artillery of the general reserve in 1944 - 1945

[wwilson]

I've assembled some bits from the GUF series on the French artillery units of the general reserve that existed in 1944-45.

This list may well be incomplete and the type of artillery piece noted may be in error. It is listed as seen in the GUF volumes. Should anyone have more exact information, please advise.

Units are listed in (battalion) / (regiment) format.

Units:

I / RACL, (referred to as "155 Gun"; not sure if this means 155mm Gun M1, Canon de 155 mm GPF, or M1918 155 mm GPF)
II / RACL, Canon de 155 mm GPF
III / RACL, Canon de 155 mm GPF
IV / RACL, Canon de 155 mm GPF

I / RACAOF, Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider
II / RACAOF, 155mm Howitzer M1

(There was a III / RACAOF organic to the 9th Colonial Infantry Division)

I / 64th RAA, 105mm Howitzer M2
II / 64th RAA, 105mm Howitzer M2
III / 64th RAA, 105mm Howitzer M2

I / 65th RAA, Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider
II / 65th RAA, Canon de 155 mm GPF
III / 65th RAA, 155mm Howitzer M1

I / 66th RAA, Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider
II / 66th RAA, Canon de 155 mm GPF
III / 66th RAA, 155mm Howitzer M1

After the 4th Moroccan Division left the Alpine front and moved to the Vosges, its mountain artillery regiment remained as a 1st Army asset supporting French troops in the Alps:

I / 69th RAM, Canon de 75 M(montagne) modele 1928
II / 69th RAM, Canon de 75 M(montagne) modele 1928
III / 69th RAM, Canon de 75 M(montagne) modele 1928

[wwilson]

I / RACL, (referred to as "155 Gun"; not sure if this means 155mm Gun M1, Canon de 155 mm GPF, or M1918 155 mm GPF)
II / RACL, Canon de 155 mm GPF
III / RACL, Canon de 155 mm GPF
IV / RACL, Canon de 155 mm GPF

Volume IV of GUF, page 495, offers a view of this unit on 8 February 1944: 2 battalions of 155mm Gun M1 and a battery of Canon de 155 mm GPF manned by naval personnel.

[wwilson]

Other artillery units of the general reserve.

I, II, III / 8th RA (French 105L36 guns, 12 German 10.5cm guns, as well as "German and American howitzers"). Formed 1.1.45 in Nancy.

I, II, III / 11th RA (2 battalions of "155 Long" and 1 battalion of "155 short"). Formed 1.3.45 in Vernon (Eure). Artillery of 3rd Army Corps.

I, II, III / 30th RA (only had two 7.5cm PaK and four 155mm howitzers by end of war). Formed 15.1.45 in the Fifth Military Region. Two battalions equipped with British 6-inch guns postwar.

I, II, III / 41st RA (apparently only received some U.S. AAA materiel before war's end). Intended to be equipped with 155mm guns. Formed 16.1.45 in Angoulême.

I, II, III / 42d RA (postwar had 10 155mm M1 howitzers and 4 155mm "Schneider" howitzers). Formed 1.3.45 in Mézières.

I, II, III, IV / 61st RA (materiel not noted). Formed between 16.2.45 and 16.4.45 in Auxonne and Belley, did not assemble as a complete unit until September 1945.

I, II, III / 196th RA (seven 155mm pieces and eight German 10.5cm pieces). Formed by regularization of the 196th FFI Artillery Regiment during February and March 1945 vicinity Lesparre. Took part in operations against German Atlantic garrisons.

Source for information: GUF, Volume VI.