36th Field Artillery Group

593rd Field Artillery

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The history of the 593rd Field Artillery Battalion 1942 – 1954 The 593rd Field Artillery Battalion was constituted in the Army of the United States, organic to the 93rd Infantry Division on 1 January 1942. Activation took place at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, on 15 May 1942 along with its sister organization, the 594th Field Artillery Battalion.  During the period 15 May 1942 to 31 January 1944, the Battalion conducted a complete training cycle in preparation for overseas movement. After this training, the Battalion moved from Fort Huachuca to Essex, California, with the 93rd Infantry Division, participated in Army Forces tests at Iron Mountain and departed for Camp Stoneman on 25 January 1944. Next move was to Fort Mason, San Francisco, on 30 January 1944 and on the next day, the unit boarded the USS Willard A. Holbrook for the voyage overseas. The Battalion crossed the equator on 8 February 1944, and disembarked on Kokumbona Beach, Guadalcanal, on 17 February 1944. On 26 March, 1944 the 593rd departed Guadalcanal as part of the 25th Regiment Combat Team and arrived in Yorokina, Bougaineville, on 28 March 1944. On arrival the unit was attached to Americal Division Artillery by the formation of an artillery battalion group with the 246th Field Artillery Battalion. During the Bougaineville campaign, the 593rd was in direct support of the 25th Infantry, fired missions in support of the 182nd Infantry and 93rd Provisional Brigade. On 15 July 1944 the 593rd departed Bougaineville for Green Island for advance training and maintenance preparatory to movement to Finsch-hafen, New Guinea, in February 1945. The Battalion moved on to Hollandia, and further, to Morotai, Netherland East Indies. On Morotai the unit was placed in direct support of the Second Battalion, 268th Infantry Division. Still later, the unit proceeded to Mindanao, Philippine Islands, and by 15 December 1945, the men started departing for disposition to the States. Battalion Commander, Staff, and battery commanders were relieved of assignment and duty 4 January 1946. The 593rd was deactivated on 3 February 1946, relieved from assignment to 93rd Infantry Division 3nd allotted to the Regular Army on 20 October 1950. In the meantime, the unit had won Battle Honors for New Guinea, Northern Solomons, Bismarck Archipelago. Late in the year 1950, the 593rd was again activated as a Regular Army Unit with headquarters as Camp Rucker, Aabama, attached to V Corps Artillery, and further attached to 190th Field Artillery Group. A complete basic training program was set up for the Battalion at Camp Polk, Louisiana, with completion in March 1951, and preparation for overseas duties starting in April 1951. On 23 March 1952 the battalion departed Camp Polk, Louisiana, for New Orleans Port of Embarkation, and left for the European Command aboard the USNS General Hersey, enroute to Bremerhaven, Germany. Assignment to Seventh Army, V Corps, and designation as part of the 36th Field Artillery Group the Battalion received permanent change of station took place soon after arrival. Home station at that time was Nellingen, Germany. On 18 July 1952 the orders from Nellingen to Babenhausen. The new station was at first a complete tent camp until permanent type buildings were completed. Early in 1953, 101 replacements arrived in the battalion, just in time for a CMI (command maintenance inspection) conducted by the 36th Group. This was a warm-up inspection for the semi-annual CMI that came in March, pulled by V Corps. In April the battalion moved to Baumholder for battery tests and firing of individual weapons. Next came a border patrol mission. Grafenwohr and the battalion test finished the month of May. After the annual IG (inspector general) inspection in July, the battalion moved to Grafenwohr again to participate in 36th Group tests during October.

Units of the 593rd FA Bn. wait for Mounted Review to commence

Testing the new engine of a self propelled eight inch gun

"Ride em cowboys"

Cpl Norman Redwing, Cpl Kenneth Bell and Pvt Robert Bower

"Where the heck is my laundry", Pvt Davenport??

"A" Battery: Training class for chiefs of sections

Service Battery: Service with a smile.Cpl Guiton and Pfc Pigg.

Aviation section looking over a new L-19 engine.

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