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Unit History

The 267th Field Artillery Battalion (267th FAB) was a Field Artillery battalion of the United States Army during World War II. During the Cold War, it was briefly reactivated as the 267th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (267th AFAB).

World War II

Formation and training

On 25 January 1943, the 267th Field Artillery Battalion was constituted in the Army of the United States; it was activated on 1 March at Camp Shelby. The 267th FAB, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Walter Hinsch, was a truck drawn 105 mm howitzer, nondivisional unit assigned to the Third Army. Attached to the 403rd Field Artillery Group of XIX Corps, it was officered by reservists and recent graduates of the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, and manned by Georgia National Guardsmen transferred from the 179th Field Artillery Group and Selective Service draftees from the Field Artillery Replacement Training Centers at Fort Bragg and Fort Sill. The battalion spent the most of the year training at Camp Shelby.

On 26 December it was transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and assigned to the 402nd Field Artillery Group of XII Corps, part of the Second Army. At Fort Bragg, the 267th converted to the 240 mm howitzer M1, the largest field artillery piece excluding railway guns fielded by the United States Army during the war. It was one of fifteen 240mm howitzer battalions fielded by the United States during the war. Between 23 April and 5 May 1944, the 267th FAB staged for deployment at Fort Slocum, Fort Dix, and Camp Kilmer. At Fort Dix the 267th resumed intensive training, then awaited transportation at Camp Kilmer until 22 July.

Overseas service and demobilization

The battalion crossed the Atlantic aboard the RMS Queen Mary, arriving in England on 28 July. While awaiting movement to France, the 267th stayed in temporary quarters at Bude. The battalion crossed the English Channel from Weymouth aboard LSTs and LCTs on 1 September and had landed at Utah Beach in its entirety by 4 September, with the elements aboard the LCTs having been delayed by a storm. Between 5 September and 17 December, the battalion provided artillery support for the Third Army during its advance to the Rhine across Northern France. From 17 December to the end of the war, it was relieved from XII Corps and placed on special duty with the Third Army Provost Marshal, guarding bridges and handling prisoners of war in the army area.[1]

On 19 May the 267th moved forward to Auerbach, where it guarded a prisoner of war camp for captured German troops. The battalion was ordered transferred to the South West Pacific to participated in the invasion of Japan by an order of 1 August, but the order was cancelled due to the surrender of Japan. The 267th returned to the United States on 11 February 1946 and was inactivated the following day at Camp Kilmer.

For its service in Europe, the battalion was authorized four campaign streamers including: Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. In the European Theater of Operation the Battalion had two men wounded and none killed. Three officers received the Air Medal. Four officers and 48 enlisted men received Bronze Star Medals, and two enlisted men received Purple Heart Medals.

Cold War

On 31 January 1949, the 267th was redesignated as the 971st Field Artillery Battalion and allotted to the Organized Reserve Corps. It was activated at Newark, New Jersey on 7 March 1949, inactivating there on 12 July 1950. The battalion was again redesignated as the 267th FAB on 14 March 1952. On 14 January 1955, it was redesignated as the 267th Armored Field Artillery Battalion and transferred to the Regular Army.

On 7 March 1955, the 267th AFAB was reactivated at Fort Sill, equipped with M114 155 mm howitzer. It deployed to Babenhausen Germany on 1 April 1956, replacing the 597th Armored Field Artillery Battalion and was inactivated on 1 December 1957 in Germany.

It departed Fort Sill on 3/27/1956 heading for Hanau, Germany on 4/1/1956 after sailing from NY City to Bremehaven Germany. This was part of Operation Gyroscope. It was stationed in Babenhausen and attached to the 36th Field Artillery Group. The Battalion was inactivated in Germany on 12/1/1957 when it was replaced by the 288th Armored Field Artillery Battalion.

