Document Source: Order of Battle of the United States Army, World War II, European Theater of Operations. Office of the Theater Historian, Paris, France, December 20, 1945.

6th Armored Division Medical Officers are treating a former inmate of KZ-Buchenwald, after the camp’s liberation, April 1945

The 6th Armored Division was activated on February 15, 1942, at Fort Knox (Kentucky) and was moved to Camp Chaffee (Arkansas) on March 15 to participate, on August 25, to the VIII Corps Louisiana Maneuvers. After this staging, the 6-AD returned to Camp Chaffee on September 21 and moved to Camp Young (California), on October 10 to the Desert Training Center to participate in the #1 California Maneuvers. On March 20, 1943, the Division arrived at Camp Cooke (California), then moved and staged at Camp Shanks (New York), until February 3, 1944, and it’s departure from the New York POE on February 11. The 6-AD arrived in England on February 23 and landed in France, on Utah Beach, on July 19. The division crossed into Luxembourg on December 29, into Belgium on December 30, and returned to France on March 12, 1945. The division entered finally Germany on March 20, 1945, staged in Germany, and returned to New York POE on September 18, 1945. It was inactivated on the same date at Camp Shanks (New York).

crossCasualties

Killed in Action, 1169
Wounded in Action, 4198
Missing in Action, 152
Captured, 7
Battle Casualties, 5526
Non-Battle Casualties, 7290
Total Casualties, 12.816

Commanding Generals
Maj Gen William H. H. Morris Jr, Feb 1942 – May 1943
Maj Gen Robert W. Grow, May 1943 – Jul 1945
Brig Gen George W. Read Jr, Jul 1945 – VEDay

6-AD tank knocked out by German mine near Hellimar Nov 25 1944Assistant Division Commander

Division Artillery Commanders
Col Lowell M. Riley, 22 Feb 1944
Lt Col William R. Jesse, 16 Jul 1944
Col Lowell M. Riley, 14 Sep 1944

Chief of Staff
Col Glen C. McBride, 22 Feb 1944

Assistant Chief of Staff – G-1
Lt Col James S. Moncrief Jr, 22 Feb 1944

>Assistant Chiefs of Staff – G-2
Maj Ernest W. Mitchell Jr, 22 Feb 1944
Lt Col Ernest W. Mitchell Jr, 1 May 1945

Assistant Chief of Staff – G-3
Lt Col Michael J. Galvin, 22 Feb 1944

Assistant Chief of Staff – G-4
Lt Col James C. Boggs, 22 Feb 1944

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Assistant Chiefs of Staff – G-5
Maj Walter C. Bowman, 12 May 1944
Capt Royce S. Weisenberger, 27 Jul 1944
Maj Royce S. Weisenberger, 1 Nov 1944

Adjutants General
Maj George W. Moore Jr, 22 Feb 1944
Lt Col George W. Moore Jr, 1 May 1944

CCA Commanders
Brig Gen James Taylor, 22 Feb 1944
Col Harry F. Hanson, 30 Aug 1944
Col John L. Hines Jr, 8 Nov 1944
Col Albert E. Harris, 25 Mar 1945

CCB Commanders
Col George W. Read Jr, 22 Feb 1944
Col Harry F. Manson, 24 Feb 1945
Lt Col Embry D. Lagrew, 18 Apr 1945

CCR Commanders
Col Harry F. Hanson, 22 Feb 1944
Lt Col Albert E. Harris, 30 Aug 1944
Col Albert E. Harris, 27 Jan 1945
Lt Col Embry D. Lagrew, 25 Mar 1945
Lt Col Ralph H. McKee, 18 Apr 1945

Sherman M-4 tank belonging to the 6th Armored Division, lies disabled by enemy fire in the streets of Mageret, Belgium, Jan 15, 1945. A German KIA rests among the debris on the sidewalk in front of the tank

