1557 influenza pandemic, The Americas
There are records of the New World eventually being reached by the flu in 1557, brought to the Spanish and Portuguese Empires by sailors from Europe. Influenza arrived in Central America in 1557, likely aboard Spanish ships sailing to New Spain. During that year there were epidemics of flu recorded in the south Atlantic states, Gulf area, and Southwest. The Native American Cherokee appear to have been affected during this wave, and it may have spread along newly established trade routes between Spanish colonies in the New World.


1557 influenza pandemic, The Americas
The flu also reached South America. Anthropologist Henry F. Dobyns described a 1557 epidemic of influenza in Ecuador in which European and Native populations were both left sick with severe coughing. In Colonial Brazil, Portuguese missionaries did not take breaks from religious activities when they became sick. Missionaries like the Society of Jesus in Brazil founder Manuel da Nóbrega continued to preach, host mass, and baptize converts in the New World even when symptomatic with contagious illnesses like influenza. As a result, flu would have quickly spread through Portuguese colonies due to mandatory church attendance.


1557 influenza pandemic, The Americas
In 1559 the flu struck colonial Brazil with a wave of illness recorded along the coastal state of Bahia: That February, the region of Espírito Santo was struck by an outbreak of lung infections, dysentery, and "fevers that they say immediately attacked the hearts, and which quickly struck them down." Populations of natives attempted to flee the infection afflicting their communities, spreading influenza northward.


1557 influenza pandemic, The Americas
European missionaries suspected such severe epidemics among the native populations to be a form of divine punishment, and referred to the outbreaks of pleurisy and dysentery among the natives in Bahia to be "the sword of God's wrath." Missionaries like Francisco Pires took some pity on the sick children of natives, whom they often regarded as innocent, and frequently baptized them during epidemics in the belief they'd "saved" their souls. Baptism rates in native communities were deeply connected with outbreaks of disease, and missionary policies of conducting religious activities while sick likely helped spread the flu.


1557 influenza pandemic, Africa
Influenza attacked Africa through the Ottoman Empire, which by 1557 was expanding its territories in the northern and eastern parts of the continent. Egypt, which had been conquered by the Ottoman Empire around 40 years prior, became an access point for influenza to travel south through the Red Sea along shipping routes. The pandemic's most memorable effects on the Ottoman army in Africa are recorded as part of the 1559 wave.


1557 influenza pandemic, Africa, Abyssinian Empire and Habesh Eyalet
The Kingdom of Portugal had supported the Abyssinian (Ethiopian) Empire in their war against the Ottoman expansion of the Habesh Eyalet and sent aid to their emperor, including a team with Andrés de Oviedo in 1557 who recorded the events. In 1559 the Ottoman Empire struggled with a severe wave of influenza: After the deaths of Emperor Gelawdewos and most of the Portuguese attaché in battle, the flu killed thousands of the Ottoman army's troops occupying the port city of Massawa.


1557 influenza pandemic, Africa, Abyssinian Empire and Habesh Eyalet
Massawa was claimed by the Ottomans from Medri Bahri during their conquest of Habesh in 1557, but the pandemic's 1559 wave challenged their army's hold onto territory around the city after flu cut down a large number of the Ottoman forces. Because of the epidemic Ottoman soldiers were soon recalled back to the ports, even though the emperor had been slain, and shortly afterwards Gelawdewos's brother Menas ascended to the Abyssinian throne and converted from Islam to Christianity.


1557 influenza pandemic, Medicine and treatments
Most physicians of the time subscribed to the theory of humorism, and believed the cosmos or climate directly affected the health of entire communities. Physicians treating the flu often used treatments called coctions to remove excess humors they believed to be causing illness. Dr. Thomas Short described treatments for the 1557 influenza as having included gargling "rose water, quinces, mulberries, and sealed earth." "Gentle bleeding" was used on the first day of the infection only, as frequently used medical techniques like bloodletting and purgation were often fatal for influenza. In Urbino, "diet and good governance" were recognized as common ways sufferers managed their illness.


1557 influenza pandemic, Identification as influenza
The 1557 pandemic's nature as a worldwide, highly-contagious respiratory disease with fast onset of flu-like symptoms has led many physicians, from medical historians like Charles Creighton to modern epidemiologists, to consider the causative disease as influenza. "Well documented descriptions from medical observers" who witnessed the effects of the pandemic as it spread through populations have been reviewed by numerous medical historians in the centuries since.


1557 influenza pandemic, Identification as influenza
Contemporary physicians to the 1557 flu, like Ingrassia, Valleriola, Dodoens, and Mercado, described symptoms like severe coughing, fever, myalgia, and pneumonia that all occurred within a short period of time and led to death in days if a case was to be fatal. Infections became so widespread in countries that influences like the weather, stars, and mass poisoning were blamed by observers for the outbreaks, a reoccurring pattern in influenza epidemics that has contributed to the disease's name.


1557 influenza pandemic, Identification as influenza
Prior to greater research being conducted into influenza in the 19th century, some medical historians considered the descriptions of epidemic "angina" from 1557 to be scarlet fever, whooping cough, and diphtheria. But the most striking features of scarlet fever and diphtheria, like rashes or pseudomembranes, remain unmentioned by any of the 1557 pandemic's observers and the first recognized whooping cough epidemic is a localized outbreak in Paris from 1578. These illnesses can resemble the flu in their early stages but pandemic influenza is distinguished by its fast-moving, unrestricted epidemics of severe respiratory disease affecting all ages with widespread infections and mortalities.


1558
Year 1558 (MDLVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 1558th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 558th year of the 2nd millennium, the 58th year of the 16th century, and the 9th year of the 1550s decade.


1558 Järnefelt
1558 Järnefelt, provisional designation 1942 BD, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 65 kilometers in diameter.


1558 Järnefelt
It was discovered on 20 January 1942, by Finnish astronomer Liisi Oterma at Turku Observatory in Southwest Finland, and later named for Finnish astronomer Gustaf Järnefelt (1901–1989).


1558 Järnefelt, Classification and orbit
The dark C-type asteroid is not a member of any known asteroid family. It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 3.1–3.3 AU once every 5 years and 9 months (2,113 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.03 and an inclination of 10° with respect to the ecliptic. Järnefelt was first identified as A913 AA at Heidelberg in 1913. Its first used observation was made at Johannesburg Observatory in 1934, extending the body's observation arc by 8 years prior to its official discovery observation.


1558 Järnefelt, Lightcurve
In May 2007, a fragmentary rotational lightcurve of Järnefelt was obtained from photometric observations at the U.S. Oakley Observatory, Indiana. It gave a rotation period of 18.22 hours with a brightness variation of 0.40 in magnitude. This was the first time the asteroid's period had been measured. However, the lightcurve is not fully covered by the 90 data points obtained, so the period may be wrong by about 30 percent (U=2).


1558 Järnefelt, Diameter and albedo
According to the space-based surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, the asteroid has an albedo of 0.034 to 0.049, and an estimated diameter between 55.0 and 65.1 kilometers. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link agrees with the data obtained by IRAS and derives an albedo of 0.032 and a diameter of 65.1 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 10.3.


1558 Järnefelt, Naming
This minor planet was named after Gustaf J. Järnefelt (1901–1989), a Finnish mathematician and astronomer, who was the director of the Helsinki University Observatory and professor of astronomy at the University of Helsinki from 1945 until 1969, when he was succeeded by Paul Kustaanheimo (see 1559 Kustaanheimo). His research included the theory of relativity and the publication artificial satellite observations. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 20 February 1976 (M.P.C. 3930).


1558 in Sweden
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by BHGbot (talk | contribs) at 12:16, 18 June 2020 (WP:BHGbot 6 (List 5): fixed sort key; WP:GENFIXES). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1558 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).


1558 in poetry, Births
Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1558 in poetry, Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1558 in science
The year 1558 in science and technology included a number of events, some of which are listed here.


1559
Year 1559 (MDLIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.


1559 Kustaanheimo
1559 Kustaanheimo, provisional designation 1942 BF, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 11 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 January 1942, by Finnish astronomer Liisi Oterma at the Iso-Heikkilä Observatory near Turku in southwest Finland. The asteroid was named after Finnish astronomer Paul Kustaanheimo (1924–1997).


1559 Kustaanheimo, Orbit and classification
Kustaanheimo is an asteroid from the main belt's background population that does not belong to any known asteroid family. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.1–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 8 months (1,350 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.13 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.


1559 Kustaanheimo, Orbit and classification
In March 1935, the asteroid was first identified as 1935 FP at the Union Observatory in Johannesburg. The body's observation arc begins at Johannesburg in the following month, with its identification as 1935 HB, almost 7 years prior to its official discovery observation at Turku.


1559 Kustaanheimo, Physical characteristics, Rotation period
In February 2005, a rotational lightcurve of Kustaanheimo was obtained from photometric observations by American astronomer John Menke at his Menke Observatory in Barnesville, Maryland (no obs. code). Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 4.286 hours with a brightness variation of 0.25 magnitude (U=3). One month later, another well-defined lightcurve by French amateur astronomer Laurent Bernasconi gave a period of 4.302 hours and an amplitude of 0.23 magnitude (U=3). In April 2016, Petr Pravec obtained an intermediary period of 4.3 hours with a brightness variation of 0.29 at the Ondřejov Observatory (U=2).


1559 Kustaanheimo, Physical characteristics, Spin axis
In 2013, an international study modeled a lightcurve with a similar period of 4.30435 hours and found two spin axis of (275.0°, 29.0°) and (94.0°, 33.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β) .


1559 Kustaanheimo, Physical characteristics, Diameter and albedo
According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Kustaanheimo measures between 9.07 and 12.70 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.193 and 0.373.


