[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 Portions of the information may be out of date.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: 6 October 1944.
Campaigns: Rhineland, Central Europe.
Awards: DSC-12; DSM-1; SS-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.
Combat Chronicle
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The 103rd Infantry Division arrived at Marseilles, France, 20 October 1944. It
relieved the
3rd Division
at Chevry, 8 November, and attacked west of St. Die, 16 November, in its drive
through the Vosges Mountains. Meeting heavy resistance all the way, it crossed
the Meurthe River, took St. Die, 23 November and captured Diefenbach on
29 November and Selestat on 4 December. The Division crossed the Zintzel River
at Griesbach, 10 December. Pushing through Glimbach, the 103rd crossed the Lauter
River into Germany, 15 December, and assaulted the outer defenses of the Siegfried
Line. On the 22nd, 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 103rd moved to Reichshofen, 14 January 1945, to take up positions along
the Saner River. Defensive patrols were active and a limited attack on Soufflenheim
on the 19th was repulsed by the enemy. On the 20th, the Division withdrew to the
Moder and repulsed German advances near Muhlhausen, 23-25 January. The 103rd's
offensive began, 15 March 1945. Crossing the Moder and Zintzel Rivers and taking
Muhlhausen against sharp opposition, the Division moved over the Lauter River and
penetrated the defenses of the Siegfried Line. As German resistance disintegrated,
the 103rd reached the Rhine Valley, 23 March, and engaged in mopping up operations
in the plain west of the Rhine River. In April it received occupational duties
until 20 April when it resumed the offensive, pursuing a fleeing enemy through
Stuttgart and taking Munsinger on the 24th. Crossing the Danube near Ulm on the
26th, it took Innsbruck on 3 May and reached the Brenner Pass on the 4th. After
VE-day the Division received occupational duties until it left for
home and inactivation.
Assignments in the ETO
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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.
General
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Nickname: Cactus Division.
Shoulder patch: A yellow disk with a green saguaro cactus
superimposed upon a patch of blue.
Publications: Report after Action, The Story of the 103rd Infantry Division; by
Ralph Mueller and Jerry Turk, unit historians; Wagnersche
Universitats-Buchdruckerie, Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria; distributor,
The Infantry Journal, Washington, D.C.; Pictorial Review; by
unit members; Albert Love Enterprises, Atlanta, Ga.; 1944.
• 103rd Infantry Division Links
• 103rd Infantry Division Components
• 103rd Infantry Division Medal of Honor Recipients
• 103rd Infantry Division Commanders
• 103rd Infantry Division Videos
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