1st Battalion, 15th Field Artillery

• Combat Battalion

Mission

First Battalion, Fifteenth Field Artillery stands ready, as the most forward deployed Direct Support Cannon Battalion in the United States Army, to conduct counter-fire and deep operations in defense of the Republic of Korea. In order to execute that mission, the “First to Fire” Battalion employs three 155mm Paladin Batteries, a Service Battery, and a Headquarters Battery. These units are manned by highly trained and focused U.S. and Korean Augmentee to the U.S. Army (KATUSA) soldiers who support the Warrior Division.

History

The 15th Field Artillery (FA) Regiment was organized in Syracuse, New York on 1 June 1917 from cadre transferred from the 4th FA Regiment. Assignment to the 2nd Infantry Division followed on 21 September 1917, and training took place at Pine Camp, New York. The Regiment left the United States on 11 December 1917 and sailed onboard the SS Adriatic for Liverpool, England.

The Regiment landed in at Le Harve, France in February 1918, and was initially staged at Bourmont, France. On 21 March 1918, the Regiment deployed against the German Army on the west face of the St. Mihiel Salient. By 1 June 1918, the regiment occupied positions northwest of Chateau-Thierry and on 14 July 1918, was relieved by elements of the 26th "Yankee" Division in order to prepare for the Soissons Counteroffensive. On 18 July 1918, the Regiment participated in its first major offensive near Soissons. During July - October 1918, the Regiment supported the 2nd Infantry Division in operations in Soissons, Marbache, and Champagne. The Regiment also provided artillery support to the American 36th Division and the French 78th Division.

On 10 November 1918, the Regiment fired in support of the Meuse River crossing and three days later crossed the Rhine River at Remagen for Occupation Duty. The War Records indicate the 15th FA Regiment was in continuous action from July till November 1918, and participated in the Lorraine; Aisne; Ille de France; Aisne-Marne; St. Mihiel; and Meuse-Argonne campaigns, and earned them the unofficial nickname as the Indianheads.

The Indianheads of the Fighting Fifteenth fulfilled every mission assigned to it, never fired rounds short, and expended 285,000 rounds of shell and shrapnel. This was the greatest number of artillery rounds fired by any US Army Artillery Regiment during the war, and is a fact in which it can be justly proud.

By 1940, the 15th FA Regiment was reorganized as the 15th FA Battalion (Bn) and served in five major campaigns in the European Theater of Operations with the 2nd ID during World War 2.

On 10 October 1940, the 15th Field Artillery (FA) Regiment was reorganized at Fort Sam Houston, TX, as the 15th FA Battalion (Bn). The 15th FA Bn was ordered to Camp McCoy, WI, on 16 October 1942, for intensive training with the 2nd Infantry Division.

As part of the 9th Regimental Combat Team (9th Infantry Regiment & 15th FA Bn), the 15th FA Bn landed at Omaha Beach near St. Laurent-Sur-Mer, France, on D Day +1 (7 June 1944). The 15th FA Bn fought for 73 straight days in support of the 2nd Infantry Division throughout Normandy without a break. Their first break in the combat action came on 19 August 1944, when the 15th FA Bn was ordered to move 220 miles and occupy firing positions for the battle against the German fortress at Brest, France. The battle that ensued was bloody and hard fought by all elements of the 2nd Infantry Division including the 15th FA Bn. On 26 September 1944, five officers and 42 enlisted men of the 15th FA Bn were presented Bronze Star Medals, by the Division Commander, for their actions since D Day +1

Following this, a 770 mile road march began on 27 September 1944 and carried the 15th FA Bn to Schoenberg, Belgium. By 4 October 1944, the 15th FA Bn crossed into Germany and opened fire on elements of both the 2nd and 3rd SS Panzer Grenadier Divisions. On 17 December 1944, the 15th FA Bn fought as an integral part of the 2nd Infantry Division’s attack on the Siegfried Line near Elsenborn. By 1 February 1945, the area known as Heartbreak Crossroads was taken after a multi-divisional battle.

On 21 March 1945, the 15th FA Bn crossed the Rhine River into Germany on a pontoon bridge near Remagen, and took up firing positions near the town of Leutesdorf. After several heavy engagements, the 15th FA Bn moved to new firing positions at the town of Vaake, near the Weser River, arriving there on 7 April 1945. Throughout the remainder of April 1945, the 15th FA Bn moved many times and even had to engage the enemy with direct fire from its howitzers. By 5 May 1945, the 2nd Infantry Division moved into Czechoslovakia along with the 15th FA Bn. The war was officially over on 8 May 1945.

As their contribution to help defeat the forces of evil and to win WW-II, the 15th FA Bn was in combat for 336 days and fired 151,000 rounds while providing direct fire support to the 2nd Infantry Division and general support to several other divisions. For their efforts and sacrifices the 15th FA Bn was awarded streamers for five major campaigns during WW-II including: Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; and Central Europe. Additionally, the 15th FA Bn was awarded the Belgian Fourragere, and was cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for extraordinary combat action in the battle of the Ardennes and Elsenborn Crest.

On 15 July 1950, the 15th Field Artillery (FA) Battalion (Bn) landed at Pusan, Korea, as an integral part of the 2nd Infantry Division (ID). The first artillery round fired in support of combat actions of the 2nd ID was fired by A Battery, 15th FA Bn, on 6 August 1950. On the morning of 14 February 1951, 1LT Hartell was flying in a Liaison Plane as an Air Observer, when he noticed thousands of men and pack animals moving down from the north. It turned out that two Chinese Divisions were massing for an assault on the Wonju-Yogu Main Supply Route. 1LT Hartell caught them as they were assembling and fired several Battalions onto the target area for more than three straight hours. This became known famously as the great Wonju Shoot, and resulted in nearly 3,500 enemy casualties.

For its actions during its three continuous years in some of the bloodiest fighting of the war, the 15th FA Bn was awarded 10 campaign streamers including the: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; Chinese Communist Forces Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; Chinese Communist Forces Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea, Summer-Fall 1952; Third Korean Winter; and Korea, Summer 1953. Additionally, the 15th FA Bn was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (Army), streamer embroidered HONGCHON; the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, streamer embroidered NAKTONG RIVER LINE; and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, streamer embroidered KOREA.

Major changes in the US Army in 1957, caused several redesignations to the 15th FA Bn: A Battery was redesignated as the 1st Howitzer (How) Bn, 15th Artillery (Arty).

The 1st Bn, 15th FA served continuously with the 2nd ID at Camp Casey, Korea, from 1988 to 2005. In December of 2004, 1-15 FA was task organized underneath 2IDs, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team as the Brigade Fires Battalion. Along with this reorganization came a move from Camp Casey to Camp Hovey in June of 2005. It is positioned to strike hard at any aggressor that might attempt to break through the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea.

1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team

• 1st Battalion, 15th Field Artillery
• 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry (M)
• 302nd Brigade Support Battalion
• Task Force, 1-72 Armor Regiment
• 4th Squadron, 7th U.S. Cavalry
• 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion