HEADQUARTERS
                  	   243RD FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION

                                                                    APO 403
                                                                    1 Dec 1944

SUBJECT:  After Action Report for November.

TO     :  Commanding General, XX Corps, APO 340, U. S. Army.


     1.  During the entire period of this report the 243d F.A. Bn., less Btry “B”
and Btry “C” was attached to the 195th F.A. Gp.  On Nov. 1st and 2nd, Battalion
Headquarters, Headquarters Battery and Service Battery were in Homecourt, France.
Attached to the battalion were Henderson Battery consisting of one gun of Battery
“A” 243d F.A. Bn and one gun of Btry “C” 270th F.A. Bn (240 How) in position near
Rombas, Adams Battery consisting of the remaining 240 How and 8 in gun emplaced
near Batilly, Ball Battery (Btry “C” 739th F.A. Bn, 8 in How) emplaced near Rombas,
and Perry Battery (Btry “A”) 270th F.A. Bn) emplaced near Mointois.  The primary
mission of the battalion was counter battery on railroad gun.

     2.  The battalion together with all attached batteries assembled just south
of Homecourt and departed for bivouac area near Aumetz 2345, 3 Nov 44 arriving
0800, 4 Nov 44.  Btry “A” and Btry “C” 270th F.A. Bn and Btry “C” 739th F.A. Bn
relieved from attachment upon arrival.

     3.  The Battalion occupied position 6 Nov 44 near Zoufftgen, France in
support of the attack of the 90th Div.
     Twelve Nov 44 the Bn CO was ordered to Thionville as a Corps Artillery Liai-
son officer with the elements of the 95th Div.  The Bn S-2, and the RO of Btry “A”
accompanied him.  On 14 Nov 44 the battalion displaced by echelon to position near
Soetrich, France.  On 16 Nov 44 the battalion displaced by echelon to a position
near La Grange, France.  The Bn CO and party returned to the battalion of 17 Nov
44.

     4. The battalion displaced 18 Nov 44 to occupy positions across the Moselle
River near Guenange, France.  The light column arrived in Guenange and bivouaced
there but the heavy column was denied permission to cross the pontoon bridge at
Thionville until daylight 19 Nov 44.  The heavy column, under the battalion ex-
ecutive, bivouaced in Thionville, France the night of 18 Nov 44.  By 19 Nov 44
the situation had advanced sufficiently to allow the battalion to go into position
near Flevy, France so heavy column was brought straight to Flevy after being
allowed to cross the bridge.
     On 20 Nov 44 the battalion displaced to bivouac in Basse Yutz, France and 
on 21 Nov 44 went into position near Hunting, France supporting the attack of the 
10th Armd Div.  On 26 Nov 44, the battalion displaced to a position in the vicinity
of Monneron, France.  On 30 Nov 44 the battalion displaced to positions near Bizing,
France.
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Ltr, Hq 243d FA Bn, Subj: After Action Report for November, dtd 1 Dec 44 cont'd.


     5.  A total of fifteen missions with a total expenditure of 128 rounds were
fired during this period, of this total, ten missions totaling 74 rounds were
registrations or check rounds.  The battalion occupied position seven times.  In
addition to the firing of this battalion two missions totaling 33 rounds were
fired with Btry “C”, 739th F.A. Bn and one mission with Btry “A” 270th F.A. Bn
of 10 rounds on 1 and 2 Nov 44.


                                                             
                                                             JOSEPH G. RUCKS
                                                             Lt Col, 243d FA Bn
                                                             Commanding


4 Incl:
     1 – Unit Journal
     2 – Unit Journal File
     3 – Operations overlays
     4 – List of Missions Fired.









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