US AIRBORNE

Benjamin Weisberg

The 377th Field Artillery Battalion was constituted and organized as an Organized Reserve unit of the 101st Division in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1921. On August 15, 1942, the battalion was withdrawn from the Organized Reserve and assigned to the United States Army. It was reorganized and renamed the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (PFAB) and activated at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, as part of the newly formed 101st Airborne Division. The battalion faced a challenging beginning, as all the new artillerymen were actually infantrymen without parachute training. In October 1942, Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Weisberg took command and began addressing the issues of engaging an artillery battalion in combat via parachute. Although equipment shortages were a constant obstacle, the unit’s training phase was completed on January 3, 1943.

In March, the battalion began working with the 502nd PIR in a combat relationship that lasted throughout the war. In September 1943, the 377th PFAB embarked for England aboard the S.S. Strathnaver. However, this transport proved unsuitable, and after a week, the battalion was transferred to the S.S. John Ericsson, a German vessel under Swedish registry purchased by the United States Line. Two weeks later, on October 18, the ship docked in Liverpool. After disembarking, the 377th PFAB and the 907th GFAB were stationed at Benham Valence near Newbury. During late winter and spring of 1944, the battalion participated in a series of coordinated exercises (Beaver, Tiger, and Eagle exercises) in preparation for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Europe.

As part of the 502nd Regimental Combat Team on D-Day, the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (PFAB) was tasked with destroying a German battery of four 122 mm howitzers and other installations behind the northern beach sector near Saint-Martin-de-Varreville. The objective was to secure the northern flank of the 101st Division. However, due to the loss of two planes and significant scattering of the remaining battalion groups, the 377th lost 11 of its 12 75 mm howitzers. Although the battalion was unable to support the 502nd in its objective as an artillery unit, most artillerymen managed to fight as infantry with various groups on D-Day. One such incident occurred near Revenoville on D-Day+1 under the command of Lieutenant Thomas Swirczynski of Battery A, 377th PFAB. Thirty-three artillerymen from the 377th, armed only with carbines, a light machine gun, and a bazooka, secured the surrender of 130 German soldiers near the coastal village of Grand Hau-des-Dunes. In the following days, many other artillerymen from the 377th were distributed among the division’s other artillery units, using two captured German 7.62 mm howitzers as well as several American howitzers recovered from gliders. On D-Day+8, the arrival of eleven 75 mm howitzers via the beach finally allowed the 377th to regroup as an artillery battalion.

MARKET-GARDEN a été planifiée en deux phases. L'Opération MARKET était la phase aéroportée de l'assaut, tandis que l'Opération GARDEN représentait l'attaque terrestre. La 101st Airborne Division faisait désormais partie de la First Allied Airborne Army. Leur objectif était de sauter aux Pays-Bas et de sécuriser un corridor d'Eindhoven jusqu'à Arnhem, permettant ainsi aux forces terrestres du 30th British Corps d'avancer vers l'IJsselmeer (Zuider Zee). Le but ultime était de franchir le Rhin et de percer les défenses du Mur de l'Ouest allemand. Cependant, la campagne néerlandaise, traversée par de nombreux digues, fossés de drainage, rivières et canaux, serait difficile à franchir si les troupes au sol ne pouvaient progresser par la route. Pour que le plan réussisse, les parachutistes devaient maintenir la route ouverte et sécuriser les ponts le long du parcours.

Les pénuries d'avions de transport ont empêché les trois divisions aéroportées de larguer toutes leurs troupes le jour J, obligeant les commandants à décider quelles unités partiraient en premier. La 101st Airborne Division devait ancrer le flanc le plus au sud du corps aérien britannique et sécuriser un secteur de 24 kilomètres entre Eindhoven et Veghel. Prenant cela en compte, le général Taylor a décidé que les trois régiments d'infanterie parachutiste sauteraient le 17 septembre. Le 377th PFAB et les autres unités d'artillerie étaient prévus pour J+2, soit le 19 septembre.

Les obusiers du 377th PFAB et du 321st furent les premiers canons à arriver en soutien de la division lors de l’opération en Hollande. Le 377th établit ses positions de tir à la zone de débarquement et soutint le 1er bataillon du 506th lors d'une violente contre-attaque allemande le jour J+3, au nord du canal près du pont de Zon. Ce même jour, deux batteries du 377th soutinrent le 502nd à Best alors qu'ils tentaient de progresser vers St. Oedenrode. Plus tard ce jour-là, la Batterie B fit face à un tir antiaérien intense mais réussit tout de même à sauter pour renforcer le bataillon. Le jour J+5, le 377th, maintenant à St. Oedenrode, soutint également le 501st en plus de sa mission initiale auprès du 502nd.

Le 27 septembre, au jour J+10, le 377th était toujours à St. Oedenrode en soutien du 502nd. Le bataillon y resta jusqu'à fin novembre, lorsque la 101st fut retirée et se dirigea vers le Camp Mourmelon, une ancienne garnison d’artillerie française située à une trentaine de kilomètres de la cathédrale de Reims.

MARKET-GARDEN was planned in two phases. Operation MARKET was the airborne phase of the assault, while Operation GARDEN represented the ground attack. The 101st Airborne Division was now part of the First Allied Airborne Army. Their objective was to jump into the Netherlands and secure a corridor from Eindhoven to Arnhem, thus allowing the ground forces of the 30th British Corps to advance toward the IJsselmeer (Zuider Zee). The ultimate goal was to cross the Rhine and break through the defenses of the German West Wall. However, the Dutch campaign, with its many dikes, drainage ditches, rivers, and canals, would be challenging to cross if the ground troops could not advance along the road. For the plan to succeed, the paratroopers had to keep the route open and secure the bridges along the path. A shortage of transport planes prevented the three airborne divisions from dropping all their troops on D-Day, forcing commanders to decide which units would go first. The 101st Airborne Division was to anchor the southernmost flank of the British airborne corps and secure a 24-kilometer sector between Eindhoven and Veghel. With this in mind, General Taylor decided that the three parachute infantry regiments would jump on September 17. The 377th PFAB and the other artillery units were scheduled for D+2, on September 19. The howitzers of the 377th PFAB and the 321st were the first guns to arrive in support of the division during the operation in Holland. The 377th set up its firing positions at the landing zone and supported the 1st Battalion of the 506th during a fierce German counterattack on D+3, north of the canal near the Zon bridge. That same day, two batteries from the 377th supported the 502nd in Best as they attempted to advance toward St. Oedenrode. Later that day, Battery B faced heavy anti-aircraft fire but still managed to jump to reinforce the battalion. On D+5, the 377th, now in St. Oedenrode, also supported the 501st in addition to its initial mission with the 502nd.

On September 27, D+10, the 377th was still in St. Oedenrode in support of the 502nd. The battalion remained there until late November, when the 101st was withdrawn and moved to Camp Mourmelon, a former French artillery garrison located about 30 kilometers from the cathedral in Reims.

In early April 1945, the 101st moved to the Ruhr. The 377th PFAB and the 907th GFAB set up their bivouac around Neuss, not far from Düsseldorf. The 377th’s final mission was to support the capture of Berchtesgaden by the 506th PIR. After the 101st’s stay in Austria, the 377th moved to Seignelay, north of Auxerre, France, until its deactivation on November 30, 1945.

United States:

Presidential Distinguished Unit Citations for the operation at Bastogne

France:

Croix de Guerre with Palm for the operation in Southern France

Belgium:

2 Croix de Guerre and a Fourragère for the operations at Bastogne