1559 Kustaanheimo, Physical characteristics, Diameter and albedo
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 12.39 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.9.


1559 Kustaanheimo, Naming
This minor planet was named after Paul Kustaanheimo (1924–1997), a Finnish astronomer at the Helsinki University Observatory who made important contributions to celestial mechanics and the theory of relativity and best known for his K-S transformation. In 1969, he was appointed professor of astronomy at the University of Helsinki after the retirement of Gustaf Järnefelt (also see 1558 Järnefelt).


1559 Kustaanheimo, Naming
The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 20 February 1976 (M.P.C. 3930).


1559 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1559.


1559 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).


1559 in poetry, Births
Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1559 in poetry, Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1559 in science
The year 1559 in science and technology included a number of events, some of which are listed here.


1559 papal conclave
The 1559 papal conclave (5 September – 25 December) was convened on the death of Pope Paul IV and elected Pope Pius IV as his successor. Due to interference from secular rulers and the cardinals' disregard for their supposed isolation from the outside world, it was the longest conclave of the 16th century.


1559 papal conclave, Death and preparations
Pope Paul IV died on 18 August 1559, aged 83. His church reforms had mainly been based on repressive measures such as the Inquisition and the Index of Forbidden Books – he had no confidence in the Council of Trent, dissolving it in 1552 and not reviving it.


1559 papal conclave, Death and preparations
Even cardinals were accused of heresy – at the time of Paul IV's death, Cardinal Morone was a prisoner of the Inquisition in the castel Sant' Angelo. Paul IV, fearing that Morone might become his successor, issued the papal bull Cum ex officio Apostolatus, which stipulated that a heretic could not be validly elected pope – however, this was in vain since the College of Cardinals released Morone after Paul's death and allowed him to take part in the conclave. The bull also covered Cardinal d'Este, who Paul complained was trying to become pope by simony.


1559 papal conclave, Death and preparations
Paul IV's reforms did not abolish nepotism, however – 3 of the cardinals at the conclave were Paul's nephews, the most influential being Carlo Carafa and the other two being Diomede Carafa and Alfonso Carafa. On the model of pope Alexander VI (one of the Borgia popes, who had died on the same date as Paul 56 years earlier), Paul had tried to build up his family's power in Italy, mainly at the expense of the Colonna family, whose many lands (including the imperial Palia fiefdom) were seized and handed over to the Carafa family.


1559 papal conclave, Death and preparations
Paul's nephews ruled even more brutally than he and abused their power so much that at one point Paul was forced to step in, stripping Carlo of power early in 1559. Carlo never regained his uncle's favour and after Paul's death he and Paul's other two cardinal-nephews had good reason to fear their enemies would now take revenge.


1559 papal conclave, Death and preparations
Paul IV was rigidly orthodox, intolerant, and authoritarian in manner. Spontaneous riots broke out in Rome after his death, with crowds toppling his statue and attacking the Inquisition's headquarters. Thus 3700 troops were brought in to keep order, including 300 cavalry.


1559 papal conclave, Cardinals in 1559, Participants
At the time of the conclave there were 55 cardinals, 47 of whom participated in it. Of those 47, one died during the conclave (Capodiferro) and two had to leave early due to illness:


1559 papal conclave, Cardinals in 1559, Participants
Of these 47 cardinals, 37 were Italians, 7 French, 2 Spanish and 1 German. 13 had been appointed by pope Paul IV, 11 by pope Julius III, 20 pope Paul III, 2 by pope Clement VII and 1 by pope Leo X.


1559 papal conclave, Cardinals in 1559, Absentees
8 cardinals (5 French, 1 Spanish, 1 Portuguese and 1 Italian) did not come to the conclave. 2 of these 8 died during its sitting:


1559 papal conclave, Factions and candidates
The College of Cardinals was divided into three factions: a Spanish one (17 Cardinals headed by cardinals Sforza and Madruzzo), a French one (16 cardinals headed by Ippolito d'Este and de Guise) and an "Italian" one (14 cardinals headed by Carlo Carafa and Alessandro Farnese). A few cardinals remained neutral. The Spanish ambassador, Don Francisco de Vargas Mejía, regularly slipped into the conclave to counsel the Spanish group.


1559 papal conclave, Factions and candidates
The French candidates for pope were d'Este, Gonzaga and Tournon. The King of France favoured Cardinal Carpi. Philip II of Spain preferred cardinals Carpi, Morone, Puteo, Medici and D'Oler – in short, any candidate other than d'Este or a Frenchman. Cosimo I, Duke of Florence, favored, although no relation, Cardinal Giovanni Angelo de' Medici, younger brother of Gian Giacomo Medici, an Imperial general in Germany and Siena. In total there were over 20 candidates.


1559 papal conclave, Factions and candidates
For Carlo Carafa, choosing the new pope was literally a matter of life and death and so he mainly used the conclave to obtain guarantees that he and his relatives would not be punished for their abuses. He had one serious advantage – the Italian cardinals nominated by his uncle Paul remained loyal to him. He favoured Carpi and Gonzaga for pope. Although his uncle was an enemy of the Spanish, and encouraged France, Carlo decided to ally himself with the Spanish party.


1559 papal conclave, Course
The papacy was under criticism for failing to address abuses, and the college of cardinals was split between moderates and conservatives, as well as along national lines.


1559 papal conclave, Course
The conclave began on 5 September 1559, with 40 cardinals present. Exploiting the fact that the French cardinals had not yet arrived in Rome, the Spanish faction tried to get Carpi elected by acclamation, but this attempt failed because Sforza (one of the factions leaders) opposed Carpi's election and secretly agreed with d'Este that he should lose.


1559 papal conclave, Course
In this situation, the normal procedures were implemented. On 8 September electors signed the electoral capitulation, requiring the pope who was elected to continue reform of the church and the curia and to resume the deliberations of the council of Trent and promote peace between Christian princes. By the end of September seven more cardinals had arrived in Rome.


1559 papal conclave, Course
For a few weeks voting took place routinely, without any result. Most votes went to minor candidates. The Spanish Pacheco and Cueva were regularly given twelve to twenty votes; on 13 September the Frenchman Leonocourt received 18 votes; on 18 September the absent Cardinal Henry of Portugal was given 15 votes and 5; others voted for at this point included Rebiba, Ghisleri and Saraceni. Rannucio Farnese got 21 votes in the election on the anniversary of his grandfather's election as pope. From 9 September to 16 December 68 fruitless ballots were held.


1559 papal conclave, Course
The front-runners were still trying for office. However, on 18 September, with the support of Cardinal Farnese, cardinal Carpi put himself up as a candidate again. Over the next few rounds he received 11–16 votes. On 22 September the French tried to get cardinal Tournon selected, but his chances were dashed by Carafa's opposition, who supported the Spaniard Pacheco. In the voting that took place that day, Tournon received a total of 20 votes (including 5 by accession) and Pacheco 19 (including 1 by accession).


1559 papal conclave, Course
A few days later, the French agreed with Sforza, leader of the Spanish faction, to support cardinal Gonzaga and push through his election by acclamation. This plan ended in a fiasco, with Gonzadze, Carafa and part of the Spanish faction objecting to it.


1559 papal conclave, Course
On 25 September Philip II's ambassador Vargas arrived in Rome and under his auspices Sforza, Farnese and Carafa met on 2 October. The ambassador suggested Puteo as a candidate instead of Carpi and Pacheco. Farnese and Carafa refused, however, and the meeting was unsuccessful. Around this time Sforza began to fight on two fronts – promising the French faction to keep agitating in favour of Gonzaga and the Italian party that he would do so in favour of Pacheco and Carpi.


1559 papal conclave, Course
At the end of September and start of October, there was extensive exchange of correspondence between the pro-Spanish cardinals and Philip II. Francis II of France and Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor also sent letters to cardinals recommending Gonzaga's candidacy. This breach of the canonical rule that the conclave be held in secret and without any influence from secular leaders outraged the people of Rome into protest, but du Bellay (dean of the College of Cardinals) rejected the objections.


1559 papal conclave, Course
In the second half of October Carafa broke his alliance with Sforza, as Philip II decided to return the fiefdom Palli Colonnie Marcantonio and ordered the Spanish cardinals to prevent the selection of Gonzaga at all costs. Cardinal d'Este allied himself with Carafa, hoping to win the election, but the vote on 1 December showed this was in vain, with many who had promised to vote for him not doing so. The French also – without much success – tried to get cardinals Tournon and Suau elected.


1559 papal conclave, Course
In the first days of December, in agreement with the French, Carafa again proposed Gonzaga, intending to gain his election by acclamation. However, in the meantime, Carafa received a letter removing the expected guarantees from Philip and he and the French returned to their alliance with the Spanish party. He then committed himself in writing to cardinal Sforza that he would not endorse any candidate opposed by Philip II. As a result, this session, which selected cardinal Gonzaga, nearly ended in cardinal Carpi being chosen by acclamation. The protracted conclave led to increasing concern on the streets of Rome, especially since the camerlengo was forced to reduce troop numbers due to financial problems.


1559 papal conclave, Course
After the overthrow of the French-backed Gonzaga, Pisani was suggested as a "transitional pope", but to no avail. Their party in early December waned in numbers – on 1 December cardinal Capodiferro died, while on 13 December du Bellay had to leave the conclave due to illness, handing over his duties as dean of the college to cardinal Tournon. Six days later, Saraceni also left the conclave. The French had lost the ability to block the opposing party's candidates, so the Spaniards tried to push through the election of cardinal Pacheco. In the vote on 18 December the Spanish only missed the necessary majority by three votes.


