Order of Battle - 2nd Inf Div 1944

Stationed at Fort Sam Houston Texas, the 2nd Infantry Division was sent to maneuvers at Christine Texas January 3 - 27 1940 then at Horton Texas April 26 to May 28 1940. The 2nd was sent to Cravens Louisiana August 16 - 23 1940.

The 2nd Infantry Division participated in the VIII Corps Brownwood Texas Maneuvers June 1 - 14 1941 at Comanche Texas and was sent to Mansfield Louisiana from August 11 to October 2 1941 for the Louisiana Maneuvers of August and September 1941.
The Division was then transferred from Fort Sam Houston Texas to the VIII Corps Louisiana Maneuvers on July 27 1942 and was re-designated 2nd Infantry Division on August 1 1942. It returned to Fort Sam Houston Texas on September 22 1942 and moved to Camp McCoy Wisconsin on November 27 1942. It then staged at Camp Shanks New York on October 3 1943 until departed the New York Port of Embarcation October 8 1943.
The 2nd arrived in England on October 18 1943 and landed in Normandy, France on June 7 Jun 1944. The division then crossed into Belgium on September 29 1944 and Germany on October 3 1944.
After the Battle of the Bulge and the Germany Campaign, the 2nd Inf Div entered Czechoslovakia on May 4 1945.
After VE Day, the Division returned to the New York Port of Embarkation on July 20 1945 and moved to Camp Swift Texas on July 22 1945. It moved then to Camp Stoneman California on March 28 1946 and arrived finally at Fort Lewis Washington on April 15 1946.

Casualties

Killed in Action : 3031 - Wounded in Action : 12785 - Died of Wounds : 457

Commanding Officers

Major General John C. H. Lee (November 1941 - May 1942)
Major General Walter M. Robertson (May 1942 - June 1945)
Brigadier General William K. Harrison (June 1945 - September 1945)
Major General (Edward M. Almond (September 1945)

Order of Battle - 2nd Infantry Division - 1944

9th Infantry Regiment
23rd Infantry Regiment
38th Infantry Regiment
HHB Division Artillery
12th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)
15th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
37th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
38th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
2nd Reconnaissance Troop, Mecz
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion
2nd Medical Battalion
2nd Counter Intelligence Corps Det
Hqs Company, 2nd Infantry Division
Headquarters Special Troops
Military Police Platoon
2nd Quartermaster Company
2nd Signal Corps Company
702nd OD Light Maint Co
741st Tank Battalion (attached 15 Jun 44 - 17 Aug 44 & 3 Oct 44 - 8 May 45)
759th Tank Battalion (attached 18 Jun 44 - 28 Jun 44 & 27 July 44 - 5 Aug 44)
612th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 14 Jun 44 - 9 May 45)
629th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 30 Oct 44 - 2 Dec 44)
644th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 12 Dec 44 - 27 Jan 45)
462nd AAA Auto-Wpns Battalion (attached 16 Jun 44 - 17 Aug 44 & 3 Oct 44 - 8 May 45)

2nd Infantry Division Narratives (Shelby S. Stanton)

The division landed on the evening of June 7 1944 across Omaha Beach France and was committed in the Forêt de Cerisy and next attacked across the Elle and Aure Rivers. It assaulted the German strong point position on top of Hill 192 which commanded the approaches to St Lô on June 12 1944.
Fierce fighting for Hill 192 continued through June and into July, and when the division finally took it on July 11 1944 it gained contraI of the St Lô highway also.
After regrouping the division went on the offensive again July 27 1944 and took Notre Dame d’Elle as it exploited the St Lô breakthrough. It advanced to the Vire River by August 4 1944 and halted to allow XIX Corps to cross its front and take Vire itself. The division advanced across the Vire and took Tinchebray on August 15 1944.
On August 17 1944 it moved west into Brittany and on the 25 began the assault on the strong outer defenses of the German fortified city of Brest. By September 2 1944 it had seized Hill 105 which dominated the eastern approaches. The all-out attack on Brest commenced September 8 1944 and the division gained the old city wall by September 17 1944.
The city surrendered after a 39-day battle.

On September 26 1944 the division moved by rail and motor and took up defensive positions at St Vith. The 106th Infantry Division took over its positions in the Schnee Eifel on December 11 1944, and the division shifted to begin its offensive for the Roer and Urft Dams on December 13 1944.

However, the German Ardennes counteroffensive forced the division to shift positions again to the Monschau Forest December 16 1944. Under heavy attack, the division withdrew to defensive positions along the Elsenborn Ridge until the German drive was halted.
The 23rd Infantry Regiment was attached to help the 1st Infantry Division clear Iveldingen and Rohrbusch on January 15 1945.
The division itself began its attack to breach the West Wall on January 30 1945 45 and captured Krinkelt and Rocherath the following day.
On February 1 1945 the division resumed the offensive for the Roer and Urft River dams and after gaining Scheuren on February 5, consolidated and switched sectors with the 9th Infantry Division.

On March 3, the division crossed the Roer River with the 38th Inf Regt in the lead at Heimbach, while the 23rd Inf Regt occupied Malsbenden. The 38th Inf Regt took Gemund March 4 after it overran stubborn pillbox nests along the Urft River’s northern banks.
Mounted on tanks and tank destroyers, soldiers of the 9th and 23rd Inf Regts gained seven miles toward Ahr and cleared 25 towns, enabling the 23rd Inf Regt to take the Kreuzbach Bridge intact on March 7 1945. Then the division moved south to take Breisig March 11.
It improved positions along the Rhine and guarded the Remagen Bridge from March 12 to March 20 1945.

At 0400 on March 21, the division crossed the Rhine River and the 38th Inf Regt cleared the region between the Rhine and Wied Rivers, Datzeroth, and Segendorf. The 23rd Inf Regt crossed the Rhine on March 23 and the 38th Inf Regt fought to expand its Wied Bridgehead while attached to the 9th Armored Division.
With the 9th and 23rd Inf Regts in the lead, the division took Ransbach and other towns March 26 on the north flank of V Corps.
By March 27 1945 it finished mopping up stragglers and clearing its zone. It next moved to Hadamar and Limburg to join the 9th Armored Division and moved rapidly forward on their tanks and vehicles, reaching positions just north of Ederstau See by the end of the month.
The division concentrated in the Sachsenhausen area, mopped up, and took responsibility for the Eder Bridges near Affoldern on April 1 1945.
It went into the attack April 5 to take the Weser River heights north of Hann and Muenden. The 23rd Inf made the Weser River crossing at Veckerhagen, the division following on the tanks of the 9th Armored Division and making fast progress.
On April 14 1945 the 9th and 23rd Inf Regts established a bridgehead across the Saale using a damaged railroad bridge, cleared Merseburg April 15, and captured Leipzig April 19. It was then ordered to withdraw to the east bank of the Mulde River on April 24 1945.

The division next moved 200 miles May 1 - 3 to the German-Czech border near Schonsee and Waldmungen where it relieved the 97th and 99th Infantry Divisions. It was attacking Pilsen when hostilities ceased by order on May 7 1945.