395th infantry regiment 99th infantry division 395th infantry regiment 99th infantry division

It had its headquarters at Franklin, Pennsylvania, and drew its personnel from Pennsylvania. 394th Infantry Regiment Co. A, first platoon This is my Dad's story. 395thIR - 99th Infantry Division The 197th Infantry Division (German: 197. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. [12] For their part, the German army was planning a seven-day campaign to seize Antwerp. [6], The regiment's (3rd Battalion) earned the sobriquet Butler's Battlin' Blue Bastards derived from the name of its single commander, its special fighting abilities, the battalion's color designation, and because the regiment was often lent out and belonged to no one. No one had anticipated such a rapid Allied advance. It was redesignated for the 395th Regiment on 7 June 1999. 99th Infantry Division vehicles en route to the battle zone. EN. WWII and Park Staff Connections - Eisenhower National Historic - NPS So I stayed in the village overnight. They were tasked with moving 10 miles (16km) behind the German lines and cutting the Autobahn to prevent the withdrawal of the Germans. The 99th RSC's mission was to provide base operations functions for the assigned 13-state Northeast Region. In the northern portion of the American line, heavy artillery shells crashed around the positions of the un-tested 99th Infantry Division from Lanzerath in the south to the forested areas near Monschau in the north. The Germans, moving across illuminated open ground without cover, fell by the hundreds against the murderous American fire. On 2 March 1945, the division took the offensive, moving toward Cologne and crossing the Erft Canal near Glesch. 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.". [8], That is three to four times wider than recommended by Army textbooks. Peipers right flank had to be secured and the Americans in that region had to be destroyed. He found that his 600 riflemen were assigned an extremely large area about 6,000 yards (5,500m) long without any units in reserve. The sudden infusion of new men caused some friction with the old hands in the short term, but the long-term effects were generally positive. On 28 January 1945, after six weeks of the most intense and relentless combat of the war in the biggest battle of World War II, involving approximately 1.3million men, the Allies declared the Ardennes Offensive, or Battle of the Bulge, officially over. The regiment arrived at Camp Van Dorn in early December. The shield is silver, the old color of Infantry. of William Pitt for whom the city of Pittsburgh was named. [11] They continued to Linz am Rhein and to the Wied River. The 99th Infantry Division was the first complete division to cross the Rhine. TO: Division Surgeon, 99th Infantry Division I. [2] Historian John S.D. 395th Infantry Regiment 99th Infantry Division This page was last edited on 11 March 2022, at 19:44. The remainder of the battalion reached the Rhine River on that same day and crossed the Remagen Bridge which four days after being captured was still being shelled by German artillery. 99th Infantry Division Historical Society 99th Infantry Division Battle Babies 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. This required the corps commander to draw on an infantry battalion from another division, and because of the reputation the 395th had earned at Hfen, it was transferred often to various divisions, including the 9th Infantry Division, the 3rd Armored Division, and the 7th Armored Division. The war was over six days later.[6]. Hfen remained in American handsfor now. Butler's regiment crossed the Erft Canal near the Rhine and enlarged the bridgehead, taking that town with a night attack without losing a single man. [14] If the Germans penetrated Hfen, the U.S. soldiers would have to withdraw several miles to the next defensible position.[10]. In March 1945, the 99th advanced into the Rhineland, crossing the Rhine River at Remagen on March 11. The platoon members were not recognized for their courageous deeds for thirty-seven years. The 3rd Battalion received a Presidential Unit Citation for its actions around Hfen from 16 to 19 December. 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. The largest of the ghettos where Eastern European Jews were first confined and, later, deported to extermination camps by the Nazis was set up in Warsaw, Poland. They continued to fight even as the American press trumpeted the rapid crumbling of German resistance. 99th Infantry Division soldiers putting up a winterized squad hut. From 21 December 1944 to 30 January 1945, the unit was engaged in aggressive patrolling and reequipping. Forests, by nature, are eerily quiet at night. As the American defenders began to assess casualties and ammunition supplies, the 12th SS hit them again. 2nd and 3rd Battalion cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes. The division insignia is a three lined checkerboard design of blue and white squares centered on a black shield. 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. Grouping from Col. Alexander John Mackenzie, Regimental Commandor of provides support December 1944. 