3rd Armored Division

You will never have any trouble addressing a soldier of the 3d Armored Division.

“Call me Spearhead” is his favorite phrase.

The speedy outfit that led the First Army out of Normandy and across France, closed the Falaise Gap, crashed the Siegfried Line, and took Cologne, claimed a lot of “firsts” for itself. It even announced that one of its men was first to swim in the Rhine.

The Spearhead Division liked to be out front, and that led to tragedy in Germany when its own commander, Major General Maurice Rose, got out in front of even his own men, was captured by a German tank, and was killed by the tank commander during the surrender.

From the breakthrough west of St.Lô to the final surrender of the Nazis, the 3d Armored was in the thick of things. After unwieldy tank fighting in the hedgerows, the Spearhead broke out at Marigny, with the 1st Infantry Division, and headed due south to Mayenne. In mid-August, the 3d Armored was ordered to close the Falaise-Argentan pocket in which the German Seventh Army was caught, and the Division finished the job near Putanges on August 18. By August 24, the Spearhead had rolled through Courville and Chartres and was poised at the banks of the Seine.

The next evening the 3d Armored began to jump the river, and, once over, it began a mad dash across France that brought it clear up to the Siegfried Line in just 18 days. Soissons, Mons, Namur, and Liège were among the dozens of places in the swath cut by the Spearhead. At Mons alone, the 3d Armored cut off 40,000 Germans and captured three generals among 8,000 prisoners. And then the Spearhead set forth on the first invasion of Germany since the days of Napoleon:

September 10: It fired the first American artillery shell to land on German soil.

September 12: It became the first unit to pass the German border.

September 13: It became the first to take a German town ( Roetgen ) and first to breach the Siegfried Line.

September 15: It became the first division completely to pierce the Siegfried Line.

September 18 ( as the final touch ) : Its antiaircraft gunners became the first Americans to shoot down a German plane from German soil.

Driving on, the Spearhead was halted only by the Ardennes counteroffensive, when it swung into the fray near Houffalize and cut an important highway leading to St.Vith.

The 3d Armored Division took Cologne and Paderbom, helped the 2d Armored shut tight the back door to the Ruhr, crossed the Saale, and, with other American units converging on Berlin, raced to the Elbe near Dessau, where it saw its last action. It had many an achievement behind it: the liberation of political prisoners of the Gestapo from a prison at Cologne, the seizure of a trainload of V-2s near Bromskirchen, and even the surrender of a weird band of 200 members of the Hitler Jugend, led by a 16-year-old boy, who formally handed over their weapons (small-sized dress daggers) to representatives of the 3d Armored at the end of the war.

From Fighting Divisions, Kahn & McLemore, Infantry Journal Press, 1945-1946.

"Spearhead"

Chronology

Activated 15 Apr 41
Arrived ETO 15 Sep 43
Arrived Continent (D/18) 24 Jun 44
Entered Combat:
First Element 29 Jun 44
Entire Division 9 Jul 44
Days in Combat 231

Campaigns

Normandy
Northern France
Ardennes
Rhineland
Central Europe

Individual Awards

DSC: 17
Legion of Merit: 23
Silver Star: 885
Soldiers Medal: 32
Bronze Star: 3,884
Air Medal: 138
DFC: 3

Composition

 

Organic Units

Headquarters Company
Service Company
Combat Command A
Combat Command B
36th Armored Inf Regiment
32d Armored Regiment
33d Armored Regiment
23d Armored Eng Bn
83d Armored Rcn Bn
143d Armored Sig Co

3rd Armored Division Artillery

391st Armored Field Artillery Battalion
67th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
54th Armored Field Artillery Battalion

3rd Armored Division Special

3rd Ordnance Maintenance Battalion
Supply Battalion
45th Armored Medical Battalion
Military Police Platoon

Commanding Staff

Division Commander

15 Sep 1943 Maj Gen Leroy H. Watson
7 Aug 1944 Brig Gen Maurice Rose
5 Sep 1944 Maj Gen Maurice Rose
21 Mar 1945 Brig Gen Doyle O. Hickey

