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

On 1 November 1944, the 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, was put under operational control of V Corps, First Army. The Germans, moving across illuminated open ground without cover, fell by the hundreds against the murderous American fire. 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. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 Dad proudly told that the 99th was the first complete unit cross the Remagen Bridge on March 9th or 10th. "[9]:79, The battalion dug in, its purpose to hold the line so that other units could attack key dams across the Roer River. Allied forces were fighting their way across France, and fresh units were badly needed in autumn 1944 to continue to press the offensive. For four successive days the battalion held this sector against combined German tank and infantry attacks, launched with fanatical determination and supported by heavy artillery. The 395th Infantry Regimentwas an infantryregimentof the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Divisionduring World War II. Mission of the 395th Infantry Regiment In the northern sector opposite the 99th, this included more than 4,000 deaths and the destruction of sixty tanks and big guns.[8]. An overwhelming majority of them were women and children. Category: 395thIR On this page, we honor the memory of the men of the 99th Infantry Division and pay tribute to their extraordinary contributions to the war effort. Sgt. Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at Elsenborn Crest. provides support December 1944. Pennsylvania State College, and the Pennsylvania Military College. The retreat turned into a route as the German tanks, two less due to a duel with two American Shermans, rolled unmolested down the street in the village. They were tasked with moving 10 miles (16km) behind the German lines and cutting the Autobahn to prevent the withdrawal of the Germans. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. Butler attended, but did not graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The German pre-dawn artillery bombardment on December 16th destroyed 3/395s communication wires at Hfen, but the stunned soldiers soon witnessed an even more ominous sight: enemy searchlights, reflecting off the dense clouds, illuminated the snowy open ground east of Hfen. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. [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. [14], The 99th as a whole, outnumbered five to one, inflicted casualties in the ratio of eighteen to one. The 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, arrived in England on 10 October 1944. On May 34, 1945, as the 99th moved deeper into Bavaria, it liberated one of a number of Dachau subcamps near the town of Mhldorf. After failing to capture Monschau on the battles second day, the 326th Volksgrenadier Division turned its attention back to Hfen on December 18th. The Legacy of the 99th Infantry Division: Our Artifacts Collection The 99th Infantry Division Historical Society is dedicated to preserving, Discovering the Legacy of a WW2 Soldier: Tips and Tricks Are you interested in learning more about a WW2 veteran, They shall not grow old, As we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, Nor the years, Dean F. Gilbert was a membert of 3rd Platoon, L Company,394th Infantry Regiment. The stiff American defense prevented the Germans from reaching the vast array of supplies near the Belgian cities of Lige and Spa and the road network west of the Elsenborn Ridge leading to the Meuse River. [1] After defensive patrolling, the 99th probed the Siegfried Line against heavy resistance on 13 December. The situation became so dire that Butler deliberately called in artillery on his units own position to prevent them from being overrunone of six times this would occur at Hfen. 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. Excited to share my latest group in the 99th Infantry Division collection. For their actions the battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation which read, in part: outnumbered 5 to 1, [3/395] inflicted casualties in the ratio of 18 to 1. Soldiers who were in direct support of the relief efforts were also awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal as a personal award. 394th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment (99th Infantry Division), History, January 1945. No reserves were available . The 393rd, 394th, and 395th Regiments were put on line, each unit protecting approximately 11 kilometres (6.8mi) of front, roughly equivalent to one front-line infantry man every 91 metres (299ft). Against light resistance, it crossed the Dill River and pushed on to Krofdorf-Gleiberg, taking Giessen 29 March. Alexander John Mackenzie was born in New York City, 22 February 1895, the son of Alexina and Kenneth M. . Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at the Siegfried Line. Shield Argent, a buck's head attired of ten tynes couped Proper. The regiment arrived at Camp Van Dorn in early December. Family lore, The 99th Infantry Division Artefacts Collection. 