EN RU CN DE ES. Butler was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 21 March 1944, and remained in command of the 395th until 30 April 1945, when he collapsed from exhaustion. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. Ordered into active military service: 15 November 1942 Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. The battalion was badly outnumbered and nearly surrounded. The program was called the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP), and it sought to give extra training and special skills to a select group of intelligent and able young men, most of whom were taken from America's colleges. Good luck with your quest. Richard Mills were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. [2]:33 On at least six occasions they called in artillery strikes on or directly in front of their own positions. During the battle to come, if the Germans succeeded in taking Hfen, their ranks would be swelled rapidly, and the 99th and 2nd Infantry Divisions would be outflanked and could be attacked from the rear. Put under the operational control of V Corps, First Army, it moved to Le Havre, France on 3 November and proceeded to Aubel, Belgium, to prepare to enter the front lines. It was demobilized on 30 November 1918, but was later reconstituted on 21 June 1921 as a member of the Organized Reserves just like the 99th Infantry Division. Under the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! This quick infusion of personnel into the 99th Division occurred in March 1944, when more than 3000 joined the division. On 5 March 1941, as the United States began to mobilize for the possibility of war, McClernand Butler became a second lieutenant in the Regular Army. Those who survived the initial onslaught and did not manage to flee, had to eke out a living on a battleground ravaged by incessant bombardment and street fighting. [12] The 99th Infantry's after action report stated they found 1,500 Jews "living under terrible conditions and approximately 600 required hospitalization due to starvation and disease. After failing to capture Monschau on the battles second day, the 326th Volksgrenadier Division turned its attention back to Hfen on December 18th. 99th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia, Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953), Distinguished Service Cross (United States), "Battle of the Bulge: U.S. Crossing on the 23d, it pushed east on the Koln-Frankfurt highway to Giessen. Despite fatigue, constant enemy shelling, and ever-increasing enemy pressure, the Third Battalion guarded a 6,000 yards (5,500m)-long front and destroyed 75 percent of three German infantry regiments. 504-528-1944, Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, Black Volunteer Infantry Platoons in World War II, Kasserine Pass: German Offensive, American Victory, The Top 5 Veteran Research Questions: Where to Go and What to Know, Gallantry against Great Odds: LTC George Marshall and Operation RESERVIST, Prelude to Liberation: Genesis of American Amphibious Assault in the ETO, Black Thursday October 14, 1943: The Second Schweinfurt Bombing Raid, An Exercise in Depravity: The Establishment of the Warsaw Ghetto, Unsung Witnesses of the Battle of Stalingrad. Although cut up and surrounded in part, the 99th was one of the only divisions that did not yield to the German attack, and held their positions until reinforcements arrived. As the tanks neared Krinkelt, they plowed right through elements of the 2nd Infantry Division, many of whom had arrived literally moments earlier to reinforce their brothers who had earlier reinforced the 99ers. The 3rd Battalion of the 395th Infantry Regiment (3/395), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel McClernand Butler, occupied the town of Hfen on the German border. That task fell to the 277th Volksgrenadier Division and the 12th SS Panzer Division. The Legacy of the 99th Infantry Division: Our Artifacts Collection The 99th Infantry Division Historical Society is dedicated to preserving, Discovering the Legacy of a WW2 Soldier: Tips and Tricks Are you interested in learning more about a WW2 veteran, They shall not grow old, As we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, Nor the years, Dean F. Gilbert was a membert of 3rd Platoon, L Company,394th Infantry Regiment. The Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon, 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Division was the most decorated platoon for a single action of World War II. On 17 September 2008, the 99th Regional Support Command was activated at Fort Dix, N.J. For their actions the battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation which read, in part: outnumbered 5 to 1, [3/395] inflicted casualties in the ratio of 18 to 1. Despite fatigue, constant enemy shelling, and ever-increasing enemy pressure, [they] guarded a 6,000-yard front and destroyed 75 percent of three German infantry