Artillery Commander

15 Sep 1943 Col Frederic G. Brown

Chief of Staff

15 Sep 1943 Col John A. Smith

Assistant Chief of Staff G-1

15 Sep 1943 Lt Col Jack A. Boulger
1 Apr 1945 Maj George G. Otis

Assistant Chief of Staff G-2

15 Sep 1943 Lt Col Andrew Barr

Assistant Chief of Staff G-3

15 Sep 1943 Lt Col Howard M. Snyder
28 Aug 1943 Lt Col Wesley A. Sweat
1 Apr 1945 Maj James A Alexander
25 Apr 1945 Lt Col Wesley A Sweat

Assistant Chief of Staff G-4

15 Sep 1943 Lt Col Eugene C Orth

Assistant Chief of Staff G-5

22 Feb 1944 Lt Col William E Dahl
20 Apr 1945 Maj George F Cake

Adj Gen

15 Sep 1943 Lt Col Robert M Gant

CC A Comdr

15 Sep 1943 Brig Gen Doyle O Hickey
31 Mar 1945 Col Leander L Doan

CC B Comdr

15 Sep 1943 Brig Gen John J Bohn
15 Jul 1944 Col Truman Everett Boudinot
4 Sep 1944 Brig Gen Truman Everett Boudinot

CC R Comdr

15 Sep 1943 Col Graeme G Parks
19 Jul 1944 Col William W Cornog Jr
15 Aug 1944 Col Louis P Leone
6 Sep 1944 Col Carl J Rohsenberger
24 Sep 1944 Col Robert L Howze Jr

Unit Attachments

Antiaircraft Artillery

486th AAA AW Bn (SP) 25 Jun 44-9 May 45
413th AAA Gun Bn (Mbl) 7 Jul 44-16 Jul 44

Armored

Co A 738th Tk Bn (Mine Explorer) 6 Dec 44-15 Jan 45
1st & 3d Plats Co B 738th Tk Bn (Mine Explorer) 12 Jan 45-17 Jan 45

Cavalry

113th Cav Gp 8 Jul 44-10 Aug 44
4th Cav Gp 28 Feb 45-1 Mar 45
4th Cav Gp 3 Mar 45-8 Mar 45

Chemical

Cos A & C 87th Cml Bn 24 Dec 44-31 Dec 44

Engineer

294th Engr C Bn 25 Oct 44-9 Nov 44
1st Plat Co B 15th Engr C Bn (9th Div) 27 Oct 44-11 Nov 44
298th Engr C Bn 9 Nov 44-10 Nov 44
Co B 15th Engr C Bn (9th Div) 11 Nov 44-1 Dec 44
298th Engr C Bn 27 Dec 44-30 Dec 44
Co B 297th Engr C Bn 27 Dec 44-30 Dec 44

Field Artillery

967th FA Bn (155 How) 29 Jun 44-30 Jun 44
58th Armd FA Bn 3 Jul 44-10 Aug 44
963d FA Bn (155 How) 7 Jul 44-9 Jul 44
258th FA Bn (155 Gun) 8 Jul 44-10 Aug 44
87th Armd FA Bn 9 Jul 44-28 Aug 44
258th FA Bn (155 Gun) 10 Aug 44-14 Aug 44
991st FA Bn (155 Gun) 12 Aug 44-20 Sep 44
60th FA Bn (9th Div) (105 How) 13 Aug 44-15 Aug 44
58th Armd FA Bn 18 Aug 44-1 Oct 44
84th FA Bn (9th Div) (105 How) 27 Oct 44-11 Nov 44
83d Armd FA Bn 20 Dec 44-31 Dec 44
991st FA Bn (-2 btrys) (155 Gun) 21 Dec 44-31 Dec 44
188th FA Bn (155 How) 23 Dec 44-31 Dec 44
75th Div Arty 24 Dec 44-7 Jan 45
991st FA Bn (155 Gun) 2 Jan 45-11 Jan 45
183d FA Bn (155 How) 2 Jan 45-11 Jan 45
83d Armd FA Bn 2 Jan 45-9 May 45
183d FA Bn (155 How) 12 Jan 45-20 Jan 45
Btry A 991st FA Bn (155 Gun) 17 Jan 45-19 Jan 45
991st FA Bn (155 Gun) 25 Feb 45-9 Mar 45
183d FA Bn (155 How) 25 Feb 45-24 Apr 45
991st FA Bn (155 Gun) 29 Mar 45-1 Apr 45
138th FA Bn (155 How) 29 Mar 45-8 Apr 45
991st FA Bn (155 Gun) 6 Apr 45-13 May 45
Btry A 13th FA Obsn Bn 17 Apr 45-23 Apr 45

