95th Infantry Division (United States)

Coat of arms of the US 95th Infantry Division

The 95th Infantry Division (German 95th US Infantry Division) was an infantry division of the United States Army that took part in World War II . The division was formed too late to serve in World War I and remained in the Army's reserves until World War II , when it was sent to Europe. The division got its nickname "Iron Men of Metz" when it liberated Metz from the Wehrmacht and held it against a German counterattack. After the end of the Second World War, the division was active as a reserve unit for a short time and was finally disbanded in 1947, before being re-established as a training division for the army in 1952.

95th Infranty Division
active	1918 to 1947
Country	United States
Armed forces	United States Armed Forces
Armed forces	United States Army
Branch of service	infantry
Type	Infantry division
structure	See story
Strength	16,000 men
Location	Fort Sill Oklahoma
Nickname	Iron Man of Metz
equipment	Infantry Division

In the following fifty years the division was constantly restructured, as its tasks changed frequently and subordinate units were added or changed to other areas of command. A variety of regimental and brigade commands were reorganized to fulfill various training roles for soldiers and recruits in the US Army . The division was then reorganized to carry out the basic training (Basic Combat Training) of recruits of the United States Army . The division continues to train recruits who are then deployed in combat units, supply units, or other military units.

history

First World War

The 95th Division was first constituted in the National Army on September 4, 1918. It was organized that month at Camp Sherman , Ohio . The division was organized with the 189th US Infantry Brigade and the 190th US Infantry Brigade of the Oklahoma Organized Reserve. The division was to be deployed abroad during the First World War . The training of all units in the division began immediately. On November 11, the armistice with Germany was signed and hostilities ended. The division's service was canceled and demobilized in December 1918 . All officers and men in the division were discharged from the military or transferred to other units.

Second World War

On July 15, 1942, the division was ordered into active military service and reorganized at Camp Swift , Texas, with Major General Harry L. Twaddle appointed as commander . The 189th and 190th Infantry Brigades were disbanded as part of an army-wide abolition of the brigades . Instead, the Department of three became infantry - regiments , the 377, 378 and 379. Infantry Regiment founded. The division also received a shoulder-sleeve badge that year. Over the next two years, the division received extensive training at locations in the USA .

structure

• Headquarters, 95th Infantry Division
• 377th Infantry Regiment
• 378th Infantry Regiment
• 379th Infantry Regiment
• Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 95th Infantry Division Artillery
  • 358th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
  • 359th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
  • 360th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)
  • 920th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
• 320th Engineer Combat Battalion
• 320th Medical Battalion
• 95th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
• Headquarters, Special Troops, 95th Infantry Division
  • Headquarters Company, 95th Infantry Division
  • 795th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
  • 95th Quartermaster Company
  • 95th Signal Company
  • Military Police Platoon
  • tape
• 95th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment

Use in Europe

The 95th US Infantry Division was initially the XIII. Corps of the 9th Army allocated. She was embarked for Europe on August 10, 1944, and arrived in Great Britain on August 17. After one month of additional combat training, their units landed in France on September 15th. The division camped from October 1 to 14 near Norroy-le-Sec and was at this time the III. Corps assigned.

Soldiers of the US 378 Infantry Regiment marching into Metz

The 95th division was then the XX. Corps of 3rd Army and thrown into battle on October 19 in the Moselle bridgehead south of Metz . The troops patrolled the Seille near Cheminot , conquered the fortresses around Metz and repulsed enemy attempts to cross the river. While defending the city from repeated German attacks, the division was nicknamed The Iron Men of Metz . On November 1, elements went on the offensive, reducing an enemy offensive against Maizières-lès-Metz . On November 8th, these units crossed the Moselle and advanced to Bertrange. Against strong resistance, the 95th captured the fortresses around Metz and captured the city by November 22nd.

The division pushed against the Saar on November 25 and invaded Germany on November 28. The 95th Division occupied a Saar bridge on December 3 and waged a bitter house-to-house battle for Saarlautern . When the suburbs of the city fell, although the enemy was still offering fierce resistance, the Saar bridgehead was firmly established by December 19. While some units went to an assembly point, others held the area against strong German attacks.

On February 2, 1945, the division began to advance to Maastricht , the Netherlands , and on February 14, units were in the line at Meerselo to support British units there. During this time the division was given to the XIX. Corps of the 9th Army , although it was temporarily assigned to several other corps in the course of the spring .

