and arrived in England on May 13, 1942. It then moved to North Africa, arriving on January 3, 1943 and later ended up in Italy on September 21, 1943.

    Campaign Credits with the 34th Infantry Division include: Tunisia, Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, North Apennines, Po Valley..

    In August 1945 the unit (34th Division and its elements were located at Iseo, Italy.

    The 175th along with the 34th Division returned to the US via the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation on November 3, 1945

    The insignia pictured are 2 versions of the 175th FA Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia also known as "unit crests" or "DIs"..



    Here is the Lineage and Honors of the 175th

    151st FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT
    (FIRST MINNESOTA HEAVY ARTILLERY)
    Organized 14 August-25 November 1864 in the Minnesota Volunteers as the 1st Battalion, Heavy Artillery, and mustered into Federal service
    Expanded, reorganized, and redesignated 25 February 1865 as the 1st Regiment of Heavy Artillery, Minnesota Volunteers
    Mustered out of Federal service 27 September 1865 at Chattanooga, Tennessee
    (Minnesota Enrolled Militia redesignated 1 March 1871 as the Minnesota National Guard)
    Reorganized 1872-1881 in the Minnesota National Guard as separate sections of artillery
    Consolidated in 1887 with the St. Paul Cavalry Troop (organized 2 June 1885 at St. Paul) and consolidated unit designated as the Squadron of Mounted Troops
    Expanded, reorganized, and redesignated in April 1889 as the 2d (Bennet’s) Battery of Light Artillery
    Redesignated in April 1889 as the 1st Battalion of Mounted Troops
    Reorganized and redesignated 2 May 1893 as the 1st Battalion of Artillery
    Expanded, reorganized, and redesignated 10 March 1913 as the 1st Field Artillery, to consist of the 1st Battalion at St. Paul and the 2d Battalion at Minneapolis
    Mustered into Federal service 1-21 July 1916 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota; mustered out of Federal service 28 February 1917 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota
    Called into Federal service 23 June 1917; drafted into Federal service 5 August 1917
    Reorganized and redesignated 18 August 1917 as the 151st Field Artillery and assigned to the 42d Division
    Demobilized 10 May 1919 at Camp Dodge, Iowa
    Reorganized and Federally recognized 18 November 1919 as the 1st Field Artillery with Headquarters at Minneapolis
    Redesignated 21 November 1921 as the 151st Field Artillery and assigned to the 34th Division
    Inducted into Federal service 10 February 1941 at Minneapolis
    Regiment broken up 1 February 1942 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows:
    Headquarters disbanded
    Headquarters Battery as the Pioneer Company, 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion, and relieved from assignment to the 34th Division
    Reorganized and redesignated 31 May 1942 as the Reconnaissance Company, 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion
    Inactivated 29 November 1945 at the New York Port of Embarkation, New York
    1st Battalion as the 151st Field Artillery Battalion, an element of the 34th Infantry Division
    Inactivated 3 November 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia
    2d Battalion as the 175th Field Artillery Battalion (see ANNEX 1)
    151st Field Artillery Battalion, Reconnaissance Company, 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion, and Headquarters, 151st Field Artillery (reconstituted 25 August 1945 in the Minnesota National Guard) consolidated, reorganized, and Federally recognized 14 October 1946 as the 151st Field Artillery Battalion, with Headquarters at Minneapolis; concurrently assigned to the 47th Infantry Division
    Ordered into active Federal service 16 January 1951 at Minneapolis
    (151st Field Artillery Battalion [NGUS] organized and Federally recognized 16 January 1953 at Minneapolis)
    Released from active Federal service 2 December 1954 and reverted to state control; Federal recognition concurrently withdrawn from the 151st Field Artillery Battalion (NGUS)
    Consolidated 22 February 1959 with the 256th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (see ANNEX 2) to form the 151st Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st and 2d Howitzer Battalions and the 3d Rocket Howitzer Battalion, elements of the 47th Infantry Division
    Reorganized 1 April 1963 to consist of the 1st and 3d Battalions, elements of the 47th Infantry Division
    Reorganized 1 February 1968 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 47th Infantry Division
    Redesignated 1 May 1972 as the 151st Field Artillery
    Reorganized 1 April 1977 to consist of the 1st Battalion and Battery E, elements of the 47th Infantry Division
    Withdrawn 30 November 1988 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System
    Reorganized 10 February 1991 to consist of the 1st Battalion and Battery E, elements of the 34th Infantry Division
    Consolidated 1 September 1992 with the 175th Field Artillery (see ANNEX 1) and consolidated unit designated as the 151st Field Artillery to consist of the 1st Battalion and Battery E, elements of the 34th Infantry Division
    Reorganized 1 September 1997 to consist of the 1st Battalion and Batteries E and F, elements of the 34th Infantry Division
    Battery E ordered into active Federal service 2 December 1999 at Anoka; released from active Federal service 27 August 2000 and reverted to state control
    Battery F ordered into active Federal service 10 August 2003 at Cambridge; released from active Federal service 8 August 2004 and reverted to state control
    Battery E ordered into active Federal service 13 December 2003 at Anoka; released from active Federal service 3 June 2005 and reverted to state control
    1st Battalion ordered into active Federal service 17 September � 30 November 2004 at home stations
    Redesignated 1 October 2005 as the 151st Field Artillery Regiment
    Released from active Federal service 15 March � 25 May 2006 and reverted to state control
    Reorganized 1 September 2006 to consist of the 1st Battalion and Battery E
    ANNEX 1
    Organized 1 February 1942 in the Army of the United States as the 175th Field Artillery Battalion, an element of the 34th Infantry Division
    Inactivated 3 November 1945 at Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, Virginia
    Relieved 10 June 1946 from assignment to the 34th Infantry Division and assigned to the 47th Infantry Division
    Reorganized and Federally recognized 19 February 1947 in the Minnesota National Guard as the 175th Field Artillery Battalion with Headquarters at Olivia
    Ordered into active Federal service 16 January 1951 at home stations
    (175th Field Artillery Battalion [NGUS] organized and Federally recognized 16 January 1953 with Headquarters at Olivia)
    Released from active Federal service 2 December 1954 and reverted to state control; Federal recognition concurrently withdrawn from the 175th Field Artillery Battalion (NGUS)
    Reorganized 22 February 1959 as the 175th Artillery, a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System, to consist of the 1st Howitzer Battalion
    Reorganized 1 April 1963 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 47th Infantry Division
    Redesignated 1 May 1972 as the 175th Field Artillery
    Withdrawn 30 November 1988 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System
    Reorganized 10 February 1991 to consist of the 1st Battalion, an element of the 34th Infantry Division
    ANNEX 2
    Organized and Federally recognized 30 January 1919 in the Minnesota National Guard from existing elements as the 6th Infantry with Headquarters at St. Paul
    Reorganized and redesignated 1 December 1923 as the 206th Infantry
    Converted, reorganized, and redesignated 1 July 1940 as the 216th Coast Artillery
    Inducted into Federal service 6 January 1941 at home stations
    1st Battalion reorganized and redesignated 10 September 1943 as the 774th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion (remainder of regiment-hereafter separate lineages)
    Inactivated 8 June 1944 at Camp Howze, Texas
    Disbanded 26 June 1944
    Reconstituted 25 August 1945 in the Minnesota National Guard
    Reorganized and Federally recognized 24 October 1946 at St. Paul as the 256th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, an element of the 47th Infantry Division
    Ordered into active Federal service 16 January 1951 at St. Paul
    (256th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion [NGUS] organized and Federally recognized 16 January 1953 with Headquarters at St. Paul)
    Reorganized and redesignated 20 May 1953 as the 256th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
    Released from active Federal service 2 December 1954 and reverted to state control; Federal recognition concurrently withdrawn from the 256th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (NGUS)
    CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION CREDIT

