On May 34, 1945, as the 99th moved deeper into Bavaria, it liberated one of a number of Dachau subcamps near the town of Mhldorf. After the Gulf War, the 99th ARCOM became the 99th Regional Support Command (RSC). The 99th Infantry Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the US Army's Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1992. The 99th Infantry's report stated that 1,500 Jews were "living under terrible conditions and approximately 600 required hospitalization due to starvation and disease.". The 395th's casualties were extremely light: four dead, seven wounded, and four men missing. Battle of the Bulge The blue and white checkerboard in the division's insignia is taken from the coat of arms of William Pitt, for whom Pittsburgh is named. The regiment helped to capture the Ruhr Pocket, where thousands of German troops and hundreds of German vehicles were captured. squares centered on a black shield. The Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) in the European Theater was one of Americas bloodiest campaigns. Hfen, along with the nearby town of Monschau, was strategically vital because it sat on elevated terrain overlooking an important road junction. During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, the unit suffered many casualties, yet tenaciously held its defensive position. As the American defenders began to assess casualties and ammunition supplies, the 12th SS hit them again. Those who survived the initial onslaught and did not manage to flee, had to eke out a living on a battleground ravaged by incessant bombardment and street fighting. At the end of the day, the veterans of the 26th Infantry still held their groundand looked out on a battlefield strewn with destroyed German armor and scores of enemy dead. By the end of the December 16, much of the American front lines in the Ardennes had been broken by the German assault. [7]:3, Col. Butler went ahead to look over the area they were assigned to defend. At the going down of the sun And in the morning We will remember them." 324th Engineer Combat Battalion Albertson Dale W Bass Robert D Brown Edwin C Busk Led by 20-year-old Lieutenant Lyle Bouck Jr., they delayed the advance of the 1st SS Panzer Division, the spearhead of the entire German 6th Panzer Army, for nearly 20 hours. Fourteen of the 18 platoon members were wounded, while only one soldier, a member of the artillery observation team, was killed. Even the most hardened veteran occasionally thinks he hears twigs snap, boots crush snow or other odd noises that can cause nerves to fray. Due to the dwindling attendance over the years, the decision was made to hold the final convention in 2011. The thick forest was tangled with rocky gorges, little streams, and sharp hills. "[9]:1738 On at least six occasions they called in artillery strikes on or directly in front of their own positions. Due in part to the 99th Infantry Division, this ground mission has not been continuous, and he will not achieve his goal[15]. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Artificial Intelligence just flew an F-16 Fighting Falcon for the US military, WWII vet finally receives Silver Star for heroism at Battle of the Bulge, This is the massive Nazi sneak attack at the Battle of the Bulge, Rarely seen footage from the Battle of the Bulge, The first tank to break into Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge was almost lost to history. T. E. Piersall and Pfc. In January 2003, the 99th RSC started mobilizing units for projected operations in Iraq. [16], After Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, 22 99th units deployed to Saudi Arabia, Europe, and other locations. Originally planned as a Pennsylvania unit, After fighting in the Ruhr area, the unit moved southward into Bavaria, where it was located at the end of the war. [4] Lt. Col. Butler retired from the Army on 14 January 1946 and worked for the phone company for the rest of his career. On 5 March 1941, as the United States began to mobilize for the possibility of war, McClernand Butler became a second lieutenant in the Regular Army. Richard Mills were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. [citation needed]. The 99th battled on to the bridge at Remagen that was taken on March 7th. German Panzer tanks en route to the Ardennes. Subscribe to 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division Footer menu. Family lore, The 99th Infantry Division Artefacts Collection. The 394th Infantry Regiment was established on 23 July 1918 as the 394th Infantry and assigned to the 99th Division as a member of the National Army. The situation became so dire that Butler deliberately called in artillery on his units own position to prevent them from being overrunone of six times this would occur at Hfen. When I got to Hfen, I found the area too big to cover in one afternoon. Score: 4.8/5 (10 votes) . One Wehrmacht officer captured at Hfen asked his interrogators which unit had defended the town. "In two cases, the enemy fell in the BAR gunners' foxholes. Peipers right flank had to be secured and the Americans in that region had to be destroyed. This did not turn out to be true. Here it held firmly against violent enemy attacks. During the battle to come, if the Germans succeeded in taking Hfen, their ranks would be swelled rapidly, and the 99th and 2nd Infantry Divisions would be outflanked and could be attacked from the rear. . Originally planned as a Pennsylvania unit, the horizontal band of white and blue. Plans called for the division to include the 393rd, 394th, 395th, and 396th Infantry Regiments. From 21 December 1944 to 30 January 1945, the unit was engaged in aggressive patrolling and reequipping. The war was over six days later.