On February 23, the division was relieved and on March 1, the 95th was assembled in the Jülich area . They surrounded the enemy near the Uerdingen bridge and cleared the basin by March 5, while other parts continued to advance to the Rhine . From March 12th, the 95th Division was near Neuss . On April 3, they gathered east of the Rhine in Beckum and launched an attack over the Lippe the next day . On April 6th, they captured Hamm and Kamen . After the pocket north of the Ruhr and Möhne had been cleared, the division captured on 9/10. April Werl and Unna , on April 13th Dortmund and maintained their position on the north bank of the Ruhr. She held this position until the end of the war .

Losses and awards

The US 95th Infantry Division lost a total of 6591 men in the battle. 1251 men died, 49 are missing to this day and 4945 were wounded in battle. In addition, 380 soldiers were captured by elements of the 2nd Panzer Division . The division captured 31,988 Germans. Soldiers in the division received a Medal of Honor , 18 Distinguished Service Crosses , 1 British Military Cross , 14 Legion of Merit Awards, 655 Silver Stars , 15 Soldier's Medals and 162 Air Medals .

Demobilization

The division returned to the United States on June 29, 1945 and was preparing to join the invasion force of the Japanese island of Honshu as part of the United States' First Army . With the end of the war in Japan, the division, which remained stationed on orders in the Pacific , broke out in mutiny before orders were changed. This resulted in the division being demobilized and its soldiers discharged from military service. She was demobilized on October 15, 1945 at Camp Shelby , Mississippi.

Cold War

The division was reactivated as a reserve unit on May 13, 1947 in Oklahoma City . The division was not reactivated after World War II to take part in combat missions, but was a reserve unit. In 1952 the division was reorganized for the first time and the 291st US Infantry Regiment was added to the 75th Infantry Division from Tulsa , Oklahoma . The 375th Infantry Regiment had been headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, since it was reactivated after World War II.

1955 brought further changes in the department and further changes in the assignment for subordinate elements. On January 1, 1955, the 291st US Infantry Regiment (motors.) Was reassigned to the 75th Infantry Division and demobilized on January 31, 1955. On January 30th, the 377th Regiment was transferred from the 75th to the 95th Division and its headquarters moved from New Orleans to Tulsa, Oklahoma. On the same day, the headquarters of the US 379th Infantry Regiment was relocated from Hot Springs, Arkansas , where it had been since 1947, to Little Rock , Arkansas. On April 1, 1958, the division was renamed the 95th Infantry Division (Training) and a fundamental change in mission responsibilities was underway. The teams and officers trained in infantry combat , field artillery , military police and combat support tasks were retrained so that they could train others. The division now assumed its role as one of 13 training divisions in the US Army Reserve . The same year the division expanded when the 291st Infantry Regiment was added to the 75th Infantry Division of the division. For this purpose, the 291st Regiment was renamed the 291st Regiment (Advanced Individual Training) . With the restructuring of the division, all regiments of the division were renamed. The 95th Divisional Artillery (German: 95th Divisions Artillery) was in 95th Regiment (Common Specialist Training) (in German: "95th Infanterieregiment (joint specialist training)"), based in Shreveport , Louisiana . The 377th Infantry Regiment was in 377th Regiment (Basic Combat Training) (in German: "377th Regiment (Gefechtsgrundausbildung)"). Just like the 377th and 379th regiments, all regiments were given new training areas . In 1966 the division received an association badge. In 1967 the division was reorganized under the Objective Army Divisions Plan , as part of an army-wide restructuring. The former components of the division in World War II were reorganized into brigades . The former headquarters of the 95th Infantry Division was renamed 1st Brigade (German: 1st US Brigade) during the reorganization. The garrison location of the headquarters remained the same despite the restructuring. The 920th Field Artillery Battalion (German: 920th Feldartelleriebataillon) was renamed the 2nd Brigade (German: 2nd US Brigade) during this restructuring. The 320th Engineer Battalion (German: 320th Pionierbataillon) was renamed during the restructuring to the 3rd Brigade (German: 3rd US Brigade). The 3rd Brigade's garrison location remained as it was before the restructuring of Oklahoma City. The 795th Ordnance Battalion (German: 795th US supply battalion) became the 4th Brigade (German: 4th US Brigade), the garrison location remained Shreveport in Louisiana. In 1975 the HQ moved to Midwest City , also in Oklahoma. At that time, the units were spread across three states ( Oklahoma , Arkansas and Louisiana). The 1st Brigade was stationed in Tulsa, Oklahoma and had elements of the 378th and 379th Infranty Regiments in its battalions. The 3rd Brigade (German: 3rd US Brigade) was finally set up in 1975 and was stationed in Stillwater in the US state of Oklahoma and consisted of parts of the 291st Regiment (291st US Regiment). The 4th Brigade was stationed in Bossier City , Louisiana in 1975 and consisted of the 95th Regiment (95th US Regiment) and a unit of the 379th Regiment (379th US Regiment). The Committee Group was stationed in Little Rock, Arkansas. The 95th Support Battalion (95th US Support Battalion) was stationed with the divisional headquarters in Midwest City, Oklahoma.

