4th Infantry Division (United States)

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The 4th Infantry Division ( German  4th US Infantry Division ) is a major unit of the United States Army . The headquarters of the 16,000-strong division is in Fort Carson in the US state of Colorado . The motto of the association is: Steadfast and Loyal , which corresponds to the German terms "steadfast and loyal". It has been used in almost all military conflicts in the United States since its formation in 1917 , and has not been a conventional infantry unit since it was last restructured , but rather a tank division with its own Army Aviation Brigade .

In its history, the 4th US Infantry Division has often served as an experimental association for new deployment concepts and association structures. As one of the Army's first infantry divisions, it was motorized, was the first to test combined arms combat and was the first in the world to be completely digitalized. It was also one of the first Army units to fully implement the 1997 army reform with the concept of a standardized modular brigade structure ( Brigade Combat Teams , " Combat Brigades").

Two nicknames are used for the division, on the one hand Iron Horse , in German "Steam Horse ", and on the other hand Ivy Division , German "Efeudivision". This nickname and the division's badge are derived from a multiple play on words, since the Roman spelling of the divisional cardinal number "IV" is pronounced homonymously in English with the word ivy ( ˈaɪ: vi , English for ivy ). This allusion to the number "four" and the ivy leaf can be found in the division's coat of arms, in which a stylized cross with four ivy leaves is depicted. In another double meaning, the plant symbolism of the ivy in the badge repeats the motto of division, constancy and loyalty.

4th Infantry Division shoulder badge

history

Lineup

Major General George H. Cameron

The 4th US Infantry Division was completely reorganized after the United States entered the First World War as part of the rearmament on December 10, 1917 in Camp Greene, North Carolina , as a square division under the command of Major General George H. Cameron . In doing so, existing units were not used. The division consisted of about 32,000 men and at the beginning consisted of the following units:

First World War

US troops on their way back from the Battle of St. Mihiel

The division was transferred to France in early June 1918 as part of the American Expeditionary Forces under General John J. Pershing , where it was initially divided and assigned to various French infantry divisions. During the counter-offensive from the forest of Villers-Cotterêts (from July 18, 1918), the divided brigades of the division were used as reserves in the French 6th Army in the La Ferté-Milon area and on the Clignon sector.

St. Mihiel Offensive

The United States then enforced that its armed forces could operate independently alongside those of the European allies, France and the United Kingdom . In August 1918 the division was again combined as an independent association and subordinated to the newly created 1st US Army . On September 12, 1918, the association had its first combat mission in the Battle of St. Mihiel . The 4th Division under Major General John L. Hines , as part of the V US Corps, formed the left pincers as part of a forceps operation and was supposed to hit the IV US Corps in the rear of the German positions. This movement was intended to encircle the Germans in the St. Mihiel area . The attack began on September 15th when the 8th Infantry Brigade took Manheulles. The German units could not keep their front edge and the American units succeeded in this battle to straighten the opposing front edge in favor of the Entente.

Meuse-Argonne offensive

On September 26, 1918, the last great battle of the First World War began, the Meuse-Argonne offensive . The aim of the Allies was to conquer the city of Sedan on the Meuse , as several supply lines that were vital for the German troops met there.

Under cover of darkness, the American corps were able to take their staging rooms for the attack in the St. Mihiel area unnoticed on September 26th. The III. US Corps including the 4th US Infantry Division held the right eastern flank of the front section, and to the left of it the V US Corps took up position. Within the section of III. Corps , the 33rd US Infantry Division took the right, the 80th US Infantry Division the central and the 4th US Infantry Division with the 79th US Infantry Division of the V Corps at their side the left sector. The attack led through a narrow valley, the 7th Brigade crossed it swiftly and reached the furthest line of defense at Cuisy at nine o'clock. Despite the determined resistance of the German troops, they could not hold the place. At the end of the day, the 4th Division moved its headquarters to Cuisy.

Front line at the beginning of the Meuse-Argonne offensive

The battle lasted from 27 September to 3 October, without the Association significant further inroads Front achieved, while that of barrage furrowed field increasingly difficult the approach guiding supplies and troops. The second phase of the battle was aimed at Brieulles and began when the foremost troops could finally be adequately supplied. On October 4th, the 8th Brigade left their trenches and attacked in thick fog. When it died down, the German troops caught them in the crossfire from three sides . Despite heavy losses, the brigade was able to establish itself in Bois de Fays . Over the next four days, the division suffered further heavy losses from heavy artillery and gas fire . The 8th Brigade was withdrawn and replaced by the 7th Brigade. On October 9, the association continued the attack on Pershing's orders and was able to capture and secure the area around Bois de Foret by October 12. On October 13, the division was replaced by the 3rd US Infantry Division and withdrawn from the front by October 19.

On October 10th, Major General George H. Cameron was appointed by Major General John L. Hines as interim commander of the III. Corps relieved. Cameron again took command of the 4th US Infantry Division. The division was subordinated to the 2nd US Army and stationed in Lucey. On October 22nd, Cameron took over a new command in the United States and has since been replaced by the Commander of the 7th Brigade, Brigadier General Benjamin A. Poore. On October 31, 1918, Major General Mark L. Hersey took command.

When the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, the 4th US Infantry Division was the only American unit that had been used in both the British and French sections of the front. The division's losses were 2,611 dead and 9,895 wounded.

Occupation time in Germany and demobilization

The German Reich had to withdraw its military from all areas west of the Rhine and American troops occupied the center of these areas up to the Koblenz bridgehead . The Ivy Division covered 330  miles (about 531 km) in a 15-day express march , entered German territory and set up its headquarters in Bad Bertrich . There she acted as an occupying power and was relocated to the northern Rhineland in April 1919 . She returned to France in July 1919, to be embarked back to the United States on July 13th. She was stationed at Fort Lewis , Washington state , until she was demobilized on September 20, 1921 under the Reorganization Act of 1920.

