Order of Battle - 3rd Armd Div 1944

Activated on April 15 1941 at Camp Beauregard the 3rd moved to Camp Polk Louisiana on June 11 1941 and was transferred to Camp Young California on July 26 1942 for the Desert Training Center II Armored Corps California Maneuvers. It moved then to Camp Pickett Virginia on November 2 1942 and arrived Indiantown Gap Mil Reservation Pennsylvania on January 21 1943.
The 3rd Armored Division staged at Camp Kilmer New Jersey on August 26 1943 until departed New York Port of Embacation on September 5 1943 and arrived England on September 18 1943. The division landed then in France on June 23 1944; crossed into Belgium on September 1944 and entered Germany on September 15 1944.
It returned to Belgium on December 20 1944 and re-entered Germany on February 7 1945. The 3rd Armored Division was inactivated on November 10 1945.

Commanders :
Maj Gen Alvin C. Gillem (April 1942 - January 1942)
Maj Gen Walton H. Walker (January 1942 - August 1942)
Maj Gen Leroy H. Watson (August 1942 - August 1944)
Maj Gen Maurice Rose (August 1944 - March 1945)
Brig Gen Doyle O. Hickey (March 1945 - June 1945)
Brig Gen Truman E. Boudinot (June 1945 - July 1945)
Brig Gen Frank A. Allen Jr (Jylu 1945 - July 1945)
Maj Gen Robert W. Grow) (July 1945 to inactivation)

Casualties :
Killed in Action : 1810 - Wounded in Action 6963 - Died of Wounds : 316

Order of Battle : 3rd Armored Division 1944
32nd Armored Regiment
33rd Armored Regiment
36th Armored Infantry Regiment
54th Armored Field Artillery Regiment
67th Armored Field Artillery Regiment
391st Field Armored Artillery Regiment
143rd Armored Signal Corps Company
23rd Armored Engineer Battalion
83rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
Service Company, 3rd Armored Division
Division Trains :
- Headquarters & Headquaters Company
- Maintenance Battalion
- Supply Battalion
- 45th Armored Medical Battalion
- 503rd Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment
643rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (att 22-12-1944 - 26-12-1944)
703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (att 25-06-1944 - 17-12-1944 & 02-01-1945 - 09-05-1945)
803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (att 25-06-1944 - 02-07-1944)
413th AAA Gun Battalion (att 07-07-1944 - 16-07-1944)
486th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion (att 25-06-1944 - 09-05-1945)

Combat Narrative 3rd Armored Division (Shelby L. Stanton)

The 3rd Armored Division arrived in Normandy France on June 23 1944 and entered combat against the Villiers - Fossard salient north-east of St Lô June 29 - 30 1944. CCB crossed into the Airel Bridgehead on July 7 and the division reached the Haut-Vents crossroads after heavy combat by July 11.
CCB passed through the 1st Infantry Division to seize Marigny July 26, and CCA forced a crossing of the Sienne at Gavray on July 30. It then secured a crossing of the Seé at Brécey July 31 and on August 1, CCB attacked toward St Pois.
The division assembled August 12 and the next day swung around Domfront toward the Vire - Argentan Road to close the Falaise Gap, capturing Ranes after heavy combat on August 15. It fought through Fromenthal August 16 - 17, and on August 25 CCB crossed the Seine River below Paris at Tilly.
The division crossed the Marne River in the Mieux area and continued to pursue against disorganized resistance, crossing the Aisne River east of Soissons on August 29 then entered Belgium. Advancing east from Namur astride the Meuse, the division seized Huy September 6, mopped up Liege September 8, took Verviers against rearguard resistance, and reached the West Wall at Schmidthof on September 12 1944.

The division breached the West Wall fortifications between Roetgen and Rott with CCB on September 13 as CCA pushed through antitank obstacles to Nutheim. CCB crossed the Vicht River southwest of Stolberg September 14 as CCA reached Eilendorf, a suburb of Aachen.
On September 15 the division encountered the second belt of West Wall defenses where it suffered heavy tank losses in the Battle of Geisberg Hill which commenced that same day, as CCB took but was forced out of Mausbach. The next day CCA was halted in its advance on Stolberg, and CCB finally took Geisberg Hill on September 17 and then was forced off.
The division then fought the Battle for Weissenberg Hill and Muensterbusch Hill September 18 - 20. Stolberg finally fell September 22, as the division postponed its West Wall offensive and used smoke screens to withdraw CCB task forces from Donnerberg. The division was next committed to clearing the Lousberg Heights and cutting the Aachen - Laurensberg Highway October 18 - 28 1944.
The division attacked the Stolberg corridor on November 16 and took heavy tank losses at Hastenrath and Scherpenseel which fell November 18. The division took Huecheln after battling through a minefield on November 24, then attacked to clear the west bank of the Roer River on December 10. It
took Geich the next clay. As a result of the German Ardennes Counteroffensive, CCA went in defense of Eupen, CCB assisted 30th Infantry Division, and assembled then in the Hotton - Grand Pré area on December 19. CCB attacked then Stoumont and La Gleize on December 20 while the remainder of the division attacked to secure the Manhay - Houffalize Road.
The 3rd Armored contained a German attack at Hotton, but lost a key road junction southeast of Manhay on December 23 1944. The following day its roadblock at Belle Haie was reduced and the 3rd attacked to take Grandménil December 25 - 26, and CCA recovered Sadzot after its temporary loss on December 28.
After the 83rd Infantry Division took over this zone at the end of the month, the division attacked toward Houffalize on January 3 1945. Fighting across the Groumont Creek, the Bois de Groumont, and into Provedroux by January 8, the 83rd Inf Div attacked through its lines the next day. The 3rd then attacked into Bihain January 12, reached the Ourthe River January 19 and seized Gouvy and Beho on January 22 1945.
The 3rd Armored attacked out of the Elle River bridgehead February 26 and gained two bridgeheads at Giesch and Paffendorf the next day over the Erft River. After repulsing counterattacks, the division attacked out on March 3 and took Stommeln with air support.
It reached the Rhine River at Roggendorf and Worringen March 4 and fought the Battle for Cologne March 5 - 7 assisted by the 104th Infantry Division.

After maintaining defensive positions, it crossed the Rhine March 23 and attacked again March 25. It reached the Lahn River at Marburg March 28 and then closed the Ruhr Pocket after the Battle of Paderborn March 31 - April 1. The division reached the Weser River on April 7 and the Mulde River near Torten April 15. It fought the Battle for Dessau April 21 - 23 and was relieved along the Mulde April 25. It withdrew to Sangerhausen for rehabilitation April 26 and hostilities ended May 7 1945.