✅ This post was reviewed and corrected as part of the 2025 Historical Accuracy Update.Reviewed by Doc Snafu on April 4, 2026. 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. 26th Infantry Division 'Yankee Division'. During World War One, a press conference of Boston newspapermen was called by the Commanding General to determine a nickname for this division, which had just been inducted from New England National Guard units. The adopted suggestion was, 'Call it the Yankee Division' and à dark blue monogrammed...

#WW2Archives #MilitaryHistory #WW2Photographs #HistoricalDocuments #WW2Research #WW2Liberation 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; Order of Battle, Normandy, Omaha Beach, Michel Clémençon, Gunter Gillot at Foxmaster Publishing; Order of Battle, D Day Overlord & Wikipedia. Editor's note. I have in my archives 2900+ photos devoted to the Normandy Landings of June 6, 1944, all in high definition. According to the estimates made, I had two possible choices in the creation of this archive; upload as many photos as possible and thus walk...

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. 28th INFANTRY DIVISION Bloody Bucket Division, Keystone Division The red keystone, the official emblem of the State of Pennsylvania, is the official shoulder sleeve insignia of the 28th Infantry Division which was originally a Pennsylvania National Guard organization. The Germans called it Bloody Bucket because of the blood-red keystone insignia and vicious fighting tactics during the Normandy Campaign. The Motto of the 28-ID is Fire and Movement. Commanding Generals Maj Gen Lloyd D. Brown - Oct 18, 1943...

Source Documents: 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, and Danny S. Parker, Battle of the Bulge, Hitler's Ardennes Offensive, 1944-1945, 1991, Combined Book Inc, Hong Kong and Shelby S. Stanton, Order of Battle US Army, Presidio Press, Novato, California, 1984; different additional sources. 1st Army (1-A): Gen Courtney H. Hodges - 526th Armored Infantry Battalion - 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) - 61st Engineer Battalion - 158th Engineer Battalion - 299th Engineer Battalion - 300th Engineer Battalion - 1278th Engineer Battalion - Trp B, 125th Cavalry Recon Squadron - 9th Canadian...

Document Source: US Army War Department Order of Battle US Army 1945; Wikipedia; Philippine Scouts Revue The 24th Infantry Division traces its lineage to Army units activated in Hawaii. It was activated under the Square Division Table of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) on March 1, 1921 as the Hawaiian Division at Schofield Barracks (Oahu). The division was assigned the 21st Infantry Regiment and the 22nd Infantry Regiment, both of these regiments being assigned to the of which had been assigned to the 11th Infantry Division prior to 1921. The entire Hawaiian Division was concentrated at a single location during the...

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. The 17th Airborne Division (Thunder from Heaven) was officially activated as an airborne division in April 1943. Still, it was not immediately sent to combat, remaining in the United States to complete its training. During this training process, the division took part in several training exercises, including the Knoll Wood Maneuver, in which it played a vital part in ensuring that the airborne division remained a military formation in the US Army. As...

Source Documents: 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, and Danny S. Parker, Battle of the Bulge, Hitler’s Ardennes Offensive, 1944-1945, 1991, Combined Book Inc, Hong Kong and Shelby S. Stanton, Order of Battle US Army, Presidio Press, Novato, California, 1984; different additional sources. 16th Armored Division. The mixture of insignia and distinctive colors of several arms incorporated in the Armored Force symbolize integrity and esprit. It is an interlocked ornament, found in Nordic monuments, composed of three torques: red for Artillery;...

Source Documents: 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, and Danny S. Parker, Battle of the Bulge, Hitler’s Ardennes Offensive, 1944-1945, 1991, Combined Book Inc, Hong Kong and Shelby S. Stanton, Order of Battle US Army, Presidio Press, Novato, California, 1984; different additional sources. 14th Armored Division. The mixture of insignia and distinctive colors of several arms incorporated in the Armored Force symbolize integrity and esprit. It is an interlocked ornament, found in Nordic monuments, composed of three torques: red for Artillery;...