nowadays

To this day, United States Army recruits are completing their basic training with the division.

In 1996, the division was subordinated to three more brigades as part of an Army-wide restructuring of the training units.

The 5th US Brigade (5th Brigade), the 6th US Brigade (6th Brigade) and the 7th US Brigade (7th Brigade) were reorganized and placed under the division.

In 2000, another brigade was set up to train cadets in the US Army Reserve and placed under the division.

For this purpose, the 8th US Brigade (8th Brigade) in the southwest of the USA was set up as a provisional unit and placed under the division.

In 2002, the division command was moved to Fort Hill, Oklahoma , USA .

structure

The following units were subordinate to the 95th Infranty Division in 2017:

1st brigade

1st Battalion, 345th Infranty Regiment

2nd Battalion, 354th Infantry Regiment

1st Battalion, 355th Infantry Regiment

1st Battalion, 377th Infantry Regiment

3rd Battalion, 378th Infantry Regiment

2nd brigade

• 2nd Battalion, 413th Infantry Regiment
• 1st Battalion, 414th Infantry Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, 414th Infantry Regiment
• 1st Battalion, 415th Infantry Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, 415th Infantry Regiment
• 3rd Battalion, 415th Infantry Regiment

3rd brigade

• 1st Battalion, 330th Infantry Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, 330th Infantry Regiment
• 3rd Battalion, 330th Infantry Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, 334th Infantry Regimen
• 1st Battalion, 339th Infantry Regiment

Individual evidence

1. ^ Headquarters and Headquarters Company 95th Division. Retrieved August 19, 2019 . 
2. ↑ Lone Sentry: Bravest of the Brave: The Story of the 95th Infantry Division - WWII Unit History. Retrieved August 19, 2019 . 
3. ↑ Crompton, Samuel Etinde .: 100 military leaders who changed the world . World Almanac Library, 2003, ISBN 0-8368-5470-5 .
4. ↑ Samuel Crompton Etinde: 100 military leaders who changed the world . World Almanac Library, 2003, ISBN 0-8368-5470-5 .
5. ↑ United States. Adjutant-General's Office .: Army battle casualties and nonbattle deaths in World War II: Final report, 7 December 1941-31 December 1946 . 1953, OCLC 4051205 .
6. ↑ Brent Nosworthy: The anatomy of victory: battle tactics 1689-1763 . Hippocrene Books, 1992, ISBN 0-87052-014-8 .
7. ↑ Brent Nosworthy: The anatomy of victory: battle tactics 1689-1763 . Hippocrene Books, 1992, ISBN 0-87052-014-8 .
8. ^ ^{A b} Headquarters and Headquarters Company 95th Division. Retrieved August 20, 2019 . 
9. ↑ ^{a b c} 95th Division (Institutional Training). Retrieved August 20, 2019 . 
10. ↑ Ira A. Hunt: A Total Division Effort . In: The 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam . University Press of Kentucky, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8131-2647-0 , pp. 147-149 , doi : 10.5810 / kentucky / 9780813126470.003.0011 .
11. ↑ Heraldry . In: The Neo-Assyrian Shield . Lockwood Press, ISBN 978-1-937040-39-0 , pp. 93-102 , doi : 10.2307 / j.ctvvndbh.7 .
12. ↑ Rook, Arthur. Griffiths, Christopher EM, ed .: Rook's Textbook of dermatology . John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, West Sussex / Hoboken, NJ 2016, ISBN 978-1-118-44119-0 .
13. ↑ Ray Allen: Jump Up! September 19, 2019, doi : 10.1093 / oso / 9780190656843.001.0001 .
14. ^ Headquarters and Headquarters Company 95th Division. Retrieved December 22, 2019 .