The 73rd Field Artillery Regiment is a

field artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the early 20t ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

History

The 73rd field artillery regiment is believed to be an arm of the Field Artillery Branch (United States) which was founded on November 17, 1775, by the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

, and was based in West Germany between 1963 and 1975 The 4th Battalion, 73rd Artillery was deployed to help suppress the April 1968 Baltimore riots.Roberts, Cmdr 4Bn/73FA Rear during Baltimore riots.

Distinctive unit insignia

* Description: A gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, a lightning flash in bend Or. * Symbolism: The scarlet background represents the

Field Artillery Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement. Until the early 20t ...

, while the gold lightning bolt symbolizes the speed and power of the Armored Artillery. * Background: The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 73rd Armored

Battalion on 17 March 1943and re-designated for the 73rd Artillery Regiment on 5 December 1957 It was amended to include the description on 4 September 1959. The insignia was re-designated effective 1 September 1971, for the 73rd Field Artillery

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

Coat of arms

Blazon

* Shield Gules, a lightning flash in bend Or. * Crest On a wreath Or and Gules, issuing from a snowbank Proper behind a caltrop Azure, the Dexter and sinister points each surmounting in base a caltrop counter bend-wise of the first, two cubit arms grasping the halves of a spear broken chevron-wise of the first. Motto SPEED AND POWER ALWAYS. *Symbolism * Shield The scarlet is for the Field Artillery, the gold lightning bolt is symbolic of the speed and power of the Armored Artillery. Crest The design of the crest alludes primarily to the 73rd Artillery's participation in the 1944 winter counter offensive against Germany and is symbolized by the

caltrop A caltrop (also known as caltrap, galtrop, cheval trap, galthrap, galtrap, calthrop, jackrock or crow's foot'' Battle of Alesia'' (Caesar's conquest of Gaul in 52 BC), Battlefield Detectives program, (2006), rebroadcast: 2008-09-08 on History Ch ...

s (a heraldic military device used to impede and delay the movements of the enemy). The two smaller caltrops allude to St. Vith and Echternock, and the larger to

Bastogne Bastogne (; nl, Bastenaken, ; german: Bastnach/Bastenach; lb, Baaschtnech) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Bastogne, ...

, the later is blue in reference to the Distinguished Unit Citation awarded the battalion for its role in the defense of Bastogne. The snow refers to the severe winter weather during the period the battalion made its stand against the German counter offensive and is symbolized by two arms breaking a spear. Had it not been for this delaying action the Germans would have taken Bastogne before the 101st Airborne Division arrived. * Background The coat of arms was originally approved for the 73rd Armored Field Artillery Battalion on 17 March 1943. It was re-designated for the 73rd Artillery Regiment on 5 December 1957. It was amended to include the description of the shield on 4 September 1959. It was amended to include a crest and motto on 8 January 1965. The insignia was re-designated effective 1 September 1971, for the 73rd Field Artillery Regiment.

Current configuration

* 1st Battalion 73rd Field Artillery Regiment (United States) * 2nd Battalion 73rd Field Artillery Regiment (United States) * 3rd Battalion 73rd Field Artillery Regiment (United States) * 4th Battalion 73rd Field Artillery Regiment (United States) * 5th Battalion 73rd Field Artillery Regiment (United States) * 6th Battalion 73rd Field Artillery Regiment (United States)

References

* https://web.archive.org/web/20110722213511/http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Heraldry/ArmyDUISSICOA/ArmyHeraldryUnit.aspx?u=3450

External links

* http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/fa/default.htm {{Artillery Regiments (United States) 073 Military units and formations established in 1918