Reorganization and World War II

On June 1, 1940, the 4th US Infantry Division in Fort Benning in the US state of Georgia under the command of Major General Walter E. Prosser was reorganized as a Triangular Division (three infantry regiments instead of four). On August 1st it was rededicated to a motorized infantry division according to the Table of Organization and Equipment (German: "Organization and Equipment Plan" or "Strength and Equipment Proof") of the War Department , reorganized accordingly and together with the also reorganized 2nd US -Panzerdivision (formerly 2nd US Cavalry Division) subordinated to the 1st US Armored Corps. After this restructuring was completed, she was stationed in Dry Prong, Louisiana , where she began intensive training and internalized the new tactical direction.

In the 1930s, the War Ministry had developed new theories of the combined combat of various branches of arms ( combined arms combat ). In the period from 1941 to 1943, the Ivy Division served as an experimental unit at various locations in order to test these theories in numerous maneuvers and various large military unit structures and thus to develop the basics of modern combat management with combined weapons in practice. In September she was transferred to Camp Gordon Johnson in Carabelle, Florida , to practice amphibious landings . The now motorized 4th US Infantry Division consisted of the following units:

  • 8th Infantry Regiment - 8th Infantry Regiment
  • 12th Infantry Regiment - 12th Infantry Regiment
  • 22nd Infantry Regiment - 22nd Infantry Regiment
  • 20th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm) - 20th Field Artillery Battalion
  • 29th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) - 29th Field Artillery Battalion
  • 42nd Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) - 42nd Field Artillery Battalion
  • 44th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm) - 44th Field Artillery Battalion
  • 4th Reconnaissance Troop - 4th Reconnaissance Company
  • 4th Engineer Battalion - 4th Engineer Battalion
  • 4th Medical Battalion - 4th  Medical Battalion
  • 4th Quartermaster Battalion - 4th Quartermaster Battalion
  • 4th Signal Company - 4th Telecommunications Company
  • 704th Ordnance Company (LM) - 704th Ordnance Company (Light Maintenance)

Landing in Normandy

Major General Raymond O. Barton

On January 18, 1944, the division was relocated to Great Britain in  preparation for the planned Operation Overlord  - the landing of the Allies in Normandy .

Although the coastline offered difficult terrain, the Allied High Command decided to land in Normandy because the Atlantic Wall was not as strong there as in the area around Calais and it was assumed that the element of military surprise would be greatest there. Due to the troop concentrations of the Wehrmacht , the Allied side believed that the Germans were more likely to expect a landing at the narrowest point between England and France.

Landing section Utah Beach

On June 6, 1944, the division under Major General Raymond Barton as part of VII Corps went ashore during the largest amphibious landing operation of all time in its Utah Beach section . However, the first wave reached the shore 1,800 meters south of the planned landing section. This was the result of a strong lateral current that pushed the landing craft to the south. Since the coastline was covered by clouds of smoke as a result of the previous bombardment, the crews lacked orientation points for a course correction.

Despite the landing on an unintended stretch of coast, there was little confusion among the landed troops. However, individual commands could not be executed in detail. Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. , the only US general personally participating in the landing and deputy commander of the 4th US Infantry Division, managed, despite these disadvantages, to maintain order according to the circumstances and to attack the strong German positions that could be reached . The 4th Infantry Division attacked the Crisbecq battery several times between June 6 and 12, 1944. The troops were able to advance to the main roads in the hinterland and attack the German forces from there.

The 8th Infantry Regiment was the first Allied non- airborne unit to set foot on French soil. After securing her landing section, which she had conquered with great losses, she fought her way to the 82nd US Airborne Division , which was stuck at Sainte-Mère-Église . She then conquered the Cotentin peninsula and took Cherbourg with other troops on June 25, 1944 . The unit lost over 5,000 dead and wounded on the Normandy landing.

On the day of the beginning of the American breakout operation from the landing head, Operation Cobra , on July 25, 1944, “The attack (of the VII. US Corps on the left wing) - with the 9th Division on the right, the 4th Division in the middle and the 30th division on the left - according to plan. His general goal was the Marigny - St. Gilles road. ”The infantry was supposed to clear an alley for the following armored divisions and then swing it out to the side. On the morning of July 26th, the 2nd and 3rd US Panzer Divisions followed. The 4th Infantry Division took over cover tasks with part of the 3rd US Panzer Division in the Villedieu area in the following days and stood in front of Sourdeval of the German 116th tanks during the counterattack of the German 7th Army on the night of 6 August near Mortain Division opposite.

“On August 7th , while the 30th Division was holding the German wing at Mortain in check , he ( Omar N. Bradley ) deployed the 4th Division and part of the 3rd Panzer Division to defeat the Germans in the Mitte achieved deep penetrations to be sealed off, and by continuing the attack on Sourdeval v. Funcks [Commander of the German XXXXVII. Panzer Corps] right wing. The 116th Panzer Division was pushed into defense here when the infantry gave way in their flank ... "

- Chester Wilmot: The struggle for Europe. P. 425f.

After repelling the German attack, the 4th Infantry Division marched around the German southern flank and was on the advance of the 3rd US Army (under George S. Patton ) north on Argentan the XV. Subordinated to US Corps. During the battle for the Falaise pocket , the division was attached to the 5th US Corps (Major General Leonard T. Gerow ) together with the French 2nd Panzer Division to advance on the Seine.

On June 6, 1944, members of the division committed war crimes against German prisoners of war. At Hermanville-sur-Mer, several German soldiers who had surrendered were shot by soldiers of the division.

Liberation of Paris and battle in the Huertgen Forest

Triumphant invasion of Paris

The 4th U.S. Infantry Division was given the honor of

"Immediately after the 'armistice' (in the city between the German General Dietrich von Choltitz and the military FFI - officially until August 23, 1944, 12:00 noon) with the French 2nd Panzer Division [...] to enter the city avoiding heavy fighting. On August 24, Gerow's divisions were held up by rear guards and roadblocks in the suburbs. The next morning, however, the French rolled from the west and the Americans from the south into the city center, to the heart of Paris. "

- Wilmot: Europe. P. 455.

