| Some U.S. military historians have viewed the interwar Army as stagnant and unimaginative. However, if this was so, why did the U.S. Army become rapidly effective in World War II? This study explores how one organization, the Field Artillery, studied the lessons of World War I and anticipated the demands of future warfare to improve its doctrine, tactics, and equipment. American field artillery officers developed three organizations that standout as the reasons for their branch's spectacular success in World War II: the integration of the forward observer with frontline infantry units, the addition of aerial observers spotting artillery fire from small sport planes, and the creation of centralized fire control at the battalion level, the Fire Direction Center (FDC). Yet, implementation of these changes created friction among those within and outside the Field Artillery who clung to established methods and organizations. Surmounting these challenges, the Field Artillery emerged after two decades of peace prepared to provide effective fire support for the U.S. Army in World War II. |
