103rd Infantry Division (United States)
| 103d Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
 103rd Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia |
|
| Active | 1942–1945 |
| Country | USA |
| Allegiance | USA |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Nickname | Cactus Division (Special Designation)[1] |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Anthony C. McAuliffe |
| US infantry divisions (1939–present) | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 102nd Infantry Division | 104th Infantry Division |
The 103d Infantry Division ("Cactus Division"[1]) was a unit of the United States Army in World War II.
Contents |
[edit] World War II
- Activated: 15 November 1942
- Overseas: 6 October 1944
- Campaigns: Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, Central Europe
- Awards: Distinguished Service Cross (United States)-12; Distinguished Service Medal (United States)-1; Silver Star-299; LM-3; SM-14; BSM-2,669; AM-92
- Commanders: Maj. Gen. Charles C. Haffner, Jr. (November 1942 – January 1945), Maj. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe (January–July 1945), Brig. Gen. John N. Robinson (August 1945 to inactivation).
- Returned to U.S.: 10 September 1945
- Inactivated: 22 September 1945
[edit] Combat chronicle
The 103d Infantry Division arrived at Marseilles, France, 20 October 1944. It relieved the 3d Division at Chevry on 8 November, and attacked west of St. Dié, 16 November, in its drive through the Vosges Mountains. Meeting heavy resistance all the way, it crossed the Meurthe River, took St. Dié, 23 November and captured Diefenbach on 29 November and Selestat on 4 December.
The division crossed the Zintzel River at Griesbach, 10 December 1944. Pushing through Climbach, the 103d crossed the Lauter River into Germany, 15 December, and assaulted the outer defenses of the Siegfried Line. On 22 December, the division moved west to the Sarreguemines area where an active defense was maintained. The enemy offensive did not develop in its sector and the 103d moved to Reichshofen, 14 January 1945, to take up positions along the Sauer River. On 15 January, General Anthony "Nuts" McAuliffe was redeployed from the Battle of the Bulge and given command, which he retained until July 1945. Defensive patrols were active and a limited attack on Soufflenheim on 19 January was repulsed by the enemy. On 20 January, the division withdrew to the Moder and repulsed German advances near Muehlhausen, 23–25 January. The 103d's offensive began, 15 March 1945. Crossing the Moder and Zintzel Rivers and taking Muehlhausen against sharp opposition, the division moved over the Lauter River and penetrated the defenses of the Siegfried Line. As German resistance disintegrated, the 103d reached the Rhine Valley, 23 March, and engaged in mopping up operations in the plain west of the Rhine River. In April 1945, it received occupational duties until 20 April when it resumed the offensive, pursuing a fleeing enemy through Stuttgart and taking Münsingen on 24 April. On 27 April, elements of the division entered Landsberg, where Kaufering concentration camp, a subcamp of Dachau, was liberated.[2][3][4] The men of the division crossed the Danube River near Ulm on 26 April. On 3 May 1945, division approached Innsbruck, Austria. A working phone line was found to German HQ in Innsbruck and a German speaking officer called there to demand the German garrison surrender. After a short delay, the Germans gave up. The Germans also surrendered much of western Austria, and the Brenner Pass at Italian/Austrian border. Here the 103d linked up with the 88th Infantry Division which had been fighting its way up the Italian peninsula. After Victory in Europe Day the division received occupational duties until it left for home and inactivation.
[edit] Assignments in the European Theater of Operations
- 1 November 1944: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.
- 6 November 1944: VI Corps.
- 22 December 1944: XV Corps.
- 9 January 1945: XXI Corps.
- 16 January 1945: VI Corps.
- 29 March 1945: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.
- 19 April 1945: VI Corps.
[edit] Post war
 |
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2011) |
The 103rd was activated as a reserve division on 7 May 1947 in Des Moines, Iowa and its combat elements were reorganized and redesignated as the 205th Infantry Brigade and the 103rd Operational Headquarters in February,1963. The 103rd Operational Headquarters was redesignated 103rd Command Headquarters (Divisional) in June 1963. In December,1965 the unit was reorganized as the 103rd Support Brigade. In September 1977 the unit was redesignated and reorganized as the 103rd Corps Support Command (COSCOM), the first Corps Support Command in the US Army Reserve. On 15 September 1993 the 103rd COSCOM inactivated. The 103d COSCOM inactivation was followed by creation of two new reserve units: 19th Theater Army Area Command (CONUS) and 3d COSCOM (CONUS). On 14 February 2006 the 103rd was redesignated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 103rd Sustainment Command. The 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command was activated as a reserve command effective 16 September 2006. The division shoulder patch is worn by the United States Army Reserve 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary).[5]
[edit] General
- Nickname: Cactus Division
- Shoulder patch: A yellow disk with a green saguaro cactus superimposed upon a patch of blue
[edit] See also
[edit] References
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Army Center of Military History document "The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950".
- ^ a b "Special Unit Designations". United States Army Center of Military History. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 09 July 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100709200756/http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/spdes-123-ra_ar.html. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
- ^ "Life Outtacontext ISSN 1544-4074". Jeff Gates. http://www.outtacontext.com/life/archive/000411.shtml. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
- ^ Report After Action: The Story of the 103d Infantry Division, Ralph Mueller and Jerry Turk; 1945, Wagner'sche Universitats-Buchdruckerie, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria; distributor, The Infantry Journal, Washington 6, D. C., Pp. 131 – 135
- ^ "Excerpt on Web from Report After Action, ibid.". nuspel.org. Archived from the original on 02 June 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080602101452/http://www.nuspel.org/letter.html. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
- ^ "103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)". United States Army Reserve. http://www.usar.army.mil/arweb/organization/commandstructure/USARC/OPS/377Sus/Commands/103ESC/History/Pages/default.aspx. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