Source Documents: 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, and Danny S. Parker, Battle of the Bulge, Hitler’s Ardennes Offensive, 1944-1945, 1991, Combined Book Inc, Hong Kong and Shelby S. Stanton, Order of Battle US Army, Presidio Press, Novato, California, 1984; different additional sources. 13th Armored Division The mixture of insignia and distinctive colors of several arms incorporated in the Armored Force symbolize integrity and esprit. It is an interlocked ornament, found in Nordic monuments, composed of three torques: red for Artillery;...

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. 13th Airborne Division, Black Cat Division. The division insignia is a winged Unicorn in golden orange placed on an ultramarine blue shield. The Unicorn is associated, by tradition, with the qualities of virtue, courage, and strength. The division is commonly known as the Black Cat Division because of the flaunting of superstition during its activation on Friday, August 13, 1943. Commanding General Maj Gen Eldridge G. Chapman, Feb 6, 1945 - Deativation Assistant Division Commander Brig Gen Hammond...

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. Activated on September 15, 1942, at Camp Campbell (Kentucky) the 12th Armored Division moved on September 6, 1943, to the Second Army #3 Tennessee Maneuvers; the 12-AD was then sent to Camp Barkeley (Texas) on November 17, 1943, and relocated on July 8, 1943, to Camp Bowie (Texas). Back to Camp Barkeley (Texas) July 16, 1944, until moved and staged at Camp Shanks (New York) until the division departed the New York (POE)...

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. The 11th Armored Division (Thunderbolt) was activated on August 15, 1942, at Camp Polk (Louisiana) and moved on June 24, 1943, for the 3-A #3 Louisiana Maneuvers. Transferred then to Camp Barkeley (Texas), on September 5, 1943, the 11-AD participated on October 29, 1943, in the Desert Training Center #4 California Maneuvers and headed to Camp Cooke (California), on February 11, 1944. It staged then at Camp Kilmer (New Jersey), from September 16,...

Source Documents: 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, and Shelby S. Stanton, Order of Battle US Army, Presidio Press, Novato, California, 1984; different additional sources. The 11th Airborne Division (nicknamed Angels) was a US Army Airborne formation, first activated on February 25, 1943. Different from their sister divisions, the 13th Parachute Infantry Division, the 17th Parachute Infantry Division, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the 101st Airborne Division, the 11th Airborne Division consisted only of one Parachute Infantry Regiment and two Glider...

Document Source: Order of Battle US Army World War Two, War Department, Washington DC, Combat Narrative, US Army World War Two, Shelby L. Stanton, Presidio Press, Novato, California, USA, 1984 The 10th Light Division (Pack Alpine) was constituted on July 10, 1943, and activated five days later at Camp Hale, Colorado, under the command of Gen Lloyd E. Jones. At the time, the division had a strength of 8500 men out of the 16.000 planned, so the military transferred troops from the 30-ID, 31-ID, and 33-ID along with volunteers from the National Guards of the Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,...

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 The US 10th Armored Division was activated on July 15, 1942, at Fort Benning (Georgia), and moved on June 24, 1943, to the Second Army #2 Tennessee Maneuvres. On September 5, the 10-AD moved to Camp Gordon (Georgia), then, staged at Camp Shanks (New York), on September 1, 1944, until departed the New York POE. The division landed in France on September 23, 1944, crossed into Luxembourg on December 17, and was sent...

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. The 9th Infantry Division was activated at Fort Bragg (North Carolina), on August 1, 1940, as the 9th Division and participated in both, the October and November 1941 Carolina Maneuvers before being sent to amphibious training under the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Corps. Re-designated as the 9th Infantry Division on August 1, 1942, the division left Fort Bragg (North Carolina), and was sent to Fort Dix (New Jersey) on November 25, 1942. On December...

