1st Marine Division
The 1st Marine Division ( German 1st Marine Infantry Division , 1stMarDiv for short ) in Camp Pendleton , California is the oldest, most decorated and largest active of the four divisions of the US Marine Corps . It has more than 19,000 troops ready for action and is commanded by Major General Richard P. Mills .
history
On March 8, 1911, the division's first regiment was formed. The 1st Marine Regiment , traditionally shortened to 1st Marines , was formed in Guantánamo Bay , Cuba and participated in operations in the Caribbean during the First World War. Another regiment, the 5th Marines , was raised in Vera Cruz , Mexico on July 13, 1914 . The 5th Marines participated in 15 major skirmishes during World War I, including the Battle of Belleau Forest , the Battle of Château-Thierry, and the Battle of St. Mihiel . In 1917 the 7th Marine Regiment was activated in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . It was stationed in Cuba and was disbanded after the end of World War I, only to be reactivated in 1941. The last of the regiments, the 11th Marine Regiment , was established in Quantico , Virginia in January 1918 as a light artillery regiment. The 11th Marines was deployed in France as an infantry unit consisting of a machine gun company and a guard company. Between the two world wars, the regiment was decommissioned and reactivated twice, most recently in 1940 as a heavy artillery regiment.
Second World War
During the Second World War , the 1st Marine Brigade was upgraded to a division and renamed 1st Marine Division on February 1, 1941 on the battleship USS Texas . Its first commanding officer was General Holland M. Smith .
The Battle of Guadalcanal , which began on August 7, 1942, was the first major American offensive of World War II. The Marines victory earned them the first of three Presidential Unit Citations ( PUC ) during World War II, the other two were awarded for the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa .
Korean War
In the Korean War , the 1st Marine Division, under the command of General of the Army MacArthur, participated in the Incheon landing during Operation Chromite . The "old breed" Division (The Old Breed) was the first choice to lead the attack on September 15, 1950 and was consequently awarded another PUC. The fifth unit award was given for the division's attack "in the opposite direction", in which it fought its way out of the frosty Chosin Reservoir against seven divisions of the People 's Liberation Army of China. The Chinese lost an estimated 37,500 soldiers trying to stop the marines from the Frozen Chosin . For the fighting between April and September 1950, the division was awarded its sixth PUC.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Marines was ordered back to Cuba to support the maritime blockade with 11,000 Marines of the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade , which caused the withdrawal of the missiles from Cuba, the stationing of which triggered the crisis would have.
Vietnam War
Less than three years later, the division was reinstated in the Vietnam War . In 1965, the 7th Marines took part in Operations Starlite and Piranha , which marked the first major ground combat operations by US forces in South Vietnam . A year later the divisional headquarters were moved to Chu Lai , and from June 1966 the entire division was stationed in South Vietnam. Their operational area were the southern provinces of the 1st Corps of the US Army Quang Tin and Quang Ngai. Between March and October 1966 through May 1967 the Division carried out 44 named operations.
During the Tet Offensive in 1968, the division was involved in fierce fighting with the Viet Cong and the Vietnamese People's Army , successfully repelling enemy attacks in its area of operation.
After six tough years of war, the 1st Marine Division returned to Camp Pendleton , California in 1971 . After the fall of Saigon in 1975, the division assisted the evacuation of Saigon with food deliveries and the temporary admission of Vietnamese refugees to Camp Pendleton.
Second Gulf War
During Operations Desert Shield 1990, the division took part in the I. Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) in the defense of Saudi Arabia against Iraqi troops.
In 1991, during Operation Desert Storm , the 1st Marine Division, together with the 2nd Marine Division, formed the core of the massive force that entered Kuwait in the southeast to halt the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. In a 100 hour ground offensive, the Marines helped overthrow Iraq's Republican Guards and liberate Kuwait.
1990s
Immediately after the conflict in the Persian Gulf , the division sent units to Bangladesh to provide humanitarian aid after a typhoon (Operation Sea Angel) . After the eruption of the Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines , contingents of the 1st Marine Division were also used there for humanitarian aid (Operation Fiery Vigil) .
In December 1992 during the United Nations relief mission Operation Restore Hope , the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit landed in Somalia with the support of the Battalion Landing Team of the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines of the division. A total of 15,000 tons of food from 398 different dispensaries were successfully distributed in the city during the operation. At the end of the UN mission, the US peacekeeping force was converted into a UN peacekeeping force, and the Marines' engagement in Somalia officially ended on April 27, 1993 when Pakistani forces took over their humanitarian aid sector in Mogadishu .
Iraq war
After the invasion of Iraq by US troops in 2003 (Operation Iraqi Freedom) , the 1st Marine Division was stationed in Iraq and continued to function there as the occupying power after the official end of the war .
