176th Armoured Field Artillery Bn, I Corps

Cpl. Caudle Remembers

Sept 30, 1996

From: burl@rocknlearn.com

----by Alan Burl Caudle RA 18410630

The 176th AFABN had 105 guns mounted on half tracks. We were not attached to any division. We were in the 5th group, and I think we belonged to the IX Corps.

Also in the 5th group was the 555th AFABN (the "Triple Nickel"), which had 8 inch guns. We were in "The Iron Triangle" near Capitol Hill and right by a river.

I was in Headquarters battery. We had the responsibility of training Korean artillery units under battlefield conditions. We also ran the FSCC for several units. The FSCC was located about 300 yards from one of the 176th's firing batteries (I think it was "B "Battery").

I was a member of the 176th from July 1952 to about the first of April 1953. After that, everyone who had previous railroad experience (as I had) was transferred from the infantry and artillery back to the 712th Railroad Battalion where I served until I rotated home in June of 1953.

Then, my time was up, so I was discharged.

Except for my first week in Korea, I served with the Deputy Commander of 176th (his name was Major Guseman) and a Master Sgt. Martens in the FSCC as a Radio Advisor to the South Koreans. We also had two 1st Lieutants. One of them named Bailey (the other was Rosenbloom or Rosenbaum; I'm not sure). The rest of the crew were Koreans.

We trained about 3 different South Korean units while I was there. They would have a Lt. Col.and several officers, Master Sgts. and Enlisted Men. One of my jobs was to assist the Koreans in contacting two "fire missions" per day by radio. Most of the time our fire missions were conducted by land line. We had excellent communications.

During the time I was there, we did not move forward or back. Looking at the maps (from your excellent web site), it appears the main line moved back about 5 miles from March 31, 1953 to July 27, 1953. I wonder, did the 176th get overrun?

About the first week I was there, one soldier was killed, and another was wounded in one of the firing batteries. The wounded soldier was brought to our infirmary at Headquarters Battery. He died of his wounds before morning. I think he was from Texas. He had been in my basic training company in Camp Roberts, California.

The 176th supported South Korean Infantry. The nearest American Infantry was about 20 miles away. We had good officers and men, and I am proud to have served with them!

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