The 4th US Infantry Division was the only American association involved in the liberation of Paris . The town was officially handed over by the German garrison commander von Choltitz on August 25, 1944 without a fight.

However, the numerous units of the general SS , the Gestapo , the SD and the Waffen-SS in the French capital did not adhere to the surrender agreement and offered resistance to the Resistance, which was suppressed.

After a period of rest, the division was relocated to Belgium via Houffalize to attack the Siegfried Line in the Schnee-Eifel on November 14, 1944 . In this attack she got some break-ins.

The division made slow progress until November, as the weather hampered the Allied air superiority and the German units, despite their numerical inferiority, proved to be tough opponents.

In the battle in the Hürtgenwald , the Ivy Division encountered extremely strong German resistance, so that the Allied operational objective seemed to be in danger of breaking through at this point in order to fall into the flank of the German units standing along the Rur front . It was in this battle that the division probably experienced its heaviest fighting of World War II. The Hürtgenwald , a 140 km² forest plateau north-east of the Belgian-German border, south of the Aachen – Düren line and west of the Rur , represented an enormously important height for both sides. For the Germans, its nature was ideally suited for defensive combat, partly because it offered protection from air raids. Holding the section was considered necessary to protect the northern flank of the deployment of the planned Ardennes offensive . For the Allies, the capture of the Huertgen Forest was a prerequisite for breaking through to the Rhine and blowing up the Rur front. The division was detached from the battle on December 7, 1944 after losing almost a third of its manpower with 7,500 wounded and dead. In the stage in Luxembourg she was supposed to make up for her enormous losses, which exceeded those suffered on the landing in Normandy and which were the heaviest of the division during the Second World War.

Ardennes offensive and end of the war

The division, which had just been pulled out of the Huertgen Forest and was badly damaged, was relocated to Luxembourg , where it was surprised by the Germans' Ardennes offensive on December 16, 1944 . Although she had to retreat at first, she managed to stabilize the section of the front between Dickweiler and Osweiler, to cross the Sauer in January 1945 and to overrun the exhausted German units in their positions in Fouhren and Vianden . Only at Prüm could their advance be stopped by fierce German resistance. Nevertheless, she managed to cross over near Olzheim on February 28, 1945 and the rapid advance along the Kyll on March 7. After a short rest period to freshen up and to replace the losses, the "Vierte" crossed the Rhine on March 29th near Worms , then conquered Würzburg and on April 3rd 1945 formed a bridgehead on the Main near Ochsenfurt . Then she took Bad Mergentheim , Rothenburg , Crailsheim and Aalen . On April 25th, she crossed the Danube near Lauingen and turned towards Munich .

In total, the 4th US Infantry Division made over 50,000 prisoners of war in March and April 1945 .

At the beginning of May the association reached the Isar near Miesbach , after which it was detached from the front, no longer participated in combat operations and only carried out occupation tasks.

The losses of the 4th US Infantry Division in World War II totaled around 22,660 dead and wounded.

Reorganization and years in between

Relocated to the United States in June 1945, the association was stationed at Camp Butner, North Carolina , to prepare for the war against Japan in the Pacific . However, this never happened because Japan declared its unconditional surrender after the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and a landing on the Japanese mainland became unnecessary.

On March 5, 1946, the division was demobilized for the second time, but reactivated only a year later, on July 15, 1947, to serve as a training-only unit in Fort Ord, California .

On October 10, 1950, the "Fourth" was rededicated to combat unit again, which entailed extensive reorganization and relocation to Fort Benning, Georgia.

In May 1951, in view of the escalating Cold War caused by the Korean War , the division was subordinated to NATO as one of four US divisions . She came to the 7th US Army , 5th Corps , in West Germany . The headquarters were in the Drake barracks, Frankfurt am Main . Other locations were Büdingen , Butzbach , Gelnhausen , Hanau , Mannheim and Schweinfurt .

Between 1951 and 1953, the 4th US Infantry Division indirectly supported the US troops in the Korean War by regularly assigning personnel to units fighting there to make up for their losses.

After a five-year deployment in Germany, she was again stationed in Fort Lewis in the US state of Washington in May 1956 and placed under the US States Pacific Command (PACOM). The division retained this position and position until the Vietnam War .

Vietnam War

Main article: Vietnam War

In September 1966, the 4th US Infantry Division was relocated to South Vietnam and set up its headquarters in Camp Holloway near Plei Cu in the Gia Lai Province in the central highlands of Vietnam , where it was subordinated to the II US Corps .

Tactical division of South Vietnam by the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam

The First and Second Brigades were deployed in the central highlands. The Third Brigade, including the division's tank battalion, supported the 23rd US Infantry Division ( Americal Division ) in the province of Tây Ninh (in the so-called War Zone C ) northwest of Saigon in Operation Attleboro , a so-called search and destruction operation, which ran until the end of November 1966 lasted.

From February to May 1967, the division was involved in Operation Junction City , the only major airborne operation of the Vietnam War and one of the largest in military history. This “search and destruction operation” was supposed to finally end the activities of the Vietnamese People's Army and the Viet Cong in this region. At the same time, the headquarters for all North Vietnamese activities, the " Central Office for South Vietnam ", should be located and destroyed. In the battle, which lasted more than 70 days, in which the North Vietnamese forces suffered high losses, these goals could only be partially achieved. The headquarters sought had been evacuated in time and operated from Cambodian territory for the remainder of the war .

After this mission, the 3rd Brigade of the 25th US Infantry Division, which participated in the defense of the South Vietnamese capital Sàigòn during the Tet offensive of the Viet Cong from 1968 to 1969 . Together with her new parent association, she served as part of the “ Vietnamization Program ” (Nixon Doctrine) until 1970 as a training unit for the South Vietnamese armed forces .