The division was relocated back to Iraq in February 2004 to control Al-Anbar Province west of Baghdad. There she participated as a core unit of the US troops in Operation Vigilant Resolve , as well as in Operation Phantom Fury . In February and March 2005 she was replaced by the 2nd Marine Division. This was the largest Marine Corps relief and detachment operation in its history.
assignment
The main mission of the 1st Marine Division is to carry out amphibious landing operations as well as maritime and littoral land operations.
organization
The division is used today as a ground combat element of the I. Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) or as a special task-oriented force for attack operations. The division must therefore be able to conduct amphibious operations with the US Navy in any environment.
Structure of the 1st Marine Division
- Headquarters - Battalion
- 1st Marine Regiment ( Infantry )
- 1st Battalion, 1st Marines
- 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines
- 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines
- 1st Battalion, 4th Marines
- 5th Marine Regiment (Infantry)
- 1st Battalion, 5th Marines
- 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines
- 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines
- 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines
- 7th Marine Regiment (Infantry)
- 1st Battalion, 7th Marines
- 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines
- 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines
- 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines
- 11th Marine Regiment ( Artillery )
- 1st Tank Battalion ( M1A1 Abrams Tank Battalion)
- 1st Reconnaissance Battalion (light reconnaissance battalion)
- 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion ( LAV-25 Reconnaissance Battalion )
- 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion ( LAV-25 Reconnaissance Battalion )
- 1st Combat Engineer Battalion (Engineer Battalion)
- 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion (Engineer Battalion)
- 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion ( AAVP-7A1 Amphibious Battalion)
- 1st Marine Division Band
With the exception of the division band, these units form a combat-ready force of more than 19,000 soldiers.
Staff battalion
The staff battalion supports the division staff and consists of a staff and support company, a military police company , a telecommunications company and a transport company.
1st, 5th, 7th, and 11th Marines
The 1st, 5th, and 7th Marines regiments each consist of a headquarters company and four infantry battalions, with one battalion always stationed outside the United States . The battalions of the 4th Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division are subordinate to the regiments of the 1st Marine Division in peacetime.
The infantry battalions are the basic tactical units that the regiments use to carry out their missions, which include, for example, the detection and destruction of enemy units.
The 11th Marines Artillery Regiment consists of a staff battery and four artillery battalions. The regiment is the division's primary fire support during amphibious assaults and on land. With direct or scattered gunfire, it supports units fighting on the frontline as requested by the infantry commanders. The 11th Marines' main gun is the 155mm M198 howitzer .
Other subordinate units
The 1st Tank Battalion was activated on November 1, 1941 and is stationed at Marine Corps Base Twentynine Palms , California. The main areas of operation include the division's combat support in the form of amphibious landings, armored gunfire and the rapid advance and destruction of enemy forces. As a separate battalion, it is responsible for the provision of armored vehicles, anti-tank services and staff expertise in their area of responsibility. Their main weapon of action is the M1A1 Abrams main battle tank .
The 1st Combat Engineer Battalion and 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion are the division's two pioneer associations.
The mission of the 3d Assault Amphibian Battalion is the surface transport of the amphibious assault units of the landing forces from amphibious landing dockships and the mechanized support of the operations on land. The Amphibius Assault Vehicles (AAV7A1), known as Amtrak , are primarily used to transport troops during landing operations.
The division also has two lightly armored reconnaissance battalions , the task of which is to gather information on troop movements, security efforts and equipment of enemy units. As far as they can, they can lead smaller offensives or retreat battles. The 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (LAR) was raised on May 31, 1985, while the 3d LAR Battalion was activated a year later.
The division reactivated the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion on June 8, 2000 after it was originally established in 1937. Before 1944, the US Marine Corps' reconnaissance consisted mainly of scout and sniper units . In April 1944, a two- company reconnaissance battalion was founded with the task of beach and sea reconnaissance. Today the battalion has a wide range of tasks, which include supporting tactical and special operations for the division.
guide
The command group of the division headquarters consists of Commander Major General Ronald L. Bailey , his deputy Brigadier General , the Chief of Staff with the rank of Colonel, and the Sergeant Major and Command Master Chief of the division.
