- Videos -
CntrAttack.rm, 1.6 MB
MopUp.rm, 2.2 MB
- Audio Files -
RoadToBerlin.mp3
Ike's D-Day Message.wav
LandingSuccess.wav
1st Infantry Division
The "Big Red One"
Typical Organization (1941)
- 16th Infantry Regiment
- 18th Infantry Regiment
- 26th Infantry Regiment
- HHB Division Artillery
- 5th Field Artillery Regiment [155-mm]
- 7th Field Artillery Regiment [105-mm]
- 32nd Field Artillery Regiment [105-mm]
- 33rd Field Artillery Regiment [105mm]
- Headquarters, 1st Division
- Headquarters and MilitaryPolice Company
- Artillery Band
- 1st Engineers Combat Battalion
- 1st Medical Battalion
- 1st Quartermaster Battalion
- 1st Signal Company
- 1st Reconnaissance Troop
Typical Organization (1944/1945)
- 16th Infantry Regiment
- 18th Infantry Regiment
- 26th Infantry Regiment
- HHB Division Artillery
- 5th Field Artillery Regiment [155-mm]
- 7th Field Artillery Regiment [105-mm]
- 32nd Field Artillery Regiment [105-mm]
- 33rd Field Artillery Regiment [105mm]
- 1st Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized
- 745th Tank Battalion (attached 6Jun44-8May45)
- 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 1Aug44-6May45)
- 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 7Jun44-30Sep44)
- 703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 18Dec44-31Dec44)
- 103rd AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion (attached 16Jun44-7Feb45, 24Feb45-8May45)
- 1st Engineer Combat Battalion
- 1st Medical Battalion
- 1st Counter-Intelligence Corps Detachment
- Headquarters Special Troops
- Headquarters Company
- Military Police Platoon
- 701st Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
- 1st Quartermaster Company
- 1st Signal Company
Killed in Action: 3,616 Wounded in Action: 15,208 Died of Wounds: 664
Overseas Wartime Assignments
- N. African Theater -- 8 Nov 42
- II Corps -- 1 Feb 43
- First Army -- 1 Nov 43
- VII Corps -- 6 Nov 43
- V Corps -- 2 Feb 44
- First Army -- -- 14 Jul 44
- VII Corps -- 1 Aug 44
- V Corps -- 16 Dec 44
- XVIII (A/B) Corps -- 26 Jan 45
- III Corps -- 12 Feb 45
- VII Corps -- 8 Mar 45
- VIII Corps -- 27 Apr 45
- V Corps -- 30 Apr 45
- Third Army -- 6 May 45
- XV Corps -- 30 Jun 45
Commanders
- Major General Donald Cubbison: Jul 41
- Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen: Jun 42
- Major General Clarence R. Huebner: Jul 43
- Major General Clift Andrus: Dec 44
Combat Narrative
Stationed at Fort Hamilton, N.Y. as the 1st Division; moved to Fort Benning, Ga. 19 Nov 39 and to the Louisiana Maneuvers in the Sabine, La. area 11 May 40; returned to Fort Hamilton, N.Y. 5 Jun 40 and moved to Fort Devens, Mass. 4 Feb 41; participated in both Carolina Maneuvers of Oct and Nov 41 and went to Samarcand, N.C. 16 Oct 41; returned to Fort Devens, Mass. 6 Dec 41 and transferred to Camp Blanding, Fla. 21 Feb 42 where redesignated 1st Infantry Division 15 May 42; moved to Fort Benning, Ga. 22 May 42 and Indiantown Gap Military Reservation, Pa. 21 Jun 42; departed New York Port of Embarkation 1 Aug 42 and arrived in England 7 Aug 42; assaulted North Africa 8 Nov 42 and Sicily 10 Jul 43; returned to England 11 Nov 43 and assaulted Normandy, France 6 Jun 44; crossed into Belgium 3 Sep 44 and entered Germany 15 Sep 44 where active thru 1946.
The division landed 8 Nov 42 in North Africa as the 16th and 18th Infantry went ashore east of Oran and the 26th Infantry landed at Les Andalouses, and entered Oran 10 Nov 42. The 18th Infantry went into action at Djebel el Ahmera with the British, and the 26th Infantry cleared the Ouseltia Valley by 25 Jan 43 and went into positions at Kasserine Pass 18 Feb 43. The division attacked as a concentrated whole for the first time on 16 Mar 43 east from El Guettar, and the 18th and 26th Infantry contained two strong German counterattacks on 23 Mar 43. The 18th Infantry was forced out of Djebel Berda on 25 Mar 43 and the attacks toward Gabes were checked by 28 Mar 43. The division took Sakket on 3 Apr 43 in an attempt to break this stalemate but further offensive movement down the Gabes road was stopped 5 Apr 43. The division then relieved the British 4th Division near Beja on 16 Apr 43 and attacked 22 Apr 43 along the Medjez el Bab-Tunis highway. After the 18th Infantry cleared Hill 407 and the 26th Infantry cleared Hill 575, the 26th Infantry reached Djebel el Anz against strong German resistance of 28 Apr 43. The next day the 16th Infantry began its attack on Hill 523, and the division was actively engaged in Tunisia until 9 May 43.
