2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Chemical Battalion is a United States Army
smoke generation and decontamination unit stationed at Fort Hood, Texas
, United States
and is part of the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
. The battalion can trace its lineage from the 30th Engineer Regiment (Gas and Flame) and has served in World War I
, World War II
, and the Korean War
.
, Washington, D.C.
The general staff of the American Expeditionary Force
(AEF) decided to establish a Gas Service, part of which would be an offensive gas regiment. Born out of this decision was War Department General Order 108, dated August 15, 1917, which authorized and established the offensive gas regiments, the first of which was designated the 30th Engineer Regiment. Shortly thereafter, General Order 31 from the General Headquarters of the AEF officially activated the Gas Service Section with Colonel Amos Fries
in command.
The 30th Engineer Regiment served in France
during World War I equipped with the 4 inch Stokes Mortar. On 13 July 1918, it was redesignated as the 1st Gas Regiment
and following the end of World War I, the regiment was disbanded on February 28, 1919 at Camp Kendrick, New Jersey
. Later reraised on February 24, 1920 at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland
, it was redesignated on February 5, 1929 as the 1st Chemical Regiment and deactivated in 1935 and disbanded on March 12, 1942. The men and equipment were transferred to the 2nd Separate Chemical Battalion, which was activated on March 13, excluding B and C companies as well as a medical detachment. Those companies were officially activated at Fort Bragg
, North Carolina
on April 1, 1942. The battalion arrived at Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, Virginia
on June 4, 1943 for transport to North Africa
.
Arriving in North Africa on June 22, 1943 for the upcoming allied invasion of Sicily
and arrived in Sicily
on July 10, 1943 and was then redesignated on August 20, 1943 or September 7, 1943 as the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion, Motorized before participated in the allied invasion of Italy
on September 9, 1943. The battalion also participated in operations in Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Ardennes-Alsace, Southern France, Central Europe and the Rhineland and December 31, 1944, the battalion was redesignated the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion. The unit was disbanded in July 1946 while in Germany
. The battalion lost a total of 54 men during World War II.
Reactivated on February 1, 1949 at Army Chemical Center
, Maryland by absorption of the men and equipment of the recently deactivated 91st Chemical Mortar Battalion. With the outbreak of the Korean War
, the unit arrived at San Francisco Port of Embarkation, California
on September 19, 1950 and arrived in Pusan, South Korea
on October 8, 1950. Equipped with the 4.2 inch mortar
, and served with the Eighth Army, supporting six United States divisions, eight Republic of Korea divisions, and the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade. In 1953, the men and equipment were redesignated as 461st Infantry Battalion (Heavy Mortar), while the unit became the 2nd Chemical Weapons Battalion (Headquarters Company). During the Korean War, the battalion served 1007 consecutive days in action without relief and lost 62 men.
The headquarter company was disbanded on January 16, 1955 at Dugway Proving Ground
, Utah
. On January 7, 1958 the unit was again reactivated, this time as the 2nd Chemical Battalion, with A, B, and C companies being disbanded about three years later and the headquarters detachment inactivated on December 19, 1973 at Fort McClellan
Alabama
.
On September 1, 1981 the 2nd Chemical Battalion was activated at Fort Hood, Texas
. The 2nd Chemical Battalion consists of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, the 44th Chemical Company, the 46th Chemical Company, the 63rd Chemical Company, and the 181st Chemical Company and deploys to designated theaters of operations providing command and control over chemical units conducting Nuclear warfare
, Biological warfare
and Chemical warfare
(NBC) operations in support of US Forces. The Second Chemical Battalion served in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 through February 2004. They were responsible for seeking out weapons of mass destruction, conducting detainee transport, fire suppression, and recon.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
smoke generation and decontamination unit stationed at Fort Hood, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and is part of the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
The 13th Sustainment Command —the Lucky 13th—is a U.S. Army modular sustainment command which serves as a forward presence for expeditionary operations for a theater, or in support of a regional Combatant Commander...
. The battalion can trace its lineage from the 30th Engineer Regiment (Gas and Flame) and has served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
History
Originally constituted as the 30 Engineer Regiment (Gas and Flame) which was activated on August 15, 1917 at Camp American UniversityCamp American University
Camp American University was the name the U.S. military used for the segment of the Washington, DC main campus of American University during World War I and World War II....
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The general staff of the American Expeditionary Force
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF were the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe in World War I. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside British and French allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces...
(AEF) decided to establish a Gas Service, part of which would be an offensive gas regiment. Born out of this decision was War Department General Order 108, dated August 15, 1917, which authorized and established the offensive gas regiments, the first of which was designated the 30th Engineer Regiment. Shortly thereafter, General Order 31 from the General Headquarters of the AEF officially activated the Gas Service Section with Colonel Amos Fries
Amos Fries
Amos Alfred Fries was a general in the United States Army and 1898 graduate of the United States Military Academy. Fries was the second chief of the army's Chemical Warfare Service, established during World War I. Fries served under John J. Pershing in the Philippines and oversaw the...
in command.