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. The 395th was held in the United States until more room was available for the unit to enter Europe. 99th Infantry Division (United States) | Military Wiki | Fandom Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at Elsenborn Crest. The 99th crossed the Ludwig Canal against stiff resistance and established a bridgehead over the Altmuhl River, 25 April. 395th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division | American Battle "[7]:24, Two Distinguished Service Crosses and several Silver Stars were awarded to members of the battalion for valorous actions against the enemy during this battle. 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. Due in part to the 99th Infantry Division, this ground mission has not been continuous, and he will not achieve his goal[15]. info@nationalww2museum.org The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. Butler's father had been a major in the Illinois National Guard and urged his son to become a guardsman when he was 16 years old. These two German divisions directed their fury against the 395th early on the morning of the December 17. 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. That task fell to the 277th Volksgrenadier Division and the 12th SS Panzer Division. 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. In January 2003, the 99th RSC started mobilizing units for projected operations in Iraq. The Battles for Elsenborn Ridge Part II | The National WWII Museum Field Artillery Battalions were the 370th, 371st, 372nd & the 924th. 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. Because of Major Butler's success in leading his battalion in successful night attacks during the war, which the U.S. Army handbook did not recommend, the French army later asked him to write a paper on battalion-size night attacks.[6]. The black background The insignia was devised upon the 99th's formation in 1942 when the division was headquartered in the city of Pittsburgh. Eisenhower wrote, "the action of the 2nd and 99th Divisions on the northern shoulder could be considered the most decisive of the Ardennes campaign."[3][4]. On 17 September 2008, the 99th Regional Support Command was activated at Fort Dix, N.J. By December 1944, Allied armies had reached the western border of Germany itself. 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. [1] After defensive patrolling, the 99th probed the Siegfried Line against heavy resistance on 13 December. ", The 99th Infantry Division, outnumbered five to one, inflicted estimated casualties on the Germans in the ratio of eighteen to one. Either short or completely devoid of ammunition, the defenders of Rocherath began to filter to the rear in the growing darkness that swallowed the battlefield. Fort Benning | Maneuver Center of Excellence Libraries | MCoE HQ Put under the operational control of V Corps, First Army, it moved to Le Havre, France on 3 November and proceeded to Aubel, Belgium, to prepare to enter the front lines. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 Location of the 99th ID sector (red box) on a map of the Bulge. 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. The 395th Infantry Regimentwas an infantryregimentof the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Divisionduring World War II. With ammunition supplies dwindling rapidly, the men obtained German weapons and utilized ammunition obtained from casualties to drive off the persistent foe. 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.. Many historians have written about the famous Buffalo Soldiers of the all-Black 92nd Infantry Division, who fought with distinction during World War II. General Eisenhower and his staff chose the Ardennes region, held by the First Army, as an area that could be held by as few troops as possible. Lineage and Honors Information as of 12 January 2018, CHARLES R. BOWERY, JR.Chief of Military History, Constituted 23 July 1918 in the National Army as the 395th Infantry and assigned to the 99th Division, Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as the 395th Infantry and assigned to the 99th Division (later redesignated as the 99th Infantry Division), Organized in November 1921 with Headquarters at Franklin, Pennsylvania, Ordered into active military service 15 November 1942 and reorganized at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi, Inactivated 29 September 1945 at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts, (Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps; redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve), Relieved 29 October 1998 from assignment to the 99th Infantry Division, Redesignated 17 October 1999 as the 395th Regiment and reorganized to consist of the 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions, elements of the 75th Division (Training Support); 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions concurrently allotted to the Regular Army, Regiment reorganized 2 November 2008 as a parent regiment under the United States Army Regimental System; concurrently 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions relieved from assignment to the 75th Division (Training Support), Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at the Siegfried Line, Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at Elsenborn Crest, Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered 2008-2011, Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes, Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered ARDENNES. Due to the dwindling attendance over the years, the decision was made to hold the final convention in 2011. