The division lost about 20% of its effective strength, including 465 killed and 2,524 evacuated due to wounds, injuries, fatigue, or trench foot. The 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, arrived in England on 10 October 1944. 394th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment (99th Infantry Division), History, January 1945. The 5 th Infantry Division was moved from Saarlautern, Luxembourg to the area of south and southwest of Echternach. Just south of Hfen, the lines of the 99th entered this forest, ran through a long belt of timber to the boundary between the V and VIII Corps at the Losheim Gap. 449, U.S. ARMY 15 January 1945 SUBJECT: History of Medical Detachment, 395th Infantry Regiment, 1 December to 31 December 1944. [20], After a short period off the line, the battalion conducted offensive operations in Germany, including the seizure of several German towns from 1 to 5 March. Outnumbered five to one, they inflicted casualties in the ratio of 18 to one. Not so in the pre-dawn hours of December 16 in the Ardennes Forest. After the battalion was inactivated on 29 September 1945, its colors remained folded for more than fifty years. He returned to Illinois and in 1933 was commissioned a second lieutenant in the National Guard. The program was called the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP), and it sought to give extra training and special skills to a select group of intelligent and able young men, most of whom were taken from America's colleges. 3/395 greeted the Volksgrenadiers with a punishing hail of bullets, mortars, and artillery. On 3-4 May, the division liberated two labor camps and a "forest camp" (Waldlager) related to the Mhldorf concentration camp, a sub-camp of Dachau. The Germans, moving across illuminated open ground without cover, fell by the hundreds against the murderous American fire. The 395th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States 99th Infantry Division.It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. [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. 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. Under the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! The other two regiments of the 99th Division had been beaten to a pulp by the initial German assault, and for the most part had been rendered ineffective, thus leaving the 395th dangerously exposed to a flank assault. What was left of the 99ers in and around Rocherath appeared to be doomed, and like the calvary in Western movies, salvation appeared in the forms of infantry from the 2nd Division and incredibly heavy artillery fire that dropped onto the Germans like rain. Some toppled directly into US foxholes as American troops engaged them at point-blank range. Your organization gave ample proof of the fact that it is a good hard fighting division and one in which you and each and every member of your command can be justly proud[16], Major Butler was decorated with the Silver Star, the French Croix de Guerre, the Belgian Fourragre, the Belgian Order de la Couronne, and the Bronze Star Medal with the Oak leaf cluster. This assault, like the first, was ground to a halt due to heavy American small arms and artillery fire. This quick infusion of personnel into the 99th Division occurred in March 1944, when more than 3000 joined the division. "[9]:1738 On at least six occasions they called in artillery strikes on or directly in front of their own positions. As they did so, another German assault hit them, this time with support from 5 MKV Panther tanks. On 17 October 1999, the 3rd Battalion, 395th Regiment was reactivated as an Armor Training Support (TS) Battalion. Seth Paridon was a staff historian at The National WWII Museumfrom2005 to 2020. There are nine white squares and nine blue ones, signifying the number 99. They then crossed the Wied River, where they joined up with the 7th Infantry Division. It was activated on 1 December 1939. Mission of the 395th Infantry Regiment 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. As the American defenders began to assess casualties and ammunition supplies, the 12th SS hit them again. I decided to stage the night attack at Bergheim because my troops would be going across an open area about 500 yards (460m) long and 400 yards (370m) wide. 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. Hfen, along with the nearby town of Monschau, was strategically vital because it sat on elevated terrain overlooking an important road junction. Family lore, The 99th Infantry Division Artefacts Collection. The 393rd, 394th & 395th were the Infantry Regiments of the 99th Infantry 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. Table of Contents. The 395th Infantry Regimentwas an infantryregimentof the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Divisionduring World War II. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. [7]:3 American press reports from the European theater foretold the imminent fall of the Third Reich, and many men in Lt. Col. Butler's battalion thought that the war just might be over before they got there. The war was over six days later.[6]. It was like a golf course, so I used the night for concealment."[6]. The unit reported on May 4 that it had "liberated 3 labor camps and 1 concentration camp." [2] Historian John S.D. They engaged in division-level maneuvers in July 1944. It attacked toward the Monschau Forest, on 1 February, mopping up and patrolling until it was relieved for training and rehabilitation, on 13 February. