Attached Field Artillery Units

While the 103rd Infantry Division had its own Division Artillery as well as numerous Field Artillery Battalions built into its ranks, there were certain periods when additional firepower was needed, and artillery battalions from other infantry and armored divisions were attached to the 103rd. Most of these attached units, including the 495th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 69th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 242nd Field Artillery Battalion were equipped with 105mm guns to provide fire support.

One of the more unique units that was attached to the 103rd Infantry Division was the 991st Field Artillery Battalion. While this unit differed from the others because of their 155mm guns, the guns of the 991st also differed from most other battalions as their weapons were mounted on tank chassis and were technically self-propelled. The 991st’s ability to drive and fire from the same platform, instead of towing the gun and then manhandle it into position for a fire mission, proved to be an important asset; it made the 991st was always in high demand. During their time in combat, the only days that the 991st seemed to be off the front line was when they were moving to another area to provide fire for a different unit. In the unit history for the 991st Field Artillery Battalion, their primary objective while attached to the 103rd Infantry Division was to provide direct and supporting fire on numerous targets along the German’s Siegfried Line, the main line of defense between France and Germany. The 991st’s ability to move and fire on numerous targets in a short time made their brief attachment to the 103rd invaluable for the soldiers of the 103rd Division as they were tasked with fighting their way across the border in March of 1945.