NIT  :   ________

                                                                             HEADQUARTERS                                      EJS/cp

1.  In accordance with letter XX Corps dated 23 August 1944,
                        subject. After Action Reports, the following report is submitted.

7 August to 12 August 1944;

The organization disembarked from 2 LST'S and 1 LCT at Utah Beach starting at 0450 and completed unloading by 0915.  After a short stay at transit area "B", the battalion left for Negreville, closing at 2350.  Battalion left  Negreville 0600 8 August 44, and arrived at a bivouac area 0107  9 August 44, 1 kilometer East of Damalain, where the battalion was attached to the 195th Field Artillery Group.  Battery "A" 551st AAA was attached to battalion for anti-aircraft  defense.  Battalion left Damalain at 0030   10 August 44,  and arrived at new bivouac area 10 miles East of Laval at 0830.  At 1610 battalion left this area and occupied firing positions 2 1/2 miles Northwest of Vaiges.

13 August to 20 August 1944:

At 1720 battalion leaves Vaiges and travels to Sceaur, closing at 0135 14 August 44,  where firing positions were occupied.  At this position at 0820  14  August 44, the battalion experienced it's first enemy fire when it was strafed by  two German planes.  No casualties or damage in material resulted.  Battary "A"  of the 551st AAA was relieved of attachment to the battalion and battery "D" of  551st AAA was attached.  The battalion did not fire at this position.  At 1330 15 Ausust 44,  the battalion proceeded to St. Germain where it went into firing positions.  No firing was done from this position.  At 1020 16 August 44, the battalion left St Gremain and arrived at St Georges at 1150 and took up firing positions.  At 1846 battery "B" displaced forward for 5000 yards East.  At 0710 17 August 44, the remainder of the battalion joined battery "B" and went into position at Querray.  At 1538  17 August 44, the battalion fired its first round against the enemy.  The target being infantry assembly point in the woods. At 1430  10 August 44, the battalion left Querray and went into firing position 3 miles North  of Chartres.  No firing was done from this position.

21 August to 24 August 1944:

At 1425  21 August 44, the battalion departed from  its position 3 miles North of Chartres, and closed into a bivouac area at 2007 near Yermonoville where the battalion stayed over night.  At 1020 on 22 August 44,  the battalion resumed the march and closed into a bivouac  area  5 miles West of Dourdon at 1317.  The march was resumed at 2103 and the battalion  closed into a rendezvous area  1mile East of La Forte Alais at 0725  23 August 44.  At 1103  23 August 44, the battalion left this rendezvous area and marched to a position 6 miles West of Melun where the battalion took up firing positions, in general   support of the Corps bridgehead operations on the Seine.  At 1500 battery "B" fired on a German anti-aircraft battery and again at 1550.  At 1815 fire was placed on another anti-aircraft battery.  At 2100 the battalion participated in firing a Corp Serenade.  At 1655 24 August 44, battalion fired on a AAA  unit and again at 2050.

25 August to 31 August 1944:

Battalion left its firing positions 6 miles West of Melun at 2030  25 August 44, and marched to a bivouac area in a forest 4 miles Southwest of Fontainebleau closing in at 2210 on 25 August 44,  where the battalion stayed two nights.  At 1122  27 August 44, the battalion left its bivouac area, crossed the river Seine on a pontoon bridge and went into a march rendezvous 9 miles East of Fontainebleau closing in at 1310.  The march resumed at 1745 and the battalion marched to a bivouac position near Herme, 10 miles West of  Nogent. The battalion stayed over night in this area. Sixty prisoners were captured on 28 August 44.  At 1900 28 August 44, the battalion commenced a march to a bivouac area 2 miles East of      Montmart closing at 0113 29 August 44,  At 1055 the battalion left this area and occupied firing positions 2 miles East of Avize, closing at 1205.  At 0030  30 August 44, battalion left this position and marched across the Marne river into a rendezvous area 12 kilometers South of Reims.  At 2249 battalion left this bivouac for a position 6 miles West of Verdun.

2.  All battalion orders were oral and fragmentary and therefore no copies
               of messages and orders are enclosed.  This Unit Journal is transmitted herewith.
 

1 Encl.                                                                              
ERNEST J STOCKS
Lt. Col.,  FA,
Comanding