449, U.S. ARMY 15 January 1945 SUBJECT: History of Medical Detachment, 395th Infantry Regiment, 1 December to 31 December 1944. On 17 October 1999, the 3rd Battalion, 395th Regiment was reactivated as an Armor Training Support (TS) Battalion. The 3rd Battalion, 395th Regiment had acquitted itself with valor, having held its lines despite the harsh winter weather, the enemy's numerical superiority and greater numbers of armored units. Peipers right flank had to be secured and the Americans in that region had to be destroyed. The citation read: During the German offensive in the Ardennes, the Third Battalion in the 395th Infantry, was assigned the mission of holding the Monschau-Eupen-Liege Road. [16], The U.S. Army Center of Military History states that the 99th RSC does not perpetuate the lineage and honors of the 99th Infantry Division. . TO: Division Surgeon, 99th Infantry Division I. [2], Because of the success of the 395th and the 99th, the Americans maintained effective freedom to maneuver across the north flank of the German's line of advance and continually limited the success of the German offensive. A 105mm artillery piece from the 2nd Infantry Div. The Battle of the Bulge was the largest battle ever fought by the United States Army. The buck's head was used to indicate the allocation of the organization to the mountainous section of Pennsylvania, where deer abound. The 99th RSC's mission was to provide base operations functions for the assigned 13-state Northeast Region. The blue and white are taken from the coat of arms for William Pitt for whom Pittsburgh was named. "In two cases, the enemy fell in the BAR gunners' foxholes. 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. Delbert followed a communication training and became enlisted radio repairman. During the first morning of the Battle of the Bulge, they defended a key road junction in the vicinity of the Losheim Gap. The Army operated a program designed to capitalize on the large number of educated and intelligent recruits that were available. The National WWII Museum Digital Collections. The 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, arrived in England on 10 October 1944. During the battle to come, if the Germans succeeded in taking Hfen, their ranks would be swelled rapidly, and the 99th and 2nd Infantry Divisions would be outflanked and could be attacked from the rear. History | AMEDD Center of History & Heritage - United States Army The 197th Infantry Division (German: 197. The battalion was badly outnumbered and nearly surrounded. Fort Benning | Maneuver Center of Excellence Libraries | MCoE HQ As the American defenders began to assess casualties and ammunition supplies, the 12th SS hit them again. Plans called for the division to include the 393rd, 394th, 395th, and 396th Infantry Regiments. The 99th Infantry Division was the first complete division to cross the Rhine. A popular historical anecdote is the design of the famous M1 carbine by convicted murderer David Marshall Williams. 2nd and 3rd Battalion cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes. 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. The 3rd Battalion received a Presidential Unit Citation for its actions around Hfen from 16 to 19 December. Hfen, along with the nearby town of Monschau, was strategically vital because it sat on elevated terrain overlooking an important road junction. The inexperienced troops of the division were lodged on the northern shoulder of the Ardennes Offensive on 16 December. The Germans were operating under a tight timetable, however, and the assaults center of gravitythe 6th Panzer Armyhad only one day to breach the 99th IDs line. 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. . By the end of the December 16, much of the American front lines in the Ardennes had been broken by the German assault. The combination of no ammunition and heavy German armor caused the American lines to fold, like a dam bursting. 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. There Major Butler collapsed due to exhaustion on 30 April, and Lt. Col. J. The regiment was organized with three battalions, each containing three rifle companies and a weapons company armed with .30 caliber and .50 caliber machine guns. On 2 March 1945, the division took the offensive, moving toward Cologne and crossing the Erft Canal near Glesch. 3/395 greeted the Volksgrenadiers with a punishing hail of bullets, mortars, and artillery. So fierce in fact that the German commander pulled his tanks back for fear of running into a superior American force, deciding to hold his positions until the following morning. Butler held a single platoon of 40 men from Company L in reserve. Here it held firmly against violent enemy attacks. Earl Denzil Reese April 13th, 1945 - A combat engineer snapped this series of photos while riding on back of a truck during the Battle of the Ruhr Pocket. The blue and white checkerboard in the division's insignia is taken from the coat of arms of William Pitt, for whom Pittsburgh is named. Formerly nicknamed the "Checkerboard Division," which referred to its shoulder patch, in late 1944 having not yet seen battle, the division was nicknamed the "Battle Babies. Battle of the Bulge On the east lay a section of the Monschau Forest. 395th Infantry Regiment 99th Infantry Division DELBERT A. SAYRE - 99th Infantry Division Score: 4.8/5 (10 votes) . During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, the unit suffered many casualties, yet tenaciously held its defensive position. Field Artillery Battalions were the 370th, 371st, 372nd & the 924th. [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. