Activated on Jun 1 1940 as the 4th Division at Fort Benning, Georgia the Division was reorganized as 4th Division (Motorized) on Aug 1 1940 then as 4th Motorized Division in Jul 11 1941. It moved then to Dry Prong Louisiana, on Aug 1 1941 for IV Corps Louisiana Maneuvers and returned to Fort Benning Aug 27 1941. It moved then to Fort Jackson South Carolina Oct 30 1941 for the First Army Carolina Maneuvers and arrived back to Fort Benning on Dec 3 1941. On Dec 29, the 4th Division arrived at Camp Gordon, Georgia and, finally, went to Carolina Maneuver Area on Jul 7 1942. The 4th Division returned to Camp Gordon on Aug 31 1942 and moved to Fort Dix, New Jersey on Apr 12 1943 where it was re-designated to 4th Infantry Division on Aug 4 1943. Sent, then, to Camp Gordon Johnston, Florida on Sept 19 1943 for the III Corps Carrabelle Maneuvers the 4th was sent to Fort Jackson South Carolina on Dec 1 1943 and staged at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on Jan 4 1944 until departed New York POE on Jan 18 1944. The Division landed in England on Jan 26 1944 and was ready to start fighting
Feb
03
2009
Category : 001st AD : OOB, 001st Armored, US Army - World War 2
Colonel Daniel Van Voorhis took a cadre of 175 Officers and Enlisted Men from Fort Eustis to Fort Knox in February 1932 and established a Provisional Armored Car Platoon. This was based on an earlier effort, but was predicated on a new Cavalry Regiment which was published that year. Also published, but never implemented, was a Cavalry Division which reflected the – then – unnatural assimilation of machines into the Horse Cavalry. Van Voorhis’s cadre and platoon became the kernel for the 7th Cavalry Brigade, which went active on March 1, 1932 at Fort Knox. At first, it was nothing more than a headquarters detachment and the Armored Car Platoon. On Jan 3, 1933, the 1st Cavalry Regiment was relieved from assignment to the 1st Cavalry Division, and was moved from Fort A D Russell to Fort Knox. The earlier Mechanized Platoon was incorporated into the new Regimental TO & E (Table of Organization & Equipment), and the result was the 1st Cavalry Regiment (Mechanized), which went active on January 16, 1933.
The new Regimental commander was Col Van Voorhis, late of the experimental Mechanized Force, while the executive officer was Adna Chaffee. The Post Commander of Fort Knox was Brig Gen Julian R. Lindsey, another cavalryman.
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