Richard Mills were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Seth Paridon was a staff historian at The National WWII Museumfrom2005 to 2020. Location of the 99th ID sector (red box) on a map of the Bulge. The 99th Infantry Division, the "Checkerboard" division, gained its nickname from the division's insignia. The 99th held lines stretching from Monschau, Germany to Losheimergraben, Belgium, totaling 35 kilometres (22mi). It was credited with destroying "seventy-five percent of three German infantry regiments." They then crossed the Wied River, where they joined up with the 7th Infantry Division. American troops from the 290th Regiment near Amonines, Belgium. The National WWII Museum Digital Collections. They continued to fight even as the American press trumpeted the rapid crumbling of German resistance. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. 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 Outnumbered five to one, they inflicted casualties in the ratio of 18 to one. In 1975, the 99th ARCOM moved its headquarters to Oakdale, Pennsylvania. From 21 December 1944 to 30 January 1945, the unit was engaged in aggressive patrolling and reequipping. Field Artillery Battalions were the 370th, 371st, 372nd & the 924th. [4], Distinguished Service Cross (United States), "Lineage And Honors Information, 395th Regiment Lineage", "World War II: Interview with Lieutenant Colonel McClernand Butler", "The Operations of the 3rd Battalion, 395th Infantry (99th Infantry Division) Prior to and During the German Counter-Offensive, 10November 24 December 1944 (Ardennes Campaign) (Personal Experience of a Company Commander and Battalion Operations Officer)", "Why the Bulge Didn't Break: Green Troops Grew Up Fast to Become Heroes of Hofen", "The Battle of the Bulge Part II Holding the Line (review)", "Chapter 5: The Ardennes, the Battle of the Bulge", "Battle of the Bulge: U.S. It was redesignated with description updated, for the 395th Regiment on 7 June 1999. The battalion also had its own Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon, as well as medics and support personnel. [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 division was chiefly manned with graduates of the ROTC programs of the Carnegie Institute of Technology, Duquesne University. The Germans were counting on something else, toothey knew that this sector was thinly manned by untested troops. 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. Unknown to the Allies, the Germans were preparing a surprise counter-offensive through the Ardennes with the goal of splitting the Allied armies and recapturing the Belgian port city of Antwerp. 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". It was like a golf course, so I used the night for concealment."[6]. The 99th Infantry Division was formed in 1942 and deployed overseas in 1944. The ferocious assault caught the Allies off-guard and the rapid German advance famously caused a bulge on Allied maps. [2] Historian John S.D. [6], The regiment's (3rd Battalion) earned the sobriquet Butler's Battlin' Blue Bastards derived from the name of its single commander, its special fighting abilities, the battalion's color designation, and because the regiment was often lent out and belonged to no one. The buck's head was used to indicate the allocation of the organization to the mountainous section of Pennsylvania, where deer abound. I never dreamed that we would have a defensive position of this size without any backup or help from our division or regiment. The 99th Infantry Division received recruits from the ASTP program (Army Specialized Training Program, to make up for the personnel shortages in front line units during 1944. They engaged in division-level maneuvers in July 1944. Shield The 395th Infantry, Organized Reserves, was organized in 1921. Crest That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Army Reserve: From a wreath Argent and Azure, the Lexington Minute Man Proper. While an RSC is allowed to wear the insignia and use the same number as a previous infantry division, it is not entitled to its lineage and honors. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. Due to the dwindling attendance over the years, the decision was made to hold the final convention in 2011. His World War II story. A U.S. Army World War II division was configured as a Triangular division, with three regimental maneuver elements. Hfen-Monschau was vital to the operations success because the nearby road junctions would enable rapid movement of tanks. The black represents the iron from the mills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where many of the troops were from. 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. 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. Butler attended, but did not graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The division was reconstituted in the Organized Reserve on 24 June 1921 and assigned to the western half of the state of Pennsylvania. The US Armys 99th Infantry Division, recently arrived in Europe and untested in combat, was assigned to the northern shoulder of the Allied front line in the Ardennes Forest. The 3rd Battalion, 395th Regiment had acquitted itself with valor, having held its lines despite the harsh winter weather, the enemy's numerical superiority and greater numbers of armored units. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. [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. German assaults in the heavily wooded area in front of the villages pushed the 99ers out of the woods and caused them to flee, many in disarray, back through the twin villages of Krinkelt and Rocherath behind them. The division was also known as the "Battle Babies" during 1945, a sobriquet coined by a United Press correspondent when the division was first mentioned in press reports during the Battle of the Bulge. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. The 99th Infantry Division, on December 12, . 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. General Eisenhower and his staff chose the Ardennes region, held by the First Army, as an area that could be held by as few troops as possible. American artillery fired at pre-registered locations along the German route of advance, and along with support from in the knick of time arriving American armor halted and turned the German advance into a retreat. Through their stories, we gain a glimpse into the challenges they faced, the horrors they endured, and the triumphs they achieved. The town of Kuckhof cost the battalion dearly, with more than fifty casualties inflicted on one company alone (I Company). 