Trinkets from The Big One

[Deleted]

I've seen half tracks for sale with a anti aircraft quad 50 chair in the back. ( a very reasonable 55 grand) I wonder if you need earplugs? Very intimidating looking, and a low flying pilots nightmare. Very popular with the troops----------now that is a understatement. Oil

[Hawk]

I love seeing this old stuff.

Tim

[Deleted]

Quad 50 in action...

[Ryan_M]

A quad 50 would make my morning commute exponentially more enjoyable

[Deleted]

Apr 7, 2015 12:36:32 GMT -5 Ryan_M said:

A quad 50 would make my morning commute exponentially more enjoyable

Me thinks you'd get sidetracked and never make it to work!

Oily mentioned the halftracks with these mounted...somewhere in the last week I have seen one offered for sale. I can't remember if it was on ebay or (more likely) G503.com/tracked vehicles. Niiiiiiiice.

[jeffwho]

So, a few years back a group in GA brought their half-track to Charleston and clanked down King Street at the Veterans Day parade. VERY COOL

As I remember that, though, I am reminded about the "Celebrate Freedom" event at Fort Jackson a few years later -same halftrack- but this time my little butt was in it and LEAPING out in a choreographed attack (blanks, durn!) on a gun emplacement. WOOOOOOT!!

[Deleted]

According to the record I read, they're TO&E had the 8" AA cannon, Semi-mobile.
The Quad 40mm Bofors looks like this

The Half-track Quad 50 looks like this

[jeffwho]

From: www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/usarmy/artillery.aspx
Thirty-eight 8" howitzer battalions:

The 194th, 195th, 207th, 264th, 529th, 535th, 578th Colored, 630th, 656th, 657th, 658th, 659th, 660th, 661st, 662nd, 663rd, 736th, 738th, 739th, 740th, 741st, 742nd, 743rd, 744th, 745th, 746th, 747th, 748th, 787th, 788th, 790th, 791st, 793rd, 932nd, 933rd, 995th, 997th, and 999th Colored;

Normally, an AAA automatic weapons battalion was attached to each division, SP if attached to an armored division, and mobile if attached to an infantry division. A corps normally had one or more AAA groups attached. Each AAA group consisted of two or more automatic weapons battalions (usually mobile), although a gun battalion was occasionally attached. In the European Theater, gun battalions were more frequently found in AAA groups attached to the army or army group. Antiaircraft brigades were also formed and were normally attached to armies or to theater commands. In addition, the IX Air Defense Command (in effect an AAA division, originally organized as a part of the US Ninth Tactical Air Force), with an average of ten to fifteen gun and automatic weapons battalions, formed a powerful AAA reserve for the US 12th Army Group in Europe.

From another couple links indicate that the 791st under LTC Catlett was raised April 20, 1943, and assigned to the IX Air Defense Command in ETO, and fully-named "791st Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion (Semimobile)"

However, I've found very little to nothing about Catlett. Still digging.

[Deleted]

I have found pretty much the same. I was hoping to find something specifically for the 791st...like were the were actually located and such. Normally that sort of info isn't that hard to find!

[Mike Miser]

March-April 1949 issue of Antiaircraft Journal
sill-www.army.mil/ada-online/antiaircraft-journal/_docs/1949/3-4/Mar-Apr%201949%20(Screen).pdf
had an article named: ACTIVITIES OF THE IX AIR DEFENSE COMMAND
Which included a graphic of: AAA UNITS WHICH SERVED WITH IX ADC, ETO.

Shows Catlett was in charge of the 791st AAA, which was attached to the IX Air Defense Command.

They were formed 20 Apr 1943, Camp Stewert, GA. History follows:
Left Omaha beach for transit area #2 (18 AUg 44)
Arrived transit area #2, near St. Lo (18 Aug 44)
Left for "Tour En Bessin" near Bayeux (25 Aug 44)
Arrived Tour En Bessin (26 Aug 44)
Left Bayeux & arrived Port En Bessin (19 Sept 44)
Left for Le Harve (08 Oct 44)
Arrived Le Harve (10 Oct 44)
Left Le HArve & arrived at Cambrai 04 Mar 45
Left Cambrai & arrived at Abbeville (17 Mar 45)
Back to Cambrai (29 Mar 45)
Left Cambrai for Rennes (12 Apr 45)
Arrived in Rennes (14 Apr 45)
Left Rennes for Cherbourg (May 45)
Left Cherbourg for Le Harve (Oct 45)
Left Le HArve, returned to Ft Devens Mass (16 Mar 46) for discharge

[Deleted]

The Queenbell sign has me captivated. I'm thinking it was a GI made sign for a camp or post that pointed to whatever Queenbell was. Must have been a special memory that had to be preserved and brought home. The significance is most likely lost for all time now. Definately a sign to be hung up in a mancave or museum. If only a picture of it on it's original post in Europe could be found.

[jeffwho]

Done a few searches on WWII troop ships and other transports. No hits. I'll keep trying, I need something to do to preserve my sanity after yesterday- I hate technology so much more after Schiller "siri-ed" me to death. Oh, and I'd forgotten about how cool that V-1 was, total kickass. I might try to find some old shells like that and make my own trench art, as I am sure there are some around.