513th Antiaircraft Artillery Gun Battalion (Semimobile)

     Originally activated as a 90mm gun battalion in June 1943, the 513th converted to the larger 120mm gun during October and November of that year.  The battalion set sail for the Pacific in December 1944 and arrived in Leyte in late January 1945.  The organization then moved on to Manila.  The battalion saw only light action against the Japanese.  While overseas, the unit' s experience was called upon to operate a 120mm gun school for 90mm battalions that were expected to convert to that weapon.  In an unusual mission, a detachment from the 513th extracted victims of an airplane crash from an area that still contained Japanese troops.  The battalion was awarded the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

     The unit history is a collaborative effort, with various battalion personnel submitting narratives and "featured articles" for inclusion in the publication.  Pfc William Shea, of Headquarters Battery, added his unique touch to the project by contributing original line drawings.  A unit roster dated 16 December 1944 is appended to the history.