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 And while the defense of the crossroads of hell was gallant to be sure, it was not the back breaker that most people assume it to have been. Butler's uncle, General Edward J. McClernand, fought in the Indian Wars and was awarded the Medal of Honor. 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". [14] The first town they were tasked with capturing was Bergheim, "the door to the Rhine." One Wehrmacht officer captured at Hfen asked his interrogators which unit had defended the town. The black represents the iron from the mills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where many of the troops were from. 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 [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. 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. With ammunition supplies dwindling rapidly, the men obtained German weapons and utilized ammunition obtained from casualties to drive off the persistent foe. "[13] The division continued to attack without opposition to the Inn River and Giesenhausen until VE-day. 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. 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 99th battled on to the bridge at Remagen that was taken on March 7th. "[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. 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 division headquarters was organized in November 1921. The 99th Infantry Division Artefacts Collection. . The thick forest was tangled with rocky gorges, little streams, and sharp hills. Plans called for the division to include the 393rd, 394th, 395th, and 396th Infantry Regiments. [16], In 2005, the Army Reserve began its latest transformation under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) directive and lessons learned from eight years of deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Gen. von Manteuffel, commander of the 5th Panzer Army, stated in the address to his troops prior to the attack that "our ground mission must be continuous; otherwise we will not achieve our goal". At precisely 0530 hours, the forest erupted in an ear shattering German artillery barrage along a 100 mile front. : 33 On at least six occasions they called in . The buck's head was used to indicate the allocation of the organization to the mountainous section of Pennsylvania, where deer abound. 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. Despite fatigue, constant enemy shelling, and ever-increasing enemy pressure, the Third Battalion guarded a 6,000 yards (5,500m)-long front and destroyed 75 percent of three German infantry regiments. [2]:33 On at least six occasions they called in artillery strikes on or directly in front of their own positions. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 Hfen, along with the nearby town of Monschau, was strategically vital because it sat on elevated terrain overlooking an important road junction. 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. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. 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. The 99th Division was constituted at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, on 23 July 1918. It then intersected a main eastwest road at Bullingen. squares centered on a black shield. Although cut up and surrounded in part, the 99th was one of the only divisions that did not yield to the German attack, and held their positions until reinforcements arrived. They inflicted disproportionate casualties on the Germans, and were one of the only units that did not give ground during the Battle of the Bulge. The Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) in the European Theater was one of Americas bloodiest campaigns. The 99th Infantry Division, the "Checkerboard" division, gained its nickname from the division's insignia. The three heavy German assaults had worn down the ammunition supply, particularly that of the machine gunners, and had left the defenders mostly helpless. 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. 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. 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. 26 (Unit Commendations)", The 99th Infantry Division During World War II, "Battle Babies: The Story of the 99th Infantry Division", Office of the Chief of Military History Department of the Army, http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cbtchron.html, Battle Babies: The Story of the 99th Infantry Division, Checkerboard, official publication of 99th Infantry Division Association, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=99th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)&oldid=1131083137, Infantry divisions of the United States Army, United States Army divisions during World War II, Military units and formations established in 1918, Infantry divisions of the United States Army in World War II, Military units and formations disestablished in 1945, United States Army divisions of World War I, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 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. [11], The area around Hfen and Monschau were critical because of the road network that lay behind them. But the infantry often bore worse casualties than the tanks did and had to be replaced and reinforced more quickly. The blue and white are taken from the coat of arms for William Pitt for whom Pittsburgh was named. 