134th Infantry Regiment "All Hell Can't Stop Us"

History of the 127th Field Artillery Battalion - Formerly the 114th Cavalry (post WWI to 1940)

By Nicholas Tuma

The 127th Field Artillery Regiment, when mobilized with the 35th Division in December 1940, was the former 114th Cavalry, 24th Cavalry Division, Kansas National Guard, which had been converted from cavalry to field artillery.

The first 127th Field Artillery had been allotted to Nebraska after World War I in the VII Corps, but the adjutant general, Herbert J. Paul, was unable to organize it with existing facilities and funds and it was removed from Nebraska's allotment in 1922. After World War I, U.S. infantry divisions had two regiments of 75 mm horse-drawn guns, with 155 mm howitzers moved to the corps level because of their relative lack of mobility. It had been planned to replace 75 mm guns with 105 mm howitzers as soon as development of the weapon was completed and sufficient production began. This never occurred, and 155 mm howitzer regiments were returned to infantry divisions in 1929 to increase their firepower after developments in the howitzer's mobility (a new carriage) made it more practical.

National Guard corps howitzer regiments were assigned to National Guard divisions, but since Nebraska had failed to organize the 127th Field Artillery, the 1st Battalion, 142nd Field Artillery, from Arkansas, was assigned to the division instead, in 1931. The regiment was fully organized by 1939.

"Early in August 1940, the General Staff began a study to determine the requirement of horse cavalry and the extent to which mechanization should be carried into the National Guard. Completion of the study indicated that although the need for horse cavalry remained apparent, the quantity required was less than that decided upon under former conditions and that there was a deficiency in the number of mechanized reconnaissance elements. As a consequence, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau was directed on August 7, 1940, to proceed with a view to arranging for the conversion of 7 cavalry regiments to horse-mechanized units as corps cavalry, and to develop the possibility of converting other cavalry units into organizations for which there was a need. This directive resulted in the conversion of all units of the four cavalry divisions, National Guard, into units deemed more essential for national defense. Completion of the plans for this change was effected during the latter part of September and early October, and withdrawal of the units concerned from allotment to the National Guard, was effected November 1, 1940, and confirmed by letter from The Adjutant General, November 8, 1940.

From the 4 cavalry divisions broken up, 17 cavalry regiments were converted into 7 horse-mechanized cavalry regiments, 7 field artillery regiments, 7 coast artillery regiments and separate battalions, and 1 antitank battalion."

The 114th Cavalry Regiment was officially converted and redesignated as the 127th Field Artillery Regiment on 1 October 1940 and assigned to the 35th Division. The 142nd Field Artillery Regiment was reassigned to the GHQ Reserve.

At some point after its induction, and prior to the 35th Division's reorganization as a triangular division on 1 March 1942, the 127th Field Artillery became a two-battalion regiment (Batteries A, B, and C in the 1st Battalion, and Batteries, D, E, and F in the 2nd Battalion), matching the organization of 75 mm gun regiments. Some National Guard 155 mm howitzer regiments completed this reorganization shortly before or after their induction into federal service, but evidently some took a little longer.

114th Cavalry unit	Location	127th Field Artillery unit
Headquarters	Topeka	Headquarters (part)
Headquarters Troop	Topeka	Headquarters Battery
Machine Gun Troop (part)	Kansas City	HQ Battery, 2nd Battalion
Machine Gun Troop (part)	Kansas City	HQ Battery, 3rd Battalion
Band	Kansas City	Band
Medical Detachment	Coffeyville	Medical Detachment
Headquarters, 1st Squadron	Topeka	Headquarters, 1st Battalion
Troop A	Iola	Battery A
Troop B	Coffeyville	Battery B
Headquarters, 2nd Squadron	Wichita	Headquarters, 2nd Battalion
Troop E	Wichita	Battery C
Troop F	Pleasanton	Battery D
Headquarters, 3rd Squadron	Lawrence	Headquarters, 3rd Battalion
Troop I	Lawrence	Battery E
Troop K	Paola	Battery F
Headquarters, 24th Cavalry Division	Topeka	Headquarters (part)
HQ Detachment, 24th Cavalry Division	Kansas City	HQ Battery, 1st Battalion

Thanks to Nicholas Tuma from the Nebraska National Guard Museum for this information.