The 9th Infantry Division was activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on August 1, 1940 as the 9th Division then it participated in both October and November 1941 Carolina Maneuvers and was sent later to amphibious training under the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Corps.
Re-designated as 9th Infantry Division on August 1 1942, the division left Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and was sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey on November 25 1942.
On December 11 1942, the 9th Infantry Division departed the New York Port of Embarkation and landed in North Africa on December 25 1942, less elements of the division which assaulted on November 8 1942 in Casablanca. From there, the 9th Infantry Division arrived in Palermo, Sicily on July 31 1943 and was sent back to England on Novermber 25 1943.
The division landed then in France on June 10 1944, crossed into Belgium on September 2 1944 and entered Germany on September 14 1944 where it remained active thru 1946.
9th Infantry Division – Casualties
Killed in Action : 3856
Wounded in Action : 17416
Died of Wounds : 648
9th Infantry Division – Commanders
- Col Charles B. Elliot : Aug 1940 – Sep 1940
- Brig Gen Francis W. Honeycutt : Sep 1940 – Oct 1940
- Maj Gen Jacob L. Devers : Oct 1940 – Aug 1941
- Maj Gen Rene E. Der Hoyle : Aug 1941 – Aug 1942
- Maj Gen Manton S. Eddy : Aug 1942 – Aug 1944
- Maj Gen Louis A. Craig : Aug 1944 – May 1945
- Maj Gen Jesse A. Ladd : May 1945 – Deactivation
9th Infantry Division Order of Battle 1944-1945
Headquarters & Headquarters Company 9th Infantry Division
Headquarters & Headquarters Battery Division Artillery
Headquarters Special Troops
Military Police Platoon
9th Signal Company
9th Quartermaster Company
9th Medical Battalion
9th Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment
9th Reconnaissance Troop Mecz
15th Engineer Combat Battalion
26th Field Artillery Battalion (105-MM)
34th Field Artillery Battalion (155-MM)
39th Infantry Regiment
47th Infantry Regiment
60th Infantry Regiment
60th Field Artillery Battalion (105-MM)
84th Field Artillery Battalion (105-MM)
376th AAA-AW Battalion (at Jun 13 1944 – May 26 1945)
413th AAA Gun Battalion (at Dec 20 1944 – Jan 3 1945)
629th Tank Destroyer Battalion (at Aug 16 1944 – Aug 25 1945)
709th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
746th Tank Battalion (at Jun 13 1944 – Jul 10 1945)
899th Tank Destroyer Battalion (at Jun 19 1944 – Jul 24 1944)
9th Infantry Division Combat Narrative
The 9th Infantry Division landed in North Africa on November 8 1942, the 39th Infantry Regiment landing east of Algiers near Cap Matifou, the 47th Infantry Regiment taking Safi, and the 60th Infantry Regiment landing at Mehdia and encountering heavy resistance in its attempt to take Port-Lyautey airfield. Upon the sudden collapse of French opposition the division took its objectives November 11 1942 and then patrolled along the Moroccan borders. It then returned to Tunisia in February 1943, engaging in small defensive actions and patrols.
On March 12 1943 it attached it’s 60-IR to the 1-AD which took Sened Station on March 21 1943.
The division entered action as a whole for the first time on March 28 1943 in southern Tunisia. The 47-IR attempted to attack from Djebel Berdi which had been abandoned by 1-ID, to try to force a gap for the passage of 1-AD, but the assault was repulsed with heavy losses. The division failed to take Hill 772 and on April 11 was moved north and took over the British 46th Division sector.
Reinforced by the Corps Français d’Afrique, the 9-ID attacked toward the Jefna positions on April 23 and the 60-IR took Djebel Dardyss the next day. After sustained combat the 39-IR seized Hill 382 north of Jefna at the end of the month, and the 60-IR occupied Kef en Nsour on May 2 1943 as the Germans withdrew to Bizerte. The 47-IR cleared the hills north of Djebel Cheniti and on May 8, entered Bizerte itself.
The 39-IR was sent to Sicily on July 15 and the entire division arrived at Palermo on August 1. It assembled at Nicosia on August 4 and replaced 1-ID on Aug 7 then began the drive on Randazzo.
Next it took part in the offensive toward Messina, and afterward moved to England on November 25 1943 to prepare for the invasion of France.
The division landed across Utah Beach France on June 10 1944 (D+4) and the 39-IR forced the Germans back to the Quineville Ridge on June 12.
On June 14 the 60-IR initiated its attack toward St Colombe and the following day the 47-IR was committed to take high ground west of Orglandes. The division, reinforced with the 359-IR, attacked with four
regiments to establish a bridgehead across the Douve on June 16.
