The 532nd Anti Aircraft Artillery - Automatic Weapons Battalion
Italy Map from Michelin
The 532nd Anti Aircraft Artillery-Automatic Weapons Battalion started life at Fort Bliss, Texas as the 532nd Coast Artillery Battalion on 15 July, 1942 and ended it by its inclusion as the 2nd Battalion of the 473rd Infantry Regiment at Montecatini, Italy on January 15, 1945. The units' operational area was known as MTO or Mediterranean Theater of Operations. The map shows the movements of both units and this table shows the movements and attachments of the 532nd. My Father went from Hq. and Hq. Battery of the 532nd to Hq. and Hq. Co. of the 2nd Battalion in the 473rd. Although the 532nd's story starts at Fort Bliss, my dad started at Camp Callan as a replacement soldier and was to meet the Battalion in North Africa. What follows is the story of this ack-ack unit from its inception in Texas to Montecatini, Italy where the story of the 473rd, with the same cast of characters, takes over.
After the adventure of Fort Bliss training, including trainee's bouts with spinal meningitis and mumps, the 532nd left Pier 42 in New York on 27 February and arrived in Casablanca (see map) the 9th of March, 1943.
"You know how seasick everyone got on the boat--the English fed us beans and pork! A decent sandwich cost $1.00. They saved our rations and sold them in England. The next day at sea we counted life rafts. We had enough to save about 50% of those aboard. For air attack, we got two .50 cal. machine guns set up the second day and the 3" aft gun to work with standby crews." (J.G.)
Upon arriving in Casablanca, the wait for missing equipment allowed time to survey their surroundings and find out what they were up against in this multi national community. The relatively quick adjustment to the customs of social and commercial life here shows the adaptability of the Allied soldier.
"Arrival in Casablanca, French Morocco, 9 Mar 43 bivouac near French Garrison on the outskirts of Casablanca. This would be the proving grounds for our kitchen field units. After landing in Casablanca we were confined to our bivouac area awaiting arrival of equipment which had been sunk in transmit [sic]. The entire battalion was placed on part-duty unloading supplies for shipment inland to other units."
"During our stay here, we experienced the meeting of a complex society. The Arabs in the majority who were subject to the French Rule, and a generous number of Italian descent intermingling with the other two nationalities created a three-pronged speech problem. The business people, of course, were willing to sell anything they possessed at a "bargain", but extended a friendly hand. The braying donkey and his high-wheeled cart presented a background of antiquity. The women with veils hiding their facial features also sent a message of backward progress. The business houses followed an old closing and opening process. After the morning opening, they closed 'til after 6 P.M. for siesta then opened again from 6 P.M. until 9 P.M. or closing. We also saw for the first time metal closures and enclosures on buildings and store fronts thereby obliterating their identification. We didn't know why the metal doors were in use until a native explained that the riots and domestic disturbances were the cause. The shutters were for protection of property from rocks and missiles thrown during violence."