[6]. The retreat turned into a route as the German tanks, two less due to a duel with two American Shermans, rolled unmolested down the street in the village. German assaults in the heavily wooded area in front of the villages pushed the 99ers out of the woods and caused them to flee, many in disarray, back through the twin villages of Krinkelt and Rocherath behind them. The division first saw action on 9 November, taking over the defense of the sector north of the Roer River between Schmidt and Monschau, a distance of nearly 19 miles. This assault, like the first, was ground to a halt due to heavy American small arms and artillery fire. Despite fatigue, constant enemy shelling, and ever-increasing enemy pressure, [they] guarded a 6,000-yard front and destroyed 75 percent of three German infantry regiments.. The division was reconstituted in the Organized Reserve on 24 June 1921 and assigned to the western half of the state of Pennsylvania. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. It was like a golf course, so I used the night for concealment."[6]. The Legacy of the 99th Infantry Division: Our Artifacts Collection The 99th Infantry Division Historical Society is dedicated to preserving, Discovering the Legacy of a WW2 Soldier: Tips and Tricks Are you interested in learning more about a WW2 veteran, They shall not grow old, As we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, Nor the years, Dean F. Gilbert was a membert of 3rd Platoon, L Company,394th Infantry Regiment. [1] After defensive patrolling, the 99th probed the Siegfried Line against heavy resistance on 13 December. German losses were much higher. Battle of the Bulge Through this eerie artificial moonlight, the 326th Volksgrenadier Division advanced on 3/395s position. It was not just the lives of 3/395 at stake; a German breakthrough here would have enabled the Sixth Panzer Army to outflank the 2nd ID and 99th ID and achieve a direct route to the Meuse River. In the event of an emergency, the battalion headquarters and company administrative personnel, including clerks and motor-pool staff, were to join the platoon, creating a small reserve force of about 100 men. The division was chiefly manned with graduates of the ROTC programs of the Carnegie Institute of Technology, Duquesne University. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. He returned to Illinois and in 1933 was commissioned a second lieutenant in the National Guard. When hostilities ceased on 7 May 1945, the regiment had during six months of fighting experienced 300 percent turnover due to casualties. The 99th Infantry Division, on December 12, . [16], In 2005, the Army Reserve began its latest transformation under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) directive and lessons learned from eight years of deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism. So fierce in fact that the German commander pulled his tanks back for fear of running into a superior American force, deciding to hold his positions until the following morning. A written commendation was received from Maj. Gen. Leonard T. Gerow, V Corps Commander: I wish to express to you and the members of your command my appreciation and commendation for the fine job you did in preventing the enemy from carrying out his plans to break through the V Corps sector and push on to the Meuse River. Medical Detachment, 395th Infantry A. P. O. With its sister battalions, the 1st, 395th Engineer and 2nd, 395th Field Artillery, the 3rd Battalion (TS) (AR) role is to train National Guard armor and infantry battalions across a three-state region and improve their combat readiness. No reserves were available . The division lost about 20% of its effective strength, including 465 killed and 2,524 evacuated due to wounds, injuries, fatigue, or trench foot. It was redesignated for the 395th Regiment on 7 June 1999. It is believed that Delbert was transferred to the 395th Infantry Regiment at some point. Many of the 99th Division's best soldiers were products of the ill-fated ASTP program. 3/395, soon to be nicknamed Butlers Blue Battlin Bastards, was one of the only US Army units that did not retreat in the opening days of the battle. The Germans planned to use massed infantry assaults to punch holes in the American lines, after which the feared German tanks, or panzers, would race through these gaps while the winter weather kept Allied planes grounded. In 1975, the 99th ARCOM moved its headquarters to Oakdale, Pennsylvania. "Blue" was the code word for the 3rd battalion under Army infantry's triangular organization. The unit's distinctive shoulder patch consisted of a five-sided shield of black on which is superimposed a horizontal band of white and blue squares. Earl Denzil Reese April 13th, 1945 - A combat engineer snapped this series of photos while riding on back of a truck during the Battle of the Ruhr Pocket. The division headquarters was organized in November 