The 82nd Airborne Division Artillery (DIVARTY) is the divisional artillery command for the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army, stationed at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. It was organized in 1917, during World War I, was inactivated in 2006 as part of the transformation to modular brigade combat teams, and was reactivated in 2014.
History
World War I
The 157th Field Artillery Brigade was organized at Camp Gordon, Georgia, in September 1917, five months after the American entry into World War I. The initial commander was Colonel Earle Pearce. Originally composed of two direct-support 3-in/75mm regiments (320th and 321st) with a total of 48 gun in 12 firing batteries, a general support regiment (319th) with 24 6-in/155mm howitzers in 6 firing batteries, and a trench mortar battery with twelve 6-in mortars. The brigade trained on limited U.S. made pieces before deploying to Europe. On 20 February 1918, Brigadier General Charles D. Rhodes assumed command of the brigade, which sailed for Europe on 19 May 1918, arriving in Southampton, England on 31 May 1918, then moved to Le Havre, France, on 3 June 1918. On 4 June 1918, the brigade moved to La Courtine, France, for training. On 19 August 1918, the brigade moved to the Marbache sector in Lorraine, rejoined the 82nd Division and assumed command of the sector artillery on 22 August 1918. From 12–16 September, the brigade supported the St Mihiel offensive. After the St Mihiel operation stabilized on 17 September, the brigade moved to the rear with the division, serving in First Army reserve from 26 September to 2 October. On 3 October 1918, the brigade assembled with the division near Varennes-en-Argonne before re-entering the line. From 6–31 October 1918, the brigade supported the division during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. On 25 October 1918, Brigadier General Rhodes (promoted on 14 October to major general) departed, leaving Colonel Pearce in command. On 31 October 1918, the division was relieved and the brigade remained in support of the 80th Division until 6 November, before concentrating near Les Islettes on 10 November. On 3 November 1918, Brigadier General Daniel F. Craig assumed command from Colonel Pearce. The brigade trained in the Les Islettes Area (until 17 November) and then in the Ste-Menehould Area before rejoining the 82nd Division in Prauthoy on 17 December. On 9 February 1919, the 307th Trench Mortar Battery sailed from Brest for the United States, with the rest of the brigade following in May from Bordeaux. The brigade was demobilized at Camp Upton, NY, on 23 May 1919.
Interwar
The 157th Field Artillery Brigade was constituted in the Organized Reserve on 24 June 1921, and assigned to the 82nd Division in the 4th Corps Area. From 14 January 1922 until 8 July 1927, the brigade was stationed in Columbia, SC; it then relocated to Spartanburg, SC. The brigade consisted of two 75mm gun regiments (the 319th and 320th Field Artillery regiments) and the 307th Ammunition Train. In 1929, a 155mm howitzer regiment (the 452d Field Artillery) was added to the brigade when the Army adopted a lighter 155mm howitzer. This regiment was redesignated as the 321st Field Artillery in 1929, and remained with the brigade until 1941. The brigade often conducted summer training with the 13th Field Artillery Brigade, a Regular Army brigade stationed at Fort Bragg, NC.
World War II
Recalled into active service on 25 March 1942, over three after the United States entered World War II, at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, the Division Artillery, under the command of then-Brigadier General Joseph Swing, consisted of four field artillery battalions: the 319th, 320th, 321st, and 907th. On 15 August 1942, the 82nd Infantry Division was reorganized as the 82nd Airborne Division and transferred the 321st and 907th Field Artillery Battalions to the 101st Airborne Division. The 319th and 320th Field Artillery Battalions were re-organized as Glider Field Artillery Battalions (GFAB), and a new battalion, the 376th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (PFAB) was assigned. On 3 September 1942, the 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Battalion was activated. After moving from Camp Claiborne to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in October 1942, a second parachute battalion, the 456th PFAB, was assigned to the division on 12 February 1943, when the division replaced the 326th Glider Infantry Regiment with the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. On 12 December 1942, Brigadier General Swing departed to take command of the 11th Airborne Division, succeeded by newly promoted Brigadier General Maxwell Taylor, who had been the division's chief of staff.