This weakening was compensated for by parts of Task Force Oregon when the 4th US Infantry Division was deployed in the province of Quảng Ngãi . During their time in Vietnam, the division undertook various operations in the western central highlands along the border with Cambodia to stop the infiltration of South Vietnam by the Viet Cong and to interrupt its supply routes (parts of the Ho Chi Minh Trail ). In the fall of 1967 she was involved in heavy fighting with the regular Vietnamese People's Army at Kontum.

In April 1970, the 3rd Brigade was detached from the US 25th Infantry Division and moved back to Fort Lewis, where it was demobilized. The "fourth" was used in the same year as part of the so-called Cambodian Campaign ("Battle of Cambodia"), also called Cambodian Incursion ("Incursion into Cambodia"). This was a large-scale campaign that consisted of thirteen separate operations in South Cambodia and was mainly fought by the South Vietnamese armed forces. Because of their above-average success in these battles, the division was relocated to the stage after the end of the mission to refresh , withdrew from the Asian theater of war on December 8, 1970 as part of the "Vietnamization program" and relocated to Fort Carson in the US state of Colorado .

The total casualties of the 4th US Infantry Division in the Vietnam War were 2,541 dead and 15,229 wounded.

Reorganization and intervention reserve

After the association had established its new headquarters in Fort Carson, Colorado, it was converted into a mechanized infantry division and restructured and equipped accordingly.

Then began an extensive training program to learn this new tactical direction. After this process was completed, the division maintained its location for the next 25 years and served as part of the Army's global deployable rapid reaction reserve. During this time, their old nickname Ivy Division (German: "Efeudivision") changed to the more commonly used Iron Horse ("steam horse "), because the association was now armored and available daily to be deployed in every conceivable crisis region in the world. In this function, the level of readiness, the intensity of the training and the maneuver cycle were above average compared to other American associations.

Re-flagging, digitization (EXFOR) and realignment (Force XXI)

Flag change

In accordance with the plans of the Secretary of State for the Army ( SECARM ) for a restructuring of the ten divisions, the flag of the 2nd US Armored Division was lowered in Fort Hood , Texas, and on December 15, 1995 this unit was changed to the 4th US Infantry Division and partially with the actual one United "Fourth," which was moved from Fort Carson to Fort Hood. During this merger, some units were demobilized. The division was assigned a third combat brigade as part of this measure.

EXFOR and reorganization into the first digitized division

The 4th US Infantry Division was subordinated to the US Army Experimental Force (EXFOR). This EXFOR included the Army troops involved in the Army Warfighting Experiment (AWE), a program for the digitization and modular reorganization of the divisional and brigade structure of the land forces. For this purpose, extensive and unique new training facilities were created in Fort Hood, which in particular represented the planned digital command and control facilities and thus enabled their development, testing and training on these very same. This new training environment used a combination of conventional computer-aided simulation programs (Simulation Network (SIMNET)) with newly developed simulation software. This enabled the future digitized exchange of information to be simulated at all levels of the division down to the individual armored personnel carriers and the soldiers with the new command and control communication technology ( Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System - Systems Improvement Program (SINCGARS-SIP) , "single channel ground -und-air radio system "-" System improvement program ") and the new one ( Enhanced Position Location Reporting System (EPLRS) ," Extended Position Reporting System ").

This digitization made it possible for the units and command levels integrated in this tactical network to exchange data in real time and to display the locations of each other.

In 1997, the division became the first unit to be equipped with these new FBCB2 communication and control modules in accordance with the digitization of all divisions planned in the 1997 Army Reform ( Force XXI , "Armed Force XXI") .

Force XXI implementation begins

Visualization of the Army Reform ( Transformation of the US Army )

In 1998 the gradual regrouping towards the realization of the modular brigade concept of the army reform began (also within the framework of Force-XXI ). The 4th US Infantry Division was also the pioneer for all further restructuring at divisional and brigade level of the Army. In the same year, a pilot program for regrouping and joint training and resource use between active and National Guard associations at the division level was started after the Army Chief of Staff General Dennis J. Reimer had previously postulated this.

In the same year, the association was assigned its own Army Aviation Brigade , the 4th Aviation Brigade (Iron Eagles) , as a first step towards restructuring into a modular Army division. In summer, the came 1st Battalion 4th Aviation (R / A) already in use, as it during the G 8 -Friedenkonferenz in Bosnia Sarajevo with its combat helicopters of the type AH-64 Hughes Apache secured the airspace.

As the core organization of the testing and step-by-step implementation of the Army Reform ( Force XXI ), the 4th US Infantry Division trained, tested and evaluated 72 directives of the reform in practice by 2001, including the Capstone Exercise Division (DCX) (Divisional Capstone Maneuver), which took place on May 22, 2001 at the National Training Center (NTC) in Fort Irwin , California, the most modern training center for armored and armored infantry units in the Army. In this maneuver, in which more than 7,000 men took part, the 4th US Infantry Division was able to clearly beat the local Opposing Force (maneuver unit for enemy representation), the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ( Black Horses / "Rappen"), and the advantages of the innovations prove it in practice for the first time.

After this major exercise, the fourth was again outsourced from the Army's testing program.

Iraq war and reorganization

Iraq war

The plans for the Iraq war in 2003 envisaged the "fourth" as the spearhead of an advance from Turkey into northern Iraq . These plans were announced internally on January 9, 2003 and the division was put on alert.

Contrary to American expectations, however, the Turkish parliament prohibited the US from using Turkish soil to attack Iraq. Therefore, the entire formation was brought into the region on board 14 appropriately equipped ships and held there to be landed in the attack from the sea.

The 4th Infantry Division reached Kuwait on April 15, 2003 after the war had already started. At this stage she was several times by Iraqi firings of short-range - surface to surface missiles of the type Scud threat. Since an escalation to the point of the use of weapons of mass destruction was expected at this point in time , the division had to visit bunkers in Camp Wolf and Udairii in full chemical weapons protection equipment . This delayed its deployment, so that it was only used after the initial phase of the war in the attacks on Mosul and the resistance stronghold of Tikrit . These cities were taken by the 4th US Infantry Division along with other units. The division set up its headquarters in a former palace of Saddam Hussein in the so-called Sunni Triangle near Tikrit, while the 3rd  Heavy Brigade Combat Team (3rd tank brigade) moved into quarters at the Balad Air Base .

