Division History  |  3rd Infantry Division   LoneSentry.com

[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 Portions of the information may be out of date.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

Activated: 12 November 1917.
Overseas: April 1918.
Major Operations: Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Aisne.
Casualties: Total - 15,401 (KIA - 2,637; WIA - 12,764).
Commanders: Maj. Gen. J. T. Dickman (28 November 1917), Brig. Gen. J. A. Irons (11 February 1918), Maj. Gen. J. T. Dickman (13 February 1918), Brig. Gen. J. A. Irons (27 February 1918), Brig. Gen. Charles Crawford (8 March 1918), Brig. Gen. J. A. Irons (10 March 1918), Brig. Gen. Charles Crawford (19 March 1918), Maj. Gen. J. T. Dickman (12 April 1918), Brig. Gen. F. W. Sladen (18 August 1918), Maj. Gen. Beaumond B. Buck (27 August 1918), Brig. Gen. Preston Brown (18 October 1918), Maj. Gen. R. L. Howze (19 November 1918). Returned to U.S.: August 1919.

World War II

Overseas: 27 October 1942.
Campaigns: Tunisia, Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, South France, Rhineland, Central Europe.
Days of combat: 233.
Distinguished Unit Citations: 11.
Awards: MH-35; DSC-109; DSM-6; SS-4,817; LM-50; SM-172; BSM-8,137; AM-72.
Commanders: Maj. Gen. Charles F. Thompson (July 1940-August 1941), Brig. Gen. Charles P. Hall (August 1941-September 1941), Maj. Gen. John P. Lucas (September 1941-March 1942), Maj. Gen. Jonathan W. Anderson (March 1942March 1943), Maj. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott, Jr. (March 1943-February 1944), Maj. Gen. John W. O'Daniel (February 1944-December 1945), Maj. Gen. William R. Schmidt (July 1945-August 1946), Maj. Gen. Edwin P. Parker, Jr. (August 1946-October 1946), Maj. Gen. Jens A. Doe (October 1946-February 1947), Maj. Gen. Percy W. Clarkson (February 1947 to present).
Returned to U.S.: 4 September 1946.

Combat Chronicle

The 3rd Division is the only American Division which fought the Nazis on all fronts. The Division first saw action in the North African invasion, landing at Fedala, 8 November 1942, and capturing half of French Morocco. On 10 July 1943, the Division made an assault landing on Sicily, fought its way into Palermo before the armor could get there, and raced on to capture Messina, thus ending the Sicilian campaign. Nine days after the Italian invasion, 18 September 1943, the 3rd landed at Salerno and in intensive action drove to and across the Volturno and to Cassino. After a brief rest, the Division was ordered to hit the beaches at Anzio, 22 January 1944, where for 4 months it maintained its toe-hold against furious German counterattacks. On 29 February 1944, the 3rd fought off an attack by three German Divisions. In May the Division broke out of the beachhead and drove on to Rome, and then went into training for the invasion of Southern France. On 15 August 1944, another D-day, the Division landed at St. Tropez, advanced up the Rhone Valley, through the Vosges Mountains, and reached the Rhine at Strasbourg, 26-27 November. After maintaining defensive positions it took part in clearing the Colmar Pocket, 23 January-18 February 1945, and on 15 March struck against Siegfried Line positions south of Zweibrucken. The Division smashed through the defenses and crossed the Rhine, 26 March 1945; then drove on to take Nurnberg in a fierce battle, capturing the city in block-by-block fighting, 17-20 April. The 3rd pushed on to take Augsburg and Munich, 27-30 April, and was in the vicinity of Salzburg when the war in Europe ended.

Assignments in the ETO

1 July 1944: AFHQ, but attached to Seventh Army and SOS, NATOUSA for supply. // 13 July 1944: AFHQ, but attached to the VI Corps, Seventh Army. // 15 September 1944: VI Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army Group. // 15 December 1944: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group but attached to the French II Corps of the French First Army. // 28 January 1945: XXI Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army Group, but attached to French First Army. // 15 February 1945: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group, but attached to the French II Corps of the French First Army. // 18 February 1945: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group, but attached to the French II Corps. // 12 March 1945: XV Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army Group. // 31 April 1945: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group. // 23 April 1945: XXI Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army Group. // 28 April 1945: XV Corps. // 6 May 1945: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group. // 8 May 1945: XV Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.

General

Nickname: Rock of the Marne.
Slogan: The words of Maj. Gen. Joseph Dickman are sometimes employed, "Nous resterons la!"
Shoulder patch: A square containing three diagonal white stripes on dark blue field.
Publications: History of the Third Infantry Division, World War II, by unit members; The Infantry Journal, Washington, D.C.; 1947; 575 pp. Blue and White Devils, by unit members; TI&E, ETOUSA; distributor, Society of the Third Infantry Division.

3rd Infantry Division Links
3rd Infantry Division Components
3rd Infantry Division Medal of Honor Recipients
3rd Infantry Division Commanders
3rd Infantry Division Videos

         
Advertisement


LoneSentry.com. Contact: info@lonesentry.com.