Thus it was that for such an assignment as to the 101st
Airborne Division, the 87th was virtually the whole 
Divisional Artillery, considering the fact that their 
most numerous artillelry pieces were of lighter than 105 
mm. caliber, and that their airborne Field Artillery 
Battalion had recovered only one (1) howitzer after 
parachuting into the Normandy beach-head.  Likewise with 
the 82nd Airborne Division we were able to provide the
Division Artillery Commander with a vast superiority of 
materiel, such as he had no other possibility of 
obtaining.

With the Armored Divisions, the "Spearhead" 3rd and the
"Hell on Wheels" 2nd, the addition of another Armored 
Field Artillery Battalion, these being what were known 
as Heavy Armored Divisions, enabled the Division
Commander to use an additional Task Force from within his 
division, allotting to us the mission of Direct Support 
for this additional Task Force.  As such the 87th was 
able, from its training and standards of performance, to
participate in the rapid moves across France and Germany, 
as well as the more steady slugging match of the Ardennes, 
working as closely with these armored spearheads as if 
they were an organic part of the division.
     With the Infantry Divisions the story was somewhat 
different.  Here the addition of our 18 howitzers added 
fifty percent strength to the 37 organic 105 howitzers 
within the division, and as such enabled their fire power 
to be greatly enhanced.  While there was always a heavy 
expenditure of ammunition with the Infantry Division, \
there was a relatively easier period for the majority of 
the reconnaissance and forward observer personnel, due to 
the fact that in most instances our battalion was 
reinforcing the fires of one or more of the organic light 
battalions, rather than providing close-in support by 
having our own forward observers, or what should be 
better stated as having numerous forward observers, 
posted with the infantry, as was the case with Airborne 
and Armor and Cavalry troops.  
While we functioned normally in advance of their own 
towed howitzer battalions, it was based on the ability of 
our self-propelled guns to occupy position more rapidly
than the towed battalions and due to the efficiency of 
radio communication which at all times permitted action 
to be taken more rapidly than were we to be dependent 
upon wire communications.  Likewise the armor of the
M7 permitted it to operate from more exposed positions.

It was with the 4th Cavalry Group and its 4th and 24th
Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadrons, mechanized, that the 
87th finally achieved its most unusual experiences.  
Upon joining these fast moving and rugged fighters, it 
was found that they had never had direct artillery 
support before, either in training or in combat.  So that 
we had our own book to write.  And with the inspiration 
of the commanders and the pride and diligence of the 
troops the 87th fashioned itself into an organic part of 
this famous old Cavalry Regiment.  Self-propelled 
artillelry was able to keep up with the probing 
reconnaissance elements of the Cavalry, and by aggressive
work by the forward observers and rapid short 
displacement of the batteries, the artillery was able to 
always bring fire to bear with the same dispatch as had 
been practiced with the Armored people.  It developed 
that the Cavalry became bolder, more fearless, knowing 
that they had "big stuff" behind them, and close, to 
always render support at any "Jerry" roadblock or 
strongpoint which they discovered.  Thus was born an 
"esprit de corps" that welded the cavalry and the 87th 
together as a Light Armored Brigade, making them rely 
upon artillery support for any mission assigned them by 
Corps, and at long last giving the 87th a "family", a 
home, a body of troops to which they were considered an 
organic part, releasing us from that long experienced
state of "orphanhood" that by and large characterized our 
attachments and employment for so many hard months of 
combat.  Thus it was too that the Cavalry Regiment 
became not just a unit assigned regular cavalry blocking
and holding missions, but actually permitted them to 
assume a Task Force organization and accomplish 
aggressive attack missions, assuming the role of a 
Division with their own area of responsibility and their 
own sector, which at all times was equivalent to a 
Divisional Sector, though of course Corps never assigned 
the Cavalry missions of frontal attack against a 
strongly defended area which was G-2'd as being beyond 
their capabilities.  It was during these operational 
periods with the Cavalry that they began to employ their 
75 mm Assault howitzers as a 6 gun battery, learning 
from us the methods of Indirect Fire and Fire Direction 
which eventually led the two assault gun batteries of 
the two Squadrons together with the assault gun platoon 
of the Light Tank Battalion attached to Group and on 
occasions the platoon (4 guns) or two of 3" TD's to be 
welded into what was virtually an 87th Armored Field 
Artillery Group.  It was always the Cavalry Group
Commander's decision to utilize his weapons to their best 
capacities, and with the advent of the new T-24 light 
tank armed with the 75 mm gun, the release of the assault 
howitzers from their direct fire missions was assured,
such that at all times there was an Operational 
attachment of these "short-peckered" weapons, as we 
called them for purposes of radio security, to the 87th 
AFA Bn, lending us considerable strength and permitting 
the maximum saving of the much rationed 105 ammunition.  
True, none of this could have been as easily accomplished 
but for the superior communications that were permitted 
by the simple inter-netting of all the 500 series FM 
radios of the cavalry and the tank Battalion into our 
own fire Direction channel, Channel 66!                  
                     
The separate Armored Field Artillery Battalion was 
designed and utilized in the ETO as a unit that could be 
rapidly assigned to any division, whatever its type, so 
as to enhance the relatively small organic fire power 
which it possessed.  Thus as Corps troops, VII Corps 
troops, the 87th was given the opportunity of working 
directly with every assortment of front line fighting 
soldier that came under Corps' command.  And as such 
proved of extremely valuable service as records can 
attest.  However the very nature of being a separate 
battalion without some higher headquarters looking after 
us, resulted in what many considered a disadvantage, 
namely; that we were always in the line; when a division 
was withdrawn for a rest and reorganization it invariably 
resulted in our battalion remaining in the line and 
continuing to support the newly arrived troops.   While 
this became humanly possible for the cannoneers and fire 
direction and headquarters personnel, it was almost an 
impossible burden on the strength and courage of the 
gallant officers and men who continuously acted as 
Forward Observers.  Likewise maintenance suffered from 
the same continuous wear and tear that our vehicles,guns,  
and radios were burdened with, no period of relaxation 
being forthcoming for such work.  It was under such 
conditions that the 87th engaged in combat for many 
months.  Actually it was not until a definite family 
tie-up became possible with the 4th Cavalry Group that 
we were able to appreciate the opportunities and the 
rest from fatiguing, continuous combat, being withdrawn 
for a day or two at a time with the Cavalry as they 
reorganized for new assignments.  That was no doubt an 
inspiration to every man's morale, the ability to look 
forward to short periods of respite from time to time.

With these factors in mind it can be with better 
understanding that one reads the organizational history 
of the 87th AFA Bn and its subsequent entry into combat, 
recited day by day as the relentless reduction of Nazi 
Germany progressed.