1559 papal conclave, Course
The Christmas festival was imminent and this led the factions' leaders to make peace and conclude a compromise. At a meeting on 22 December leaders of all three parties met to decide upon a candidate acceptable to all sides. The French suggested cardinal Cesi, the Spaniards suggested cardinal Medici, but Carafa remained undecided. The French were eventually persuaded to back cardinal Medici, who was also strongly supported by the Duke of Florence and Vice-Chancellor Alessandro Farnese. Carafa also finally supported Medici, who promised him an amnesty.


1559 papal conclave, Election
On the evening of 25 December 44 cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel and elected Giovanni Angelo Medici as pope by acclamation, ending the longest conclave of the 16th century. The cardinals asked Medici, however, whether he would consent to a scrutiny on the next day. He replied that he would, if they stipulated that the election by acclamation on 25 December was valid and canonical. Next morning, therefore, a Scrutiny was held and forty-four ballots were cast; two cardinals were absent, Saraceni and du Bellay. Medici received every vote except his own.


1559 papal conclave, Election
He cast his votes for:  François de Tournon, Rodolfo Pio di Carpi, Pedro Pacheco de Villena, Ercole Gonzaga, and Ippolito d'Este. This is another clear indication that the preferential ballot was being used in scrutinies, and that an elector could and did vote for more than one person on a ballot. Giovanni de' Medici took the name Pius IV and on the feast of the Epiphany on 6 January 1560 the Cardinal protodeacon Alessandro Farnese crowned him with the papal tiara.


1559 papal conclave, Election
Within a week of his election Pius promulgated new regulations governing the secrecy of the conclave, to address some of the outside influence on the conclave.


1559 papal conclave, Election
The choice of Pius IV was a reaction to the brutal rule of Paul IV and his nephews. Pius had nothing to do with his predecessor's pride and arrogance and he resumed and completed the Council of Trent. Although he had fathered three children before his consecration as pope, he kept them in obscurity and out of church governance, unlike Pope Paul III and Pope Alexander VI. His only cardinal-nephew was Charles Borromeo, a future saint – as for Paul IV's nephews, he showed no mercy, arresting Carlo and Alfonso in 1560 (Diomede had died just after the conclave), executing Carlo in 1561 and only pardoning Alfonso after he had spent over a year in prison.


155mm SpGH ZUZANA
ZUZANA - 155 mm Self-propelled Gun Howitzer is a Slovak artillery system with a 45-caliber gun and automatic loader for loading of both projectile and charge. It is an evolution of the 152mm SpGH DANA self-propelled howitzer.


155mm SpGH ZUZANA
The system features long range, high accuracy and rate of fire, prompt preparation for firing and high level of mobility ensured by a modified TATRA 8x8 chassis. Design of the gun enables to use any NATO standard 155mm ammunition available on the market. The Fire Control System enables for a Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) mode. One of the unique features of ZUZANA is that the gun is mounted externally in between two totally separated compartments of the turret. This makes the crew inherently safe from any potentially dangerous mechanics of the gun and autoloader plus the crew is protected from the gases generated during firing.


155mm SpGH ZUZANA, Variants, 155 mm ShKH Zuzana
The original wheeled version adopted by the Slovak Army in 1998.


155mm SpGH ZUZANA, Variants, 155 mm ShKH Zuzana 2
Updated version with a new 52-calibre gun, full 360-degree turret traverse, a new armored cab and further reduced crew of 3 enabled by automation. It has passed Slovak Army trials in December 2009. Slovak army had ordered 25 vehicles (to be delivered in year 2021 and 2022).


155mm SpGH ZUZANA, Variants, 155 mm ShKH Zuzana 2
The new version is claimed to possess Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) capability.


155mm SpGH ZUZANA, Variants, 155 mm ShKH Himalaya
1990's adaptation of the original system to a tracked chassis required by export customers. It is essentially a Zuzana turret mounted on a T-72 chassis. The tracked version so far did not achieve orders beyond initial evaluation units and further production is unlikely.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti- Aircraft Regiment was an air defence unit of Britain's Royal Artillery formed during World War II. Around two-thirds of its personnel were women from the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). After defending the West of Scotland and later London, the regiment was heavily engaged in Operation Diver against V-1 flying bombs, and later was deployed to Antwerp to carry out anti-Diver duties there in the closing stages of the war.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Organisation
By 1941, after two years of war Anti- Aircraft Command, tasked with defending the UK against air attack, was suffering a manpower shortage. In April its commander-in-chief, Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick 'Tim' Pile, proposed to overcome this by utilising the women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS). The ATS was by law a non-combatant service, but it was decided that Defence Regulations permitted the employment of women in anti-aircraft (AA) roles other than actually firing the guns. They worked the radar and plotting instruments, range-finders and predictors, ran command posts and communications, and carried out many other duties.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Organisation
With the increasing automation of heavy AA (HAA) guns, including gun-laying, fuze-setting and ammunition loading under remote control from the predictor, the question of who actually fired the gun became blurred as the war progressed. The ATS rank and file, if not always their officers, took to the new role with enthusiasm and 'Mixed' batteries and regiments with the ATS supplying two-thirds of their personnel quickly proved a success.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Organisation
By early 1942 the training regiments were turning out a regular stream of Mixed HAA batteries, which AA Command formed into regiments to take the place of the all-male units being sent to overseas theatres of war. One such new unit was 155th (Mixed) HAA Regiment. Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) was formed on 8 March 1942 at Dumbarton in Scotland, and over the next four months the following batteries were regimented with it:


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Defending Scotland
By the end of May 1942 the regiment had joined 57 AA Brigade in 12th AA Division, which was responsible for the air defence of the West of Scotland. The following month 528 (M) HAA Bty was temporarily attached to the neighbouring 63 AA Bde. The regiment transferred within 12th AA Division to the command of 42 AA Bde in August, and became unbrigaded in September.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Defending Scotland
On 22 August 1942, 554 (M) HAA Bty left the regiment to form the basis of a new 170th (M) HAA Rgt forming in 42 AA Bde at Johnstone, Renfrewshire, in Scotland. 528 (M) HAA Battery also left on 15 September 1942 to join this new regiment. On 26 October 579 (M) HAA Bty joined 155th HAA Rgt to bring it back to a strength of four batteries.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Defending London
At the beginning of October 1942, AA Command was reorganised, the AA divisions being disbanded and replaced by larger AA Groups. By early November, 155th (M) HAA Rgt came under the command of 48 AA Bde in 1 AA Group covering the London Inner Artillery Zone (IAZ). This remained the regiment's deployment for the next two years.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Defending London
A few sporadic attacks were made on London during 1943, by conventional bombers at night on 17 January, 3 March and 16 April, by daylight Fighter-bombers on 12 March, and by night again on 7 and 20 October. The Luftwaffe began a new bombing campaign against London in early 1944 (the Baby Blitz), when the city was subjected to 14 raids between 21 January and 18 April. By now the night fighter defences and the London IAZ were well organised and the attackers suffered heavy losses for relatively small results.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Defending London
On 13 February, for example, only six out of 115 aircraft reached London, the rest being driven off. Five raids in the third week of February varying in strength from 100 to 140 aircraft were met by intense AA fire from the Thames Estuary in to the IAZ and fewer than half reached the city; 13 were shot down by AA Command, 15 by the Royal Air Force, and one 'kill' was shared.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Operation Diver
A week after Operation Overlord began on D-Day (6 June), the Germans began launching V-1 flying bombs, codenamed 'Divers', against London. V-1s (known to Londoners as 'Doodlebugs') presented AA Command's biggest challenge since The Blitz of 1940–41. Defences had been planned against this new form of attack (Operation Diver), but the missiles' small size, high speed and awkward height presented a severe problem for AA guns and the initial results were disappointing.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Operation Diver
After a fortnight AA Command changed its tactics: the HAA gun belt was moved to the coast and interlaced with Light AA guns to hit the missiles out to sea, where the gun-laying radar worked best and where a 'downed' V-1 would cause no damage. This new belt was divided into six brigade sectors under 2 AA Group, 57 AA Bde taking charge of one sector, with 155th (M) HAA Rgt under command from early August.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Operation Diver
The whole process involved the movement of hundreds of guns and vehicles and thousands of servicemen and women, but a new 8-gun site could be established in 48 hours. After moving the mobile 3.7-inch HAA guns to the coast, these were progressively replaced by the static Mark IIC model, which had power traverse that could more quickly track the fast-moving targets, accompanied by the most sophisticated Radar No 3 Mark V (the SCR-584 radar set) and No 10 Predictor (the all-electric Bell Labs AAA Computer). These were emplaced on temporary 'Pile platforms' named after the C-in-C of AA Command.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Operation Diver
The introduction of VT Proximity fuzes also increased the 'kill rate'. The guns were constantly in action, but success rates against the 'Divers' steadily improved, until over 50 per cent of incoming missiles were destroyed by gunfire or fighter aircraft. This phase of Operation Diver ended in September after the V-1 launch sites in Northern France had been overrun by 21st Army Group. In early September 155th (M) HAA Rgt returned to 1 AA Group under the command of 37 AA Bde.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Operation Diver
1 AA Group had to redeploy facing East to form a 'Diver Box' to intercept V-1s launched by the Luftwaffe from aircraft over the North Sea. In October 1944, 531 Bty was operating 5.25-inch guns – the heaviest guns in service with AA Command – with the higher personnel establishment that these guns required (8 officers, 186 male other ranks, 211 ATS).


