California Militia and National Guard Unit Histories
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, VII Corps Artillery
(former Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 76th Field Artillery Brigade)
By Dan Sebby
Historian, Camp San Luis Obispo
 

 

Constituted in the National Guard on 1 September 1940 and allotted to the State of California. Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB) organized on 16 December 1940 at Santa Paula, CA.

Inducted into active Federal service at Santa Paula, assigned to the IX Corps, and transferred to Fort Francis E. Warren, WY, where it arrived on 1 April 1941. The following regiments were assigned to the Brigade:
One of the major activities that the brigade participated in was the massive Fourth Army Maneuvers that were held at the Fort Lewis - Chehalis, Washington region during the period 15 August to 5 September 1941. After the exercise, the brigade returned to Fort Francis E. Warren until 14 December 1941 when it was transferred to Fort Lewis.

Pre-war commanders of the brigade were:
The Brigade remained at Fort Lewis until 16 April 1943 when they began at training rotation at Camp Young in the deserts of the California-Arizona Maneuver Area (CAMA). While there, the Brigade was relieved from IX Corps and reassigned to IV Corps on 15 May 1943. In June, the Brigade arrived at the yet to be finished Camp Granite, which was also part of CAMA.

The brigade then was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, MO where they arrived on 23 August 1943. They then staged for overseas deployment at Camp Shanks, NY 1-21 October 1943. They departed the New York Port of Embarkation on 21 October 1943 and arrived in England 3 November 1943.

On 14 February 1944, the 76th Field Artillery Brigade was redesignated as VII Corps Artillery.

On 6 June 1944, HHB, VII Corps Artillery (as well as fellow former California National Guard unit, Battery B, 980th Field Artillery Battalion from Bakersfield) landed at Normandy. The rest of VII Corps Artillery, including California's 980th and 981st Field Artillery Battalions had landed at Normandy by 12 June 1944. It should be noted that the HHB, 65th Field Artillery Brigade at Utah National Guard, a unit formerly assigned to the 40th Infantry Division was redesignated as V Corps Artillery and also landed at Normandy on D-Day.

VII Corps Artillery supported units of VII Corps and moved through Northern Europe as follows:
When the war in Europe ended, the HHB was redeployed back to the United States and they arrived at the Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation on 9 July 1945 where they were moved to Camp San Luis Obispo. They arrived at the former California National Guard training grounds on 15 July 1945. At this time VII Corps was being considered for deployment to the Pacific Theater as a part of Operation CORONET, the land invasion of the Japanese island of Honshu.

Fortunately, while at Camp San Luis Obispo, the United States dropped the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Japanese Empire surrendered. On 20 September 1945, the HHB was then moved to Fort Ord where it was inactivated on 15 November 1945.
After six years of active duty, the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, VII Corps Artillery earned the following campaign honors:
 
Units that served under VII Corps Artillery
 
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, VII Corps Artillery
 
 
Headquarters and Headquarters Batteries, Field Artillery Brigades and Groups:

18th Field Artillery Group
32nd Field Artillery Brigade
79th Field Artillery Group
142nd Field Artillery Group
179th Field Artillery Group
188th Field Artillery Group
205th Field Artillery Group
224th Field Artillery Group
258th Field Artillery Group
 
 
Field Artillery Battalions:

18th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
58th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer) (SP)
62nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer) (SP)
65th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer) (SP)
76th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
83rd Armored Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer) (SP)
87th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer) (SP)
153rd Field Artillery Battalion (8 inch Gun)
172nd Field Artillery Battalion (4,5 inch Gun)
174th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Gun) (SP)
183rd Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)
188th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)
193rd Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
195th Field Artillery Battalion (8 inch Howitzer)
196th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
240th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Gun)
258th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Gun) (SP)
266th Field Artillery Battalion (240mm Howitzer)
268th Field Artillery Battalion (8 inch Gun)
275th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer) (SP)
283rd Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
400th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer) (SP)
551st Field Artillery Battalion (240mm Howitzer)
552nd Field Artillery Battalion (240mm Howitzer)
635th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Gun)
660th Field Artillery Battalion (8 inch Gun)
666th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)
690th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
746th Field Artillery Battalion (8 inch Howitzer)
751st Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)
768th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)
951st Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)
957th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)
965th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)
980th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Gun) (former 1st Battalion, 144th Field Artillery Regiment, CNG)
981st Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Gun) (former 2nd battalion, 144th Field Artillery Regiment, CNG)
987th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Gun) (SP)
991st Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Gun) (SP)
 
 
Field Artillery Observation Battalions and Batteries:
 
Battery B, 3rd Field Artillery Observation Battalion
13th Field Artillery Observation Battalion
Battery A, 17th Field Artillery Observation Battalion
285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion
 
Acronyms:
CAMA - California-Arizona Maneuver Area
CNG - California National Guard
HHB - Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
SP - Self Propelled
 
Sources:
Order of Battle, US Army, 1919-1941; Steven E. Clay, Combat Studies Institute, US Army, 2010
Order of Battle, US Army, World War II, Shelby Stanton, 1994
US Army Center of Military History, http://www.history.army.mil/html/reference/Normandy/asltforce.html, accessed 24 Feb 15
http://www.unithistories.com/units_index/default.asp?file=../units/7th%20us%20corps.htm, accessed 24 Feb 15
 
Search our Site!
Google
Search the Web Search California Military History Online
 
Questions and comments concerning this site should be directed to the Webmaster
 
Updated 8 February 2016