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. The 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, was constituted on August 29, 1917, and organized as Headquarters, 3rd Brigade, 15th Cavalry Division in December of the same year. The 3rd Brigade was demobilized on July 15, 1919, and reconstituted on August 10, 1921, within the newly-constituted 1st Cavalry Division. Although never officially reorganized, the Brigade was inactive until its October 15, 1940, activation and redesignation, and conversion to HHC, 9th Armored Division Trains. Renamed...

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. The 8th Infantry Division, was a division of the US Army during WW-1 and WW-2. Initially activated in January 1918, the unit did not see combat during WW-1 and returned to the USA. Activated again on July 1, 1940, as part of the build-up of military forces prior to the US's entry into World War II. The division saw extensive action in the ETO. Following WW-2, the division was moved to west Germany,...

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...

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. The 7th Infantry Division was activated on December 6, 1917, eight months after the American entry into World War I, as the 7th Division of the Regular Army at Camp Wheeler (Georgia). One month later, the unit prepared to deploy to Europe as a part of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). Most of the division sailed to Europe aboard the SS Leviathan. While in France, the 7th Division did not see action at...

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. The 7th Armored Division was activated on March 1, 1942, at Camp Polk (Louisiana) and moved on September 15 to the IV Corps Louisiana Maneuvers. It returned to Camp Polk on November 9, arrived on March 11, 1943, at the Desert Training Center for the #2 California Maneuvers, was transferred on August 12, 1943, to Fort Benning (Georgia) and arrived at Camp Myles Standish (Massachusetts) on April 22, 1944. The Division staged at...

The 6th Division (Red Star) was activated first during the month of November 1917 with the following Order of Battle: 11th Infantry Brigade (51-IR, 52-IR, and 17th Machine Gun Battalion), 12th Infantry Brigade (53-IR, 54-IR, and 18th Machine Gun Battalion), 16th Machine-Gun Battalion (Divisional Troops) and the 3rd Field Artillery Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Battalion and the 78th Field Artillery Battalion. The division went overseas in Jun 1918, and 43 days of combat resulted in 38 KIA and 348 WIA casualties. The 6th Division saw combat in the Géradmer Sector, Vosges, France, September 3, 1918 – October 18, 1918, and...

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. 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...

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. The 5th Division was activated on December 11, 1917, eight months after the United States entered into World War One, at Camp Logan (Texas) and began training for deployment to the Western Front. Sent overseas, as a part of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), to participate in the late part of the War, the entire division arrived in France on May 1, 1918, and components of the units were deployed into the front...

Document Source: Order of Battle US Army World War Two, War Department, Washington DC, Combat Narrative, US Army World War Two, Shelby L. Stanton, Presidio Press, Novato, California, USA, 1984 The 5th Armored Division was activated at Fort Knox Kentucky, on October 1, 1941, and was moved to Camp Cooke California, on February 16, 1942. On August 14, the division participated in the Desert Training Center Armored Corps California Maneuvers and returned to Camp Cooke on November 19. On March 17, the division moved to Camp Forrest Tennessee, for the 2nd Army #1 Tennessee Maneuvers. (The Tennessee Maneuver Area was...

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. Activated on June 1, 1940, as the 4th Division at Fort Benning (Georgia), the Unit was reorganized as 4th Division (Motorized) on July 1, 1940, then as 4th Motorized Division on July 11, 1941. It moved then to Dry Prong (Louisiana), on August 1, 1941, for the IV Corps Louisiana Maneuvers and returned to Fort Benning on August 27, 1941. It moved then to Fort Jackson (South Carolina) on October 30, 1941, for...

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. The 4th Armored Division was activated on April 15, 1941, at Pille Camp (New York) and moved to Camp Forrest (Tennessee), on October 2, 1942, for the 1st Corps Tennessee Maneuvers. On November 17, the unit arrived at Camp Young (California), where it participated in the Desert Training Center #1 California Maneuvers. The Division was then transferred to Camp Bowie (Texas) on June 13, 1943, staged at Camp Myles Standish (Massachusetts) on December...