The division assaulted Gela, Sicily 10 Jul 43. After fending off a German armored attack on 11 Jul 43 it pushed inland and took Mazzarino and Niscemi 14 Jul 43 and Barrafranca on 16 Jul 43. The division seized the Salso River crossings east of Caltanisseta and repelled a German counterattack at Gangi 25 Jul 43. It reached Troina 1 Aug 43 after a series of sharp battles over difficult terrain, but an all-out attack on the town failed 4 Aug 43. It was taken after the Germans withdrew during the night of 6 Aug 43. The division left Sicily 23 Oct 43 and landed in England to train for the invasion of northern France.
Reinforced by the 116th Infantry, it assaulted Omaha Beach, France in the face of fierce opposition. The 16th Infantry, which led the division attack, reached the St. Lo-Bayeux highway 10 Jun 44, and the 18th and 26th Infantry seized Caumont 13 Jun 44. On 13 Jul 44 the division was relieved by the 5th Infantry Division in line and withdrew to Colmbieres. It next attacked as part of the COBRA breakout effort on 25 Jul 44, took Marigny and secured the Sée River crossings 31 Jul 44. It sped south to Mortain where it was relieved by the 30th Infantry Division 6 Aug 44, allowing it to then push forward to Mayenne with the 3rd Armored Division. The division assembled south of Paris on 25 Aug 44.
The 16th Infantry mopped up the Belgian Mons Pocket 3 Sep 44, and the division crossed the Meuse River at Liege 9 Sep 44, reaching the German border against scattered rear-guard resistance. It laid siege to the fortress-city of Aachen and the battle was commenced with an attack on its municipal forest 12 Sep 44. As the division tried to encircle Aachen, the 16th Infantry was halted at the West Wall 15 Sep 44. On 8 Oct 44 the division renewed its Aachen assault with the 18th Infantry pushing through Verlautenheide, the 26th Infantry attacking through the hear t of the city, and the 16th Infantry holding defensive positions near Eilendorf. By 12 Oct 44 the 26th Infantry had gained most of the factory district between Aachen and Haaren and began an all-out central attack the next day. After severe fighting it had gained most of Observatory Hill but German counterattacks forced all further advances to a halt 15 Oct 44. The 16th Infantry was forced to defend its area against strong German assaults as well. On 18 Oct 44 the division was reinforced for yet another attack on Aachen. The 26th Infantry gained Observatory Hill and forced the Germans back into the western suburbs, and on 21 Oct 44 the city was finally taken by direct assault.
After being relieved by the 104th Infantry Division, the division opened First Army's offensive to secure the Roer River crossings east of Aachen on 16 Nov 44. After 15 days of intense fighting in this sector the division had only gained four miles, which included the 26th Infantry's capture of Laufenburg Castle 20 Nov 44, and on 29 Nov 44 the same regiment was hit hard by a strong German counterattack at Merode. The 9th Infantry Division relieved the division 5 Dec 44 which then went to a rest area in the Luchem-Langerwehe-Juengersdorf-Merode region (less the 16th Infantry attached to V Corps). As a result of the German Ardennes counteroffensive the division was sent to the Malmedy sector. It cleared the region south of Eupen, contained numerous German attacks in the Butgenbach-Faymonville region, and fought at Elsenborn Ridge 21-28 Dec 44. The division's lines were breached at Butgenbach 22 Dec 44 but shortly restored. It then attacked and took Steinbach 15 Jan 45, opening a passage for the 7th Armored Division drive toward St. Vith. The division next ran into stiff resistance northeast of Schoppen as the 16th Infantry cleared the Bambusch Woods. After blunting the German drive, the division advanced on the West Wall 28 Jan 45 and attacked through Buchholz Forest. It was relieved by the 99th Infantry Division 5 Feb 45 and moved to assembly areas at Aywaille, Belgium.
The division took over the 8th Infantry Division zone and initiated the attack across the Roer River at Kreuznau with the 16th Infantry on 25 Feb 45 against moderate opposition. The division took Burg 27 Feb 45 and the 16th Infantry crossed the Neffel 1 Mar 45. The division reached Bonn 7 Mar 45 and captured it 9 Mar 45, ending German resistance west of the Rhine. On 15 Mar 45 the 16th Infantry assaulted across the Rhine River and the division pressed its attack toward the Sieg in the face of strong German defenses. On 30 Mar 45 it attacked with three regiments in line to gain the heights dominating Seigen, and on 1 Apr 45 was relieved by the 8th Infantry Division and trucked to blocking positions southwest of Paderborn to held seal the Ruhr Pocket. On 8 Apr 45 the division was called up to force the Weser River after the 3rd Armored Division had reached it only to find all the bridges blow. The 16th and 18th Infantry expanded the bridgehead while the motorized 26th Infantry attacked toward Einbeck. With the 4th Cavalry Group attached the division was tasked with mopping up along the edge of the Harz Mountains. The bypassed German troops were encircled commencing 12 Apr 45 and organized resistance ended by 20 Apr 45.
The division next relieved the 97th Infantry Division in place, and then was transferred to the Czechoslovakian border on 30 Apr 45. It made limited attacks 2 May 45 to improve its positions. On 6 May 45 the division opened its drive on Karlsbad. The 18th Infantry had seized Sangerberg and Mnichov, the 16th Infantry had taken Kynsperk, and the 26th Infantry was in Schoenback when hostilities were declared ended on 7 May 45.
Compiled and formatted by Patrick Clancey