111th Field Artillery Regiment
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The 111th Field Artillery ("First Virginia Artillery"[1]) is currently constituted as a composite battalion consisting of two batteries of 105MM towed artillery and one battery of 155MM towed artillery (M777) unit with a general support/reinforcing mission. It is a unit within the Virginia Army National Guard based in Norfolk, Virginia.
First World War and afterwards
The Virginia National Guard's 1st Field Artillery was drafted into Federal service on 5 August 1917.[2] The regiment was reorganized and redesignated 15 September 1917 as the 111th Field Artillery and assigned to the 29th Division. Demobilized 2 June 1919 at Camp Lee, Virginia. Reorganized 25 October 1932 in the Virginia National Guard as the 111th Field Artillery and assigned to the 29th Division; Headquarters federally recognized 26 May 1923 at Norfolk. (Location of headquarters changed 28 August 1939 to Hampton.) The regiment was inducted into Federal service 12 March 1942 and its elements reorganized and redesignated as follows: Headquarters disbanded at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland; 1st and 2d Battalions as the 111th and 227th Field Artillery Battalions, elements of the 29th Infantry Division; (remainder of regiment—hereafter separate lineages).
The 111th FA Battalion, part of the 29th Infantry Division, was based in Norfolk, Virginia,[3] made up of the Virginia National Guard.[4] It took part in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, but its members were not happy with their mission. The plan was for them to bring their 105mm howitzers ashore two hours after the initial landings, to support the 116th Infantry Regiment, which was intended to have secured the beach by then.[5] But the unit's leader, Lt Colonel Mullins, was concerned that the DUKW amphibious vehicles which were their intended transport were not able to bear heavy loads in rough seas.[5] Each DUKW had to carry a howitzer, fourteen men, ammunition, sandbags and other equipment to the beach.[5] Lieutenant Colonel Mullins was killed during the battle.[6]
The 111th Field Artillery Battalion inactivated 16 January 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was reorganized and Federally recognized 1 November 1946 with headquarters at Norfolk. 227th Field Artillery Battalion inactivated 16 January 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. Redesignated 2 July 1946 as the 442d Field Artillery Battalion and relieved from assignment to the 29th Infantry Division. Reorganized and Federally recognized 20 December 1946 with headquarters at Richmond.
The 111th and 442d Field Artillery Battalions were consolidated 1 June 1959 with Headquarters, 111th Field Artillery (reconstituted 25 August 1945 in the Virginia National Guard), the 615th Missile Battalion (organized and Federally recognized 13 September 1954 with headquarters at South Norfolk), the 710th Missile Battalion, and the 129th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (organized and Federally recognized 13 December 1956 with headquarters at Norfolk) to form the 111th Artillery, a parent regiment under the
Iraq War Operations
Bravo Battery was mobilized on 11 October 2004 in support of
Bravo Battery completed training 30 days ahead of schedule and arrived in
Bravo Battery was relieved in place and a battle hand off was completed on 1 December 2005 with the 116th FA, Florida National Guard, and the unit and its men redeployed to Camp Victory South in Kuwait.
While in Iraq, Bravo Battery completed all detainee transfers without loss of life to any detainee or coalition forces. The unit was awarded the
While in Iraq, the unit initially reported to
The unit was reflagged as an infantry unit upon coming home from Iraq. In April 2009 the regiment's 1st Battalion received 16 new M119 howitzers.[7]
References
- ^ a b "Special Designation Listing". United States Army Center of Military History. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
- ^ McKenney, Field Artillery Vol. II, Army Lineage Series, 1056.
- ^ Balkowski, p. 25
- ^ Balkowski, p. 41
- ^ a b c Balkowski, p. 140
- ^ "29th Infantry Division - D-Day battle order". www.dday-overlord.com. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- Washington Times, 2 May 2009, p. 7.
- Balkowski, Joseph, Beyond the Beachhead, The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy, Stackpole Books (1989), ISBN 0-8117-2682-7
External links
- Artillery unit returns from Iraq, Virginia Guard.com
- 11th FA Regiment, Global Security.org
- 2–111 FA Battalion, Global Security.org
- Virginia National Guard Unit returns home safely after tour in Iraq, Longwood University
- VAARNG Deployed Soldiers Contribute to Hurricane Relief , GX Online