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Antwerp 'X' deployment
Once 21st Army Group had captured Brussels and Antwerp, these cities became targets for V-1s launched from within Germany, and anti-Diver or 'X' defences had to be established. AA Command's experience had shown that the power-operated, remotely controlled Mk IIC 3.7-inch gun, with automatic fuze-setting, SCR 584 radar and Predictor No 10 were required to deal effectively with V-1s, but 21st Army Group's mobile HAA units did not have experience with this equipment. In December the first overseas deployment of Mixed HAA units began, and 155th (M) HAA Rgt was one of those selected. The war establishment of an HAA regiment on service overseas was three batteries, so 537 (M) HAA Bty left to become independent on 16 November (it disbanded on 10 December).


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Antwerp 'X' deployment
The regiment arrived at Antwerp in January 1945, taking over Mk IIC 3.7-inch guns on Pile platforms in bitter weather with inadequate hutting, and were immediately in action against the onslaught of V-1s. The Antwerp 'X' defences under 80 AA Bde involved an outer line of Wireless Observer Units sited 40 miles (64 km) to 50 miles (80 km) in front of the guns to give 8 minutes' warning, then Local Warning (LW) stations positioned half way, equipped with radar to begin plotting individual missiles.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Antwerp 'X' deployment
Finally there was an inner belt of Observation Posts (OPs), about 20,000 yards (18,000 m) in front of the guns to give visual confirmation that the tracked target was a missile. The LW stations and OPs were operated by teams from the AA regiments. Radar-controlled searchlights were deployed to assist in identification and engagement of missiles at night. The success rate of the X defences had been low at first, but after the arrival of Mk IIC guns and experienced crews from AA Command the results improved considerably, with best results in February and March 1945. The number of missiles launched at Antwerp peaked at 623 a week in February, but dropped rapidly as 21st Army Group continued its advance, and in the last week of action the AA defences destroyed 97.5 per cent of those reaching the defence belt.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Antwerp 'X' deployment
The war in Europe ended on VE Day, 8 May 1945. 155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti- Aircraft Regiment, together with 525, 531 and 579 Batteries, was disbanded on 25 October 1945.


155th (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, Insignia
While the male members of the regiment wore the Royal Artillery's 'gun' cap badge, the women wore the ATS cap badge, but in addition they wore the RA's 'grenade' collar badge as a special badge above the left breast pocket of the tunic. Both sexes wore the white RA lanyard on the right shoulder.


155th (Quinte) Battalion, CEF
The 155th (Quinte) Battalion, CEF was a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Based in Barriefield, Ontario, the unit began recruiting in late 1915 in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. After sailing to England in October 1916, the battalion was absorbed into the 154th Battalion, CEF and 6th Reserve Battalion on December 8, 1916. The 155th (Quinte) Battalion, CEF had one Officer Commanding: Lieut-Col. M. K. Adams.


155th (South Scottish) Brigade
The 155th (South Scottish) Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in both the First and the Second World Wars. Assigned to the 52nd (Lowland) Division, the brigade saw active service in the Middle East and on the Western Front during the First World War. During the Second World War, now the 155th Infantry Brigade, it continued to serve with the 52nd Division in Operation Dynamo, and later in North-western Europe from late 1944 until May 1945.


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, Origins
The Scottish Border Brigade (originally the South of Scotland Brigade) was a Volunteer Infantry Brigade of the British Army formed in 1888.


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, Origins
The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle, Artillery and Engineer Volunteer units composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need. The Stanhope Memorandum of 1888 proposed a comprehensive Mobilisation Scheme for Volunteer units, which would assemble in their own brigades at key points in case of war. In peacetime, these brigades provided a structure for collective training. Under this scheme the Volunteer Battalions in the Scottish Border areas would assemble at Hawick.


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, Origins
From 1888, the South of Scotland/Scottish Border Brigade had the following composition:


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, Origins
In the early 1890s, the two Black Watch battalions were replaced by:


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, Origins
After a further reorganisation in 1902, the 1st and 2nd VBs of the Royal Scots Fusiliers (at Kilmarnock and Ayr respectively) replaced the two battalions of the Royal Scots.


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, Origins
The Brigade Headquarters (HQ) and place of assembly was at Hawick and Colonel Viscount Melgund (later 4th Earl of Minto) was appointed brigade commander on 11 July 1888. From 1900, the brigade commander was the Officer Commanding the 25th Regimental District (the KOSB district) at Berwick-upon-Tweed, then from 1906 it was commanded by retired Colonel P.D. Trotter.


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, Territorial Force
After the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908, the South Scottish Brigade (as it was now designated) formed part of the Lowland Division of the TF with the following composition:


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, First World War
On the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the Lowland Division was mobilised for full-time war service. In 1915, the division was numbered as the 52nd (Lowland) Division and the brigade the 155th (1/1st South Scottish) Brigade and the battalions received the '1/' prefix (1/4th Royal Royal Scots Fusiliers) to distinguish them from their 2nd Line units being formed as the 194th (2/1st South Scottish) Brigade, part of 65th (2nd Lowland) Division. During the First World War the brigade served in the Middle Eastern theatre and later on the Western Front.


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, Between the wars
After the war, the brigade and division were both disbanded as was the Territorial Force. The Territorial Force was, however, reformed in 1920 as the Territorial Army and the 52nd Division was reconstituted as was the brigade, which was redesignated as the 155th (South Scottish) Infantry Brigade. The brigade was reformed with the same units as it had before the First World War.


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, Between the wars
In 1921, the 4th and 5th battalions of the Royal Scots Fusiliers were amalgamated into the 4th/5th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers and it was later transferred to the 156th (Scottish Rifles) Infantry Brigade, later redesignated 156th (West Scottish) Infantry Brigade. The 155th Brigade later received the 4th/5th (Queen's Edinburgh Rifles) Battalion, Royal Scots (the amalgamated 4th and 5th battalions) and the 7th/9th (Highlanders) Battalion, Royal Scots (the amalgamated 7th and 9th) both arrived from 156th Brigade and was redesignated 155th (East Scottish) Infantry Brigade.


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, Between the wars
In the late 1930s, there was an increasing need for anti-aircraft defences throughout Britain and many infantry battalions were converted into anti-aircraft or searchlight units of the Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers. In 1938, all infantry brigades of the British Army were reduced from four to three battalions and, in the same year, the 4th/5th Battalion, Royal Scots was converted into an anti-aircraft role, becoming the 4th/5th Battalion, Royal Scots (52nd Searchlight Regiment). In 1939 the brigade was finally redesignated 155th Infantry Brigade.


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, Second World War
During the Second World War, the 155th Infantry Brigade served with the 52nd Division during Operation Ariel in France in 1940 to cover the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) which was being evacuated from France. The 52nd Division was itself evacuated from France on 17 June 1940, and spent many years on anti-invasion duties, training to repel an expected German invasion of Britain. From May 1942 to June 1944, the division was trained in mountain warfare yet was never used in the role. They were then trained in airlanding operations but were, again, never utilised in the role.


155th (South Scottish) Brigade, Second World War
In October 1944, they were sent to Belgium as a standard infantry division to join the 21st Army Group and were attached to First Canadian Army and fought in the Battle of the Scheldt where the 52nd Division gained an excellent reputation. The brigade was attached to 7th Armoured Division during Operation Blackcock in 1945 and ended the war by the River Elbe.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
The 155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, was a New Army ('Kitchener's Army') unit raised from Leeds in the West Riding of Yorkshire during World War I. It saw service on the Western Front, including the Battles of the Somme, Arras, Messines and Passchendaele, the German spring offensive and the final Allied Hundred Days Offensive.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Background
On 6 August 1914, less than 48 hours after Britain's declaration of war, Parliament sanctioned an increase of 500,000 men for the Regular British Army, and the newly appointed Secretary of State for War, Earl Kitchener of Khartoum issued his famous call to arms: 'Your King and Country Need You', urging the first 100,000 volunteers to come forward. This group of six divisions with supporting arms became known as Kitchener's First New Army, or 'K1'.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Background
The flood of volunteers overwhelmed the ability of the army to absorb and organise them, and by the time the Fifth New Army (K5) was authorised on 10 December 1914, many of the units were being organised as 'Pals battalions' under the auspices of mayors and corporations of towns up and down the country.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Recruitment
The CLV (West Yorkshire) Brigade (155th Bde) Royal Field Artillery (RFA) was raised by the Leeds-based West Yorkshire Coal Owners' Association. It was therefore a 'Local Unit', raised under local initiative, not by the army mechanism like the early Kitchener 'New Armies', and therefore was comparable to the 'Pals Battalions' that formed the infantry of K5. Authority was given by the War Office (WO) on 1 February 1915, and the unit was officially taken over by the military authorities on 25 July 1915


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Recruitment
The six K5 divisions were to be numbered 37th to 42nd, and CLV Bde was assigned to the 38th Division, composed of Pals battalions raised in the North of England, such as the Accrington Pals, the Sheffield City Battalion and a whole brigade of Hull Pals. All the division's RFA batteries and brigades were raised in Yorkshire towns. The WO then decided to convert the earlier K4 battalions into reserve units to train reinforcements for the K1–K3 units, and on 27 April 1915 the K5 divisions were renumbered to take up the vacant designations of the K4 formations. The short-lived 38th Division thus became 31st Division.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Training
The New Army brigades of the RFA were organised into four 4-gun batteries, designated A, B, C and D, with a Brigade Ammunition Column (BAC). To start with, the men were billeted in their own homes and training was carried out locally, hampered by an almost total lack of equipment and instructors. Towards the end of May and early June 1915 the division began to assemble at South Camp, Ripon, where more serious training could begin. CLV Brigade was officially taken over by the military authorities from the recruiting committee on 25 July 1915, the rest of the divisional artillery on 1 September. In September the artillery moved to Fovant, where battle training was carried out on Salisbury Plain. The batteries were equipped with 18-pounder guns.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Training
On 29 November the division was warned that it would embark for the Western Front on 6 December. Advance parties left for the embarkation ports, but on 2 December the orders were changed: the infantry would instead sail for Egypt with 32nd Division's artillery, leaving its own artillery behind.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery
31st Divisional Artillery continued its training at Larkhill Camp for another month, and then went to France at the beginning of January 1916 to join 32nd Division. This was another Pals formation recruited largely in Birmingham, Salford and Glasgow. It had been in France since late November 1915, temporarily supported by the Divisional Artillery of 53rd (Welsh) Division of the Territorial Force (TF). The former 31st Divisional Artillery now became 32nd Divisional Artillery (32nd DA) for the rest of the war.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery
On 26 May 32nd DA was reorganised: D/CLV Battery left for CLXIV (Rotherham) Howitzer Brigade and was exchanged for A (H)/CLXIV Bty, which became D (H)/CLV. This battery was equipped with 4.5-inch howitzers. The brigade now consisted of 12 x 18-pdrs and 4 x 4.5s. At the same time the BACs were abolished and absorbed into the Divisional Ammunition Column (DAC).