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. Soldiers who were in direct support of the relief efforts were also awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal as a personal award. The 99th RSC's mission was to provide command and control and full-service support for assigned units and facility management. The "Checkerboard" or "Battle Babies" division landed at the French port of Le Havre and proceeded northeast to Belgium. While the 99th was fully involved in this large mobilization, the headquarters moved to Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. Accurate estimates of German wounded were not possible, but about 20 percent of the 326th Volksgrenadier Division were lost. After fighting in the Ruhr area, the unit moved southward into Bavaria, where it was located at the end of the war. The 99th Infantry Division, on December 12, . The Germans threw wave after wave of infantry, and a unit of panzers, at the town. Category: 395th Infantry Regiment Lt. Col. Henry B. Koon Sr. Special Troops 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. Several photos from the private collection of, THE EARLY YEARS Joseph Richard Evans (Dick) was born on October 17, 1920 to Charles E. Evansand Wenonah (nee Muirhead/Miller)in, Source: family of Raymond J. Willaredt. [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. 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. Due in part to the 99th Infantry Division, this ground mission has not been continuous, and he will not achieve his goal[15]. Battle of the Bulge 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. and the situation was desperate. [12] For their part, the German army was planning a seven-day campaign to seize Antwerp. Mission of the 395th Infantry Regiment I. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. Not only did your command assist in effectively frustrating that particular part of the plan, but it also inflicted such heavy losses on the enemy that he was unable to carry out other contemplated missions in other sectors of the Allied front. [14] If the Germans penetrated Hfen, the U.S. soldiers would have to withdraw several miles to the next defensible position.[10]. I never dreamed that we would have a defensive position of this size without any backup or help from our division or regiment. Subscribe to 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division Footer menu. During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, the unit suffered many casualties, yet tenaciously held its defensive position. [4], The 395th, entrenched along the "International Road" and Elsenborn Ridge, forced the Germans to commit and sacrifice many of their infantrymen and expose their armored formations to withering artillery fire. Army policy does not allow for the lineage and honors of a TO&E organization, such as an infantry division, to be perpetuated by a TDA organization, such as an RSC. Alexander John Mackenzie was born in New York City, 22 February 1895, the son of Alexina and Kenneth M. So I stayed in the village overnight. Although the enemy resisted fiercely, the Ruhr pocket collapsed with the fall of Iserlohn, on 16 April. Crossing on the 23d, it pushed east on the Koln-Frankfurt highway to Giessen. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. 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. This was the road network the Germans needed to meet their objectives. 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. 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. 2nd and 3rd Battalion cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. [15], The 395th hit the attacking Germans with such terrific small arms and machine gun fire that the Germand couldn't even remove their dead and wounded in their rapid retreat. That was not the case for the Americans near Elsenborn. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. [4], Distinguished Service Cross (United States), "Lineage And Honors Information, 395th Regiment Lineage", "World War II: Interview with Lieutenant Colonel McClernand Butler", "The Operations of the 3rd Battalion, 395th Infantry (99th Infantry Division) Prior to and During the German Counter-Offensive, 10November 24 December 1944 (Ardennes Campaign) (Personal Experience of a Company Commander and Battalion Operations Officer)", "Why the Bulge Didn't Break: Green Troops Grew Up Fast to Become Heroes of Hofen", "The Battle of the Bulge Part II Holding the Line (review)", "Chapter 5: The Ardennes, the Battle of the Bulge", "Battle of the Bulge: U.S. 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 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 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, arrived in England on 10 October 1944. 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. Sgt. The division was destroyed near Vitebsk during the Soviet Vitebsk-Orsha Offensive of Operation Bagration in the summer of 1944. As the night grew darker, optimistic American officers in the 2nd Division relayed a message to headquarters, Action quieting; believe we can hold. This would prove to be a false hope. The program never fulfilled its promise, and the large number of "ASTPers" were rapidly integrated into various divisions to make up for personnel shortages in front line units during 1944. 