From July to August 2003, units of the 4th US Infantry Division succeeded in disarming the Iranian People's Mujahedin in northern Iraq. In the final stages of the war, it was used in northern Iraq to comb the area between Kirkuk and the Iranian border for alleged hiding places of the former President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, and his family. It had its greatest success on December 13, 2003, when troops of the 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team (1st tank brigade) managed to arrest the fugitive Saddam Hussein together with special forces ( Operation Red Dawn , " Operation Red Dawn "). In spring 2004, the division was withdrawn from Iraq and replaced by the 1st US Infantry Division.

In this first mission in Iraq, the division lost 82 deaths.

criticism

Lieutenant General (now promoted) Raymond T. Odierno , commander in charge of the Fourth during the first Iraqi operation

The unit's commander at the time, Major General Raymond T. Odierno , achieved these successes through a rigorous and ruthless approach that stretched to the limits of the Geneva Conventions . According to a report in the Washington Post on July 24, 2006, it was common practice for the division to completely surround villages, to arrest the male population as terrorist suspects and to transfer them to the Abu Ghuraib prison, which serves as an interrogation center . This procedure was no exception and even led to internal army complaints from the responsible prison management of the military police, who no longer threatened to master the sheer quantity of prisoners. The unit tried to counter the growth of irregular resistance through these and other measures .

Occasionally, members of the association attacked actors in a way that is prohibited under US military criminal law. For example, they killed alleged insurgents and armed men who later turned out to be civilians who were not involved. These and less serious crimes and offenses were not charged in all cases, however, because either witnesses, mostly comrades, did not report these acts or they were covered by responsible commanders. The publication of this aggressive warfare in various press organs contributed to alienating the civilian population from the occupying power, which originally appeared as liberators. Even comrades in the Army Intelligence Service of the 101st Airborne Division described soldiers of the Fourth as “ mean and ugly-looking individuals who did not mind pointing their weapons at civilians while standing on a truck. “In an interview with the Washington Post, they rated this behavior as“ wrong and counterproductive ”.

Reorganization to a modular brigade structure

After its deployment in Iraq, the division was officially converted into a modular brigade structure on December 16, 2004 in accordance with the army reform postulated in 1997 . The restructuring of the Force XXI program begun in 1997 was thus finally completed. As a result, from now on each brigade combined its own combat support means ( reconnaissance , artillery , tank destroyer ) from other branches of the army and thus became independent of the division in this respect.

Occupation in Iraq

In autumn 2005 the now modular division, which was subordinated to its own artillery brigade with MLRS rocket launchers , was relocated back to Iraq to replace the 3rd US infantry division , which was part of the Multi-National Force Iraq (“Multinational Troops in Iraq ”) and was transferred to Camp Liberty in Baghdad . Due to the new structure and the new fourth combat brigade, as well as the temporarily subordinate artillery brigade, the division experienced an increase to 20,000 men.

Soldier of the 4th US Infantry Division with M240 at the ready, Iraq 2006

The association assumed military responsibility for the central and southern provinces of Iraq with the metropolitan areas of Baghdad, Karbala , an-Najaf and Babil, as well as training Iraqi security forces to fight guerrillas and ensure public security in these four provinces . During this time, the division was together with the 101st US Airborne Division of the Task Force Band of Brothers ("Einsatzgruppe Geschwisterband"), which was deployed throughout Iraq to combat insurrectionary groups of various stripes.

Despite the critical appraisal of the operational practice of the 4th US Infantry Division by the press and other Army agencies in 2003, their new commander, Major General James D. Thurman, followed the same approach as his predecessor. The "intensive and concerted" operations, according to the Army, led to a collapse of the resistance in the Sunni triangle. This time, this rigorous approach again led to many uninvolved civilians being affected again. Detrimental consequences ( collateral damage ) that anti-guerrilla warfare brings with it, such as killed bystanders, the arrest of innocent people, the increase in homelessness due to houses destroyed in combat and the general uncertainty of the civilian population due to the fighting that flares up in residential areas at all times were the logical ones Consequences that led to a further alienation of the Iraqi civilian population.

Although photos of ill-treatment in Abu Ghuraib prison were published by CBS as early as 2004 , the bulk of the compromising images that founded the Abu Ghuraib torture scandal did not make the media until early 2006. The publication therefore coincided with the time when the 4th US Infantry Division was responsible for guarding and bringing in terrorist suspects. The interrogations, however, fell within the remit of the special forces and intelligence services , such as the CIA and DIA , so these organizations were also responsible for the illegal torture.

Despite this problematic development and the increase in rebellious activities in other parts of the country, according to official information from the US Army, it was possible during this round of deployment to hold the first democratic elections, to introduce the Iraqi security forces to larger and more sensitive tasks and to restore the heavily damaged infrastructure for the population improve. In late 2006, the division's Iraq mission ended and it was relocated back to its home base in Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Carson, Colorado.

The division's total casualties during the occupation amount to a total of 227 deaths.

assignment

Order definition according to the official self-presentation of the Army:

"The division trains and supplies Brigade Combat Teams so that, on the orders of the commander of the responsible regional command , to whom it is temporarily subordinate in the event of an incident, it can carry out the entire spectrum of modern combat and implement its military requirements . "

As part of the III. US Corps ( America's Hammer , German "America's Hammer"), one of four US corps , it forms together with the 1st US Cavalry Division, also a tank division, the strategic and global intervention reserve for heavy ground forces of the Army. In this role, she is deployed in all hot spots around the world where the United States government deems it necessary for the implementation of its political goals.

In contrast to many other divisions of the Army, the association is not traditionally associated with a specific region, as it has always had its headquarters in the USA. The only exceptions to this are his deployment in Germany from 1951 to 1956 and the war missions.

