This copy of the History of the 558th FA Battalion was reproduced by the Military Department, State of Colorado. It was copied from the original history as prepared by Lt Gilbert Hahn upon request of the Historical Section of the Artillery School. Their request was predicated on the basis that the original cadre came from a Colorado unit – the 983rd Field Artillery Battalion. It would be amiss if we failed to mention the great contribution by the State of Utah from whence came the bulk of the fine young men that filled the ranks. The States of Tennessee, Washington, Oregon and California each sent sizeable contingents; however, most States were represented by one or two.
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The US 10th Armored Division was activated on July 15 1942 at Fort Benning Georgia and moved on June 24 1943 to the Second Army #2 Tennessee Maneuvres.
The 7th Armored Division was activated on Mar 1 1942 at Camp Polk, Louisiana and moved Sep 15 1942 to the IV Corps Louisiana Maneuvers. It returned to Camp Polk on Nov 9 1942, arrived then Mar 11 1943 at the Desert Training Center for the #2 California Maneuvers, was transferred Aug 12 1943 to Fort Benning, Georgia and arrived at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts on Apr 22 1944.
The 6th Armored Division was activated on Feb 15 1942 at Fort Knox, Kentucky then moved to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas on March 15 to participate (Aug 25 1942) to the VIII Corps Louisiana Maneuvers.
There is something I would like to say about the 106th Infantry Division. In Belgium, as witnesses on what happened during the Battle of the Bulge, we are able to do a parallel between the 2 Inf Regts (422-423/106th Infantry Division) surrounded around the hight grounds in the Schoenberg – Armelscheid – Bleialf area and the 101st Airborne Division surrounded in the vicinity of Bastogne for 6 days. If Commanding General 1st Army would have done it the same way with the 101st A/B as they did with the 106th Inf Div, the US Army would have lost over 14000 men captured and not 6800. The 101st Troopers in Bastogne were all veterans of Normandy and Holland and they knew all the tricks used by the Germans in this perdiod. The had already face SS Troops, SS Panzer, Luftfaffe, Panzer and Wermacht Troops. In comparison, the entire 106th Infantry Division had on December 1944 neither shot a single 30.06 bullet at the Germans nor had faced a combat against the Germans.
Dear Gunter, the press request 99th got had me find this which will be of interest to you and your website. You will get detailed explanation with my letters home of going into Army and joining the 99th Infantry Battalion Separate, the 99th Formation and Training. Followed by full write up the Belgian Ardenne or Battle of the Bulge done with nearly hundreds of quotes from 99ers. What follows is from my November 2007 99th Informations and Newsletter. Below are quotes from many of my Dad’s letters written during the War many and perhaps even most of your readers know of 99er letters written during the War.
Stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the 2nd Infantry Division was sent to maneuvers at Christine, Texas from January 3rd to January 27th 1940 then at Horton, Texas from April 26th to May 28th 1940. In August 1940, from the 16th to 23rd, the 2nd Division was sent to Cravens, Louisiana, and from June 1st to June 14th 1941, the Division participated in the VIII Corps, Brownwood, Maneuvers at Comanche, Texas. It was then sent to Mansfield, Louisiana, for the Louisiana Maneuvers of August and September 1941. On June 27th 1942, the 2nd Division was sent back to Fort Sam, Houston, Texas for the VIII Corps Louisiana Maneuvers and was re-designated 2nd Infantry Division on August 1st 1942. On September 22nd 1942 the 2nd moved to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, then staged at Camp Shanks, New York, October 3rd 1943 until departed the New York POE, October 8th 1943. The 2nd Infantry Division arrived in England on October 18th 1943, landed in Normandy, France on June 7th 1944, crossed into Belgium on September 29th 1944 and finally into Germany on October 3rd 1944. After the Battle of the Bulge and the Germany Campaign, the 2nd entered Czechoslovakia May 4th 1945 and after VE Day the Division returned to the New York POE on July 20th 1945. It moved to Camp Swift, Texas, July 22nd 1945. A little while later, it moved to Camp Stoneman, California, March 28th 1946 and arrived finally at Fort Lewis, Washington, on April 15th 1946.