99th Infantry Division soldiers putting up a winterized squad hut. Encountering paltry resistance at first, the Germans launched an attack on the towns and initially met with success, pushing into Rocherath with a clear path beyond. 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. [8], That is three to four times wider than recommended by Army textbooks. At the Arcadia Conference, held in Washington, DC, from December 24, 1941 to January 14, 1942, the Western Allies agreed to a Germany First policy to govern global strategy, but the question where to engage Germany, and when, remained unsettled. A U.S. Army World War II division was configured as a Triangular division, with three regimental maneuver elements. The statue of the Minute Man, Captain John Parker, (H.H.Kitson, sculptor), stands on the common in Lexington, Massachusetts. 99th Infantry Division vehicles en route to the battle zone. 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. The regiment helped to capture the Ruhr Pocket, where thousands of German troops and hundreds of German vehicles were captured. Excited to share my latest group in the 99th Infantry Division collection. As many as half a million civilians remained in Stalingrad when the Germans approached in the late summer of 1942. From Camp Van Dorn they were transferred to the more established Camp Maxey in Paris, Texas for additional training. The coat of arms was originally approved for the 395th Regiment Infantry, Organized Reserves on 15 June 1931. The division insignia is a three lined checkerboard design of blue and white squares centered on a black shield. 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 . The battalion also had its own Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon, as well as medics and support personnel. A member of the 395th Infantry Regiment , the photographer captured an amazing scene through the lens of this camera in these images. [16] The accurate fire from the 12 3-inch guns of A Company, 612th Tank Destroyer Battalion, was instrumental in keeping German tanks from advancing. During the first morning of the Battle of the Bulge, they defended a key road junction in the vicinity of the Losheim Gap. Butler's great-grandfather, General John Alexander McClernand, commanded infantry during the Civil War. The battalion was badly outnumbered and nearly surrounded. [citation needed]. The three regiments of the 99th IDthe 393rd, 394th, & 395th Infantry Regimentswere thinly spread across this frigid but quiet portion of the front. On at least six different occasions the battalion was forced to place artillery concentrations dangerously close to its own positions in order to repulse penetrations and restore its lines . At the end of the day, the veterans of the 26th Infantry still held their groundand looked out on a battlefield strewn with destroyed German armor and scores of enemy dead. 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 unit was inactivated after World War II, then became a reserve unit, and was redesignated as the 395th Regiment in 1999. The artillery barrage lasted for an hour, and shortly afterwards German infantry from the 277th Volksgrenadier Division burst through the forest and headed at the positions of the 99th Infantry Divisions 395th Infantry Regiment near the village of Rocherath. Location of the 99th ID sector (red box) on a map of the Bulge. They killed Germans coming at them from the front, flanks and rear. Cemeteries & Memorials; Burial Search; About Us; Education; Facebook; Twitter; YouTube; Instagram; ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501. Put under 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. On 2 March 1945, the division took the offensive, moving toward Cologne and crossing the Erft Canal near Glesch. As the tanks neared Krinkelt, they plowed right through elements of the 2nd Infantry Division, many of whom had arrived literally moments earlier to reinforce their brothers who had earlier reinforced the 99ers. 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. On 17 September 2008, the 99th Regional Support Command was activated at Fort Dix, N.J. A group of photos from his wartime, unfortenately we have not been able to. The 394th Infantry Regiment was established on 23 July 1918 as the 394th Infantry and assigned to the 99th Division as a member of the National Army. It was credited with destroying "seventy-five percent of three German infantry regiments." Due to the dwindling attendance over the years, the decision was made to hold the final convention in 2011. The 5th replaced the 4 th Infantry Division on December 23 rd, and pushed the Germans back to the Sauer River. The inexperienced troops of the division were lodged on the northern shoulder of the Ardennes Offensive on 16 December. The division insignia is a three lined checkerboard design of blue and white The 395th's casualties were extremely light: four dead, seven wounded, and four men missing. 395 Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment (99th Infantry Division) Report, January 1945. [13], German prisoners captured during the Battle of the Bulge volunteered praise of the 99th's effective defense of Hfen.
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