1-ID – OOB – WW2

Cavalry

102nd Cav Rcn Sq – 11-13 Jun 44
38th Cav Rcn Sq – 12 Jun-31 Jul 44
4th Cav Gp – 1-7 Aug 44
24th Cav Rcn Sq – 2-17 Aug 44
4th Cav Gp (- 4th Cav Rcn Sq) – 12-17 Aug 44
4th Cav Rcn Sq – 14-17 Aug 44
4th Cav Gp (- 24th Cav Rcn Sq) – 11-30 Nov 44
32d Cav Rcn Sq – 1-10 Mar 45
4th Cav Gp – 9-17 Apr 45

Chemical

81st Cml Mort Bn (- Cos B & D) – 7-9 Jun 44
81st Cml Mort Bn (- Cos B & D) – 9 Jun 44
Cos B & D, 81st Cml Mort Bn – 1-31 Jul 44
Co A, 87th Cml Bn – 1-31 Aug 44
Cos A & D, 87th Cml Bn – 1-30 Sep 44
Cos A & B, 87th Cml Bn – 1 Oct-17 Dec 44
Co C, 86th Cml Mort Bn – 13-23 Jan 45
Co B, 87th Cml Bn – 24 Jan-7 Feb 45
Co A, 90th Cml Bn – 24 Feb-10 Mar 45
Co B, 90th Cml Bn – 24 Feb-10 Mar 45
Co A, 87th Cml Bn – 30-31 Mar 45
Co A, 86th Cml Mort Bn – 1-12 Apr 45
Cos C & D, 87th Cml Bn – 1-12 Apr 45

Engineer

20th Engr C Bn – 8-11 Jun 44
20th Engr C Bn – 12 Jun 44-
1106th Engr C Gp – 1-31 Oct 44
238th Engr C Bn – 1-31 Oct 44
257th Engr C Bn – 1-31 Oct 44
Co B, 2nd Engr C Bn (2nd Div) – 14-24 Jan 45
299th Engr C Bn – 24 Feb-10 Mar 45
1 plat, 994th Engr Treadway Br Co – 24 Feb-10 Mar 45
1 Light Equip plat, 276th Engr C Bn – 24 Feb-10 Mar 45
72nd Engr Light Pon Co – 24 Feb-10 Mar 45

Field Artillery

111th FA Bn (29th Div) (105 How) – 17 May-7 Jun 44
186th FA Bn (155 How) – 7-27 Jun 44
62nd Armd FA Bn – 7-31 Jun 44
18th FA Gp – 1-31 Aug 44
188th FA Bn – (155 How) – 1 Aug-30 Sep 44
957th FA Bn (155 How) – 1 Aug-17 Dec 44
26th FA Bn (9th Div) (105 How) – 4-7 Aug 44
985th FA Bn – 1-30 Sep 44
Btry B, 15th FA Obsn Bn – 1-30 Sep 44
Hq & Hq Btry, 18th FA Gp – 1 Sep-2 Oct 44
58th Armd FA Bn – 1-31 Oct 44
84th FA Bn (9th Div) (105 How) – 10 Nov-1 Dec 44
Btry A, 987th FA Bn (155 Gun) – 1-17 Dec 44
60th FA Bn (9th Div) (105 How) – 6-8 Dec 44
37th FA Bn (2nd Div) (105 How) – 13-23 Jan 45
955th FA Bn (155 How) – 13 Jan-7 Feb 45
965th FA Bn (155 How) – 8 Feb-10 Mar 45
193d FA Bn (105 How) – 8 Feb-29 Mar 45
Btry A, 987th FA Bn (155 Gun) – 24 Feb-10 Mar 45
188th FA Gp – 11-29 Mar 45
660th FA Bn (8″ How) – 11-29 Mar 45
951st FA Bn (155 How) – 11-29 Mar 45
957th FA Bn (155 How) – 11-29 Mar 45
Btry A, 13th FA Obsn Bn – 11-29 Mar 45
Btry B, 13th FA Obsn Bn – 30-31 Mar 45
951st FA Bn (155 How) – 30-31 Mar 45
980th FA Bn (155 Gun) – 30-31 Mar 45
Hq & Hq Btry, 142d FA Gp – 30 Mar-23 Apr 45
188th FA Bn (155 How) – 13-23 Apr 45
951st FA Bn (155 How) – 13-23 Apr 45
980th FA Bn (155 Gun) – 13-23 Apr 45
Btry B, 13th FA Obsn Bn – 13-23 Apr 45
Hq & Hq Btry, 203d FA Bn (155 How) – 28-30 Apr 45
191st FA Bn (155 How) – 28-30 Apr 45
734th FA Bn (155 Gun) – 28-30 Apr 45
76th FA Bn (105 How) – 28 Apr-8 May 45
955th FA Bn (155 How) – 28 Apr-8 May 45
Btry B, 17th FA Obsn Bn – 28 Apr-8 May 45
186th FA Bn (155 How) – 1-3 May 45
Hq & Hq Btry, 406th FA Gp – 1-8 May 45
200th FA Bn (155 Gun) – 1-8 May 45

