Order of Battle - 3rd Inf Div 1944

Stationed at Fort Lewis Washington as the 3rd Division and moved to Fort Ord California Janvier 22 1940 and returned to Fort Lewis Washington May 19 1940 and moved to Hunter-Liggett Military Reservation California May 25 1941 for IX Corps California Maneuvers.

The 3rd returned to Fort Lewis on July 1 1941 and participated in Fourth Army Maneuvers there from August 15 to 30 1941. The Division was then transferred to Fort Ord California on May 1 1942 and was redesignated 3rd Infantry Division on August 1 1942. Sent to Camp Pickett Virginia on September 22 1942, it staged at Camp Patrick Henry Virginia on October 27 1942 and departed Hampton Roads PIE on the same date. The 3rd Infantry Division assaulted Fedala North Africa on November 8 1942, assaulted Sicily July 10 1943 and arrived Italy September 18 1943. On January 22 1944, the 3rd Inf assaulted Anzio and southern France on August 15 1944. The division entered Germany March 13 1945, arrived New York PIE September 4 1946 and arrived Camp Campbell Kentucky September 8 1946 where it was active thru 1946.

Casualties

Killed in Action : 4922 - Wounded in Action : 18766 - Died of Wounds : 636

Order of Battle - 3rd Infantry Division - 1944

HQs & HQs Co 3rd Infantry Division
7th Infantry Regiment
15th Infantry Regiment
30th Infantry Regiment
HQs & HQs Battery Division Artillery
9th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)
10th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
39th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
41st Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm)
Headquarters Special Troops
3rd Recon Troop Mecz
10th Engineer Combat Battalion
3rd Medical Battalion
3rd Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment
Military Police Platoon
703rd OD Light Maintenance Company
3rd Quartermaster Company
3rd Signal Corps Company
756th Tank Battalion (attached July 13 1944 - July 1 1945)
601st Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached July 13 1944 - July 1 1944)
441st AAA Auto-Wpns Battalion (attached July 13 1944 - June 29 1945)

3rd Infantry Division - Narratives - (Shelby L. Stanton)

The 3rd Infantry Division landed in North Africa northeast of Fedala on November 8 1942 and entered Casablanca on November 11 1942. Assigned the occupation of half of French Morocco, it arrived (less its 7th Infantry Regiment) behind the 1st Infantry Division for possible commitment on the Tunisian front, May 6 1943.
However, the division was soon pulled out to train for the pending operation against Sicily, which it assaulted July 10 1943. With the assistance naval gunfire, the division took Agrigento July 16 - 17 1943 and reached Palermo ahead of armored columns on July 22.
On August 1 1943 it relieved the 45th Infantry Division to drive east along the coastal highway.
Despite mines and demolitions the 15th Infantry Regiment, again assisted by naval gunfire, forced crossings over the Furiano River August 4 1943. The 7th Infantry Regiment landed ahead of the general advance and a battalion of the 30th Infantry Regiment repeated a coastal landing east of Agata on August 7 1943. This same battalion outflanked the retreating enemy by another successful landing at Capo d’Orlando August 10 1943.
The division ended the Sicilian campaign by racing its 7th Infantry Regiment into Messina, still under fire from the hostile Italian coast, August 16 1943.

Nine days after the invasion of Italy the division landed at Salerno and started north into the mountains, driving through Battipaglia to take Acerno September 22 1943. It captured Avellino in a night assault September 30 1943 and crossed the Volturno River east of Capua October 13 1943. It seized Cisterna October 15 1943 and then fought a furious ten-day battle for the Winter Line which commenced November 5 1943. Its 15th Infantry Regiment on Mont Lungo was relieved December 31 1943 by the 6th Armored Infantry Regiment.
The division assaulted Anzio, Italy, January 22 1944 and was heavily engaged for the next four weeks. After being prevented from achieving its objectives by the overwhelming German opposition in the area, the division was regrouped January 27 1944.
On January 29 1944 a German counterattack forced it back to the Mussolini Canal, but the division contained this threat. It defeated the final German attack on the Anzio perimeter in the Ponte Rotto sector on February 3 1944. It attacked out of the Anzio beachhead March 23 1944 and was designated at the garrison of Rome on June 4 1944, remaining in the latter city as Fifth Army Reserve.
The division landed in the Bay of Cavalaire and Pampelonne France August 15 1944 and cleared St Tropez by August 17 1944. The 15th and 30th Infantry Regiments swept down Highway 7 toward Toulon, and on August 24 1944 the division reached the Rhône River at Arles. It cleared rearguard opposition from Montélimar, was relieved at the end of the month, and assembled at Voiron.
On September 6 1944 it returned to attack and take Fort Fontain, opening the way to the outer defenses of Besançon, which fell to the division the following day.
On September 11 1944 the division invested Vesoul and reached the Moselle River, which it crossed over on a bridge round intact near Rupt at midnight September 23 1944. It then took over the St Amé area from the 36th Infantry Division.
Renewing the offensive on October 4 1944 the 7th Infantry Regiment assaulted Vageny which fell 3 days later as the 15th Infantry Regiment reduced a quarry strong point near Cleurie after a week-long battle. Advancing against formidable resistance toward St Dié, the division’s 15th Inf Regt seized Etival as German opposition crumbled on the Meurthe River.
The 7th and 30th Inf Regts crossed it in the Clairefontaine-St Michel area before dawn on November 20 1944 and spearheaded the drive on Strasbourg. The division emerged from Vosges onto the Alsatian Plain and entered Strasbourg November 27 1944 to relieve the French 2eme Division Blindée there.

On December 5 1944 the division began its attack toward the Maginot Line and cleared Bennwihr December 24 1944 after which it was relieved by the 28th Infantry Division. The division renewed its offensive against the Colmar Pocket again on January 26 1945 and crossed the Canal de Colmar supported by the French 5eme Division Blindee on January 29.
At the end of the month it took Horbourg and the 7th Inf Regt was at the outskirts of Colmar. It assaulted the West Wall Line March 18 1945, taking numerous pillboxes and bunkers, and the division seized the bridge at Zweibruecken intact on March 20 1945.
After saturation bombing of the hostile shore, the division. crossed the Rhine March 26 1945 and advanced rapidly to the Main which it crossed at Woerth on March 30.
In April the division moved into the Hohe Rhon Bills and opened its rapid advance on Nuremberg April 11 1945. The division entered the city 17 Apr 45 to take it block by block against determined resistance, finally clearing the heavily fortified city on April 21. The division began the drive toward Augsburg April 23 and relieved the 12th Armored Division at Dilligen Bridgehead.
Augsburg was captured by the 7th and 15th Inf Regts against light opposition April 28, and the next day the division initiated its push toward Munich.
On May 4 1945 the 7th Inf Regt crossed into Austria through Salzburg to Berchtesgaden, where the division was located when hostilities ceased on May 7 1945.