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. Through their stories, we gain a glimpse into the challenges they faced, the horrors they endured, and the triumphs they achieved. The Army operated a program designed to capitalize on the large number of educated and intelligent recruits that were available. The success of the defense of the twin villages would be short-lived if ammunition was not resupplied. It was credited with destroying "seventy-five percent of three German infantry regiments." 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. The coat of arms was originally approved for the 395th Regiment Infantry, Organized Reserves on 15 June 1931. [9], Because the unit's radios had been destroyed, the soldiers captured, and the rapid subsequent German advance, U.S. Army commanders did not know about the unit's success at slowing the German advance, or even if they had been captured or killed. They engaged in division-level maneuvers in July 1944. 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. . The German assault caught the 99ers off guard initially, due to the heavy artillery bombardment, but the infantrymen and their supporting mortar fire were able to repel the initial assault at a murderously close range due to the proximity of the opposing tree line from where the enemy advanced. 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. A U.S. Army World War II division was configured as a Triangular division, with three regimental maneuver elements. [19] The regiment's successful defense prevented the Germans, who had counted on surprise, numbers, and minimum hard fighting as their keys to success, from accessing the best routes into the Belgium interior, and seriously delayed their scheduled advance by more than 48 hours, allowing the Americans to move large numbers of units and bring up reserves. The battalion was badly outnumbered and nearly surrounded. 395 th Regiment Constituted 23 July 1918 in the National Army as the 395th Infantry and assigned to the 99th Division Demobilized 30 November 1918 Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the. The Medal of Honor was awarded T/Sgt Vernon McGarity, Company L, 393rd Infantry, 99th Infantry Division, for actions taken near Krinkelt, Belgium, on 16 December 1944 during the opening phases of the Ardennes Offensive. From Camp Maxey they took a train to Camp Myles Standish outside Boston. The 12th SS pushed through the woods and probed the villages at around 1100 hours. Crossing on the 23d, it pushed east on the Koln-Frankfurt highway to Giessen. The rapid advance did not deter the men of the 38th Infantry Regiment, however, who put up a fierce defense. 395th Infantry Regiment (United States) | Detailed Pedia The 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, arrived in England on 10 October 1944. It was like a golf course, so I used the night for concealment."[6]. The 99th RSC was awarded the Army Superior Unit Award on 9 May 2016 by the US Army Human Resources Command for its role in the relief support after Hurricane Sandy, from 29 October 2012 thru 31 March 2013. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. Score: 4.8/5 (10 votes) . Several photos from the private collection of the family of Dean F. THE EARLY YEARS Joseph Richard Evans (Dick) was born on October 17, 1920 to Charles E. Evansand Wenonah (nee Muirhead/Miller)in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The town of Kuckhof cost the battalion dearly, with more than fifty casualties inflicted on one company alone (I Company). Seth Paridon was a staff historian at The National WWII Museumfrom2005 to 2020. The Ardennes area was chosen because of a lack of operational objectives for the Allies, the terrain offered good defensive positioning, roads were lacking, and the Germans were known to be using the area within Germany to the east as a rest and refit area for their troops. [16], After Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, 22 99th units deployed to Saudi Arabia, Europe, and other locations. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II.It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. [5] After more than ten days of intense battle, they pushed the Americans out of the villages, but were unable to dislodge them from the ridge, where elements of the V Corps of the First U.S. Army prevented the German forces from reaching the road network to their west. Infanterie-Division) was a German division in World War II. The thick forest was tangled with rocky gorges, little streams, and sharp hills. 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. But the infantry often bore worse casualties than the tanks did and had to be replaced and reinforced more quickly. 