Document Source: United States Army Order of Battle (1945). (Marne Division) The three white stripes represent the number of the division and the three major operations in which the division participated during World War One. The clear field of blue stands for loyalty, steadfastness, and undying devotion to the principles of right and justice by the American soldiers. The 3rd Division was activated in November 1917 during World War One at Camp Greene (North Carolina). Eight months later, it saw combat for the first time in France. At midnight, on July 14, 1918, the division earned the lasting distinction. Engaged...

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. The 3rd Armored Division (Spearhead) was activated on April 15, 1941, at Camp Beauregard (Louisiana). During the month of June 1941, it moved to Camp Polk (Louisiana). On March 9, 1942, it came under the command of Gen Lesley J. McNair's Army Ground Forces (AGF) and was assigned to the II Armored Corps. The 3-AD was then transferred to Camp Young (California) and from August to October, took part in maneuvers at the...

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. The activation of the 9th Armored Division created several logistical problems at Fort Riley and Camp Funston. The installations that had accommodated a single division were now home to a division and an additional Cavalry Brigade. Consequently, the 4th Cavalry Brigade HQs and the 10th Cavalry relocated to Camp Lockett (California). The 9th Cavalry, although still assigned to the brigade, moved to Fort Clarke (Texas). As the number of black personnel entering the...

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. Placed on the rolls of the Army in 1921, the 2nd Cavalry Division was not activated until April 1941. As part of the Protective Mobilization Plan, the division was reserved for activation at Fort Riley, Kansas, but due to manpower constraints, it never reached full strength. The 2-CD (H) received the appropriate number of cavalry regiments, but units providing organic support and service troops remained unfilled. The first divisional activation came in October...

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. The 2nd Division was first constituted on September 21, 1917, in the Regular Army. It was organized on October 26, 1917, at Bourmont, Department of the Haute-Marne, France. When the unit's activation order was transmitted to the HQs of the AEF (American Expeditionary Force) the assignments responded to the following battle order: Headquarters, 2nd Division, 3rd Infantry Brigade, 9th Infantry Regiment, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Machine Gun Battalion, 4th Marine Brigade, 5th Marine...

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 The 2nd Armored Division was formed at Fort Benning (Georgia) on July 15, 1940, by reorganizing and redesignating the Provisional Tank Brigade composed of the 66th Infantry Regiment (Light Tanks), the 67th Infantry Regiment (Medium Tanks), and the 68th Infantry Regiment (Light Tanks). It was originally commanded by Gen Charles L. Scott, with Col George S. Patton in charge of the training. Scott was promoted to command the I Armored Corps in November...

Document Source: Order of Battle US Army World War Two, War Department, Washington DC, Combat Narrative, US Army World War Two, Shelby L. Stanton, Presidio Press, Novato, California, USA, 1984 The history of the 1st Cavalry Division began in 1921 after the army established a permanent cavalry division Table of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) on April 4, 1921. It authorized a square division organization of 7463 officers and men, organized as follows, the Hqs Element (34 men), two Cavalry Brigades (2803 men each), one Field Artillery Battalion (790 men), one Engineer Battalion (357 men), the Division QM Trains Command (276...

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. The 1st Infantry Division, also nicknamed Fighting First or Big Red One, is the oldest division in the United States Army and has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917. The division started preparing for World War II by moving to Fort Benning (Georgia), on November 19, 1939, and ran its personnel through the Infantry School. It then moved to Sabine Parish (Louisiana) area on May 11, to participate in the Louisiana...

Document Source: Order of Battle US Army World War Two, War Department, Washington DC, Combat Narrative, US Army World War Two, Shelby L. Stanton, Presidio Press, Novato, California, USA, 1984 Col Daniel Van Voorhis took a cadre of 175 officers and enlisted men from Fort Eustis to Fort Knox in February 1932 and established a Provisional Armored Car Platoon. This was based on an earlier effort but was predicated on a new Cavalry Regiment TO&E (Table of Organization and Equipment) which was published that year. Also published but never implemented, was a Cavalry Division TO&E which reflected the then unnatural...