Infantry

116th CT (29th Div) – 17 May-7 Jun 44
1 det, 29th Rcn Tr (29th Div) – 17 May-7 Jun 44
1 det, 121st Engr C Bn (29th Div) – 17 May-7 Jun 44
115th CT (29th Div) – 2-7 Jun 44
39th Inf (9th Div) – 4-6 Aug 44
1st Bn (- Co A), 110th Inf (28th Div) – 18-22 Oct 44
47th Inf (9th Div) – 10-30 Nov 44
2nd Bn, 36th Armd Inf (3d Armd Div) – 4-7 Dec 44
23rd CT (2nd Div) – 13-23 Jan 45
395th Inf (99th Div) – 3-5 Feb 45
413th Inf (104th Div) – 21-23 Mar 45

Tank Destroyer

635th TD Bn (T) (- Co A) – 7-11 Jun 44
635th TD Bn (T) (- Co A) – 17-21 Jun 44
635th TD Bn (T) – 1 Jul-30 Sep 44
634th TD Bn (SP) (- Co C) – 1 Aug 44-6 May 45
703d TD Bn (SP) – 18-31 Dec 44
3rd Plat, Co C, 801st TD Bn (SP) – 18-31 Dec 44
Co C, 703rd TD Bn (SP) – 1-12 Jan 45
Co B, 644th TD Bn (SP) – 13-23 Jan 45

Detachments
Infantry

26th CT – 29th Div – 17 May-7 Jun 44
1 det, Hq & Hq Bty, 1st Div Arty – 29th Div – 17 May-7 Jun 44
33rd FA Bn – 29th Div – 17 May-7 Jun 44
Co C, 1st Engr C Bn – 29th Div – 17 May-7 Jun 44
26th CT – 4th Div – 29-30 Jul 44
1st Bn, 26th Inf – 3rd Armd Div – 6-23 Sep 44
16th CT – V Corps – 5-15 Dec 44
5th FA Bn – V Corps – 5-15 Dec 44
7th FA Bn – V Corps – 5-15 Dec 44
Co A, 1st Engr C Bn – V Corps – 5-15 Dec 44
26th Inf – 99th Div – 17-18 Dec 44
16th CT – 8th Div – 6-8 Feb 45
7th FA Bn – 8th Div – 6-8 Feb 45
Co A, 1st Engr C Bn – 8th Div – 6-8 Feb 45
1st Bn, 26th Inf – 4th Cav Gp – 30 Mar-8 Apr 45
Task Force Taylor – VII Corps – 7-8 Apr 45
26th Inf – VII Corps – 7-8 Apr 45
33d FA Bn – VII Corps – 7-8 Apr 45
1 plat, Co C, 1st Engr C Bn – VII Corps – 7-8 Apr 45
1st Bn, 18th Inf – 3rd Armd Div – 11-25 Apr 45