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. At the end of the day, the veterans of the 26th Infantry still held their ground, and looked out on a battlefield strewn with destroyed German armor and scores . This assault, like the first, was ground to a halt due to heavy American small arms and artillery fire. [17]:51, On another day, the 3rd Battalion took 50 Germans prisoner and killed or wounded more than 800 Germans, losing only five dead and seven wounded themselves. Was the 5th infantry at the battle of the bulge? The real crusher to the German offensive plans in the Ardennes occurred 46 miles north east of Bastogne, in a small area consisting of a copse of small villages and a piece of high ground called Elsenborn Ridge. 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. This page was last edited on 11 March 2022, at 19:44. It is believed that Delbert was transferred to the 395th Infantry Regiment at some point. 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. Through their stories, we gain a glimpse into the challenges they faced, the horrors they endured, and the triumphs they achieved. EN. The 1st Battalion was positioned on the right. "[13] The division continued to attack without opposition to the Inn River and Giesenhausen until VE-day. The 395th's casualties were extremely light: four dead, seven wounded, and four men missing. 395th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division | American Battle [2] Historian John S.D. This northern shoulder of the American line where the 99th ID was entrenched would be the hinge on which the German assault would pivot northwest toward Antwerp. Fourteen of the 18 platoon members were wounded, while only one soldier, a member of the artillery observation team, was killed. A member of the 395th Infantry Regiment , the photographer captured an amazing scene through the lens of this camera in these images. A U.S. Army World War II division was configured as a Triangular division, with three regimental maneuver elements. During the Battle of the Bulge, the regimentat times virtually surrounded by Germanswas one of the few units that did not yield ground to the attacking Germans. Inactivated: 15 October 1945, Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 99th Infantry Division Artillery, 99th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized), Headquarters, Special Troops, 99th Infantry Division, Headquarters Company, 99th Infantry Division, 99th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment, 20 December 1944: Attached, with the entire First Army, to the, 7 January 1945: Relieved from attachment to the 2nd Infantry Division and assigned to V Corps, First Army (attached to the British 21st Army Group), 12th Army Group, 18 January 1945: V Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group, This page was last edited on 2 January 2023, at 13:21. During the first day of the Battle of the Bulge, the 3rd Battalion took 19 prisoners and killed an estimated 200 Germans. The 3rd Battalion, 395th Infantry, led by Lt. Col. McClernand Butler and 2nd Lt. Col. Roy S. Groffy, occupied the area around Hfen, Germany, on the border with Belgium during early December. [13], German prisoners captured during the Battle of the Bulge volunteered praise of the 99th's effective defense of Hfen. No one had anticipated such a rapid Allied advance. The thick forest was tangled with rocky gorges, little streams, and sharp hills. The unit crossed the Altmuhl River on 25 April, the Danube River on 27 April, and the Isar River on 30 April. The ferocious assault caught the Allies off-guard and the rapid German advance famously caused a bulge on Allied maps. When hostilities ceased on 7 May 1945, the regiment had during six months of fighting experienced 300 percent turnover due to casualties. Allies and former enemy Germany mark 75th anniversary of Battle of Battle of the Bulge: WWII vets travel to Belgium for 75th anniversary. At the going down of the sun And in the morning We will remember them." 324th Engineer Combat Battalion Albertson Dale W Bass Robert D Brown Edwin C Busk 395 Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment (99th Infantry Division) Report, January 1945. 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. In March 1945, the 99th advanced into the Rhineland, crossing the Rhine River at Remagen on March 11. A captured Lt. Bemener, formerly commander of the 5th Company of the 753rd Volksgrenadier Regiment, asked his American interrogator about the unit that had defended Hfen. 99th Infantry Division Historical Society info@nationalww2museum.org 20th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) - atozwiki.com The terrain was open and rolling, and over six weeks the 3rd Battalion prepared dug-in positions that possessed good fields of fire. 395th Infantry Regiment (United States) - Wikipedia Two men who had been sent on foot to regimental headquarters to seek reinforcements were later captured. Chapter 6-THE ARDENNES: BATTLE OF THE BULGE This, however, was the moment that Hitlers master plan collided headfirst with American fortitude. 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. Over 83,000 Americans were casualties during the battle which lasted from December 16, 1944 until January 25, 1945, and as a result, the battle occupies a prominent place in our collective minds. Attached below the shield a silver scroll inscribed "VIGILANS ET CELER" in Black letters.