Organization and armament (large equipment)

U.S. 4th Infantry Division organization chart (military symbol)
M88A2-HERCULES - Armored recovery vehicle as used by the 4th US Infantry Division
M109A6 Paladin fires at night
M2A2 Bradley

The 4th US Infantry Division has three combat brigades with integrated reconnaissance, artillery and support units, an Army Aviation Brigade, a Support Brigade, the division artillery and a staff battalion. The terminology as “infantry division” has historical reasons and since the army reform no longer any reference to the actual equipment and structure of a US division.

logo The brigades of the 4th US Infantry Division consist of the following units:

  • Staff battalion
  • Badge of the 1st Brigade of the 4th US Infantry Division 1st Stryker Brigade Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT)
    • Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company
    • 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment
    • 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment
    • 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment
    • 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment
    • 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment
    • 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion
    • 4th Brigade Support Battalion
  • 2nd Infantry Brigade Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCT)
    • Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company
    • 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment
    • 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment
    • 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment
    • 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment
    • 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment
    • Brigade Engineer Battalion
    • 704th Brigade Support Battalion
  • Badge of the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division 3rd Armored Brigade (3rd ABCT) (3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team) Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCT)
    • Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company
    • 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment
    • 1st Battalion, 66th Panzer Regiment
    • 1st Battalion, 68th Panzer Regiment
    • 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment
    • 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment
    • 588th Brigade Engineer Battalion
    • 64th Brigade Support Battalion
  • 4th Infantry Division Artillery
    • Headquarters and Headquarters Company
  • Badge of the 4th Army Aviation Brigade of the 4th US Infantry Division 4th Army Aviation Brigade
  • 4th Support Brigade
    • Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company
    • 4th Special Troops Battalion
    • 68th Combat Support Battalion

badge

Shoulder badge

Shoulder badge
  • Description : On a khaki diamond with a side length of two inches there are four ivy leaves arranged from a narrow central circle in a cross shape. The ends of the leaves each fill one of the four inner edges of the diamond.
  • Symbolism : the four ivy leaves have a play on words of the Roman numeral Division (IV) towards that (in English like ivy aɪ: vi English ivy , Ivy) is pronounced. The ivy leaf is also supposed to symbolize trustworthiness and tenacity (tenacity).
  • History : the shoulder badge was originally approved on October 30, 1918 without any background and embroidered on an olive-green background (color of the uniform shirt at that time). On July 2, 1958, the badge was changed and got the khaki background. It was originally intended as a shoulder badge on August 4, 1943.

Unity badge

Unity badge
  • Description : A one inch high badge made of gold-plated metal and enamelled surface with a green lacquered ivy leaf and lettering of the division's motto "steadfast and loyal" underneath.
  • Symbolism : The ivy leaf is identical to that of the shoulder badge and is intended to embody the same symbolism. The motto in the badge should symbolize the bond with him.
  • History : The unit badge was approved on November 16, 1965.

guide

Divisional Memorial in Fort Hood, Texas

Command Group

Note: In the US armed forces, a division commander already has the title of “Commanding General”, contrary to the international practice that only commanders at corps level or higher have this title.

The Command Group consists of the Commanding General , Major General Ryan F. Gonsalves, his deputies, Brigadier General Kenneth L. Kamper (Operations) and Christopher T. Donahue (Logistics), Chief of Staff Colonel Miles Brown and the Command Sergeant Major Michael A. Crosby.

List of commanders

Preservation of tradition (memorial, museum, marching song)

A memorial to the division is located on the grounds of Fort Hood, the home base of the 4th Infantry Division.

The association's own museum, the 4th Infantry Division Museum , is also located on the grounds of its home base Fort Hood and is open to the public.

The division has its own marching song ( 4th Infantry Division March ):

“Steadfast and loyal, We're fit to fight! The nation's finest soldiers, Keep liberty's light. Our Soldiers roar for freedom, We're fit for any test. The mighty 4th Division ... America's best "

“Steadfast and loyal, we are ready to fight! The best soldiers in the nation hold high the torch of freedom. Our soldiers want freedom. we are ready for any challenge. The mighty 4th Division ... America's best! "

Additional information

literature

  • Robert O. Babcock: War Stories, Utah Beach to Pleiku. 4th Infantry Division. WWII, Cold War, Vietnam. Deed's Publishing, Marietta GA 2006, ISBN 0-9776018-1-1 .
  • Ivan N. Pierce: An infantry lieutenant's Vietnam. January 1967 to March 1968 with the 4th Infantry Division. Capsarge Publishing, El Dorado Springs MO 2004, ISBN 0-9748595-0-8 .
  • Robert O. Babcock: Operation Iraqi Freedom I. A Year in the Sunni Triangle. The history of the 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse in Iraq. April 2003 to April 2004. St. John's Press, Tuscaloosa AL 2005, ISBN 0-9710551-8-1 .

