8th Armored Division Jeep and Hellcat in Rheinberg, Germany, Mar 6, 1945

The 8th Armored Division was activated on Apr 1, 1942, at Fort Knox, Kentucky, with ‘surplus’ units of the recently reorganized 4th Armored Division and newly-organized units. The division served as the first official military guardian of the gold vault at Fort Knox. From 1942 to 1944, it functioned as a training command stationed at Camp Polk, Louisiana. During this period the 8-AD supplied trained personnel to the 9-AD, the 10-AD, the 11-AD, the 12-AD, the 13-AD, and the 14-AD.

In September 1943, the division completed reorganization from the old-style triangular division to the new light armored division, as per War Department Letter AG-322, in preparation for activation as a combat unit. The light-format armored division was made up of three combat commands referred to as Combat Command A (CCA), Combat Command B (CCB), and a smaller unit called Combat Command Reserve (CCR). Units could be assigned to one of the combat commands at need, creating a very flexible formation. During the month of December 1943, the division participated in the D Series of exercises in Texas. The D Series were small-scale maneuver problems designed as a precursor to the full-scale Sixth Louisiana Maneuver Period.

The 8-AD completed the D Series and participated in the Sixth Louisiana Maneuver Period from Feb through April 1944 as part of the Red Force. From the period of April through October 1944, the division conducted post-maneuver training, losing a number of trained personnel to other units and absorbing and training their replacements. At the end of October, the 8-AD received movement orders to Camp Kilmer, New York in preparation for shipment overseas. On November 6, 1944, the division left Camp Kilmer and boarded ships in New Jersey for the United Kingdom. The ships arrived in Southampton on November 18, and the division moved to Tidworth Camp, joining the newly formed Fifteenth Army. After additional training and the acquisition of new equipment, the 8-AD landed at Le Havre and Rouen in France on January 5, 1945.

18-TB (8-AD), in Camp Polk Louisiana, 1943

Casualties

Killed in action, 393
Wounded in action, 1572
Missing in action, 5
Total casualties, 2011

Statistics: Activated, April 1, 1942; Arrived ETO, November 21, 1944; Arrived Continent (D+213), January 6, 1945; Entered Combat (First Elements), January 19, 1945; Entered Combat (Entire Division) February 23, 1945; Days in Combat, 63.

Campaigns: Ardennes; Rhineland; Central Europe.

Awards: Legion of Merit, 3; Silver Star, 149; Bronze Star, 560; Air Medal, 27; Prisoners taken 35.494.

8th Armored Division, Pilsen, Czech., Parade Photos, 1945

Commanding General
Brig Gen John M. Devine, Nov 21, 1944;
Maj Gen John M. Devine, May 3, 1945.

Artillery Commander
Col Henry W. Holt, Nov 21, 1944.

Chief of Staff
Col Charles G. Dodge, Nov 21, 1944.

Assistant CoS G-1
Lt Col Lawrence L. Boyd, Nov 21, 1944.

Assistants CoS G-2
Lt Col Emmet R. White, Nov 21, 1944; Maj Henry C. Schraeder, May 3 1945

Assistants CoS G-3
Lt Col William S. Crittendon, Nov 21, 1944; Lt Col Edwin H. Burba, Mar 4, 1945; Lt Col Edward Y. Podufaly, Apr 11, 1945.

Assistant CoS G-4
Lt Col Harold N. Lang, Nov 21, 1945.

Assistant CoS G-5
Maj Robert C. Polsgrove, Jan 16, 1945.

Adjutant General
Lt Col David L. Hairston, Nov 21, 1944.

Illustration

CO – CCA
Brig Gen Charles P. Colson, Nov 21 1944.

COs – CCB
Col Edward Kimball, Nov 21, 1944;
Lt Col Edwin H. Burba, Apr 11, 1945.

COs – CCR
Col Robert J. Wallace, Nov 21, 1944;
Col Yarrow D. Vesely, Apr 6, 1945.

