Brief History

Centaurs

The 2nd Battalion, 6th Artillery was one of the oldest Division units in lineage. The 6th Artillery was organized as Battery K, 1st Regiment of Artillery at Fort Hamilton, New York in 1838 and expanded through the years from its original six guns and horses. The unit saw extensive service in the Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, both World Wars and Korea. Its streamers were inscribed with such famous battlefield names as Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Santiago, Lorraine, St. Mihiel and Luzon.

The 2nd Battalion, 6th Artillery was assigned to the Division's 2nd Brigade stationed at Coleman Kaserne in Gelnhausen. The battalion was inactivated in 1988 in Germany with all personnel and equipment being transferred to the 4th Battalion, 82d Field Artillery and stationed at Hutier Kaserne in Hanau.

Constituted 5 July 1838 in the Regular Army as Battery K, 1st Regiment of Artillery

Organized 11 August 1838 at Fort Hamilton, New York

Reorganized and redesignated 13 February 1901 as the 2d Battery, Field Artillery, Artillery Corps

Reorganized and redesignated 11 June 1907 as Battery A, 6th Field Artillery

(6th Field Artillery assigned 8 June 1917 to the 1st Expeditionary Division [later designated as the 1st Division]; relieved 16 October 1939 from assignment to the 1st Division; assigned 22 June 1940 to the 8th Division; relieved 20 July 1940 from assignment to the 8th Division)

Reorganized and redesignated 4 January 1941 as Battery A, 6th Field Artillery Battalion

(6th Field Artillery Battalion assigned 8 August 1942 to the 37th Infantry Division)

Inactivated 13 December 1945 at Camp Anza, California

Redesignated 24 July 1946 as Battery A, 6th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, and relieved from assignment to the 37th Infantry Division

Activated 1 August 1946 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma

Reorganized and redesignated 1 October 1957 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2d Howitzer Battalion, 6th Artillery, and assigned to the 3d Armored Division (organic elements constituted 30 August 1957 and activated 1 October 1957 using personnel and equipment from the 65th Armored Field Artillery Battalion)

Redesignated 1 September 1963 as 2d Battalion, 6th Artillery (Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2d Battalion, 6th Artillery, consolidated with Battery A, 6th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion [organized in 1898], and consolidated unit designated Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2d Battalion, 6th Artillery)

Reorganized and redesignated (less former Battery A, 6th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion) 1 September 1971 as 2d Battalion, 6th Field Artillery (former Battery A, 6th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, concurrently redesignated as 2d battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery-hereafter separate lineage

Inactivated 1988 in Germany with all personnel and equipment being transferred to the 4th Battalion, 82d Field Artillery

Lineage compiled by Mike Williard (2-3 FA, 1989-92).

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