Tank Destroyer
628-TDB (SP), 2 Aug 44 – 19 Dec 44
629-TDB (SP), 29 Aug 44 – 14 Dec 44
628-TDB (SP), 28 Jan 45 – 9 May 45
771-TDB (SP), 17 Apr 45 – 24 Apr 45
5-AD Detachements to
Armored
CCA to 4-ID, 1 Sep 44 – 3 Sep 44
CCA to 1-A, 14 Oct 44 – 26 Oct 44
CCB to 1-A, 15 Oct 44 – 28 Oct 44
CCR to VII Corps, 9 Nov 44 – 19 Nov 44
CCR to 8-ID, 19 Nov 44 – 16 Dec 44
CCA to 4-ID, 30 Nov 44 – 2 Dec 44
CCR to V Corps, 16 Dec 44 – 19 Dec 44
A/10-TB to 78-ID, 19 Dec 44 – 20 Dec 44
CCR to 78-ID, 19 Dec 44 – 21 Dec 44
A/10-TB to 9-ID, 20 Dec 44 – 25 Jan 45
CCR to V Corps, 21 Dec 44 – 24 Jan 45
CCA to 78-ID, 27 Jan 45 – 1 Feb 45
CCB to 102-ID, 6 Feb 45 – 24 Feb 45
Cavalry
85-CRS to 28-ID, 7 Sep 44 – 9 Sep 44
85-CRS to 102-Cav Gp, 23 Sep 44 – 26 Sep 44
85-CRS to 102-Cav Gp, 2 Oct 44 – 24 Oct 44
Field Artillery
5-AD Artillery to XIII Corps, 7 Mar 45 – 30 Mar 45
Infantry
A/47-AIB to 78-ID, 19 Dec 44 – 21 Dec 44
5-AD – Command Posts
1944
1 March 1944 – Chiseldon – Wiltshire – England
15 April 1944 – Ogbourne St-George – Wiltshire – England
23 July 1944 – Southampton – Hampshire – England
24 July 1944 – Utah Beach – Manche – France
25 July 1944 – St-Sauveur (vic) – Manche – France
2 August 1944 – Feuillie (vic) – Manche – France
3 August 1944 – Ganerie (vic) – Manche – France
4 August 1944 – La Bogerie (vic) – Manche – France
5 August 1944 – Fougeres (vic) – Ille-et-Vilaine – France
7 August 1944 – Houssay (vic) – Mayenne – France
9 August 1944 – Le Mans (vic) – Sarthe – France
10 August 1944 – Courcement – Sarthe – France
11 August 1944 – Sure (vic) – Orne – France
12 August 1944 – Sees (vic) – Orne – France
15 August 1944 – La Houdiere (vic) – Eure-et-Loir – France
16 August 1944 – Marville Moutier Brule (vic) – Eure-et-Loir – France
18 August 1944 – Les Boseus (vic) – Eure-et-Loir – France
19 August 1944 – Cravent (vic) – Seine-et-Oise – France
24 August 1944 – Champenard (vic) – Eure – France
25 August 1944 – Boinville (vic) – Seine-et-Oise – France
30 August 1944 – Pacy-sur-Eure (vic) – Eure – France
2 September 1944 – Noyon (vic) – Oise – France
3 September 1944 – Maing (vic) – Nord – France
4 September 1944 – Wasigny (vic) – Ardennes – France
5 September 1944 – Montigny-sur-Vence (vic) – Ardennes – France
6 September 1944 – Noyers (vic) – Ardennes – France
8 September 1944 – La Moncelle (vic) – Ardennes – France
10 September 1944 – Bascharage (vic) – Luxembourg
12 September 1944 – Fels (vic) – Luxembourg
18 September 1944 – Mastroff (vic) – Luxembourg
22 September 1944 – Fels (vic) – Luxembourg
5 October 1944 – Faymonville – Belgium
17 October 1944 – Bambusch – Belgium
4 November 1944 – Neudorf – Luxembourg
1 December 1944 – Hahn – Rhineland – Germany
8 December 1944 – Zweilfall – Rhineland – Germany
24 December 1944 – Eupen – Belgium
1945
28 January 1945 – Moresnet – Belgium
5 February 1945 – Hoensbroek – Limburg – Netherlands
26 February 1945 – Ubach Pallenberg – Rhineland – Germany
27 February 1945 – Hottorf – Rhineland – Germany
1 March 1945 – Rath – Rhineland – Germany
2 March 1945 – Hardt – Rhineland – Germany
4 March 1945 – Kempen – Rhineland – Germany
10 March 1945 – Neersen – Rhineland – Germany
31 March 1945 – Stockum – Westphalia – Germany
1 April 1945 – Nattuln (vic) – Westphalia – Germany
2 April 1945 – Everswinkel – Westphalia – Germany
3 April 1945 – Herford (vic) – Westphalia – Germany
7 April 1945 – Bad Oeynhausen – Westphalia – Germany
11 April 1945 – Lessien (vic) – Hannover – Germany
12 April 1945 – Brunau – Magdeburg – Germany
18 April 1945 – Neuemuhle (vic) – Magdeburg – Germany
21 April 1945 – Salzwedel (vic) – Magdeburg – Germany
25 April 1945 – Neuemuhle (vic) – Magdeburg – Germany
Combat Narrative
The 5-AD arrived across Utah Beach France, on July 25, 1944, and concentrated between the Sée River and the Selune River to block the German movement toward Avranches on August 1. It drove south through Coutances, Avranches and Vitre to cross the Mayenne River and take Le Mans over on August 8. The next day the division swung north toward Alençon, and advanced to the edge of Argentan till August 12 which it then left to the 90th Infantry Division.