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
32nd Division was assigned to X Corps in the newly formed Fourth Army for the forthcoming 'Big Push' (the Battle of the Somme). 32nd Division was tasked with attacking out of the valley of the Ancre onto a spur of the Thiepval Plateau to capture the fortified village of Thiepval and the redoubt at the angle of the 'Leipzig Salient'. The division was then to go on to capture a series of strongpoints (including the Wundtwerke or 'Wonder Work') on the reverse slope of the spur.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
Fourth Army planned five days (U, V, W, X and Y) of bombardment before Zero or Z Day, with the 18-pdrs assigned to cutting the barbed wire and 'searching' trenches, villages, woods and hollows, and the 4.5-inch howitzers to destroying communication trenches, machine gun positions, and assisting in bombardment of woods and villages. Both classes of gun were also to interrupt communications, particularly at night, and prevent the enemy from repairing damage to their defences. The wire-cutting began on 24 June (U Day). After three days the intensity of wire-cutting fire was increased to 4–500 shell per gun per day.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
Z day was put back by two days because of bad weather, but the bombardment was weaker on the extra days (Y1 and Y2) because of ammunition shortages. Reports on the effect of the wire-cutting varied: a night patrol from 97th Bde failed to get through the wire north of the Leipzig Redoubt and were shot down.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
When the infantry went 'over the top' the field guns were to lay down a barrage in front of them. Some artillery commanders tried out a 'Creeping barrage', but in X Corps the 18-pdrs were simply ordered to 'lift' their barrage from one enemy trench to the next as the infantry advanced behind it, while the howitzers concentrated on selected strongpoints along the line of the barrage. Nevertheless, Brigadier J.B. Jardine, commanding 97th Brigade of 32nd Division, ordered his men to creep up to within 40 yards (37 m) of the barrage before attacking the German front line trenches.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
When the attack went in at 07.30 on 1 July (the First day on the Somme), 97th Brigade had already crept out into No man's land. It found the wire adequately cut and keeping close to the barrage was able to overrun the Leipzig Redoubt, taking its defenders prisoner. However, 96th Brigade met with disaster, being cut down in No man's land by the machine guns in Thiepval and making no progress, the support companies being halted before going over.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
The first lift of the barrage was from the German front line to the reserve line (the Wonder Work etc), but the troops could not keep up and lost its benefits. The advancing 97th Brigade was shot down by machine guns in the Wonder Work and was obliged to withdraw to the Leipzig Redoubt. Strict orders for the barrage meant that it could not be brought back without higher authority, although Brigadier Jardine did take responsibility to order two batteries to come back to cover the withdrawal to the Leipzig Redoubt.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
After midday individual batteries fired at targets such as machine gun posts requested by the infantry, but there were few Forward Observation Officers (FOOs) with the infantry, and shellfire cut telephone lines, so fire control was poor. A new bombardment of the Wonder Work was arranged, but it was too diffuse to be effective.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
Erroneous reports that some of 32nd Division had got into Thiepval meant that the village was not fired on until the evening, and its defenders were able to mount counter-attacks against a break-through by the neighbouring 36th (Ulster) Division and to cause heavy casualties to the reserves coming up (49th (West Riding) Division). By the end of the day X Corps' only remaining gain was the Leipzig Redoubt. That night and for the next two days the gunners helped to evacuate the thousands of wounded infantrymen.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
32nd Division was in action again at the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, on 14 July. This time the wire-cutting was more carefully controlled, with FOOs within 200 yards (180 m) of the German trenches to ensure accuracy. The attack went in before dawn, and the intense final bombardment of the enemy line before Zero was cut from 30 minutes to just 5 minutes to ensure surprise. The 18-pdrs and 4.5s firing the barrage used delayed-action fuses to avoid air-bursts in the trees above the troops forming up for the attack. 32nd Division made a subsidiary attack towards Ovillers. The bombardment was accurate and the infantry followed the barrage closely, so the opening of the attack was a great success, but it was not exploited. Afterwards the division was relieved and moved to the quieter Bethune area for the summer.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
In mid-September CLV Bde was reorganised again: A Bty was split between B and C to give each six guns, and C Bty was redesignated A Bty. Then on 10 October the brigade was joined by 536 (2/1st Suffolk) Howitzer Bty, a 2nd Line TF unit equipped with four 4.5-inch howitzers that had just arrived in France and now became C (H)/CLV Bty.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
After the BEF's successful advance at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, the division was ordered back to the Somme sector, though the move did not begin until 16 October. 32nd Division was in reserve during the Battle of the Ancre Heights (23 October to 11 November). The Battle of the Ancre, delayed until 13 November by bad weather, was the final phase of the Somme Offensive. A mass of artillery was  assembled, including 32nd Division's, to support an attack by V Corps.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
CLV Brigade was deployed around the position known as 'White City', where it suffered some casualties from counter-battery (CB) fire. Seven days of bombardment and wire-cutting preceded the attack. This time a full creeping barrage was employed, starting on the German front line with a quarter of the 18-pounders deliberately firing 50 yards short of the rest, into No man's land, to cover the advancing infantry. Then after six minutes the barrage began advancing at 100 yards (91 m) in 5 minutes. The barrage was to halt for an hour on the first objective, and then move on.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, Divisional Artillery, Somme
The initial pre-dawn attack was a partial success, and attacks continued over succeeding days. 32nd Division's infantry came into the line on 17 November and attacked 'Munich Trench' the following day, though they were quickly stopped by machine gun fire. The battle ended on 18 November, with minor operations continuing through the winter. CLV Brigade was pulled out of White City to safer positions by 21 November, and the divisional artillery was relieved on 6 December. It moved to the St Ouen area, with CLV Bde billeted in nearby village of St Léger


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade
CLV Brigade left 32nd Division with a section of the DAC as its BAC, and became an Army Field Artillery (AFA) brigade on 16 January 1917. As their title implies, AFA brigades were allocated by Army HQs to different formations as required. Before it left, the brigade underwent one more reorganisation: C (H) Bty (formerly 536 Bty) left to bring the howitzer batteries of CLXI (Yorkshire) and CLXVIII (Huddersfield) Bdes of 32nd Division up to six guns each.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade
On 25 January, a section of 517 (H) Bty arrived from CLXIX Bde (31st Division) to make D (H)/CLV up to six howitzers. Finally, on 10 February, A/CCCVIII  (2/IV South Midland) Bty arrived from 61st (2nd South Midland) Division to become C/CLV. The final composition of the brigade was as follows:


