THE UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II
by Rich Anderson
 
Oddities
 
In the ETO the 42nd Field Artillery Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division was equipped with twelve M7 Priest SP 105mm howitzers, rather than the M1 towed 105mm howitzer normally found in the infantry division. This apparently was a holdover from the 4th Division's brief existence as the Army's sole Motorized Infantry Division.

In the ETO the 18th Field Artillery Battalion was equipped with seventy-five 4.5" TXXXX rocket launchers as a test. Results were encouraging enough to justify the formation of two more 4.5" rocket battalions. They eventually served in the PTO. 

In the ETO the 79th Field Artillery Battalion (Provisional) was formed from personnel of the 79th and 179th Field Artillery Groups to fire captured German artillery pieces during the height of the ammunition shortage. Similarly, the 244th Field Artillery Battalion was temporarily equipped with a miscellany of captured German 88mm guns and 105mm and 150mm howitzers.