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. "[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. [16], Following the 11 September 2001, terrorist attacks, the 99th mobilized large numbers of Army Reserve Soldiers. Organization and training began in October but were not complete by the time the war ended in November 1918, so the division was demobilized in early 1919. Delbert followed a communication training and became enlisted radio repairman. The Germans would never take Hfen, nor most of their other ambitious objectives in the Ardennes, due in large part to the soldiers of 3/395 and the 99th ID as a whole. The terrain was open and rolling, and over six weeks the 3rd Battalion prepared dug-in positions that possessed good fields of fire. The 395th Infantry had mostly held their lines, and now with the battle hardened 2nd Infantry Division on the way to back them up, the lines of defense near Elsenborn appeared to be significantly harder to pierce. The division headquarters was organized in November 1921. 449, U.S. ARMY 15 January 1945 SUBJECT: History of Medical Detachment, 395th Infantry Regiment, 1 December to 31 December 1944. T. E. Piersall and Pfc. 395th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment (99th Infantry . The 99th then moved to Schwarzenau, on 3 April, and attacked the southeast sector of the Ruhr Pocket on the 5th. Medical Detachment, 395th Infantry A. P. O. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 This was the road network the Germans needed to meet their objectives. The enemy was moving through large gaps in the lines, and Americans were either being captured or killed in enormous numbers or retreating in disarray and panic. The Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon, 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Division was the most decorated platoon for a single action of World War II. As the American defenders began to assess casualties and ammunition supplies, the 12th SS hit them again. 395 th Regiment Constituted 23 July 1918 in the National Army as the 395th Infantry and assigned to the 99th Division Demobilized 30 November 1918 Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the. The division insignia is a three lined checkerboard design of blue and white 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. It then intersected a main eastwest road at Bullingen. 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. [1] The last drive began on 23 April. Sgt. The Medal of Honor was awarded T/Sgt Vernon McGarity, Company L, 393rd Infantry, 99th Infantry Division, for actions taken near Krinkelt, Belgium, on 16 December 1944 during the opening phases of the Ardennes Offensive. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. He returned to Illinois and in 1933 was commissioned a second lieutenant in the National Guard. 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.. The regiment arrived at Camp Van Dorn in early December. After clearing towns west of the Rhine, it crossed the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen on the 11th. These two German divisions directed their fury against the 395th early on the morning of the December 17. Under the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! The buck's head was used to indicate the allocation of the organization to the mountainous section of Pennsylvania, where deer abound. Lineage and Honors Information as of 12 January 2018, CHARLES R. BOWERY, JR.Chief of Military History, Constituted 23 July 1918 in the National Army as the 395th Infantry and assigned to the 99th Division, Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the Organized Reserves as the 395th Infantry and assigned to the 99th Division (later redesignated as the 99th Infantry Division), Organized in November 1921 with Headquarters at Franklin, Pennsylvania, Ordered into active military service 15 November 1942 and reorganized at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi, Inactivated 29 September 1945 at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts, (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 75th Division (Training Support); 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions concurrently allotted to the Regular Army, Regiment reorganized 2 November 2008 as a parent regiment under the United States Army Regimental System; concurrently 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions relieved from assignment to the 75th Division (Training Support), Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at the Siegfried Line, Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at Elsenborn Crest, Army Superior Unit Award, Streamer embroidered 2008-2011, Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes, Presidential Unit Citation (Army), Streamer embroidered ARDENNES. During the first morning of the Battle of the Bulge, they defended a key road junction in the vicinity of the Losheim Gap. Mission of the 395th Infantry Regiment I. Ordered into active military service: 15 November 1942 Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. The failure to breach the 99th IDs sector stalled the entire German advance and a decisive breakthrough was never achieved. The 99th Infantry's report stated that 1,500 Jews were "living under terrible conditions and approximately 600 required hospitalization due to starvation and disease.". Told it was the 3rd Battalion, 395th Infantry, he said, "It must have been one of your best formations." Earl Denzil Reese April 13th, 1945 - A combat engineer snapped this series of photos while riding on back of a truck during the Battle of the Ruhr Pocket. 394th Infantry Regiment Co. A, first platoon This is my Dad's story. [12] For their part, the German army was planning a seven-day campaign to seize Antwerp. This required the corps commander to draw on an infantry battalion from another division, and because of the reputation the 395th had earned at Hfen, it was transferred often to various divisions, including the 9th Infantry Division, the 3rd Armored Division, and the 7th Armored Division. The inexperienced troops of the division were lodged on the northern shoulder of the Ardennes Offensive on 16 December. The insignia was devised upon the 99th's formation in 1942 when the division was headquartered in the city of Pittsburgh. Category: 395thIR On this page, we honor the memory of the men of the 99th Infantry Division and pay tribute to their extraordinary contributions to the war effort. On at least six different occasions the battalion was forced to place artillery concentrations dangerously close to its own positions in order to repulse penetrations and restore its lines . The statue of the Minute Man, Captain John Parker, (H.H.Kitson, sculptor), stands on the common in Lexington, Massachusetts. Two months later, when the 99th Division was transferred to VII Corps under Maj. Gen. Walter E. Lauer, the commanding officer of V Corps, Maj. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner, wrote him: The 99th Infantry Division arrived in this theater without previous combat experience early in November 1944. The Battle of the Bulge was the largest battle ever fought by the United States Army. On 17 October 1999, the 3rd Battalion, 395th Regiment was reactivated as an Armor Training Support (TS) Battalion. Hfen, along with the nearby town of Monschau, was strategically vital because it sat on elevated terrain overlooking an important road junction. Because of Major Butler's success in leading his battalion in successful night attacks during the war, which the U.S. Army handbook did not recommend, the French army later asked him to write a paper on battalion-size night attacks.[6]. The 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, arrived in England on 10 October 1944. Any delay would jeopardize the plan to cross the Meuse River and advance on Antwerp before the skies cleared and the Allies regained their balance. On 2 March 1945, the division took the offensive, moving toward Cologne and crossing the Erft Canal near Glesch. In the opening days of the Battle of the Bulge, Robert's regiment was on the front lines in the Losheim Gap. Score: 4.8/5 (10 votes) . The retreat turned into a route as the German tanks, two less due to a duel with two American Shermans, rolled unmolested down the street in the village. It had its headquarters at Franklin, Pennsylvania, and drew its personnel from Pennsylvania. 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. : 33 On at least six occasions they called in . Battle of the Bulge 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 unit reported on May 4 that it had "liberated 3 labor camps and 1 concentration camp." 395 Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment (99th Infantry Division) Report, January 1945. The 5th replaced the 4 th Infantry Division on December 23 rd, and pushed the Germans back to the Sauer River. Butler's great-grandfather, General John Alexander McClernand, commanded infantry during the Civil War. 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. Peipers right flank had to be secured and the Americans in that region had to be destroyed. [16], The U.S. Army Center of Military History states that the 99th RSC does not perpetuate the lineage and honors of the 99th Infantry Division. 26 (Unit Commendations)", The 99th Infantry Division During World War II, "Battle Babies: The Story of the 99th Infantry Division", Office of the Chief of Military History Department of the Army, http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cbtchron.html, Battle Babies: The Story of the 99th Infantry Division, Checkerboard, official publication of 99th Infantry Division Association, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=99th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)&oldid=1131083137, Infantry divisions of the United States Army, United States Army divisions during World War II, Military units and formations established in 1918, Infantry divisions of the United States Army in World War II, Military units and formations disestablished in 1945, United States Army divisions of World War I, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. When hostilities ceased on 7 May 1945, the regiment had during six months of fighting experienced 300 percent turnover due to casualties. So I stayed in the village overnight. After the battalion was inactivated on 29 September 1945, its colors remained folded for more than fifty years. Notable. The blue and white are taken from the coat of arms for William Pitt for whom Pittsburgh was named. It was redesignated for the 395th Regiment on 7 June 1999. 99th Infantry Division Historical Society 99th Infantry Division Battle Babies The 99th Infantry Division, nicknamed "Battle Babies" and compromised of the 393rd, 394th, 395th Infantry Regiments and supporting units, spent approximately 151 days in combat during World War Two. 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. The 99th Infantry Division, nicknamed Battle Babies and compromised of the 393rd, 394th, 395th Infantry Regiments and supporting units, spent approximately 151 days in combat during World War Two. "[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. The 394th Infantry Regiment was established on 23 July 1918 as the 394th Infantry and assigned to the 99th Division as a member of the National Army. Crossing on the 23d, it pushed east on the Koln-Frankfurt highway to Giessen. 2nd and 3rd Battalion cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes. One Wehrmacht officer captured at Hfen asked his interrogators which unit had defended the town. The rapid advance did not deter the men of the 38th Infantry Regiment, however, who put up a fierce defense. Honor Roll - 99th Infantry Division "They shall not grow old, As we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, Nor the years condemn. The 395th Infantry had mostly held their lines, and now with the battle hardened 2nd Infantry Division on the way to back them up, the lines of defense near Elsenborn appeared to be significantly harder to pierce. [11] They continued to Linz am Rhein and to the Wied River. The 395th Regiment's success earned it many difficult assignments. But the infantry often bore worse casualties than the tanks did and had to be replaced and reinforced more quickly. 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. The German armor, with SS Panzergrenadiers riding on their decks, clattered down the icy roads of Rocherath and headed for Krinkelt, only a stones throw away. Those Germans who made it into the town itself were quickly mopped up. Later that night, another enemy assault was similarly unsuccessful. "[9]:79, The battalion dug in, its purpose to hold the line so that other units could attack key dams across the Roer River. 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. There Major Butler collapsed due to exhaustion on 30 April, and Lt. Col. J. To make circumstances worse, just beyond the bloodied-but-not-beaten Volksgrenadiers waited the tanks of the 6th Panzer Army. Their success in defending Hfen resulted in the 395th Infantry being repeatedly assigned to other divisions for difficult assignments during the remainder of the war, earning them the sobriquet, Butler's Blue Battlin' Bastards. The Allied victory against the Axis was a long journeyone that actually took much longer than the war itself. The Germans were operating under a tight timetable, however, and the assaults center of gravitythe 6th Panzer Armyhad only one day to breach the 99th IDs line.
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