Advancing against disorganized opposition, the division reached the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula and sealed it off on June 17, blocking German flight south and inflicting heavy losses.
The division started the final assault on Cherbourg on June 19 with the 39-IR and the 60-IR which attacked the semicircular fortification belt on June 21.
The 39-IR captured the German fortress commander and Octeville on June 26 while the 47-IR cracked the arsenal the next day, ending resistance in the city.
On June 29 1944 the 47-IR and 60-IR attacked the Cap de la Hague Peninsula and secured it quickly.
The division arrived in the Taute sector from Cherbourg on July 9 and was hit by German armor which penetrated its lines in the Le Dézert region on July 11. The division pushed slowly against determined opposition as it approached St Lo. reaching the Periers – St Lo road on July 18. The 1-ID then passed through its lines into the attack on
Marigny on July 26. The division followed the 3-AD to occupy positions on the Fromental – Briouze area of highway links on August 17 and helped close the Falaise Gap.
On August 21, it was committed in a defensive role at Mortagne. The division crossed the Marne in the Mieux area on August 27, and continued pursuit with the 3-AD east to the Namur – Dinant region. It crossed at Dinant against strong German opposition and established a bridgehead on September 6. The 47-IR mopped up Liège while the division displaced to the Huy – Faimes vicinity on September 8. The
division assembled near Verviers in reserve September 11, and the 14, the 47-IR was sent to the Roetgen Forest while the 60-IR drove north across Germany’s border to secure Kalterherberg and the 39-IR assaulted the Scharnhorst Lipe past Lammersdorf.
By September 17 1944, the 47-IR had battered through the second band of the West Wall and taken Vicht and Shevenhütte. The 60-ID cleared Höffen on the Höffen – Alzen Ridge and the 39-IR reduced a
strong point after a three-day pitched battle.
The 60-IR engaged in close-quarters fighting in the Huertgen Forest vicinity, and the 39-IR took Hill 554 in the West Wall after heavy combat on September 29. Severe weather hampered continued fighting by the 60-IR, which was reinforced by the 39-IR, in the Huertgen area. Road Junction 471 in the forest was finally secured on October 14, but the division had been halted far short of its objective of Schmidt. The 28-ID relieved it, but the 47-IR attached to the 1-ID pushed through the Huertgen Forest on November 16.
On December 7, the division relieved the 1-ID in the Luchem – Langerwehe – Juengersdorf – Merode region. It returned to the offensive on December 10 with the 3-AD, and went forward to the Roer.
When the German Ardennes Counteroffensive struck, the division contained attacks on December 16 1944 toward Mariaweiler and Gürzenich. lt next relieved the 2-ID and the 99-ID and defended the Monschau area, restoring the Monschau Forest line by December 23 1944. It held the defensive sector from Kalterherberg to Elsenborn
through January 1945.
The division opened its next attack on the West Wall on January 30 1945 and had reached Röhren and the edge of the Monschauer Forest when it was sent to resume the Roer and Urft River dam offensive on February 1. The 39-IR and 60-IR reached the high ground southwest of Dreiborn while the 47-IR cleared heights near Hammer. After house-to-house fighting through several towns, the 47-IR seized Wollseifen and reached the Urft Lake and took Dam on February 7, the 9-ID
consolidated and was reinforced by both the 309-IR and 311-IR for the attack on Schwammenauel Dam which was captured by the former on February 9 as the 60-IR reached the Roer River’s banks.
The division then switched to the Huertgen Forest sector again and crossed the Roer near Boich on February 26. The reinforced 39-IR
pushed toward Thurn and Berg, followed by the 60-IR. The 47-IR crossed the Roer on February 28 and the division attacked toward the Rhine with the 9-AD. on 7 Mar 45 the division reached the Remagen bridgehead where the latter had seized the Ludendorf Railroad Bridge intact, and took over the site’s defense.
The division then crossed the Rhine with the 60-IR in the lead, and crossed the Wied River March 22, moving rapidly behind the 9-AD. It
reached the Lahn River on March 28 and established defensive positions.
on April 1 1945 the division was moved to block German escape from the Ruhr pocket, and next attacked with the 39-IR to clear the eastern portion of the Harz Mountains on April 14. On April 18, the 60-ID overran Maegdesprung and Friedrichsbrunn while the 47-IR cleared Opperode and the motorized 39-ID reached Quedlinburg.
Organized German resistance in the division’s sector ended on April 19 1945. On April 25 1945 the division relieved the 3-AD along the Mulde River near Dessau and held that line until hostilities were declared ended on May 7 1945.
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