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. Still, some German assaults penetrated American lines near the town of Hofen where they were eventually captured after retreating into houses in the town. The 3rd Battalion of the 395th Infantry Regiment (3/395), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel McClernand Butler, occupied the town of Hfen on the German border. The 99th RSC continued to support operations in the Balkan Republics while providing refuge to those fleeing Kosovo as they sought temporary recovery in the United States. There was no cover. The three regiments of the 99th IDthe 393rd, 394th, & 395th Infantry Regimentswere thinly spread across this frigid but quiet portion of the front. The 38th Cavalry Squadron (led by Lt. Col. Robert E. O'Brien) was deployed to the north along the railroad track between Mutzenich and Konzen station. He returned to Illinois and in 1933 was commissioned a second lieutenant in the National Guard. 99th Infantry Division - U.S. Army Center of Military History Richard V. Horrell WW 2 Connections, Aug 6, 2010 #6 Buten42 Member Joined: Jun 27, 2009 Messages: 1,287 Likes Received: 210 Location: Washington State A group of photos from his wartime, unfortenately we have not been able to. . Below are the top five veteran research questions, where to go for further resources, and how to begin your search. 395 th Regiment Constituted 23 July 1918 in the National Army as the 395th Infantry and assigned to the 99th Division Demobilized 30 November 1918 Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the. The 395th Infantry Regiment was disposed defensively from north to south with the 3rd Battalion in the Hfen area in Germany, the 2nd Battalion was in the center at Kalterherberg, and the 1st Battalion remained on the regiment's right, southeast of Kalterherberg. The 5th replaced the 4 th Infantry Division on December 23 rd, and pushed the Germans back to the Sauer River. The Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon, 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Division was the most decorated platoon for a single action of World War II. In the 12 years he was Manager of Research Services, Seth and his team increased the oral history collection from 25 to nearly 5,000 oral histories. An overwhelming majority of them were women and children. This article contains content in the public domain from U.S. military sources. 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. 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division | American Battle The silver and bronze star medal of Col. Alexander John Mackenzie, Regimental Commandor of the 395th Infantry Regiment. His World War II story. [14] The first town they were tasked with capturing was Bergheim, "the door to the Rhine." Originally planned as a Pennsylvania unit, the horizontal band of white and blue. 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 Allied victory against the Axis was a long journeyone that actually took much longer than the war itself. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The division headquarters was organized in November 1921. 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 division was chiefly manned with graduates of the ROTC programs of the Carnegie Institute of Technology, Duquesne University. The 14th Armored Division and the Liberation of Stalag VIIA In 1975, the 99th ARCOM moved its headquarters to Oakdale, Pennsylvania. Two months later, when the 99th Division was transferred to VII Corps under Maj. Gen. Walter E. Lauer, the commanding officer of V Corps, Maj. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner, wrote him: The 99th Infantry Division arrived in this theater without previous combat experience early in November 1944. The German 20th Infantry Division was an infantry division of Nazi Germany.HistoryThe was established in 1934 under the cover name. The Germans were not finished with Butlers men, either. Those Germans who made it into the town itself were quickly mopped up. Any delay would jeopardize the plan to cross the Meuse River and advance on Antwerp before the skies cleared and the Allies regained their balance. "In two cases, the enemy fell in the BAR gunners' foxholes. DELBERT A. SAYRE - 99th Infantry Division The US Armys 99th Infantry Division, recently arrived in Europe and untested in combat, was assigned to the northern shoulder of the Allied front line in the Ardennes Forest. The Germans were counting on something else, toothey knew that this sector was thinly manned by untested troops. The National WWII Museum Digital Collections. The terrain was open and rolling, and over six weeks the 3rd Battalion prepared dug-in positions that possessed good fields of fire. During the first morning of the Battle of the Bulge, they defended a key road junction in the vicinity of the Losheim Gap. In a long fight with about 500 men of the 1st Battalion, 9th Fallschirmjaeger Regiment, 3rd Fallschirmjaeger Division, the 18 men of the platoon along with four artillery observers inflicted between 60[6][7] to more than 100[8] casualties on the Germans.