8-AD – Order of Battle (44-45)

Hqs & Hqs Company
Combat Command A
Combat Command B
Reserve Command
18th Tank Battalion
36th Tank Battalion
80th Tank Battalion
7th Armored Infantry Battalion
49th Armored Infantry Battalion
58th Armored Infantry Battalion
88th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mez)
53d Armored Engineer Battalion
148th Armored Signal Company
8th Armored Division Artillery
398th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
399th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
405th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
8th Armored Division Trains
130th Ordnance Maintenance Battalion
78th Armored Medical Battalion
Military Police Platoon
Band

398th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 8th Armored Division, in Wochen, Germany, Jan 27, 1945

8-AD – Attachments

Antiaircraft Artillery
467th AAA AW Bn (SP), 15 Jan 45 – 1 Feb 45
473d AAA AW Bn (SP), 6 Feb 45 – 6 May 45

Armored
10th Armd Gp, 6 Feb 45 – 7 Feb 45
691st Tk Bn, 21 Feb 45 – 28 Feb 45
10th Armd Gp, 28 Feb 45 – 5 Mar 45

Chemical
Co C, 92d Cml Mort Bn, 2 Apr 45 – 8 Apr 45

Engineer
999th Engr Treadway Br Co, 27 Feb 45 – 29 Mar 45
989th Engr Treadway Br Co, 10 Mar 45 – 15 Mar 45

Field Artillery
691st FAB (105-MM HOW), 21 Feb 45 – 27 Feb 45
407th FAB, 28 Feb 45 – 5 Mar 45
275th AFAB, 27 Mar 45 – 31 Mar 45
695th FAB, 27 Mar 45 – 31 Mar 45
215th FAB, (155-MM HOW), 27 Mar 45 – 31 Mar 45
681st FAB, 4 Apr 45 – 10 Apr 45
959th FAB (4.5″ Gun), 5 Apr 45 – 10 Apr 45

Infantry
290th CT (- 1st Bn) (75th Div), 27 Mar 45 – 30 Mar 45
1/290th Inf (75th Div), 27 Mar 45 – 31 Mar 45

Military Police Willys Jeep (38-IR, 2-ID) and an M4A1 (76.2-MM) (8-AD) Dobrany Czechoslovakia, 6 May 1945

Tank Destroyer
809th TDB (SP), 9 Feb 45 – 14 Mar 45

8-AD – Detachments

Armored
CCA to 94-ID, 18 Jan 45 – 27 Jan 45
CCB to 35-ID, 4 Mar 45 – 11 Mar 45
Charlie Co, 18-TB to 35-ID, 9 Mar 45 – 10 Mar 45
Dog Co, 18-TB to 30-ID, 17 Mar 45 – 26 Mar 45
CCB to XIX Corps, 14 Apr 45 – 18 Apr 45
CCA to XIX Corps, 16 Apr 45 – 18 Apr 45

Cavalry
88th Cav Recon Sq to 35-ID, 5 Mar 45 – 8 Mar 45
Dog Co, 88th Cav Recon Sq to 79-ID, 17 Mar 45 – 26 Mar 45

Field Artillery
8-AD Arty to XVI Corps, 8 Feb 45 – 18 Feb 45
8-AD Arty to 79-ID, 20 Mar 45 – 26 Mar 45

(8-AD) Unloading wounded infantrymen at Nennig, Germany, Jan 26, 1945

8-AD – Command Posts
1 Dec 44, Tidworth, Wiltshire, England
11 Jan 45, Bacqueville, Manche, France
14 Jan 45, Pont-a-Mousson, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France
3 Feb 45, Heerlen, Limburg, Netherlands
4 Feb 45, Simpelveld, Limburg, Netherlands
21 Feb 45, Echt, Limburg, Netherlands
28 Feb 45, Huckelhoven, Rhineland, Germany
2 Mar 45, Klinkum, Rhineland, Germany
3 Mar 45, Hinsbeck, Rhineland, Germany
6 Mar 45, Grefrath, Rhineland, Germany
23 Mar 45, Bruckenhausen, Rhineland, Germany
26 Mar 45, Friedrichsfeld, Rhineland, Germany
27 Mar 45, Kirchellen, Westphalia, Germany
30 Mar 45, Zweickel, Westphalia, Germany
2 Apr 45, Selm, Westphalia, Germany
4 Apr 45, Delbruck, Westphalia, Germany
6 Apr 45, Monninghausen, Westphalia, Germany
7 Apr 45, Erwitte, Westphalia, Germany
8 Apr 45, Soest, Westphalia, Germany
10 Apr 45, Werl, Westphalia, Germany
14 Apr 45, Wolfenbuttel, Westphalia, Germany
20 Apr 45, Halberstadt, Westphalia, Germany
23 Apr 45, Osterode, Westphalia, Germany
26 Apr 45, Gottingen, Westphalia, Germany
6 Jun 45, Holysov, Czechoslovakia
Sept 23 45, Camp Oklahoma City, France
Nov 1 45, Camp Philip Morris, France
Nov 4 45, Le Havre, France

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