1921. For four successive days the battalion held this sector against combined German tank and infantry attacks, launched with fanatical determination and supported by heavy artillery. Table of Contents. While the supply situation improved in October, the manpower situation was still critical. The statue of the Minute Man, Captain John Parker, (H.H.Kitson, sculptor), stands on the common in Lexington, Massachusetts. The breakout from Saint-L, France was accomplished far more rapidly than Allied planners had dared hope, and American units plunged through the French countryside with undreamed of rapidity, far in advance of operational plans. These would later prove instrumental in defending themselves from the attacking Germans and in protecting themselves when their own artillery fired on or just in front of their own positions, which happened at least six times over the next few weeks. The regiment arrived at Camp Van Dorn in early December. The silver and bronze star medal of Col. Alexander John Mackenzie, Regimental Commandor of the 395th Infantry Regiment. 395 Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment (99th Infantry Division) Report, January 1945. The 395th Regiment became an active unit as part of the 99th Infantry Division on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Missouri, along with its brother regiments, the 393rd and 394th. [16], On 23 Dec. 1996, the 99th RSC mobilized the first of six units for deployment to Operation Joint Endeavor in support of peacekeeping missions in Bosnia. The 3rd Battalion received a Presidential Unit Citation for its actions around Hfen from 16 to 19 December. The stiff American defense prevented the Germans from reaching the vast array of supplies near the Belgian cities of Lige and Spa and the road network west of the Elsenborn Ridge leading to the Meuse River. After clearing towns west of the Rhine, it crossed the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen on the 11th. So I stayed in the village overnight. The program was called the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP), and it sought to give extra training and special skills to a select group of intelligent and able young men, most of whom were taken from America's colleges. 394th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment (99th Infantry Division), History, January 1945. [14], The 99th as a whole, outnumbered five to one, inflicted casualties in the ratio of eighteen to one. The German 20th Infantry Division was an infantry division of Nazi Germany.HistoryThe was established in 1934 under the cover name. Despite fatigue, constant enemy shelling, and ever-increasing enemy pressure, the Third Battalion guarded a 6,000 yards (5,500m)-long front and destroyed 75 percent of three German infantry regiments. 394th Infantry Regiment Co. A, first platoon This is my Dad's story. The platoon members were not recognized for their courageous deeds for thirty-seven years. 99th Infantry Division soldiers putting up a winterized squad hut. The German pre-dawn artillery bombardment on December 16th destroyed 3/395s communication wires at Hfen, but the stunned soldiers soon witnessed an even more ominous sight: enemy searchlights, reflecting off the dense clouds, illuminated the snowy open ground east of Hfen. The 99th Infantry Division, nicknamed Battle Babies and compromised of the 393rd, 394th, 395th Infantry Regiments and supporting units, spent approximately 151 days in combat during World War Two. Organization and training began in October but were not complete by the time the war ended in November 1918, so the division was demobilized in early 1919. A group of photos from his wartime, unfortenately we have not been able to. [16], On 16 July 2003, the command was redesignated as the 99th Regional Readiness Command, placing additional emphasis on training, readiness, and mobilization. The regiment was organized with three battalions, each containing three rifle companies and a weapons company armed with .30 caliber and .50 caliber machine guns. No division commander was appointed during the organization's brief existence. Still, some German assaults penetrated American lines near the town of Hofen where they were eventually captured after retreating into houses in the town. Hfen, along with the nearby town of Monschau, was strategically vital because it sat on elevated terrain overlooking an important road junction. On 3-4 May, the division liberated two labor camps and a "forest camp" (Waldlager) related to the Mhldorf concentration camp, a sub-camp of Dachau. Although 3/395 had only 600 men to defend a large area, they had been told that the German army, or Wehrmacht, was no longer capable of major offensive operations and that their winter in the Ardennes would be a quiet one. EN RU CN DE ES. EN. Butler attended, but did not graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. This, however, was the moment that Hitlers master plan collided headfirst with American fortitude. There are nine white squares and nine blue ones, signifying the number 99. In the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge, Robert's regiment was on the front lines in the Losheim Gap. The success of the defense of the twin villages would be short-lived if ammunition was not resupplied. The 3rd Battalion, 395th Infantry, led by Lt. Col. McClernand Butler and 2nd Lt. Col. Roy S. Groffy, occupied the area around Hfen, Germany, on the border with Belgium during early December. Every member of the platoon was decorated, which included four Distinguished Service Crosses, five Silver Stars and ten Bronze Stars with "V" devices signifying awards for valor in combat.