[Webmaster Note: The following division information is reproduced
from the public domain publication, The Army Almanac: A Book of
Facts Concerning the Army of the United States, U.S. Government Printing Office,
1950. Portions of the information may be out of date. Only minor formatting changes and
typographical corrections have been made.]
World War II
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Activated: 15 November 1942.
Overseas: 14 October 1944.
Campaigns: Rhineland, Central Europe.
Days of combat: 167.
Distinguished Unit Citations: 2.
Awards: MH-1; DSC-9; DSM-1; SS-273; LM-8; SM-13; BSM-3,024; AM-47.
Commanders: Maj. Gen. Vernon E. Prichard (November 1942-July 1944),
Maj. Gen. Albert C. Smith (July 1944 to inactivation).
Returned to U.S.: 7 September 1945.
Inactivated: 16 September 1945.
Combat Chronicle
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The 14th Armored Division landed at Marseilles, France, 29 October 1944. Within 2 weeks
some of its elements were in combat, maintaining defensive positions along the Franco-Italian
frontier. The Division moved north to Rambervillers, 20. November, to take part in the
VI Corps drive through the Vosges Mountains. Hard fighting at Gertwiller, Benfeld, and
Barr cracked Nazi defenses, and the Division was on the Alsatian Plain early in
December. Attacking across the Lauter River, 12 December, it took Haguenau, moved
across the Moder River and entered the Haguenau woods. On Christmas Day the 14th was
assigned defensive positions running south of Bitche near Neunhoffen. It thwarted the
heavy German attack in the Bitche salient launched New Year's Eve. Although forced to
withdraw, the Division remained intact. With the failure of his Bitche attack, the
enemy attempted to break through to Strasbourg by attacks at Hatten and Rittershoffen,
but again the drive was halted by the 14th Armored in a furious defensive engagement
in January 1945. After rest, rehabilitation, and defensive missions during February
and early March, the Division returned to the offensive, 15 March 1945, drove across
the Moder River, cracked through the Siegfried Line, and by the end of the month, had
captured Germersheim on the Rhine. On Easter Sunday, 1 April 1945, the 14th moved across
the Rhine near Worms and continued pursuit of the retreating enemy through Lohr,
Gemunden, Neustadt, and Hammelburg. In its final thrust, the Division raced to
the Danube, crossed at Ingolstadt, and pushed on across the Isar River to Moosburg,
where over 110,000 Allied prisoners were liberated. The Division fired its last
rounds, 2 May 1945, and was processing prisoners of war as the war in Europe
ended.
Assignments in the ETO
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1 November 1944: Attached to 6th Army Group. // 10 November 1944: Seventh Army, 6th
Army Group. // 29 November 1944: XV Corps. // 5 December 1944: VI Corps. //
31 March 1945: XV Corps. // 23 April 1945: III Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group.
General
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Nickname: Liberator Division.
Shoulder patch: Same as the 1st Armored, but with the number "14" in the upper
portion of the triangle.
Publications: History of the 14th Armored Division (first edition); by
unit members; Albert Love Enterprises, Atlanta, Ga.; 1944. History of
the 14th Armored Division; by Capt. Joseph Carter, Unit Historian; Albert
Love Enterprises, Atlanta, Ga.; 1946.
• 14th Armored Division Links
• 14th Armored Division Components
• 14th Armored Division Medal of Honor Recipients
• 14th Armored Division Commanders
• 14th Armored Division Videos
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