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade
CLV Bde remained with V Corps while the operations on the Ancre continued in early 1917, first with 32nd Division to 19 January, then attached to 19th (Western) Division until 7 March, and then with 7th Division until 17 March, after which it went for rest.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Arras
On 28 March the brigade moved north to join Third Army, being attached to 30th Division with VII Corps for the Arras Offensive. This time there was greater subtlety in the artillery plan: the 18-pdrs in the creeping barrage fired 50 per cent High Explosive (HE) shells, which provided greater protection for the advancing infantry and required less complex calculations than Shrapnel shell. A 'standing barrage' came down on the enemy trench line until the creeping barrage reached it, when the standing barrage lifted to the next trench.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Arras
On 30th Division's front the barrage 'crept' at a rate of 100 yards (91 m) in three minutes, slowing to 100 yds in six minutes for the advance onto the final objective. The 4.5s were given a series of targets to engage with gas shells. Some field artillery batteries were ready to move out into No man's land to engage more distant targets as the infantry attacked. They also had to carry out additional wire-cutting before the attack, which the heavy guns had not completed.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Arras
The assault on 9 April (the First Battle of the Scarpe) was generally successful, but on 30th Division's front the wire was still uncut and the attack was a costly failure. The follow-up attacks on 10 April were also unsuccessful, as the guns had to struggle forward through mud and fire-plans were hurried. 30th Division's infantry faced the most difficult sector of the Hindenburg Line, and without strong artillery support could make no progress on 11 April.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Arras
The Arras Offensive bogged down but fighting continued into May, with CLV Bde supporting 37th Division from 16 April, then moving to VII Corps, supporting 29th Division (19–26 April) for the Second Battle of the Scarpe, 3rd Division (26 April to 6 May) for the Third Battle of the Scarpe, and then 56th (1/1st London) Division from 6 May. On 11 May this division carried out a small attack on 'Tool Trench'. The previous day a practice barrage had drawn heavy retaliatory fire, so it was decided to dispense with the field artillery barrage and carry out a surprise attack instead. The weary troops were then sent for rest, CLV Bde leaving on 17 May.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Messines
CLV brigade went back into the line on 25 May with 19th (W) Division in IX Corps of Second Army for the Battle of Messines. It was part of a huge artillery reinforcement for this carefully-planned attack, the preliminary bombardment for which had already begun on 21 May. Eight days of intensive bombardment commenced on 31 May, including two practice barrages. The fortified Wytschaete village in front of IX Corps was given a special gas shell bombardment by the 4.5s.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Messines
At Zero (03.10) on 7 June the assault began with the explosion of 19 huge mines under the German front line. Two-thirds of the 18-pdrs fired a creeping barrage ahead of the assaulting infantry, pausing at each objective, while the rest of the 18-pdrs and the 4.5s fired a standing barrage 700 yards (640 m) further ahead. There was virtually no opposition in the devastated German front line and the infantry swept into Wytschaete with ease.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Messines
While the infantry consolidated their gains, the field batteries moved forwards into No man's land to fire a new barrage which was closely followed by the supporting brigades onto the second objective. Overall the day's action was a great success, though too often the artillery opened fire on groups of returning friendly troops, mistaking them for German counter-attacks, and the 18-pdrs hastily emplaced in No Man's land often fired short into IX Corps' troops.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Ypres
Immediately after Messines, CLV Bde was transferred to Fifth Army, first with 30th Division in II Corps (12–22 June), then with 39th Division in XVIII Corps, which had arrived to prepare for the opening of the Third Ypres Offensive. The British artillery had fewer advantages here: the Ypres Salient was cramped and overlooked from Pilckem Ridge in front, and the massed batteries suffered badly from German CB fire during the 18-day preparatory bombardment.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Ypres
When the infantry attacked on 31 July (the Battle of Pilckem Ridge) the field guns fired the usual creeping and standing barrages on a greater scale than ever before. On XVIII Corps' front the infantry managed to get across the ridge and down to the Steenbeke stream beyond, while the artillery broke up a serious German counter-attack in the early afternoon. Some of the field batteries moved forward to join others that had remained silent and hidden close to the start-line. But it began to rain, and soon proved almost impossible for the exhausted gunners to get their guns forward through the devastation and mud, and further progress was halted that evening.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Ypres
On 5 August CLV Bde was attached to the fresh 48th (South Midland) Division, which had relieved 39th Division. Resumption of the offensive had been held up by rain, but on 16 August a fresh attack was made on XVIII Corps' front as part of the Battle of Langemarck. Artillery support was good, and the corps captured some ground, though 48th (SM) Division was held up by a group of fortified farms, and the attack was disastrous in other areas.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Ypres
On 20 August 48th (SM) Division took advantage of a spell of dry weather to attack the troublesome strongpoints that had held them up: Hillock Farm, Maison du Hibou, Triangle Farm and the Cockcroft. Seven tanks moved up the firm St Julien–Poelcapelle road covered by a smoke and shrapnel barrage, with an HE barrage ahead, and subdued the strongpoints that were then captured by infantry platoons. A repeat of this attack two days later was less successful.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Ypres
CLV brigade stayed in the line with XVIII Corps during the next comparative lull in the fighting, first with 23rd Division (28 August to 4 September) and then with the fresh 58th (2/1st London) Division which was brought in to relieve 48th (SM) Division before the next attack, the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge on 20 September. There were significant casualties among the massed field batteries from CB fire in the days preceding the attack.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Ypres
Practice barrages were fired, and numerous trench raids were supported by the guns, with 58th (2/1st L) Division raiding and patrolling aggressively to locate enemy pillboxes and strongpoints and to advance by 'nibbling' away at the German defences. Field gun barrages were fired at night to isolate German gun positions to prevent them resupplying.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Ypres
On the day of the attack the creeping barrage consisted of five belts of fire, the rearmost ('A', nearest the attacking infantry) being fired by half the 18-pdrs, of which one-third of the batteries were 'superimposed' so that they could be redirected to fire at targets of opportunity without leaving a gap in the barrage. The 'B' barrage line 200 yards (180 m) ahead was provided by the 4.5s and the rest of the 18-pdrs. It was impressed on the infantry that they were to follow the barrage closely, and the attack was a great success, 58th (2/1st L) Division carrying out a well-rehearsed operation to take Wurst Farm Ridge. German counter-attacks were crushed by the artillery.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Ypres
58th (2/1st L) Division was engaged on the periphery of the next major attack, the Battle of Polygon Wood on 26 September. CLV brigade was then rested from 27 September to 16 October, missing several more attacks through the autumn, before returning to XVIII Corps, first with 9th (Scottish) Division then, from 23 October, with 63rd (Royal Naval) Division for the Second Battle of Passchendaele (26 October). The infantry was held up by knee-deep mud and the troops fell behind the barrage. On XVIII Corps' front the attack was a complete failure, as was another on 30 October.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Ypres
On 2 November II Corps took over this section of the front, including 63rd (RN) Division and CLV Bde, as a few minor gains were made. The brigade came under the fresh 1st Division on 5 November, which provided flank cover for the final attack of the Battle of Passchendaele on 10 November.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Ypres
CLV brigade was sent for much-needed rest on 22 November, but on 3 December it was sent to reinforce III Corps in Third Army, which was at the end of desperate fighting against German counter-attacks at Cambrai. It was assigned to the embattled 6th Division, then after the fighting died down it transferred to 19th (W) Division on 13 December.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Spring Offensive
During the winter of 1917–18, V Corps took over both 19th (W) Division and CLV Bde (15 December), which then transferred to 47th (1/2nd London) Division (7 January). On 14 January CLV Bde moved north to First Army, where it was allowed to rest for a month. From 19 February to 9 March its gunners were engaged in preparing positions with 31st and 56th (1/1st L) Divisions, then it went into GHQ Reserve.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Spring Offensive
The German spring offensive opened on 21 March 1918 with Operation Michael and made massive gains. That afternoon CLV Bde was sent from GHQ Reserve to reinforce Third Army. It joined Guards Division reinforcing VI Corps on 23 March. The Guards took up positions in the 'Third System' of reserve trenches near Mercatel. On 25 March there was considerable German movement in front of the Guards Division, but any attempt to advance was broken up by the British artillery.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Spring Offensive
However, with its flank 'in the air' VI Corps was forced to join in the general retirement during the night, pivoting on the Guards' positions. Next day the advancing German infantry and artillery presented 'splendid targets' according to the Guards' commander, and CLV Bde was in action near Hendecourt from the morning onwards. Over the next three days repeated German attacks 'withered away' in the face of rifle and shellfire, as the Guards held the pivot point around Boisleux-au-Mont and Boisleux-Saint-Marc. On 28 March the Germans renewed their efforts against this northern hinge of the British line around Arras.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Spring Offensive
However, the German CB fire was inadequate and the British guns contributed to halting the German attack. A further attempt on 30 March was met by all batteries on the Guards' front firing on the 'SOS' lines with occasional 'rakes' of enemy-occupied villages: the attackers offered 'fine targets' for the guns. At the end of the day the Guards still held their positions. With this failure the German attacks on this sector had ended by 31 March.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Spring Offensive
CLV Brigade remained with the Guards until the division was relieved in the line, then on 16 April it joined 40th Division. This division had been badly hit during the Spring Offensive and was out of the line in the St Omer area. CLV Brigade was in Corps Reserve from 30 April to 12 May, then returned to 40th Division, but that formation was  in the process of being broken up, only the HQs remaining to form training cadres.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Spring Offensive
The brigade was now posted to its original parent formation, 32nd Division, on 18 May. The division was in the now-quiet sector south-west of Arras, but the gun lines suffered badly from gas shelling. The chaplain of 32nd DA commented that CLV's lines were 'all over the place' and difficult to find. CLV Brigade went into GHQ Reserve on 31 May but was back with 32nd DA from 18 June to 7 July, around Berles-au-Bois. The sector was quiet but there was a steady trickle of casualties from shells and bombs.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
The Guards Divisional Artillery came back into their old positions in the Boisleux sector on 7 July, where CLV Bde rejoined them. Planning for the Allied counter-offensive was now under way, and some of the batteries were moved into forward positions during August. The Hundred Days Offensive opened on 8 August with the Battle of Amiens. Third Army joined in at the Third Battle of Albert, with Guards Division attacking towards Moyenneville supported by seven RFA brigades.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
There was no creeping barrage, but three overlapping standing barrages: the first between the start line and the first objective, the second on the first objective, and the third on a line through Courcelles-au-Bois. One 18-pdr battery in each brigade fired smoke shell, and special targets were allocated to the howitzer batteries. Zero was at 04.35 on 21 August, and the attack began in thick mist, which hindered the FOOs and observation aircraft. However, opposition was light and when the mist cleared the division took Moyenneville and moved up to the Arras–Albert railway line, its third and final objective.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
That night and next day the infantry pushed forward to establish a start-line for a new attack on 23 August and the guns were brought forward while some batteries harassed the enemy and broke up counter-attacks. The attack at 04.00, preceded by a creeping barrage, was a major success, gaining the Mory switch trench by the evening. The advance was continued over the next two days, CLV Bde up in close support of the attacking brigade on 24 August while the rest of the artillery fired the barrage.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
But at Saint-Léger resistance began to harden, with machine gun fire from an old trench ('Banks Trench') and retaliatory fire on the field batteries, which were kept busy repelling counter-attacks. The Guards paused on 26 August, then attacked again next day (the Battle of the Scarpe) behind a barrage creeping at 100 yards (91 m) in 2 minutes. Fighting was hard, and by the end of the day a portion of Banks Trench still held out in the midst of the division's final positions. At 19.00, therefore, the artillery concentrated its fire on this point for 15 minutes, after which 150 Germans surrendered. Steady progress continued on 28 August, after which the Guards were relieved by 3rd Division that night.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
There was no relief for either CLV Bde or the Guards' artillery, which continued in action under 3rd Division, with the horses suffering from shortage of water as well as shellfire. The guns covered 3rd Division's infantry as they captured Écoust-Saint-Mein, Longatte and Lagnicourt-Marcel over 29–31 August. First and Third Armies then attacked in a set-piece action (the Battle of the Drocourt-Quéant Switch Line) on 2 September. 8th Brigade led 3rd Division's advance, its three battalions in line supported by the fire of no less than seven brigades of field artillery (including CLV) and two of heavies.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
The barrage was excellent and at first good progress was made, but the supporting tanks got bogged down, and so did the divisional attack. However, with the 'D–Q' Line broken, the Germans began a withdrawal that night to the line of the Canal du Nord. CLV Brigade reverted to the Guards Division, which passed through 3rd Division on 3 September and attacked behind a creeping barrage, but finding no enemy in front was able to make a 6 miles (9.7 km) advance.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
Although enemy resistance stiffened in front of the Canal du Nord, Guards Division kept up the pressure with artillery support as it eliminated the covering positions and closed up to reconnoitre the canal on 4–5 September. During the subsequent pause CLV Bde got a short rest,  6–9 September, then it joined 2nd Division on 10 September for the Battle of Havrincourt. The division made a preliminary advance behind a barrage towards Havrincourt on 11 September and seized the far bank of the canal near the 'Spoil Heap' where it was dry. The rest of Third Army then followed up on 12 September.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
For the Battle of Épehy on 18 September 1918 CLV Bde was switched to V Corps. Together with 17th (Northern) Divisional Artillery and a heavy brigade it supported 38th (Welsh) Division. The artillery programme included a creeping barrage by 18-pdrs, a 'searching' barrage by 18-pdrs and 4.5s, and a half-hour smoke barrage from zero hour (05.20) by 4.5s ('a sight to gladden the eye of any professional Gunner', according to the RA historian). One brigade of 38th (W) Division easily reached its second and final objective, but the other had more trouble: a renewed barrage from 14.50 to 15.20 allowed it to take its first objective by nightfall.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
The brigade was next moved to the Canadian Corps in First Army on 20 September, supporting 11th (Northern) Division for the set-piece Battle of the Canal du Nord on 27 September. The Canadians had been held up on their left, but as 11th (N) Division came into the line alongside them, the whole line advanced to the high ground beyond the canal, even though they had been left behind by their barrage.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
The barrage for the second phase was delayed while 11th (N) Division mopped up some enemy machine guns, then it was launched forward again at 15.00, the AFA brigades having crossed the canal to provide this barrage. By the end of the day the division had advanced well beyond its set objectives, and next day the Germans in front of them retired behind the Sensée Canal. As the Canadians pushed forwards, 11th (N) Division provided a flank guard. CLV Brigade was transferred to 2nd Canadian Division on 7 October for its assault crossing of the Schelde Canal at 01.30 on 9 October. This attack was supported by eight field brigades firing 'crash' and standing barrages: the enemy had already withdrawn between the Schelde and Sensée canals.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
The brigade was with 56th (1/1st L) Division from 11 October when it joined the Canadian Corps. On the night of 12/13 October, one of the division's brigades carried out a silent crossing of the Sensée Canal at Aubigny-au-Bac. When the Germans became aware of what had happened they began counter-attacks, which were broken up by the covering artillery. But the fighting to maintain the precarious bridgehead went on for several days until 56th (1/1st L) Division handed over to 4th Canadian Division. CLV Brigade remained in the line supporting the Canadians as they crossed the canal and continued the pursuit, until 20 October, when it was rested for a week.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
On 28 October CLV Bde went back to Third Army, being attached to IV Corps, to support the right wing (37th Division) as it advanced towards the River Sambre. 5th Division passed through 37th Division to continue the advance on 3 November. The corps was supported by 12 field brigades, together with heavy artillery, but it had to struggle through the Forêt de Mormal where the scanty roads had been destroyed, and it proved difficult to get any of these guns up. On 9 November CLV Bde joined 42nd (East Lancashire) Division on IV Corps' left.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
This division had worked its way up to the Sambre, improvised crossings, and then closed in on the town of Hautmont and nearby Fort Hautmont. The river was bridged by the evening, allowing artillery and ammunition to follow up as 42nd (EL) Division's patrols pushed forward against weakening resistance on 10 November. Next day the Armistice with Germany came into force.