[10]. Akins, Thomas W. MAJ, "Operations of Company "E", 442nd Infantry Regiment, Attached to 92nd Division, at San Terenzo, Italy, 20-23 April 1945" (Po Valley Campaign) Albright, Barry E. CPT, "Operations of the 2nd Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, in the Invasion of Normandy, 5-13 June 1944" (Normandy Campaign. The enemy was moving through large gaps in the lines, and Americans were either being captured or killed in enormous numbers or retreating in disarray and panic. Captain Ned Nelson, veteran of 3/395 and the battle at Hfen. [11], The area around Hfen and Monschau were critical because of the road network that lay behind them. The German spearhead in the north, led by the 1st SS Panzer Division and Jochen Peipers Kampfgruppe plowed through jammed roads to the south of Elsenborn and the twin villages of Krinkelt and Rocherath hell bent on their ultimate destination of the Meuse River. German troops pass burning American equipment during the Ardennes offensive. This was the road network the Germans needed to meet their objectives. They killed Germans coming at them from the front, flanks and rear. From Camp Maxey they took a train to Camp Myles Standish outside Boston. And while the defense of the crossroads of hell was gallant to be sure, it was not the back breaker that most people assume it to have been. The division insignia is a three lined checkerboard design of blue and white Mission of the 395th Infantry Regiment He began his career conducting oral histories and research for HBOs miniseries The Pacific and holds the distinction of being the first historian hired by the Museums Research Department. The 395th Infantry Regimentwas an infantryregimentof the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Divisionduring World War II. While an RSC is allowed to wear the insignia and use the same number as a previous infantry division, it is not entitled to its lineage and honors. Up to that point, the Army had married a battalion of tanks to a battalion of infantry in support of the tanks. By 17 December, German military planners knew that their objectives along the Elsenborn Ridge would not be taken as soon as planned. The division was destroyed near Vitebsk during the Soviet Vitebsk-Orsha Offensive of Operation Bagration in the summer of 1944. It was redesignated with description updated, for the 395th Regiment on 7 June 1999. It was demobilized on 30 November 1918, but was later reconstituted on 21 June 1921 as a member of the Organized Reserves just like the 99th Infantry Division. The shield is silver, the old color of Infantry. [20], After a short period off the line, the battalion conducted offensive operations in Germany, including the seizure of several German towns from 1 to 5 March. In early December, the front was unusually calm and the weather was bone-chilling cold. Infanterie-Division) was a German division in World War II. The concentration camp was one of the "forest camps" (Waldlager) tied to the Mhldorf camp complex. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. The terrain was open and rolling, and over six weeks the 3rd Battalion prepared dug-in positions that possessed good fields of fire. Ehrenfried-Oskar Bge. Below are the top five veteran research questions, where to go for further resources, and how to begin your search. Harold was . Encountering paltry resistance at first, the Germans launched an attack on the towns and initially met with success, pushing into Rocherath with a clear path beyond. Troops were fatigued by weeks of continuous combat, Allied supply lines were stretched extremely thin, and supplies were dangerously depleted. [16] The accurate fire from the 12 3-inch guns of A Company, 612th Tank Destroyer Battalion, was instrumental in keeping German tanks from advancing. ", The 99th Infantry Division, outnumbered five to one, inflicted estimated casualties on the Germans in the ratio of eighteen to one. Attached below the shield a silver scroll inscribed "VIGILANS ET CELER" in Black letters.[21]. Your organization gave ample proof of the fact that it is a good hard fighting division and one in which you and each and every member of your command can be justly proud[16], Major Butler was decorated with the Silver Star, the French Croix de Guerre, the Belgian Fourragre, the Belgian Order de la Couronne, and the Bronze Star Medal with the Oak leaf cluster. Specific units were charged with penetrating Germany's West Wall. [7]:3 American press reports from the European theater foretold the imminent fall of the Third Reich, and many men in Lt. Col. Butler's battalion thought that the war just might be over before they got there. Location of the 99th ID sector (red box) on a map of the Bulge. Unknown to the Allies, the Germans were preparing a surprise counter-offensive through the Ardennes with the goal of splitting the Allied armies and recapturing the Belgian port city of Antwerp. At dusk on 16 December, after virtually no sleep during the preceding night and a full day of almost non-stop combat, with only a few rounds of ammunition remaining, about 50 German paratroopers finally flanked and captured the remaining 19 soldiers. 