6-40th Field Artillery

Brief History

The 40th Artillery with its powerful eight-inch guns was one of the youngest 3rd Armored Division units having been with the Division only since 1963. It was organized in 1918 at Camp Custer, Michigan and saw extensive service in Europe during World War II. Inactivated after the war, the unit was put back on active status in 1949 at Camp McCauley, Austria and later joined the Spearhead Division. It was assigned directly to Division Artillery stationed at Hutier Kaserne (?) in Hanau.

  • Constituted 5 July 1918 in the National Army as Battery F, 40th Field Artillery, an element of the 14th Division
  • Organized 10 August 1918 at Camp Custer, Michigan
  • Demobilized 6 February 1919 at Camp Custer, Michigan
  • Reconstituted 1 October 1933 in the Regular Army as Battery F, 40th Field Artillery 
  • Activated 4 June 1941 at Camp Roberts, California
  • Reorganized and redesignated 1 March 1943 as Battery C, 975th Field Artillery Battalion
  • Inactivated 13 February 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey
  • Redesignated 5 February 1947 as Battery C, 510th Field Artillery Battalion
  • Activated 1 February 1949 at Camp McCauley, Austria
  • Inactivated 20 August 1956 in Germany; concurrently redesignated as Battery C, 510th Field Artillery Rocket Battalion
  • Redesignated 21 June 1963 as Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 6th Battalion, 40th Artillery, and assigned to the 3d Armored Division (organic elements concurrently constituted)
  • Battalion activated 1 September 1963 in Germany
  • Redesignated 1 September 1971 as the 6th Battalion, 40th Field Artillery
  • Inactivated 13 September 1972 in Germany and relieved from assignment to the 3d Armored Division, with all personnel and equipment being transferred to the 1st Battalion, 40th Field Artillery


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