    Civil War
    Tennessee 1864
    Tennessee 1865

    World War I
    Champagne-Marne
    Aisne-Marne
    St. Mihiel
    Meuse-Argonne
    Champagne 1918
    Lorraine 1918

    World War II
    Algeria-French Morocco (with arrowhead)
    Tunisia
    Naples-Foggia (with arrowhead)
    Anzio
    Rome-Arno
    North Apennines
    Po Valley

    War on Terrorism
    Campaigns to be determined
    Battery E (Anoka) additionally entitled to:
    World War II
    Normandy
    Northern France
    Rhineland
    Ardennes-Alsace
    Central Europe

    War on Terrorism
    Campaigns to be determined

    DECORATIONS
    Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2005-2006
    French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II, Streamer embroidered BELVEDERE
    Battery E (Anoka) additionally entitled to:
    Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered IRAQ 2004-2005
    Belgian Fourragere 1940
    Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at Mons
    Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at Eupen-Malmedy

    BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY:


    Smitty
    Attached Images Attached Images Interesting A Soldiers Guide to Italy  Interesting A Soldiers Guide to Italy 

  5. #15
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    Did any of your research show if the 175th landed at Salerno Smitty?

  6. #16

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    Quote by Ubique View Post
    Did any of your research show if the 175th landed at Salerno Smitty?
    Anyone?

  7. #17

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    Apologies for my extended absence.. Life events sometimes take precedence..

    So, below is a link for the 34th Division history.. The 175th did not land at Salerno.. to paraphrase from the link below:

    "By now it was no secret that, after the fall of Sicily which by this time was imminent, the next attack of Allied forces would be Europe itself. For the past seven months plans for an attack in southern Europe had been underway, and it was finally decided that the best promise for a successful landing would be the beaches of southern Italy. The invasion was code named “Avalanche”. German-Italian forces were known to be in great strength throughout the Italian peninsula so a landing anywhere would not be a walkover. The invasion of the "soft underbelly” of Europe was to be a gigantic and complex operation. Several major attacks would be initiated: three American Ranger Battalions, two British Commando units, a British armored brigade, and two British Divisions would hit the beaches south and east of Salerno, about 30miles southeast of Naples. The American 82nd Airborne Division would support these landings in the northern sector. About 10 miles south of these landings the American 36th Division which had just recently arrived from the United States and had undergone amphibious training at Oran with the 34th, was to spearhead the attack near the coastal city of Paestum followed by the American 3rd, 34th, and 45th Divisions and the 13th Field Artillery Brigade once the beachhead was established. Most of the 34th was held in reserve. As it turned out, the only unit of the 34th that was to participate in these landings was the 151st Field Artillery which had been detached to the 36th Division".


    Full text of "Thirty-fourth Infantry Division : [red bull]"


    Smitty

  8. #18
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    Then the two names were not meant to be in connection with the ships. They were just noted for some other reason. Not sure the handwriting is the same either.

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