[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 Portions of the information may be out of date.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 I
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Activated: July 1917 (National Guard Division from Connecticut,
Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).
Overseas: October 1917.
Major Operations: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne.
Days of combat: 210.
Casualties: Total - 13,664 (KIA - 1,587; WIA - 12,077).
Commanders: Maj. Gen. C. R. Edwards (22 August 1917),
Brig. Gen. P. E. Traub (12 October 1917),
Brig. Gen. C. H. Cole (22 October 1917),
Brig. Gen. P. E. Traub (31 October 1917),
Maj. Gen. C. R. Edwards (11 November 1917),
Brig. Gen. P. E. Traub (25 November 1917),
Maj. Gen. C. R. Edwards (1 December 1917),
Brig. Gen. Frank E. Bamford (25 October 1918),
Maj. Gen. Harry C. Hale (19 November 1918).
Inactivated: May 1919.
World War II
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Activated: 16 January 1941.
Overseas: 26 August 1944.
Campaigns: Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe.
Days of combat: 210.
Distinguished Unit Citations: 1.
Awards: MH-1; DSC-43; DSM-1; SS-955; LM-11; SM-47; BSM-5,558; AM-81.
Commanders: Maj. Gen. Roger W. Eckfeldt (January 1940-August 1943),
Maj. Gen. Willard S. Paul (August 1943-1 June 1945),
Brig. Gen. Harlan N. Hartness (June-July 1945),
Maj. Gen. Stanley E. Reinhart (July-November 1945),
Maj. Gen. Robert W. Grow (November-December 1945).
Returned to U.S.: December 1945.
Inactivated: 29 December 1945.
Combat Chronicle
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The 26th Infantry Division landed in France at Cherbourg and
Utah Beach, 7 September 1944, but did not enter combat as a Division until a month
later, 7 October. Elements were on patrol duty along the coast from Carteret
to Siouville, 13-30 September, and the 328th Infantry saw action with
the
80th Division to
which it was attached, 5-15 October. On 7 October
the 26th relieved the
4th Armored Division
in the Salonnes-Moncourt-Canal du
Rhine au Marne sector, and maintained defensive positions; a limited objective
attack was launched, 22 October, in the Moncourt woods. On 8 November the
Division went on the offensive, took Dieuze, 20 November, advanced across
the Saar River to Saar Union, and captured it, 2 December, after
house-to-house fighting. Reaching Maginot fortifications, 5 December, it
regrouped, entering Saareguemines 8 December. Rest at Metz was interrupted
by the Von Rundstedt offensive. The Division moved north to Luxembourg,
19-21 December, to take part in the battle of the Ardennes breakthrough. It
attacked at Rambrouch and Grosbous, 22 December, beat off strong German
counterattacks, captured Arsdorf on Christmas Day after heavy fighting, attacked
toward the Wiltz River, but was forced to withdraw in the face of determined
enemy resistance; after regrouping, 5-8 January 1945, it attacked again,
reached the Wiltz River, and finally crossed it, 20 January. The Division
continued its advance, took Grumelscheid, 21 January, and crossed the
Clerf River, 24 January. The 26th then shifted to the east bank of the
Saar, and maintained defensive positions in the Saarlautern
area, 29 January-6 March 1945. The Division's drive to the
Rhine jumped off on 13 March 1945, and carried the Division
through Merzig, 17 March, to the Rhine, 21 March, and across
the Rhine at Oppenheim, 25-26 March. It took part in the
house-to-house reduction of Hanau, 28 March, broke out of
the Main River bridgehead, drove through Fulda, 1 April, and
helped reduce Meiningen, 5 April. Moving southeast into Austria, the
Division assisted in the capture of Linz, 4 May. It had changed the
direction of its advance, and was moving northeast into Czechoslovakia, across
the Vlatava River, when the cease-fire order, was received.
Assignments in the ETO
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28 August 1944: Ninth Army, 12th Army Group. //
5 September 1944: III Corps. //
28 September 1944: Third Army, 12th Army Group. //
1 October 1944: XII Corps. //
12 December 1944: III Corps. //
28 January 1945: XX Corps. //
23 March 1945: XII Corps.
General -
Nickname: Yankee Division.
Shoulder patch: Khaki-colored, in the shape of a diamond. In the center, in blue
are the letters "Y" and "D" in the form of a monogram.
Publication: History of the 26th Infantry Division; by unit
members; The Infantry Journal, Washington, D.C.; 1947.
• 26th Infantry Division Links
• 26th Infantry Division Components
• 26th Infantry Division Medal of Honor Recipients
• 26th Infantry Division Commanders
• 26th Infantry Division Videos
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