regiments.. Unbeknownst to its commanding general at the time, Maj. Gen. Walter E. Lauer, the division would play a strategic role in the war and would gain the honor of having the most decorated platoon of the US army during World War Two. [9], Because the unit's radios had been destroyed, the soldiers captured, and the rapid subsequent German advance, U.S. Army commanders did not know about the unit's success at slowing the German advance, or even if they had been captured or killed. [18], As the battle ensued, small units, company and less in size, often acting independently, conducted fierce local counterattacks and mounted stubborn defenses, frustrating the German's plans for a rapid advance, and badly upsetting their timetable. Attached below the shield a silver scroll inscribed "VIGILANS ET CELER" in Black letters.[21]. Location of the 99th ID sector (red box) on a map of the Bulge. info@nationalww2museum.org TO: Division Surgeon, 99th Infantry Division I. It is believed that Delbert was transferred to the 395th Infantry Regiment at some point. This article contains content in the public domain from U.S. military sources. The men carried out missions without orders when their positions were penetrated or infiltrated. At dusk on 16 December, after virtually no sleep during the preceding night and a full day of almost non-stop combat, with only a few rounds of ammunition remaining, about 50 German paratroopers finally flanked and captured the remaining 19 soldiers. Gallagher (1 May 1945 29 September 1945), Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps; redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve, Relieved 29 October 1998 from assignment to the 99th Infantry Division, Redesignated 17 October 1999 as the 395th Regiment and reorganized to consist of the 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions, elements of the. During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, the unit suffered many casualties, yet tenaciously held its defensive position. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 A member of the 395th Infantry Regiment , the photographer captured an amazing scene through the lens of this camera in these images. The division crossed the Danube near Eining on the 27th and after a stubborn fight the Isar at Landshut on 1 May. The 395th received the following campaign streamers: The entire regiment was recognized with the following unit decorations: A silver color metal and enamel device .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}3732 inches (2.94cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Argent, a buck's head attired of ten tynes couped Or. Those Germans who made it into the town itself were quickly mopped up. The artillery barrage lasted for an hour, and shortly afterwards German infantry from the 277th Volksgrenadier Division burst through the forest and headed at the positions of the 99th Infantry Divisions 395th Infantry Regiment near the village of Rocherath. A popular historical anecdote is the design of the famous M1 carbine by convicted murderer David Marshall Williams. The thick forest was tangled with rocky gorges, little streams, and sharp hills. "[13] The division continued to attack without opposition to the Inn River and Giesenhausen until VE-day. [10], Around Hfen, which the 395th defended, the ground was marked with open hills. 394th Infantry Regiment Co. A, first platoon This is my Dad's story. The unit crossed the Altmuhl River on 25 April, the Danube River on 27 April, and the Isar River on 30 April. The German pre-dawn artillery bombardment on December 16th destroyed 3/395s communication wires at Hfen, but the stunned soldiers soon witnessed an even more ominous sight: enemy searchlights, reflecting off the dense clouds, illuminated the snowy open ground east of Hfen. The 10 geographically-based RRCs, including the 99th, were inactivated and replaced with four regional base operations commands. One Wehrmacht officer captured at Hfen asked his interrogators which unit had defended the town. The "Checkerboard" or "Battle Babies" division landed at the French port of Le Havre and proceeded northeast to Belgium. The 99th RSC's mission was to provide command and control and full-service support for assigned units and facility management. A 105mm artillery piece from the 2nd Infantry Div. [1] During the Battle of the Bulge, the regimentat times virtually surrounded by Germanswas one of the few units that did not yield ground to the attacking Germans. The citation read: During the German offensive in the Ardennes, the Third Battalion in the 395th Infantry, was assigned the mission of holding the Monschau-Eupen-Liege Road. The 99th crossed the Ludwig Canal against stiff resistance and established a bridgehead over the Altmuhl River, 25 April. The Germans threw wave after wave of infantry, and a unit of panzers, at the town. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. ", The 99th Infantry Division, outnumbered five to one, inflicted estimated casualties on the Germans in the ratio of eighteen to one. The 99th Infantry Division, the "Checkerboard" division, gained its nickname from the division's insignia. [11], The area around Hfen and Monschau were critical because of the road network that lay behind them. The coat of arms was originally approved for the 395th Regiment Infantry, Organized Reserves on 15 June 1931. Yet, despite their successful defense and reinforcement from the 2nd Division, the 395th was in a precarious position on the morning of the December 17. The real crusher to the German offensive plans in the Ardennes occurred 46 miles north east of Bastogne, in a small area consisting of a copse of small villages and a piece of high ground called Elsenborn Ridge. The 99th Division was constituted at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, on 23 July 1918. The shield is silver, the old color of Infantry. The insignia was devised upon the 99th's formation in 1942 when the division was headquartered in the city of Pittsburgh. The inexperienced troops of the division were lodged on the northern shoulder of the Ardennes Offensive on 16 December. The Germans, moving across illuminated open ground without cover, fell by the hundreds against the murderous American fire. Put under the operational control of V Corps, First Army, it moved to Le Havre, France on 3 November and proceeded to Aubel, Belgium, to prepare to enter the front lines. . In March 1945, the 99th advanced into the Rhineland, crossing the Rhine River at Remagen on March 11. The combination of no ammunition and heavy German armor caused the American lines to fold, like a dam bursting. During the Battle of the Bulge, the regimentat times virtually surrounded by Germanswas one of the few units that did not yield ground to the attacking Germans. [14] If the Germans penetrated Hfen, the U.S. soldiers would have to withdraw several miles to the next defensible position.[10]. After fighting in the Ruhr area, the unit moved southward into Bavaria, where it was located at the end of the war. In the northern sector opposite the 99th, this included more than 4,000 deaths and the destruction of 60 tanks and big guns. The regiment helped to capture the Ruhr Pocket, where thousands of German troops and hundreds of German vehicles were captured. At the going down of the sun And in the morning We will remember them." 324th Engineer Combat Battalion Albertson Dale W Bass Robert D Brown Edwin C Busk The buck's head was used to indicate the allocation of the organization to the mountainous section of Pennsylvania, where deer abound. Richard V. Horrell WW 2 Connections, Aug 6, 2010 #6 Buten42 Member Joined: Jun 27, 2009 Messages: 1,287 Likes Received: 210 Location: Washington State The 395th were moved by train and truck, and finally by foot, to front line positions near the German town of Hfen a few kilometers west of the Siegfried Line and near the Belgium-German border. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II.It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at the Siegfried Line. The 99th RRC continued to provide command and control for assigned units and support for the ongoing deployments. Butler said, "The biggest difficulty in carrying out a night attack is control, and having men who can coordinate well as a team in the dark. Fourteen of the 18 platoon members were wounded, while only one soldier, a member of the artillery observation team, was killed. In the event of an emergency, the battalion headquarters and company administrative personnel, including clerks and motor-pool staff, were to join the platoon, creating a small reserve force of about 100 men. The division lost about 20% of its effective strength, including 465 killed and 2,524 evacuated due to wounds, injuries, fatigue, or trench foot; German losses were much higher. "[7]:24, Two Distinguished Service Crosses and several Silver Stars were awarded to members of the battalion for valorous actions against the enemy during this battle. On 25 October 1981, the entire platoon was recognized with a Presidential Unit Citation. During the first day of the Battle of the Bulge, the 3rd Battalion took 19 prisoners and killed an estimated 200 Germans. With ammunition supplies dwindling rapidly, the men obtained German weapons and utilized ammunition obtained from casualties to drive off the persistent foe. [citation needed]. The town of Kuckhof cost the battalion dearly, with more than fifty casualties inflicted on one company alone (I Company). "[16][17]:75 Another German officer who was captured said, "I have fought two years on the Russian front, but never have I engaged in such a fierce and bloody battle. [11] They continued to Linz am Rhein and to the Wied River. No division commander was appointed during the organization's brief existence. They engaged in division-level maneuvers in July 1944. The concentration camp was