Narrative

The 1-ID landed on November 8, 1942, in North Africa (Operation Torch) as the 16-IR and the 18-IR went ashore east of Oran and the 26-IR landed at Les Andalouses, and entered Oran November 10, 1942. The 18-IR went into action at Djebel el Ahmera with the British, and the 26-IR cleared the Ouseltia Valley by January 25, 1943, and went into positions at the Kasserine Pass on February 18. The division attacked as a concentrated whole for the first time on March 16 east from El Guettar while the 18-IR and the 26-IR contained two strong German counter-attacks on March 23. The 18-IR was forced out of Djebel Berda on March 25 and the attacks toward Gabes were checked by March 28. The division took Sakket on April 3 in an attempt to break this stalemate but further offensive movement down the Gabes road was stopped on April 5. The division then relieved the British 4th Division near Beja on April 16 and attacked April 22 along the Medjez el Bab-Tunis highway.

After the 18-IR cleared Hill 407 and the 26-IR Hill 575, the 26-IR reached Djebel el Anz against strong German resistance of April 28. The next day the 16-IR began its attack on Hill 523, and the division was actively engaged in Tunisia until May 9, 1943. The division assaulted Gela, Sicily, on July 10. After fending off a German armored attack on July 11, it pushed inland and took Mazzarino and Niscemi on July 14 then Barrafranca on July 16. The division seized the Salsa River crossings east of Caltanisseta and repelled a German counter-attack at Gangi on July 25. It reached Troina on August 1 after a series of sharp battles over difficult terrain, but an all-out attack on the town failed on August 4. It was taken after the Germans withdrew on the night of August 6. The Big Red One left Sicily on October 23 and landed in England to train for the invasion of France.

Reinforced by the 16-IR, the 1-ID assaulted Omaha Beach, in Normandy, on June 6, 1944, and in the face of fierce opposition. The regiment, which led the division attack, reached the St Lô – Bayeux highway on June 10, the 18-IR and the 26-IR seized Caumont on June 13 then was relieved by the 5-ID in line and withdrew to Colombieres. Next, the 1-ID attacked as part of the Operation Cobra breakout effort on July 26, took Marigny, and secured the Sée River crossings on July 31. It sped south to Mortain where it was relieved by the 30-ID on August 6, allowing it to then push forward to Mayenne with the 3-AD.

The division assembled south of Paris on August 25. The 16-IR mopped up the Belgian Mons Pocket on September 3, and the division crossed the Meuse River at Liège on September 9, reaching the German Border against scattered rearguard resistance. It laid siege to the fortress city of Aachen and the battle commenced with an attack on its municipal forest on September 12. As the division tried to encircle Aachen, the 16-IR was halted at the West Wall on September 15. On October 8, the division renewed its Aachen assault with the 18-IR pushing through Verlautenheide, the 26-IR attacking through the heart of the city, and the 16-IR holding defensive positions near Eilendorf.

By October 12, the 26-IR 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 counter-attacks forced all further advances to a halt on October 15. The 16-IR was forced to defend its area against strong German assaults as well. On October 18, the division was reinforced for yet another attack on Aachen. The 26th IR gained the Observatory Hill and forced the Germans back into the western suburbs, and on October 21 the city was finally taken by direct assault.

After being relieved by the 104-ID, the 1-ID opened the First Army’s offensive to secure the Roer River crossings east of Aachen on November 16. After 15 days of intense fighting in this sector, the division had only gained four miles, which included the 26-IR capture of the Laufenburg Castle on November 20, and, on November 29 the same regiment was hit hard by a strong German counter-attack at Merode. The 9-ID relieved the 1-ID on December 5, which then went to a rest area in the Luchem Langerwehe Juengersdorf Merode region (less the 16-IR attached to V Corps).

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