HISTORY OF THE BATTALION

1/25/1943 Constituted in the Army of the United States as the 267th Field Artillery Battalion
3/1/1943 Camp Shelby MS 267th Field Artillery Battalion activated as part of the 3rd Army to fire 105mm Howitzers (Truck drawn and nondivisional). Officers were Reservists called to Active Duty and recent graduates of the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School, Ft Sill OK, and the enlisted members were almost entirely from personnel called to active duty with the Georgia National Guard and transferred from the 179th FA Group Camp Shelby. The Field Artillery Replacement Training Centers at Fort Bragg and Fort Sill furnished the majority of filler enlisted. Most of them were draftees. The enlisted medical detachment were from the 78th Infantry Division, Camp Butler NC. Lt Col Walter Hinsch was CO. Bn was attached to the 403rd FA Group
3/1/1943 - 12/24/1943 Camp Shelby MS The 267 FAB was billeted and trained in the area of 38th to 42nd Streets and 9th to 15th Avenues.
12/26/1943 - 4/22/1944 The 267 FAB transferred to Fort Bragg NC. Relieved of assignment to 3rd Army and attachment to XIX Corps and 403 FA Group and assigned to 2nd Army, XII Corps and 402nd FA Group. The 267 FAB converts from 105mm Howitzers to 240mm Howitzers. The 240mm howitzer fires a 360 lb shell a maximum range of 14.3 miles. The 267th is one of fifteen 240mm howitzer battalions to delploy to the ETO. The others were: the 265th, 266th, 269th, 270th, 272nd, 277th, 278th, 538th, 539th, 551st, 552nd, 553rd, 697th, and 698th.
4/23/1944 - 5/5/1944 The 267 FAB was staging for deployment at Fort Slocum, NY, Fort Dix, NJ and Camp Kilmer, NJ
5/5/1944 - 6/26/1944 Fort Dix NJ The Battalion resumed intensive training for deployment overseas
6/26/1944 - 7/22/1944 Camp Kilmer NJ The Battaion awaiting transportation overseas
7/23/1944 - 7/28/1944 SS QUEEN MARY Wartime Cruise WW #38E with 12,009 troops and 1,130 crew sailed under the command of Captain Bisset from NYC to Greenock Scotland (outside of Glasgow). It traveled 3,315 miles at an average speed of 28.02 knots. Crossing took 4 days, 22 hours and 18 minutes.
7/30/1944 - 8/28/1944 Bude Cornwall England Moved into temporary quarters awaiting movement to ETO
9/1/1944 - 9/4/1944 Utah Beach France 267 FAB departed Weymouth on LST's and LCT's and crossed English Channel to Utah Beach in France. Part of the Bn arrived the same day, debarking at Utah Beach on 9/2. Bivouacked at Assembly Area B. Those loaded on LCT's were either kept in port or forced back to Weymouth England because of a channel storm rough water. Those who return to England were delayed until 9/4, when the entire unit was on Utah Beach.
9/5/1944 - 12/17/1944 Provides artillery support for Third Army units in Northern France
12/17/1944 - 5/8/1945 267 FAB relieved from XII Corps and placed on special duty with the Provost Marshall, The Bn was given the mission of guarding bridges and administering and evacuating POWs in the 3rd Army area.
5/19/1945 - 6/16/1945 Auerbach Germany The 267th ran a POW camp for captured German soldiers
8/1/1945 Auerback Germany Ordered to South West Pacific Area under shipment #R4085-HH. The order was cancelled with the end of the war
2/11/1946 267 FAB arrives in US
2/12/1946 Camp Kilmer NJ 267th FAB is inactivated. AUTHORIZED BATTLE STREAMERS include: Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. In the ETO, the Battalion had two men wounded and none killed. Three officers received the Air Medal. Four officers and forty-eight enlisted men received Bronze Star Medals, and two enlisted men received Purple Heart Medals.
1/31/1949 The 267 FAB is redesignated as the 971st Field Artillery Battalion and allotted to the Organized Reserve Corps.
3/7/1949 - 7/12/1950 Newark NJ Activated as a Reserve FAB for slightly more than one year.
3/14/1952 The Battalion was again redesignated the 267th Field Artillery Battalion
1/14/1955 Redesignated as the 267th Armored Field Artillery Battalion at which time it was withdrawn from the Army Reserve and designated as Regular Army
3/7/1955 - 12/1/1957 Fort Sill OK and Babenhausen Germany 267th Armored Field Artillery Battalion was activated and replaced the 200 Armored Field Artillery Battalion which was returned to National Guard status. It was armed with 155mm self-propelled Howitzers. It departed Fort Sill on 3/27/1956 to replaced the 597th Armored Field Artillery Battalion at Hanau Germany on 4/1/1956 after sailing from NY City to Bremehaven Germany. This was part of Operation Gyroscope. It was stationed in Babenhausen and attached to the 36th Field Artillery Group. The Battalion was inactivated in Germany on 12/1/1957 when it was replaced by the 288th Armored Field Artillery Battalion