[21]. Originally planned as a Pennsylvania unit, The 395th Infantry had mostly held their lines, and now with the battle hardened 2nd Infantry Division on the way to back them up, the lines of defense near Elsenborn appeared to be significantly harder to pierce. 395thIR - 99th Infantry Division 394th Infantry Regiment (United States) - Wikipedia To make circumstances worse, just beyond the bloodied-but-not-beaten Volksgrenadiers waited the tanks of the 6th Panzer Army. It was redesignated with description updated, for the 395th Regiment on 7 June 1999. When the Germans finally broke through 3/395s lines and established a foothold in the town, the Americans recaptured the buildings by firing anti-tank guns through the walls. 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. Every member of the platoon was decorated, which included four Distinguished Service Crosses, five Silver Stars and ten Bronze Stars with "V" devices signifying awards for valor in combat.[10]. Due in part to the 99th Infantry Division, this ground mission has not been continuous, and he will not achieve his goal[15]. It was not just the lives of 3/395 at stake; a German breakthrough here would have enabled the Sixth Panzer Army to outflank the 2nd ID and 99th ID and achieve a direct route to the Meuse River. The 99th Infantry Division received recruits from the ASTP program (Army Specialized Training Program, to make up for the personnel shortages in front line units during 1944. 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.. It was activated on 1 December 1939. : 33 On at least six occasions they called in . 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. Through this eerie artificial moonlight, the 326th Volksgrenadier Division advanced on 3/395s position. The division was reconstituted in the Organized Reserve on 24 June 1921 and assigned to the western half of the state of Pennsylvania. It then intersected a main eastwest road at Bullingen. George Co 2/395-IR (99-ID) Schleiden - Germany December 1944 2nd Infantry Division soldiers dig in on a road bank and prepare defensive positions on the end of the Elsenborn Ridge on December 20, 1944. The silver and bronze star medal of Col. Alexander John Mackenzie, Regimental Commandor of the 395th Infantry Regiment. The unit reported on May 4 that it had "liberated 3 labor camps and 1 concentration camp." The regiment assumed occupation duties in Hammelburg and Bad Brckenau until it was shipped home in the summer of 1945. 99th Infantry Division soldiers putting up a winterized squad hut. It was like a golf course, so I used the night for concealment."[6]. Subscribe to 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division Footer menu. After the battalion was inactivated on 29 September 1945, its colors remained folded for more than fifty years. [13], To the north of Hfen lay a paved main road that led through the Monschau Forest, at whose eastern edge it forked. The 395th was held in the United States until more room was available for the unit to enter Europe. Byers, Carl F. MAJ, "Operations of Company G, 395th Infantry, 99th Division, in the Reduction of a Fortified Position of the Siegfried Line, West of Schleiden, Germany, 14-15 December 1944". 395th Regiment - U.S. Army Center of Military History Forests, by nature, are eerily quiet at night. Butler was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 21 March 1944, and remained in command of the 395th until 30 April 1945, when he collapsed from exhaustion. The town of Kuckhof cost the battalion dearly, with more than fifty casualties inflicted on one company alone (I Company). Category: 395th Infantry Regiment Lt. Col. Henry B. Koon Sr. Special Troops Captain Ned Nelson, veteran of 3/395 and the battle at Hfen. 197th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) - Wikipedia [16], In September 2007, in preparation for the transition to Fort Dix and establishment of the new 99th RSC, the 99th RRC assumed administrative responsibility for the former regions of the 77th and 94th RRCs, which had inactivated. 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. The 99th was selected as one of these new regional support commands. Outnumbered five to one, they inflicted casualties in the ratio of 18 to one. 394th Infantry Regiment Co. A, first platoon This is my Dad's story. There are nine white squares and nine blue ones, signifying the number 99. In the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge, Robert's regiment was on the front lines in the Losheim Gap. Who were the soldiers of the 99th infrantry div? | WWII Forums As they did so, another German assault hit them, this time with support from 5 MKV Panther tanks. [citation needed]. This was the most southern area of the Battle of the Bulge. represents the iron district of Pennsylvania. Not so in the pre-dawn hours of December 16 in the Ardennes Forest. It was redesignated for the 395th Regiment on 7 June 1999. The black represents the iron from the mills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where many of the troops were from. The 5th replaced the 4 th Infantry Division on December 23 rd, and pushed the Germans back to the Sauer River. Akins, Thomas W. MAJ, "Operations of Company "E", 442nd Infantry Regiment, Attached to 92nd Division, at San Terenzo, Italy, 20-23 April 1945" (Po Valley Campaign) Albright, Barry E. CPT, "Operations of the 2nd Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, in the Invasion of Normandy, 5-13 June 1944" (Normandy Campaign.