155th (West Yorkshire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, Western Front, CLV Army Field Artillery Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
CLV (West Yorkshire) Army Field Artillery Brigade was disbanded in 1919.


155th Air Refueling Wing
The 155th Air Refueling Wing (155 ARW) is a unit of the Nebraska Air National Guard, stationed at Lincoln Air National Guard Base, Nebraska. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command.


155th Air Refueling Wing, Mission
The 155th operates the KC-135R Stratotanker, which is responsible for conducting air refueling missions around the world. The unit runs like an active duty base on a smaller scale.


155th Air Refueling Wing, Mission
Full -time Air Force Security Forces personnel patrol the base and provide security for the aircraft 24 hours a day while firefighter personnel are always on station and on call. The other units on the base usually operate during the day and are also staffed by Active Guard Reserve (AGR) or civilian Technician personnel.


155th Air Refueling Wing, History
Established on 1 July 1960, by the Nebraska Air National Guard as an expansion of the 173d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, increased staffing was authorized by the National Guard Bureau to about 900 people. the 173d FIS had won the coveted Spaatz Trophy, as the Guard's finest flying unit in 1963, following second and third-place finishes in 1961 and 1962 respectively. In 1962, 1963 and 1964 the unit won its second, third and fourth Winston P. Wilson Trophies.


155th Air Refueling Wing, History
In May 1964 the mission of the Nebraska Air Guard changed from air defense to tactical reconnaissance using the RF-84 Thunderflash aircraft. The 173rd became the 173rd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and the 155th Fighter Group became the 155th Tactical Reconnaissance Group.


155th Air Refueling Wing, History
The first RF-4C Phantom II came to Lincoln in November 1971. In 1972 the unit began its conversion to the RF-4C from the RF-84F.


155th Air Refueling Wing, History
In April 1992 the unit was directed to convert to the KC-135R Stratotanker mission when the U.S. Air Force decided to begin retiring the last of the F-4 Phantom II aircraft. The conversion to the aerial refueling mission began in September 1993 with the arrival of the first KC-135R tanker. On 1 Oct. 1995, the unit was re-designated as the 155th Air Refueling Wing after achieving initial operational capability in the refueling mission three months early.


155th Air Refueling Wing, History
In April 1999, the unit flew its first combat missions. It was the first Air Guard tanker unit to be tasked with supporting Operation Allied Force, the NATO bombing campaign of Serbia and Kosovo. The unit successfully deployed two aircraft and more than 80 personnel to Germany in less than three days and soon became the lead unit for all American tanker operations from its German air base.


155th Air Refueling Wing, History, Assistance
Along with its federal mission, the Nebraska unit is tasked with supporting the state government as well. Since its organization in 1946, it has answered the governor's call on numerous occasions including Operation Snowbound in early 1949 and a special call in May 1975 when 435 Air Guard members were activated to assist in securing a tornado ravaged area in Omaha. In November 1997, Air Guard members were once again called to state active duty to assist in helping Lincoln and neighboring communities recover from an early snowstorm that cut power to nearly one million Nebraskans as a part of Operation Bush Hog.


155th Air Refueling Wing, References, Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website .


155th Airlift Squadron
The 155th Airlift Squadron (155 AS) is a unit of the Tennessee Air National Guard 164th Airlift Wing. It is assigned to Memphis Air National Guard Base, Tennessee and is equipped with the Boeing C-17 aircraft.


155th Airlift Squadron, History, World War II
Organized and trained in the Northeast United States by First Air Force. During training was part of the air defense of the northeast, being attached to the New York and Boston Fighter Wings.


155th Airlift Squadron, History, World War II
Deployed to England aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth and served in combat as part of VIII Fighter Command from October 1943 to May 1945, participating in operations that prepared for the invasion of the Continent, and supporting the landings in Normandy and the subsequent Allied drive across France and Germany. The squadron flew P-47 Thunderbolts until they were replaced by P-51 Mustangs in November 1944.


155th Airlift Squadron, History, World War II
From October 1943 until January 1944, operated as escort for B-17 Flying Fortress/B-24 Liberator bombers that attacked such objectives as industrial areas, missile sites, airfields, and communications.


155th Airlift Squadron, History, World War II
Fighters from the 461st engaged primarily in bombing and strafing missions after 3 January 1944, with its targets including U-boat installations, barges, shipyards, aerodromes, hangars, marshalling yards, locomotives, trucks, oil facilities, flak towers, and radar stations. Bombed and strafed in the Arnhem, Netherlands area on 17, 18, and 23 September 1944 to neutralize enemy gun emplacements providing support to Allied ground forces during Operation Market-Garden. In early 1945, the squadron's P-51 Mustangs clashed with German Me 262 jet aircraft. The squadron flew its last combat mission, escorting B-17's dropping propaganda leaflets, on 7 May 1945.


155th Airlift Squadron, History, World War II
Remained in the United Kingdom during the balance of 1945, most personnel were demobilized and returned to the United States, with aircraft being sent to storage facilities in the UK. The squadron was administratively inactivated at Camp Kilmer New Jersey on 10 November 1945 without personnel or equipment.