one of the "forest camps" (Waldlager) tied to the Mhldorf camp complex. [4] Lt. Col. Butler retired from the Army on 14 January 1946 and worked for the phone company for the rest of his career. The program never fulfilled its promise, and the large number of "ASTPers" were rapidly integrated into various divisions to make up for personnel shortages in front line units during 1944. They then crossed the Wied River, where they joined up with the 7th Infantry Division. The three heavy German assaults had worn down the ammunition supply, particularly that of the machine gunners, and had left the defenders mostly helpless. It then intersected a main eastwest road at Bullingen. The 99th RSC's mission was to provide base operations functions for the assigned 13-state Northeast Region. The division headquarters was organized in November 1921. Many historians have written about the famous Buffalo Soldiers of the all-Black 92nd Infantry Division, who fought with distinction during World War II. There are nine white squares and nine blue ones, signifying the number 99. 2nd Infantry Division soldiers dig in on a road bank and prepare defensive positions on the end of the Elsenborn Ridge on December 20, 1944. The division was reconstituted in the Organized Reserve on 24 June 1921 and assigned to the western half of the state of Pennsylvania. The black background So fierce in fact that the German commander pulled his tanks back for fear of running into a superior American force, deciding to hold his positions until the following morning. Some toppled directly into US foxholes as American troops engaged them at point-blank range. After the battalion was inactivated on 29 September 1945, its colors remained folded for more than fifty years. Specific units were charged with penetrating Germany's West Wall. The real crusher to the German offensive plans in the Ardennes occurred 46 miles north east of Bastogne, in a small area consisting of a copse of small villages and a piece of high ground called Elsenborn Ridge. After clearing towns west of the Rhine, it crossed the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen on the 11th. He began his career conducting oral histories and research for HBOs miniseries The Pacific and holds the distinction of being the first historian hired by the Museums Research Department. When the Ardennes Offensive ended, Gen. Lauer received verbal commendations from Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery, 21st Army Group Commander, and Gen. Courtney Hodges, First Army Commander, on the vigorous and effective defense contributed by the 99th. From 21 December 1944 to 30 January 1945, the unit was engaged in aggressive patrolling and reequipping. 3/395, soon to be nicknamed Butlers Blue Battlin Bastards, was one of the only US Army units that did not retreat in the opening days of the battle. After the war, the Division founded its own Association and for many years the veterans and their families got united at the many conventions that were held. In early December, the front was unusually calm and the weather was bone-chilling cold. On the east lay a section of the Monschau Forest. Originally planned as a Pennsylvania unit, the horizontal band of white and blue. Category: 395th Infantry Regiment Lt. Col. Henry B. Koon Sr. Special Troops Troops Fight at Elsenburn Ridge", "Bob Galloway, the Battle of the Bulge, and the 99th Infantry Division", "Heidelberg staff retraces historical Battle of the Bulge route", United States Army Center of Military History, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=395th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)&oldid=1076569987, 395th Infantry Regiment: Lt. Col. Griffin, 3rd Battalion: Lt. Col. McClernand Butler (1 November 1942 30 April 1945) Lt. Col. J.A. What was left of the 99ers in and around Rocherath appeared to be doomed, and like the calvary in Western movies, salvation appeared in the forms of infantry from the 2nd Division and incredibly heavy artillery fire that dropped onto the Germans like rain. It was activated on 1 December 1939. The unit was inactivated after World War II, then became a reserve unit, and was redesignated as the 395th Regiment in 1999. Crest The crest is that of the U.S. Army Reserve. [2], Because of the success of the 395th and the 99th, the Americans maintained effective freedom to maneuver across the north flank of the German's line of advance and continually limited the success of the German offensive. [17]:51, On another day, the 3rd Battalion took 50 Germans prisoner and killed or wounded more than 800 Germans, losing only five dead and seven wounded themselves. American troops from the 290th Regiment near Amonines, Belgium. Gen. von Manteuffel, commander of the 5th Panzer Army, stated in the address to his troops prior to the attack that "our ground mission must be continuous; otherwise we will not achieve our goal".
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