Web links

Commons : 4th Infantry Division (United States)  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. […] The 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) is the Army's first digitized division.  […] See at globalsecurity.org (accessed July 31, 2008)
  2. Andrew Feickert: US Army's Modular Redesign: Issues for Congress (PDF; 118 kB), accessed on July 25, 2008 (English)
  3. The nickname "Steam Horse" is based on their speed and fighting power
  4. "[...] The four leaves allude to the numerical designation of the Division while the word" I-VY "as pronounced, suggests the characters used in the formation of the Roman numeral" IV. "[...]" at tioh.hqda .pentagon.mil ( Memento of the original from July 21, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed July 27, 2008) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil
  5. […] The Division was formed on 10 December 1917 and was commanded by Major General George H. Cameron […] at globalsecurity.org (accessed July 25, 2008)
  6. “[…] its units were piecemealed and attached to several French infantry divisions […]” at globalsecurity.org (accessed on July 25, 2008).
  7. ^ "[...] The 4th Infantry Division was the only division to serve in both the French and British sectors of the front. […] ”At globalsecurity.org (accessed July 25, 2008).
  8. "[...] Suffering over 11,500 casualties [...]" at globalsecurity.org ( accessed on July 25, 2008).
  9. [{{web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //pao.hood.army.mil/4ID/museum/4IDBriefHistory.pdf | wayback = 20071031091835 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23:15 InternetArchiveBot}} Brief History: 4th Infantry Division Museum] (link not available) (accessed July 25, 2008).
  10. page 10 at history.pdf, can be reached by [{{web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //www.hood.army.mil/4id/about/museum/museumindex.html | wayback = 20080915060117 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23:15 InternetArchiveBot}} here at hood.army.mil] (link not available) click on the letter history ( accessed on July 25, 2008).
  11. [...] "From staging areas in England, the Division trained for its major role in Operation Overlord (D-Day), the amphibious invasion of Europe on June 6th, 1944. [...]" at globalsecurity.org (accessed on 25 July 2008).
  12. [...] "The Division's 8th Infantry Regiment was the first Allied unit to assault German forces on the Normandy Coast [...]" at globalsecurity.org (accessed on July 25, 2008).
  13. ^ "[...] During this month long operation, the 4th Infantry Division sustained over 5000 casualties. […] ”At globalsecurity.org (accessed July 25, 2008).
  14. Chester Wilmot : The Struggle for Europe. Book guild Gutenberg, Zurich 1955, p. 412.
  15. Klaus Wiegrefe: CONTEMPORARY HISTORY: screams in the craters . In: Der Spiegel . No. 17 , 2010 ( online ).
  16. ^ "[...] the first American unit to participate in the liberation of Paris [...]" at globalsecurity.org (accessed on July 25, 2008).
  17. ^ "[...] The Division quickly moved into the Hurtgen Forest and fought what was to be its fiercest battle [...]" at globalsecurity.org (accessed July 25, 2008).
  18. page 16 at history.pdf, can be reached by [{{web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //www.hood.army.mil/4id/about/museum/museumindex.html | wayback = 20080915060117 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23:15 InternetArchiveBot}} here at hood.army.mil] (link not available) click on the letter history ( accessed on July 25, 2008).
  19. "[...] The 4th Infantry Division held its ground during the Battle of the Bulge [...]" at globalsecurity.org (accessed on July 25, 2008)
  20. page 19 at http://pao.hood.army.mil/4ID/about/museum/documents/history.pdf Genealogie, Dead Link | date = 2018-03 | archivebot = 2018-03-25 10:23:15 InternetArchiveBot | url = http: //pao.hood.army.mil/4ID/about/museum/documents/history.pdf}} (link not available) (accessed on July 25, 2008)
  21. "[...] Casualties: 22,660 [...]" at historyshots.com ( accessed on July 25, 2008)
  22. page 20 at history.pdf, can be reached by [{{web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //www.hood.army.mil/4id/about/museum/museumindex.html | wayback = 20080915060117 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23:15 InternetArchiveBot}} here at hood.army.mil] (link not available) click on the letter history ( accessed on July 25, 2008).
  23. ^ "[...] The Division supplied many replacement soldiers to other units during the Korean War [...]" at 4thinfantry.org ( Memento from June 22, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (accessed on July 25, 2008).
  24. ^ "[...] When the 4th Infantry Division arrived in Vietnam in September 1966 [...]" at globalsecurity.org (accessed on July 25, 2008).
  25. "[...] its brigades were deployed to different locations. With the 1st Brigade near the South China Sea, 2nd Brigade in the central highlands, and the 3rd Brigade in the Mekong Delta […] "at globalsecurity.org (accessed July 25, 2008).
  26. http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/8033 (link not available), accessed on July 25, 2008 (English)
  27. ^ "[...] The 4th Infantry Division returned from Vietnam in December of 1970 and settled at Fort Carson, Colorado [...]" at globalsecurity.org (accessed July 25, 2008).
  28. "[...] US Army KIA by Unit [...]" at rjsmith.com ( accessed July 25, 2008).
  29. ^ "[...] it reorganized as a mechanized unit and remained for 25 years. […] ”At globalsecurity.org (accessed July 25, 2008).
  30. " [...] It was during the Division's time at Fort Carson that its nickname transitioned from the" Ivy "Division to the" Ironhorse "Division. The nickname "Ironhorse" remains today in recognition of the Division's readiness for contingency deployment worldwide. […] ”, Quoted from globalsecurity.org (accessed on July 25, 2008)
  31. page 29 at history.pdf, can be reached by [{{web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //www.hood.army.mil/4id/about/museum/museumindex.html | wayback = 20080915060117 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23:15 InternetArchiveBot}} here at hood.army.mil] (link not available) click on the letter history ( accessed on July 25, 2008).
  32. "[...] In December 1995, the Division reflagged as the 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) (4th ID (M)) and added a third brigade. It also began the process of transitioning to the EXFOR mission. […] "At fas.org ( accessed July 25, 2008)
  33. "[...] Under the 10 division redesign from the Secretary of the Army, the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood cased its division colors and was reflagged as the 4th Infantry Division in December 1995. A few months prior to that ceremony, the 2nd Armored Division was tagged as the Army's EXFOR, so at the reflagging event, the new EXFOR flag was added to the division color guard. The 4th Infantry Division is leading the Army as the "Digitization Division" in the Advanced Warfighting Experiment (AWE). […] "At globalsecurity.org (accessed on May 22, 2008)
  34. "[...] In preparation for the Force XXI (FXXI) Army Warfighting Experiment (AWE), the US Army Experimental Force (EXFOR) (4th Infantry Division), located at Fort Hood, Texas, has been provided a unique synthetic training environment for training units in the use of command and control systems and use of the Tactical Internet […] "at dtic.mil ( accessed on July 25, 2008)
