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A Word about the 3AD & the "Atomic Cannon"

By Section Editor: Robert M. Forrest

 

The 280mm Atomic Cannon was fielded by the U.S. Army in Germany during 1957 - 1963. The 3AD did not have had such a weapon assigned to it directly; i. e., as a part of its Division Artillery (DIVARTY). The DIVARTY had the mission of providing support to the units of the division, and a large weapon such as this would not have been appropriate for the close support mission. 280mm guns were assigned to a battalion of the Corps Artillery, such as the one mentioned in this website's article on the gun.

Corps Artillery units are sometimes given missions called "reinforcing" or "general support-reinforcing," in which the Corps Commander retains a degree of control over the unit while allowing another artillery unit commander to have some priority on the availability of the unit's fires. The 280mm unit, being exclusively nuclear capable, probably would not even be given such a mission because the DIVARTY commander whose unit it would be reinforcing would only be able to use it for nuclear fires; it would not be able to contribute the much more needed conventional fires. Although the 280mm unit might have been given a general support-reinforcing mission, it most likely was deployed to Grafenwoehr with the 3AD for convenience in logistical support.

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