Examines the evolution of range-finding and target acquisition, and the development of Field Artillery Observation Battalions within the U.S. Army.

Many Malmedy massacre books exist. This is the first book to tell the unit history of the 285th Field Artillery (Observation) Battalion. Its service in WWII and eventual activation a second time in January of 1955 to serve as a part of the famous XVIIIth Airborne Corps.

Merriam Press World War 2 Memoir. Corporal Bill Hanford had one of the US Army's most dangerous jobs in World War II: artillery forward observer (FO). Tasked with calling in heavy fire on the enemy, FOs accompanied infantrymen into combat, crawled into no-man's-land, and ascended observation posts like hills and ridges to find their targets. But beyond the usual perils of ground combat, FOs were specially targeted by the enemy because of their crucial role in directing artillery fire. Hanford spent much of his time fighting in the Vosges Mountains in eastern France and then in Germany in late 1944/early 1945. Rare memoir of a risky job performed by relatively few troops. Honest and observant narrative describes the good, bad, and ugly of the war. Originally published by Stackpole Books in 2008 and discontinued in 2015, this brand new edition from Merriam Press has a completely revised and improved design with additional photos. 23 photos.