18 Dec 44-7 Jan 45 Attached to 2d Infantry Division, Blandford (Longton Long, Dorset Barracks), 370th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer), 371st Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer), 924th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer), 372d Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer). Honor Roll - 99th Infantry Division "They shall not grow old, As we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, Nor the years condemn. Many members of the 99th Infantry Division had participated in the Army Specialized Training Program or ASTP, derisively nicknamed "all safe 'till peace;" in February 1944, the program was drawn down, and the majority of its members were assigned to later-deploying divisions such as the 99th. The 395th received the following campaign streamers: The entire regiment was recognized with the following unit decorations: A silver color metal and enamel device .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}3732 inches (2.94cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Argent, a buck's head attired of ten tynes couped Or. Just south of Hfen, the lines of the 99th entered this forest, ran through a long belt of timber to the boundary between the V and VIII Corps at the Losheim Gap. The 99th RSC's mission was to provide command and control and full-service support for assigned units and facility management. . : 33 On at least six occasions they called in . . Over 83,000 Americans were casualties during the battle which lasted from December 16, 1944 until January 25, 1945, and as a result, the battle occupies a prominent place in our collective minds. The Germans would never take Hfen, nor most of their other ambitious objectives in the Ardennes, due in large part to the soldiers of 3/395 and the 99th ID as a whole. A 105mm artillery piece from the 2nd Infantry Div. It attacked toward the Monschau Forest, on 1 February, mopping up and patrolling until it was relieved for training and rehabilitation, on 13 February. "[9]:79, The battalion dug in, its purpose to hold the line so that other units could attack key dams across the Roer River. Not only did your command assist in effectively frustrating that particular part of the plan, but it also inflicted such heavy losses on the enemy that he was unable to carry out other contemplated missions in other sectors of the Allied front. They continued to fight even as the American press trumpeted the rapid crumbling of German resistance. The 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, arrived in England on 10 October 1944. The rapid advance did not deter the men of the 38th Infantry Regiment, however, who put up a fierce defense. The Battle of the Bulge was the largest battle ever fought by the United States Army. Forests, by nature, are eerily quiet at night. The 99th RRC continued to provide command and control for assigned units and support for the ongoing deployments. The 99th Infantry Division Artefacts Collection. The division was also known as the "Battle Babies" during 1945, a sobriquet coined by a United Press correspondent when the division was first mentioned in press reports during the Battle of the Bulge. The division crossed the Danube near Eining on the 27th and after a stubborn fight the Isar at Landshut on 1 May. The inexperienced troops of the division were lodged on the northern shoulder of the Ardennes Offensive on 16 December. While the 99th was fully involved in this large mobilization, the headquarters moved to Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. The unit crossed the Altmuhl River on 25 April, the Danube River on 27 April, and the Isar River on 30 April. The lines were then moved back to form defensive positions east of Elsenborn Ridge on the 19th. Category: 395thIR On this page, we honor the memory of the men of the 99th Infantry Division and pay tribute to their extraordinary contributions to the war effort. The Germans, moving across illuminated open ground without cover, fell by the hundreds against the murderous American fire. The 5 th Infantry Division was moved from Saarlautern, Luxembourg to the area of south and southwest of Echternach. The 99th held lines stretching from Monschau, Germany to Losheimergraben, Belgium, totaling 35 kilometres (22mi). 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 Many historians have written about the famous Buffalo Soldiers of the all-Black 92nd Infantry Division, who fought with distinction during World War II. The artillery barrage lasted for an hour, and shortly afterwards German infantry from the 277th Volksgrenadier Division burst through the forest and headed at the positions of the 99th Infantry Divisions 395th Infantry Regiment near the village of Rocherath. On 17 September 2008, the 99th Regional Support Command was activated at Fort Dix, N.J. The 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, arrived in England on 10 October 1944. 2nd and 3rd Battalion cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes.
Colt Police Positive 38 Ammo For Sale, Media Crema Es Lo Mismo Que Leche Evaporada, Sharon Country Club Ohio Membership Cost, Ayrshire Roads Alliance Contact, Articles J