M7 'Priest' in US Infantry Divisions

[Starfury]

From what I can gather, a number of US Infantry Divisions operated self-propelled 105-mm M7 equipments during the war. These were not held by the Divisional Artillery, but by the Cannon Companies of certain Infantry Regiments. Question is, does anyone know which ones?

All references I can find on the web are of units in the Pacific, 32d Infantry Div gets a mention, and likewise the Inf Divs on Okinawa all appear to be credited with M7s here -

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/ba ... nawa1.html

So, the USMC aside (who likewise had M7s at Regimental level during 1945), does anyone know when the US Army began to receive M7s in the Pacific, and how many units might have been equipped with them? Were they restricted to RCTs chosen for assault landings perhaps? And, did any units in Europe or the Med have M7s in their Cannon Companies?

Thanks,

Gary

[binder001]

The use of the M7 HMC in the regimental cannon company was limited to just certain units. I belive that Richard Anderson mentioned that some of the Reg. Cannon Co's in the US assault divisions for Overlord had them. In Italy there is reference to at least one regiment of the 34th Division having M7s - why, I haven't learned yet. So far I am not aware of other US infantry units in the ETO receiving M7s instead of the standard truck-drawn M3 105mm howitzer. The armored infantry battalions each had an assault gun platoon of three 75mm HMC M8s. These were authorized to be upgraded to M4 medium tanks with 105mm howitzers. There have been reports of some of these units receiving M7s instead (due to shortages of M4/M4A3s with 105s) but I have not seen an official photo or document that can verify this story. Unfortunately many of the "modified TO&Es" did not get well recorded. Sometimes a unit got to hold onto its "odd" equipment, other times it was turned back in. At least the 1st Infantry Div, and likely others in the assault phase of Overlord had M2A1 halftracks to pull their 57mm AT guns, while the standard "authorized" vehicle was the Dodge 1 1/2 ton WC63 6X6. These were photographed still in use during the Ardennes campaign.

In the Pacific M7s don't appear in photos before the 1944 Philipines Campaign. I have not heard of them used on New Guniea (at least I haven't yet). The Marines appreciated the M3 75mm Gun Motor Carriage (the original halftrack tank destroyer) as a fire support weapon. The M3 was referred to as an SPM (Self Propelled Mount) and was used through Iwo Jima. As the Marines prepared for Okinawa they replaced their worn out SPMs with M7s. I haven't seen specific references to which Army units also used M7s on Okinawa.

[Starfury]

Thanks for the reply. I had wondered whether the three US Inf Divs operated any self-propelled equipments for the Normandy landings, as was the case with the British and Canadians, so it would be interesting to hear a little more on the matter.

Gary

[Carl Schwamberger]

Thanks for the reply. I had wondered whether the three US Inf Divs operated any self-propelled equipments for the Normandy landings, as was the case with the British and Canadians, so it would be interesting to hear a little more on the matter.

Gary

If you search this thread: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 4&start=90 There are some details about the M7 in the Neptune assualt. The specific posts start on or around 9th November. Basically batterys from the US 5th Armored Artillery Group were supporting the assualt on 6th June.

[Starfury]

Interesting thread, thanks.

So, it seems that for the US, the M7 equipments were in dedicated Armored Field Arty Bns for the Normandy landings, rather than in Regt Cannon Coys. I hadn't realised that 4th Inf Div had two SP units in its Div Arty for the assault, wonder if they converted back to towed later on?

Appears the PTO was the main arena where infantry cannoneers got their hands on M7s then.

Gary

[Mil-tech Bard]

There was a special TO&E deviation developed for US Army Divisions outfitted in Hawaii (Pacific Operation Area or "POA") and the South Pacific.

See:

http://ahecwebdds.carlisle.army.mil/aww ... 1&awdid=29

Publication Date: 19450205
Creator / Author: War Department, Office of the Chief of Staff
Collection: Library
Series: Reports
Title: Minutes, Meeting of the General Council, February 5, 1945

REPORT OF THE G-4 DIVISION

2. Special Equipment for Units in Pacific Ocean Areas.©
A new procedure has been evolved in the Pacific Ocean
Areas at the request of the theater commander in an endeavor to reduce
special lists of equipment. The new procedure contemplates that
a standard special list of equipment needed in this theater by each
major type unit will be prepared by the theater commander and reviewed
by the War Department. Upon the adoption of a standard special list
for a particular unit, all units organized under that table of organization
and equipment and destined for this theater will be similarly
equipped. The result will be that all major units going to this
theater, which if organized under standard tables would require, upon
arrival in the theater, special equipment needed in the Pacific Ocean
Area only, will be properly equipped before departure for their duty
in this theater without the necessity of submitting special projects
and special lists of equipment. It is anticipated that this procedure
will reduce the necessity for special projects and special lists
of equipment, and will result in more firm requirements for the Army
Supply Program. If the trial of this procedure for a short time
within the Pacific Ocean Area is successful, it is intended to
extend this procedure to all other theaters.

