I’m marking my GPW to honor my father who was a WW2 combat veteran. Dad served as a heavy gunner in the 689th Field Artillery Battalion, XX Corps, Third Army. The 689th used the 155mm Long Tom howitzer which was towed by the M5 High Speed Tractor.
The XXth Corps, commanded by Major General Walton Walker, was the tip of the spear for George Patton’s Third Army. The Germans referred to the XXth Corps as the Ghost Corps because they frequently engaged in combat where they were not expected to be. Here are a few good books and resources about the XX Corps:
The XX Corps, Its History and Service in World War II – This is the official history published in 1946.
Patton’s Ghost Corps by Nathan Prefer
Visions From a Foxhole: A Rifleman in Patton’s Ghost Corps by William Foley
XX Corps artillery was used organically. Units like the 689th FABN were frequently moved to support different divisions, such as the 90th Infantry and the 7th and 10th Armored. Here are a few documents about XX Corps Artillery. The first is the unit history of Dad’s 689th Field Artillery Battalion:
The second document is a pdf of the history of all XX Corps Artillery.
Restoration of 1945 Ford GPW 270351 