155th Airlift Squadron, History, Tennessee Air National Guard
Re -designated: 155th Fighter Squadron, and allotted to Tennessee ANG, on 24 May 1946, extended federal recognition and activated on 3 February 1947. Assigned to the 118th Fighter Group at Berry Field, Nashville, flying the P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft. Was converted to a Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron in February 1951, being re-equipped with the RB-26 Invader.


155th Airlift Squadron, History, Tennessee Air National Guard
Was Federalized and placed on active duty, 2 March 1951, remaining at Memphis Municipal Airport. Released from active duty and returned to Tennessee state control, 31 December 1952. The unit was redesignated as a jet photo reconnaissance organization on 1 April 1956 and equipped with the RF-84 Thunderflash, the jets being received directly from the factory for use in this mission.


155th Airlift Squadron, History, Tennessee Air National Guard
Was expanded and the organization in Memphis was upgraded to a Group level on 1 April 1961, the squadron being assigned to the new 164th Military Airlift Group. Was realigned to becoming a strategic transport unit under Military Air Transport Service, being equipped with C-97 Stratofreighters. Conversion to this aircraft brought a worldwide mission with operations to such places as Europe, Japan, South America, Australia and South Vietnam.


155th Airlift Squadron, History, Tennessee Air National Guard
During May 1966, the unit set numerous records, to include 10 round trips to Southeast Asia and 1702 flying hours in one month, all accomplished primarily dedicated part-time personnel. May 1967 brought the introduction of the C-124 Globemaster, affectionately known as "Old Shakey". Along with Old Shakey, the squadron's personnel performed numerous humanitarian missions as well as routine support to Military Airlift Command (MAC).


155th Airlift Squadron, History, Tennessee Air National Guard
The C-124 was given a well-deserved rest in 1974 when she was retired from military service, reluctantly giving up her berth to the C-130 Hercules. The C-130s were transferred to other units in April 1992 when the unit received the first of eight C-141 Starlifter aircraft. In 2004, the squadron retired the C-141 and began operate the C-5A Galaxy. 18 December 2012 the 1st C-17A of 8 arrived.


155th Armored Brigade Combat Team
The 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team is a brigade combat team of the Mississippi Army National Guard.


155th Armored Brigade Combat Team
The brigade was formed in 1973 as the separate 155th Armored Brigade from the 1st Brigade, 30th Armored Division during a National Guard reorganization. It became the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team following the 2006 United States Army reorganization into modular brigade combat teams.


155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, History, Origins
While the units assigned to the 155th ABCT vary in seniority, the brigade itself traces its lineage to 16 March 1951 when it was constituted in the Mississippi Army National Guard as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) of the 108th Armored Cavalry Group, before being organized and federally recognized on 12 April 1951, based at Tupelo. On 1 November 1953 the group was redesignated as the 108th Armor Group.


155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, History, Origins
The group was combined with the 750th Tank Battalion and newly organized units to form the 108th Armored Cavalry on 1 November 1955; the HHC of the group became the Headquarters Company of the 108th Armored Cavalry. On 1 May 1959 the company was redesignated as a troop. In order to restore order during the Ole Miss riot of 1962, the company, alongside the Mississippi National Guard, were ordered into active federal service on 30 September of that year, being released from active federal service on 23 October and reverting to state control.


155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, History, Origins
On 15 February 1968, the company was reorganized and redesignated as the HHC of the 1st Brigade, 30th Armored Division.


155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, History, Formation and subsequent history
The brigade became the 155th Armored Brigade on 1 November 1973 when the 30th Armored was split up into separate brigades. 30th Armored assistant commander Brigadier General Guy J. Gravelee Jr. became the first 155th commander, and it took the number of the 155th Infantry Regiment, the oldest Mississippi National Guard unit, which traced its lineage back to 1798. It consisted of the 1st Battalion, 155th Infantry Regiment, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 198th Armor Regiment, the 2nd Battalion, 114th Field Artillery Regiment, Troop A, 98th Cavalry (the former Troop C, 1st Squadron, 230th Cavalry), and the 106th Support Battalion.


155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, History, Formation and subsequent history
The 155th Armored Brigade was mobilized for the Gulf War on 7 December 1990, but remained stateside and was demobilized on 14 May 1991. The 155th Armored Brigade became an Enhanced Separate Brigade in 1993 to provide a flexible reinforcement to active Army units during wartime. The Enhanced Separate Brigades receive specialized training and higher priority than other National Guard units for personnel, equipment and other resources during peacetime.


155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, History, Formation and subsequent history
Organized as a powerful independent striking force, the brigade consisted of two armor battalions, a mechanized infantry battalion, a field artillery battalion, an engineer battalion, and a support battalion along with an armored cavalry troop, an air defense battery, and a military intelligence company. In 1998 the 155th Separate Armored Brigade became the largest and most powerful of the National Guard's Enhanced Separate Brigades with the attachment of the newly reactivated 1st Squadron, 108th Armored Cavalry Regiment to augment the brigade's three maneuver battalions.


155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, History, Formation and subsequent history
The brigade deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III from August 2004 to January 2006. During this tour of duty, the 155th HBCT suffered 15 fatalities. The brigade served under the II Marine Expeditionary Force. After its return from Iraq the brigade began its conversion into a modular heavy brigade combat team.


155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, History, Formation and subsequent history
In 2009, the brigade was deployed again to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 9.2. In March 2018, the 155th left for a three-month training period at Fort Bliss with the 177th Armored Brigade, prior to a nine-month deployment to support Operation Spartan Shield from Camp Buehring in Kuwait. The 155th relieved the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division there on 15 July, the first National Guard armored brigade combat team to deploy for Operation Spartan Shield. While the brigade remained headquartered at Camp Buehring, elements of the brigade were deployed to Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve by November, according to an article in The New Yorker.


155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, 155th ABCT organization
Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 106th Brigade Support Battalion (BSB), Hattiesburg, Mississippi


155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, 155th ABCT organization
HHC, 2nd Battalion (Combined Arms), 198th Armor Regiment, Senatobia, Mississippi


155th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Rich Farmbrough (talk | contribs) at 18:00, 19 November 2019 (Date formats). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


155th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
The 155th Division (第155師団, Dai-hyakugojūgo Shidan) was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Land Protection Division (護土兵団, Godo Heidan). It was formed 28 February 1945 in Zentsūji, Kagawa as a square division. It was a part of the 16 simultaneously created divisions batch numbering from 140th to 160th.


155th Division (Imperial Japanese Army), Action
The 155th division was assigned to 55th army. The division spent time from 5 May 1945 until surrender of Japan 15 August 1945 building a coastal defenses in and around Kami, Kōchi without engaging in actual combat.


155th Division (People's Republic of China)
The 155th Division(Chinese: 第155师) was created in November 1948 under the Regulation of the Redesignations of All Organizations and Units of the Army, issued by Central Military Commission on November 1, 1948, basing on the 9th Independent Division of Northeastern People's Liberation Army,  formed in January.


155th Division (People's Republic of China)
The division was a part of 42nd Corps. Under the flag of 155th division it took part in the Chinese civil war. In April 1950 the division was disbanded, and its divisional HQ was re-organized as HQ of 8th Artillery Division.


155th Georgia General Assembly
The 155th Georgia General Assembly convened its first session by January 14, 2019, at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. The first session lasted for 40 legislative days in early 2019, and a second session began on January 13, 2020. The 155th Georgia General Assembly succeeds the 154th of 2017 and 2018, and precedes the 156th in 2021 and 2022.


155th Georgia General Assembly
The current membership of the General Assembly was elected in the 2018 State Senate and State House elections.


155th Georgia General Assembly, Members of the State Senate
The following is a list of members of the Georgia State Senate.


155th Georgia General Assembly, Members of the House of Representatives
The following is a list of members of the Georgia House of Representatives.


155th Illinois Infantry Regiment
The 155th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.


155th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Service
The 155th Illinois Infantry was organized at Camp Butler, Illinois,    and mustered into Federal service on February 28, 1865, for a one-year enlistment. The 155th served in garrisons along the line of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad


155th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Total strength and casualties
The regiment suffered 71 enlisted men who died of disease for a total of 71 fatalities.


155th Indian Infantry Brigade
The 155th Indian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Indian Army during the Second World War.


155th Indian Infantry Brigade
The brigade was formed by the conversion of the Risalpur Training Brigade in March 1944, and it operated as a jungle training brigade.


155th Indian Infantry Brigade, Bibliography
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155th Indian Infantry Brigade, Bibliography
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155th Indiana Infantry Regiment
The 155th Indiana Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment from Indiana that served in the Union Army between April 18 and August 4, 1865, during the American Civil War.


155th Indiana Infantry Regiment, Service
Composed of companies from the 9th, 10th and 11th districts, the regiment was organized at Indianapolis, Indiana, with a strength of 1,013 men and mustered in on April 18, 1865. It left Indiana for Washington D.C. on April 26, from where it was sent to Alexandria, Virginia and assigned to the Provisional Brigade, of the 3rd Division, 9th Army Corps. They were then moved to Dover, Delaware on May 3, where companies were detached and proceeded to Centerville and Wilmington, Delaware, and Salisbury, Maryland. The regiment was reunited at Dover and was mustered out on August 4, 1865. During its service the regiment incurred fifteen fatalities, another sixty-eight men deserted and unaccounted for, seven men.


155th Infantry Division "Emilia"
The 155th Infantry Division "Emilia" (Italian: 155ª Divisione fanteria "Emilia") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during the Second World War, formed on 1 December 1941 as a garrison division and named for the historic region of Emilia. Despite being a garrison division the division was send in April 1942 to Dalmatia to combat Yugoslav Partisans.