  35. "[...] Each of these simulators has been modified with Applique hardware / software as well as radio models Single channel Ground and Airborne Radio System - Systems Improvement Program (SINCGARS-SIP) and Enhanced Position Location Reporting System (EPLRS) and position / navigation […] ”at dtic.mil  ( page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed July 25, 2008)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / stinet.dtic.mil  
  36. "[...] Now the division has M1A2 SEP (system enhancement program) tanks and M2A3 SEP Bradleys. The vehicles have the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below, or FBCB2, digital command and control systems built in […] "at globalsecurity.org (accessed July 25, 2008)
  37. page 31 at history.pdf, can be reached by [{{web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //www.hood.army.mil/4id/about/museum/museumindex.html | wayback = 20080915060117 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23:15 InternetArchiveBot}} here at hood.army.mil] (link not available) click on letter history ( accessed on July 25, 2008)
  38. ^ "[...] The Division was thoroughly involved in the training, testing, and evaluation of 72 initiatives to include the Division Capstone Exercise (DCX) I held at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California in April 2001, and culminating in the DCX II held at Fort Hood in October 2001. […] “at globalsecurity.org (accessed July 25, 2008)
  39. […] The unit was initially given the role of invading Iraq from the north in spring 2003, but its assignment was changed after the Turkish government declined to permit the movement of US troops through its territory. […] Quote from: Thomas E. Ricks: Fighting the Insurgency One Unit's Aggressive Approach. 'It Looked Weird and Felt Wrong'. In: Washington Post. July 24, 2006 (accessed July 31, 2008).
  40. page 32 at history.pdf, can be reached by [{{web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //www.hood.army.mil/4id/about/museum/museumindex.html | wayback = 20080915060117 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23:15 InternetArchiveBot}} here at hood.army.mil] (link not available) click on the letter history ( accessed on July 25, 2008).
  41. page 33 at history.pdf, can be reached by [{{web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //www.hood.army.mil/4id/about/museum/museumindex.html | wayback = 20080915060117 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23:15 InternetArchiveBot}} here at hood.army.mil] (link not available) click on the letter history ( accessed on July 25, 2008).
  42. Loss list at 4thinfantry.org ( memento from June 22, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (accessed on May 26, 2008).
  43. Thomas E. Ricks: It Looked Weird and Felt Wrong. In: Washington Post, July 24, 2006. Accessed July 31, 2008.
  44. Washington Post article It Looked Weird and Felt Wrong , July 24, 2006, available at washingtonpost.com (accessed July 31, 2008)
  45. [...] US commanders tried to counter the growing insurgency with indiscriminate cordon-and-sweep operations, the 4th Infantry was known for aggressive tactics that may have appeared to pacify the northern Sunni Triangle in the short term but that, according to numerous Army internal reports and interviews with military commanders, alienated large parts of the population. […], In: Thomas E. Ricks: It Looked Weird and Felt Wrong. Washington Post, July 24, 2006.
  46. [...] "We slowly drove past 4th Infantry guys looking mean and ugly", recalled Sgt. Kayla Williams, then a military intelligence specialist in the 101st Airborne. "They stood on top of their trucks, their weapons pointed directly at civilians. ... What could these locals possibly have done? Why was this intimidation necessary? No one explained anything, but it looked weird and felt wrong. “, In: Thomas E. Ricks: It Looked Weird and Felt Wrong. Washington Post, July 24, 2006.
  47. "[...] On December 16, 2004 the 4th Infantry Division formally moved into a new era of organization and effectiveness when it officially became the Army's newest" modular "division. […] "At globalsecurity.org (accessed on May 20, 2008)
  48. [{{web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //www.hood.army.mil/4id/about/museum/museumindex.html | wayback = 20080915060117 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23 : 15 InternetArchiveBot}} here at hood.army.mil] (link not available) clicks on letter history ( accessed on July 25, 2008)
  49. Article entitled It Looked Weird and Felt Wrong in the Washington Post, July 24, 2006, available at washingtonpost.com (accessed July 25, 2008)
  50. Chris Shumway: Systematic Pattern of Rape by US Forces ( Memento from June 2, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
  51. ^ Joan Walsh: The Abu Ghraib files. on salon.com ( Memento from May 29, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (accessed on July 25, 2008)
  52. page 35 at history.pdf, can be reached by [{{web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //www.hood.army.mil/4id/about/museum/museumindex.html | wayback = 20080915060117 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23:15 InternetArchiveBot}} here at hood.army.mil] (link not available) click on letter history ( accessed on July 25, 2008)
  53. Loss list at 4thinfantry.org ( Memento from June 22, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (accessed on July 25, 2008)
  54. See at [{{web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //www.hood.army.mil/4id/about/aboutindex.html | wayback = 20080125072616 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23 : 15 InternetArchiveBot}} hood.army.mil] (link not available) (accessed July 25, 2008)
  55. Military symbols at mapsymbs.com and at army.ca ( Memento of April 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), viewed on July 25, 2008 (English)
  56. tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil ( Memento from January 18, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on July 25, 2008 (English)
  57. - ( Memento of the original dated June 6, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.carson.army.mil
  58. "[...] The 4th Infantry Division Museum provides exhibit galleries that detail the history of the Division from 1917 to present day. The galleries are set up to provide a self-guided tour for both military and civilian audiences. Additionally, the museum can provide History Packets to soldiers who are studying for boards […] “at [{{Web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //www.hood.army.mil/4id/about/museum/museumindex .html | wayback = 20080915060117 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23:15 InternetArchiveBot}} hood.army.mil] (link not available) (accessed on July 25, 2008)
  59. "[...] Steadfast and loyal, We're fit to fight! The nation's finest soldiers, Keep liberty's light. Our Soldiers roar for freedom, We're fit for any test. The mighty 4th Division… America's best […] “at [{{web archive | text = archive link | url = http: //www.hood.army.mil/4id/about/aboutindex.html | wayback = 20080125072616 | archiv-bot = 2018-03-25 10:23:15 InternetArchiveBot}} hood.army.mil] (link not available) (accessed on July 25, 2008)
This article was added to the list of excellent articles on August 14, 2008 in this version .