Order of Battle 1944-1945
Hqs & Hqs Company
15th Tank Battalion
68th Tank Battalion
69th Tank Battalion
9th Armored Infantry Battalion
44th Armored Infantry Battalion
50th Armored Infantry Battalion
86th Cavalry Rcn Sq (Mecz)
25th Armored Engineer Battalion
146th Armored Signal Co
6th Armored Division Artillery
128th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
212th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
231st Armored Field Artillery Battalion
6th Armored Division Trains
128th Ordnance Maintenance Battalion
76th Armored Medical Battalion
Military Police Platoon
Band

M-4A3, Charlie Co, 68th Tank Battalion, 6th Armor Division sporting field expedient welded duckbill extensions on its VVSS (16') tracks to get through the mud, Fall 1944. HVSS (21') tracks became common in Dec 1944 onward

6-AD – Attachements
Antiaircraft Artillery
777th AAA AW Bn (SP), 22 Jul 44 – 29 Jun 45

Armored
737th Tk Bn, 22 Nov 44 – 3 Dec 44
11th Armd Gp, 19 Apr 45 – 9 May 45

Cavalry
6th Cav Gp, 21 Dec 44 – 24 Dec 44
6th Cav Rcn Sq, 21 Dec 44 – 24 Dec 44
Tr E 28th Cav Rcn Sq, 21 Dec 44 – 24 Dec 44
5th Ranger Inf Bn, 21 Dec 44 – 24 Dec 44
Co B 295th Engr C Bn, 21 Dec 44 – 24 Dec 44
Co C 602d TD Bn (SP), 21 Dec 44 – 24 Dec 44
41st Cav Rcn Sq (11-AD), 11 Feb 45 – 21 Feb 45

illustration

Chemical
A Co, 86th Cml Mort Bn, 6 Oct 44 – 10 Oct 44
B Co, 3d Cml Mort Bn, 6 Jan 45 – 26 Jan 45
C Co, 3d Cml Mort Bn, 26 Jan 45 – 4 Feb 45
161st Cml SG Co, 9 Feb 45 – 24 Feb 45
C Co, 81st Cml Mort Bn, 30 Mar 45 – 4 Apr 45

Engineer
284th Engr C Bn, 9 Feb 45 – 15 Feb 45
184th Engr C Bn, 9 Feb 45 – 15 Feb 45
1252d Engr C Bn, 9 Feb 45 – 24 Feb 45

Field Artillery
Btry C 965-FAB (155-MM How), 29 Jul 44 – 31 Jul 44
83-AFAB, 31 Jul 44 – 21 Aug 44
174-AFAB, 31 Jul 44 – 21 Aug 44
969-FAB (155-MM How), 15 Aug 44 – 19 Aug 44
45-FAB (8-ID) (105-MM How), 18 Aug 44 – 21 Aug 44
28-FAB (8-ID) (155-MM How), 18 Aug 44 – 21 Aug 44
161-FAB (35-ID) (105-MM How), 22 Nov 44 – 30 Nov 44
696-FAB, 16 Dec 44 – 23 Dec 44
193-FAG, 29 Dec 44 – 27 Jan 45
177-FAB (155-MM How), 29 Dec 44 – 27 Jan 45
253-AFAB, 29 Dec 44 – 27 Jan 45
696-AFAB, 29 Dec 44 – 27 Jan 45
776-FAB (155-MM How), 29 Dec 44 – 27 Jan 45
216-FAB (35-ID) (105-MM How), 13 Jan 45 – 18 Jan 45
161-FAB (35-ID) (105-MM How), 20 Jan 45 – 1 Feb 45
208-FAG, 19 Mar 45 – 23 Mar 45
991-FAB (155-MM Gun), 19 Mar 45 – 23 Mar 45
995-FAB (8″ Inch How), 19 Mar 45 – 23 Mar 45
869-FAB (65-ID) (105-MM How), 30 Mar 45 – 4 Apr 45
191-FAB (155-MM How), 18 Apr 45 – 27 Apr 45

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