| Surname | Beginning of the appointment | End of appointment |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald L. Bailey | June 2011 | - |
| Richard P. Mills | July 2009 | June 2011 |
| Thomas D. Waldhauser | September 2007 | July 2009 |
| Richard P. Mills (Interim) | May 22, 2007 | September 2007 |
| John M. Paxton, Jr. | August 8, 2006 | May 22, 2007 |
| Richard F. Natonski | August 2004 | August 8, 2006 |
| James N. Mattis | 2002 | 2004 |
| James T. Conway | 2000 | 2002 |
| Gregory S. Newbold | 1999 | 2000 |
| Michael W. Hagee | 1998 | 1999 |
| John H. Admire | 1996 | 1998 |
| Frank Libutti | 1994 | 1996 |
| Charles E. Wilhelm | 1992 | 1994 |
| James M. Myatt | 1990 | 1992 |
| John P. Monahan | 1988 | 1990 |
| JJ McMonagle | 1986 | 1988 |
| Matthew T. Cooper | 1986 | 1986 |
| Clyde D. Dean | 1985 | 1986 |
| Ernest C. Cheatham | 1982 | 1985 |
| James L. Day | 1980 | 1982 |
| Francis X. Quinn | 1979 | 1980 |
| Charles L. Cooper | 1977 | 1979 |
| Marc A. Moore | 1977 | 1977 |
| Edward A. Wilcox | 1976 | 1977 |
| Charles D. Mize | 1975 | 1976 |
| William L. McCulloch | 1974 | 1975 |
| Kenneth J. Houghton | 1973 | 1974 |
| Adolph G. Schwenk | 1972 | 1973 |
| Ross T. Dwyer | 1971 | 1972 |
| Charles F. Widdecke | 1970 | 1971 |
| Edwin B. Wheeler | 1969 | 1970 |
| Ormond R. Simpson | 1968 | 1969 |
| Carl A. Youngdale | 1968 | 1968 |
| Donn J. Robertson | 1967 | 1968 |
| Herman Nickerson, Jr. | 1966 | 1967 |
| Lewis J. Fields | 1965 | 1966 |
| Edward H. Hurst | 1965 | 1965 |
| WT Fairbourn | 1963 | 1965 |
| Herman Nickerson, Jr. | 1962 | 1963 |
| James M. Masters, Sr. | 1961 | 1962 |
| Frederick E. Leek | 1961 | 1961 |
| Henry R. Paige | 1959 | 1961 |
| Thomas F. Riley | 1959 | 1959 |
| Edward W. Snedeker | 1958 | 1959 |
| Harvey C. Tschrgi | 1958 | 1958 |
| David M. Shoup | 1957 | 1958 |
| Robert O. Bare | 1956 | 1957 |
| Merrill B. Twining | 1955 | 1956 |
| Robert E. Hogaboom | 1954 | 1955 |
| Robert H. Pepper | 1954 | 1954 |
| Randolph M. Godfather | 1953 | 1954 |
| Ewin A. Pollock | 1952 | 1953 |
| John T. Selden | 1952 | 1952 |
| Gerald C. Thomas | 1951 | 1952 |
| Oliver P. Smith | 1951 | 1951 |
| Lewis B. Puller | 1951 | 1951 |
| Graves B. Erskine | 1947 | 1950 |
| AB Lasswell (acting) | 1947 | 1947 |
| Samuel L. Howard | 1946 | 1947 |
| Keller E. Rockey | 1946 | 1946 |
| DeWitt Peck | 1945 | 1946 |
| Pedro A. del Valle | 1944 | 1945 |
| William H. Rupertus | 1943 | 1944 |
| Alexander A. Vandegrift | 1942 | 1943 |
| Philip H. Torrey | 1941 | 1942 |
| Holland M. Smith | 1941 | 1941 |
literature
- John C. Chapin: Fire Brigade: US Marines in the Pusan Perimeter . Marine Corps Historical Center, Washington DC 2000.
- Francis D. (Capt) Cronin: Under the Southern Cross - The Saga of the Americal Division . Combat Forces Press, Washington DC 1951.
- TR Fehrenbach: This Kind of War . Brassey's Inc, Dulles, Virginia 1963, ISBN 1-57488-334-8 .
- Richard B. Frank: Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle . Random House, New York 1990, ISBN 0-394-58875-4 .
- David Halberstam: The Coldest Winter - America and the Korean War . Hyperion, New York 2007, ISBN 978-1-4013-0052-4 .
- Robert Leckie : Helmet for my Pillow . Simon & Schuster Inc., 2001, ISBN 0-7434-1307-5 .
- Nicholas E. Reynolds: Basrah, Baghdad and Beyond - The US Marine Corps in the Second Iraq War. Naval Institute Press, 2005, ISBN 1-59114-717-4 .
- Martin Russ: Breakout - The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950 . Penguin Books, 1999, ISBN 0-14-029259-4 .
- Edwin H. Simmons: The United States Marines: A History, Fourth Edition . Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland 2003, ISBN 1-59114-790-5 .
- Eugene B. Sledge : With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa . Oxford University Press , 1990, ISBN 0-19-506714-2 .
- Bill Sloan: Brotherhood of Heroes: The Marines at Peleliu, 1944 - The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific War . Simon & Schuster, 2005, ISBN 0-7432-6009-0 .
- David Turner: First Marine Division . Turner Publishing Company, Paducah, Kentucky 1997, ISBN 1-56311-244-2 .
- James A. Warren: American Spartans - The US Marines: A Combat History from Iwo Jima to Iraq . Pocket Books, New York 2005.
Web links
- Official site of the first MarDiv (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ History of the 1st Marine Division . United States Marine Corps. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
