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| 357th Field Artillery Battalion | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | 357th Field Artillery Battalion |
| Caption | Insignia and heraldry |
| Dates | World War II era |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Field artillery |
| Role | Indirect fire support |
| Size | Battalion |
| Command structure | IV Corps, VII Corps, XX Corps |
| Garrison | Various training bases |
| Colors | Scarlet and yellow |
357th Field Artillery Battalion was a United States Army artillery unit active during World War II that provided corps- and division-level indirect fire support across multiple campaigns in the European Theater of Operations. Its service intersected with major formations, campaigns, and military institutions of the Allied effort, contributing to operations that involved combined-arms coordination with infantry, armor, and air assets. The battalion's personnel trained at continental depots and fought in campaigns that linked tactical fires to operational maneuvers and strategic objectives.
The battalion was constituted and activated during the mobilization following the Attack on Pearl Harbor, reflecting expansion driven by directives from the War Department and integration into the European Theater of Operations (United States Army). Training periods involved installations such as Fort Sill, Camp Shelby, Fort Bragg, and staging at ports including New York Harbor and Camp Kilmer. After transatlantic embarkation on troop ships bound for United Kingdom staging areas, the unit came under the operational control of field commands participating in the Normandy landings, the Siegfried Line engagements, and the Rhine crossings during the advance into Germany. Postwar demobilization aligned with broader reductions at Fort Lewis and redeployments organized by the United States Army Forces Europe.
Organizationally, the battalion followed a standard World War II United States Army artillery table of organization and equipment, comprising a Headquarters Battery and three firing batteries designated A, B, and C, with attached reconnaissance elements and Service Battery logistics. Equipment included towed artillery pieces such as the M114 155 mm howitzer, the M1 155mm Gun family, and tractors like the M4 High Speed Tractor and prime movers used in coordination with Logistics Corps (United States Army). Communications relied on radio sets produced by firms contracted under War Production Board priority, while fire-direction procedures integrated maps from Ordnance Survey equivalents and forward observers trained alongside units from the Infantry Branch (United States Army), Armored Force (United States Army), and Army Air Forces.
During combat operations the battalion executed counterbattery tasks, preparatory barrages, and direct support missions in support of formations such as the 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 1st Infantry Division, and armored divisions including the 4th Armored Division. Its missions occurred in operations linked to the Operation Cobra breakout from Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge, and the crossing of the Rhine River during Operation Plunder. Coordination involved liaison with corps artillery headquarters, naval gunfire when operating near coastal sectors such as Cherbourg, and close cooperation with forward air controllers from the IX Tactical Air Command for interdiction strikes. The battalion also operated in urban and bocage terrain, adjusting fire plans during engagements in locations associated with the Normandy Campaign, the Lorraine Campaign, and the final push into the Ruhr Pocket.
For actions during its deployments, the battalion and its members were eligible for unit citations and individual awards administered under regulations from the Department of the Army. Campaign participation credits included streamers for Normandy campaign, Northern France campaign, Rhineland campaign, and Central Europe campaign. Individual soldiers received commendations such as the Bronze Star Medal (United States), the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, and awards from allied governments including decorations associated with France and Belgium for service in liberation operations. Unit heraldry often displayed campaign streamers reflecting these credits.
Throughout its service, the battalion experienced task-organizational changes and reassignments under corps- and army-level commands including attachments to VII Corps (United States) and XX Corps (United States). After cessation of hostilities in Europe following Victory in Europe Day, demobilization policies directed by the War Department and the European Advisory Commission led to inactivation or reorganization at demobilization centers such as Camp Kilmer and Fort Dix. Subsequent redesignations and lineage actions handled by the United States Army Center of Military History affected formal status in postwar force structures.
Remembrance of the battalion's service appears in unit histories preserved in repositories including the National Archives, the United States Army Center of Military History, and veterans' associations near memorials like the American Military Cemetery at Normandy and battlefield markers across Belgium and Germany. Veterans participated in reunions organized by American Legion posts and Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters, and scholarly treatments appear in works on artillery doctrine from institutions such as the U.S. Army War College and publications by historians associated with the National World War II Museum. Regimental and battalion artifacts, insignia, and oral histories are curated by local historical societies and museums connected to former garrison towns and campaign locations.
Category:Field artillery battalions of the United States Army Category:United States Army units and formations in World War II