The 30th Engineer Regiment served in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during World War I equipped with the 4 inch Stokes Mortar. On 13 July 1918, it was redesignated as the 1st Gas Regiment
1st Gas Regiment
The 1st Gas Regiment was the first established offensive chemical warfare unit in the United States Army. Beginning as the 30th Engineer Regiment in 1917, the regiment has been re-designated several times, most recently to the 2nd Chemical Battalion...
and following the end of World War I, the regiment was disbanded on February 28, 1919 at Camp Kendrick, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Later reraised on February 24, 1920 at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, it was redesignated on February 5, 1929 as the 1st Chemical Regiment and deactivated in 1935 and disbanded on March 12, 1942. The men and equipment were transferred to the 2nd Separate Chemical Battalion, which was activated on March 13, excluding B and C companies as well as a medical detachment. Those companies were officially activated at Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
on April 1, 1942. The battalion arrived at Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
on June 4, 1943 for transport to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
Arriving in North Africa on June 22, 1943 for the upcoming allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
and arrived in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
on July 10, 1943 and was then redesignated on August 20, 1943 or September 7, 1943 as the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion, Motorized before participated in the allied invasion of Italy
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
on September 9, 1943. The battalion also participated in operations in Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Ardennes-Alsace, Southern France, Central Europe and the Rhineland and December 31, 1944, the battalion was redesignated the 2nd Chemical Mortar Battalion. The unit was disbanded in July 1946 while in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The battalion lost a total of 54 men during World War II.
Reactivated on February 1, 1949 at Army Chemical Center
Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center
The U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center is the United States’s principal research and development resource for non-medical chemical and biological defense...
, Maryland by absorption of the men and equipment of the recently deactivated 91st Chemical Mortar Battalion. With the outbreak of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, the unit arrived at San Francisco Port of Embarkation, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
on September 19, 1950 and arrived in Pusan, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
on October 8, 1950. Equipped with the 4.2 inch mortar
M2 4.2 inch mortar
-External links:* early detailed article on 4.2 mortar...
, and served with the Eighth Army, supporting six United States divisions, eight Republic of Korea divisions, and the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade. In 1953, the men and equipment were redesignated as 461st Infantry Battalion (Heavy Mortar), while the unit became the 2nd Chemical Weapons Battalion (Headquarters Company). During the Korean War, the battalion served 1007 consecutive days in action without relief and lost 62 men.
The headquarter company was disbanded on January 16, 1955 at Dugway Proving Ground
Dugway Proving Ground
Dugway Proving Ground is a US Army facility located approximately 85 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah in southern Tooele County and just north of Juab County...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. On January 7, 1958 the unit was again reactivated, this time as the 2nd Chemical Battalion, with A, B, and C companies being disbanded about three years later and the headquarters detachment inactivated on December 19, 1973 at Fort McClellan
Fort McClellan
Fort McClellan, originally Camp McClellan, was a United States Army post located adjacent to the city of Anniston, Alabama. During World War II, it was one of the largest U.S. Army installations, training an estimated half-million troops...
Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
On September 1, 1981 the 2nd Chemical Battalion was activated at Fort Hood, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The 2nd Chemical Battalion consists of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, the 44th Chemical Company, the 46th Chemical Company, the 63rd Chemical Company, and the 181st Chemical Company and deploys to designated theaters of operations providing command and control over chemical units conducting Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
, Biological warfare
Biological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
and Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
(NBC) operations in support of US Forces. The Second Chemical Battalion served in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 through February 2004. They were responsible for seeking out weapons of mass destruction, conducting detainee transport, fire suppression, and recon.
Further reading
- History of 2nd Cml Mortar Bn in WWII, by Bob Ladson
- First Shot in Anger, 2nd Cml Mortar Bn in Sicily, by Walter J. Eldredge
- My Army Service in World War II, by Craft Harrison
- US Army Command Reports, Sep 1950 through Aug 1951 (declassified official reports)
- History of 2nd Cml Mortar Bn in Korean War, by Richard L. Slick, 1st Sgt, Co B, 2nd Cml Mortar Bn
- A Soldier's Diary, by Carl H. Hulsman, 2nd Cml Mortar Bn, Korean War
- Sometimes it was rather cool, by Carl H. Hulsman, 2nd Cml Mortar Bn, Korean War
- A Commander's Reflections, by Benjamin G. Moore, Col, USA (ret), CO of 2nd Cml Mortar Bn in Korea
- Gunners help turn the tide at Kap'yong, by New Zealand historian Ian McGibbon