The Division advanced 60 miles to reach the Eure River at Dreux which fell August 16. Advancing with the 79-ID, the 5-AD reached the Seine River at Mantes-Gassicourt on August 18 and started slang the west bank toward Louviers the next day to cut off German retreat.
By August 22, it encountered strong opposition between the Seine and Eure but reached Houdebouville on August 24. The division moved through Paris on August 30 to spearhead the drive on Compiègne and crossed the Oise River at Pont St Maxence with CCB leading on August 31. It reached the Belgian Border at Conde on September 2 and secured crossings over the Meuse River near Sedan 3 days later with the CCA at Bazeilles and the CCR at Mohon, taking Sedan the next day. On September 10, the city of Luxembourg fell to the CCA almost without opposition. The 85th Cav Recon Sq entered Germany with a dismounted patrol near Stalzenburg on September 11 and became the first Allied unit to enter the German Homeland from the west. CCR crossed the Sauer River into Germany on September 14 and cleared the town of Wallendorf, driving through the West Wall to the edge of Bettingen the next day. The division then held the Wallendorf salient against counter-attacks until September 20 and then moved to defensive lines in the Monschau and Höfen sectors.
CCR reinforced the 4-ID in the Huertgen Forest on November 16 and advanced in heavy combat. It was halted on November 25 outside Grosshau by a large crater and mines, but by November 29 seized Kleinhau. The division took Brandenburg with air support on December 3 as CCR cleared a strong point at Vossenack on December 3-4. The Division pushed into Bergstein the next day and by December 16, had reached the Roer River in the Bilstein area.
It resumed the attack toward the Roer on December 20 and CCA fought the Battle for Schneidhausen December 20-22, after which the division was relieved in the line by the 8-ID and the 83rd Infantry Division. It closed into Eupen on December 24 and was placed in reserve. CCA seized Eicherscheid in January 1945 and captured Colmar on February 2. CCR crossed the Roer River on February 25 and assembled south of Hottorf, attacking through mud which bogged the division’s CCB down outside Guenhoven on February 27.
CCA crossed the Niers Canal on March 1 and took both Anrath and Fischeln the next day. CCR mopped up the Orsay area, which included the Battle of Repelen, March 1-7, during which it reached the Rhine River on March 5. CCA and CCB meanwhile assembled at Kempen and remained in the Kempen Repelen area until March 11, when relieved by the 75-ID. The division then crossed the Rhine River at Wessel on March 30-31 and attacked April 1, bypassed Muenster to reach the Weser River on April 3, where it was unable to secure the bridges intact at Minden and Rinteln. CCR crossed the Leine River south of Hannover on April 9 and captured a bridge over the Oker River in the Ahnsen area the next day.
The division reached the Elbe River on April 12 with CCR at Wittenberg and CCA in the Tangermuende area. There the division mopped up until relieved on April 16 to clear the Forst Knesebeck. It attacked from the Daehre Salzwedelline against strong opposition on April 21 and took then Dannenberg on April 23. It was relieved along the Elbe River April 24 by the 29-ID, after which it performed security functions until hostilities ended on May 7, 1945.