The biggest deviations were with the regimental cannon companies and anti-tank companies.

So far I have read in various combat histories and the Operation Olympic Administrative Order #1 for IX Corps that the 7th ID, 37th ID, 40th ID, 77th ID, 81st ID, 96th ID and 98th ID regimental cannon companies were outfitted with either the M8 75mm or M-7 105mm SPM before Operation Olympic.

All the Operation Olympic IX Corps divisions (77th, 81st & 98th) also had their anti-tank companies trade in either 12x37mm or 9x57mm for six M18 Hellcat 76mm SPM in their Regimental anti-tank companies. The M-18s were from two tank destroyer battalions demobilized on Hawaii and turned into service units. 50 odd of the 72 M-18 on Hawaii were shipped to Okinawa (with replacement Sherman tanks) to replace the near useless 37mm guns in the regimental cannon companies in 10th Army.

Operation Coronet would see most US Army Infantry Divisions changed over to the "R-table" TO&E. (There was not time to implement it for Olympic.)

The 1st Cavalry division was going to be the most radically changed division for Olympic. It's four cavalry regiments were being converted to "infantry regiment TO&E" for Olympic. I have yet to see documents on what precisely that meant. I do know that the 1st Cav was parading M7 Priests in 1945-46 victory parades in Japan per photos I have seen in the 1st Cav's vanity book on-line.

[Kelvin]

I would like to ask how many M-7 in US armored divison in 1944 ? I see 54 x M-7 in division but when I calculate it , I get 63 x M-7 ( 18 x M-7 each in each armored artillery battalions ( total 3 battalions) and 3 x M-7 each in each armored infantry battalion ( total 3 battalions) so the number is 63. So my figures is correct or not ?

[JonS]

The AIBs should have had the 75mm HMC M8s. See the second post of this thread.

[Carl Schwamberger]

The AIBs should have had the 75mm HMC M8s. See the second post of this thread.

& some were equipped with the M7, while in others the weapon is incorrectly identified. You need to search out the answer by specific division or battalion.

[Carl Schwamberger]

Interesting thread, thanks.

So, it seems that for the US, the M7 equipments were in dedicated Armored Field Arty Bns for the Normandy landings, rather than in Regt Cannon Coys. I hadn't realised that 4th Inf Div had two SP units in its Div Arty for the assault, wonder if they converted back to towed later on?

Appears the PTO was the main arena where infantry cannoneers got their hands on M7s then.

Gary

Strictly speaking the two armored artillery battalions were not actually in the Div Arty Group. Any command arrangement was temporary The arty group HQ they had been reporting to was somewhere in the follow on echelons & that HQ took control of the two battalions after it landed. I dont have the dates on hand today.

[RichTO90]

The AIBs should have had the 75mm HMC M8s. See the second post of this thread.

& some were equipped with the M7, while in others the weapon is incorrectly identified. You need to search out the answer by specific division or battalion.

Actually Carl, all the AIB's were equipped with M8 75mm HMC after they were reorganized from the AIR in July 1943. Prior to that they were equipped with the T30 75mm HMC. In December 1944 the TO&E was modified and they were replaced by the M4 105mm Tank - officially, but not many, if any, ever made the switch.

Cheers!

[RichTO90]

Strictly speaking the two armored artillery battalions were not actually in the Div Arty Group. Any command arrangement was temporary The arty group HQ they had been reporting to was somewhere in the follow on echelons & that HQ took control of the two battalions after it landed. I dont have the dates on hand today.

It's a bit more complicated than that. The 5th FA Group was actually assigned to Third Army with the 58th and 62nd Armored Field Artillery Battalions. It was attached to First Army for Operation NEPTUNE, but the two battalions were attached to the 1st Infantry Division for operations. The 65th Armored Field Artillery Battalion was assigned to First Army and attached to VII Corps' 4th Division for operations. The two FA battalions of the 4th Division equipped with M7 105mm HMC were the 29th and 42nd.

Cheers!

[Carl Schwamberger]

[

It's a bit more complicated than that....

Isn't it always?

[Mil-tech Bard]

The 24th Infantry Division has M7 Priets in it's regimental cannon companies at least starting in 6/44.

I have Signal Corps photos of M7's in New Guinea in the cannon company of the 34th Infantry regiment during the fighting on Biak Island.

[00crusader]

Theoretically the canon companies were all authorized to have 3 x SP 105mm howitzers, whether or not they got M7's or M4(105's) or kept whatever they had before is difficult to say. Here's the orbat link and you can see: http://orbat.com/site/ww2/drleo/013_usa ... annon.html
and like Rich said "It's a bit more complicted than that..."