Infantry

1st Bn 60th Inf (9th Div) 9 Jul 44-11 Jul 44
2d Bn 60th Inf (9th Div) 10 Jul 44-11 Jul 44
3d Bn 60th Inf (9th Div) 13 Aug 44-15 Aug 44
2d & 3d Bns 60th Inf (9th Div) 17 Aug 44-19 Aug 44
1st Bn 26th Inf (1st Div) 6 Sep 44-23 Sep 44
47th Inf (9th Div) 8 Sep 44-10 Sep 44
47th CT (9th Div) 25 Oct 44-10 Nov 44
84th FA Bn (9th Div) (105 How) 25 Oct 44-10 Nov 44
1 Plat Co B 15th Engr C Bn (9th Div) 25 Oct 44-10 Nov 44
Co A 746th Tk Bn 25 Oct 44-10 Nov 44
Co C 899th TD Bn (SP) 25 Oct 44-10 Nov 44
Btry D 376th AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 25 Oct 44-10 Nov 44
2d Bn 47th Inf (9th Div) 24 Nov 44-26 Nov 44
1st Bn 60th Inf (9th Div) 11 Dec 44-12 Dec 44
1st Bn 517th Prcht Inf (Non-Div) 22 Dec 44-26 Dec 44
509th Prcht Inf Bn (Non-Div) 23 Dec 44-29 Dec 44
290th CT (75th Div) 23 Dec 44-31 Dec 44
898th CT (75th Div) 23 Dec 44-31 Dec 44
1 plat Co B 275th Engr C Bn (75th Div) 23 Dec 44-31 Dec 44
Btry A 440th AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 23 Dec 44-31 Dec 44
289th CT (75th Div) 24 Dec 44-29 Dec 44
897th FA Bn (75th Div) (105 How) 24 Dec 44-29 Dec 44
730th FA Bn (155 How) (75th Div) 24 Dec 44-29 Dec 44
Btry A 440th AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 24 Dec 44-29 Dec 44
331st Inf (83d Div) 29 Dec 44-31 Dec 44
330th Inf (83d Div) 1 Jan 45-7 Jan 45
2d & 3d Bns 330th Inf (83d Div) 7 Jan 45-19 Jan 45
1st Bn 330th Inf (83d Div) 11 Jan 45-19 Jan 45
335th Inf (84th Div) 18 Jan 45-21 Jan 45
13th Inf (8th Div) 26 Feb 45-17 Mar 45
395th CT (99th Div) 28 Feb 45-2 Mar 45
924th FA Bn (99th Div) (105 How) 28 Feb 45-2 Mar 45
Co C 629th Tk Bn 28 Feb 45-2 Mar 45
Co C 786th Tk Bn 28 Feb 45-2 Mar 45
3d Bn 13th Inf (8th Div) 17 Mar 45-19 Mar 45
414th Inf (104th Div) 23 Mar 45-12 Apr 45
3d Bn 47th Inf (9th Div) 11 Apr 45-24 Apr 45
1st Bn 18th Inf (1st Div) 11 Apr 45-25 Apr 45
2d Bn 414th Inf (104th Div) 12 Apr 445-22 Apr 45
60th Inf (9th Div) 22 Apr 45-24 Apr 45

Tank Destroyer

803d TD Bn (SP) 25 Jun 44-2 Jul 44
703d TD Bn (SP) 25 Jun 44-17 Dec 44
643d TD Bn (SP) 22 Dec 44-26 Dec 44
703d TD Bn (SP) 2 Jan 45- 9 May 45
2d Plat Co B 635th TD Bn (T) 15 Jan 45-20 Jan 45

3rd Armored Division World War II Missing in Action

There are 100 soldiers of the 3rd Armored Division World War II still listed as missing in action.

Technician Fourth Grade Woodrow J. Adam 33rd Regiment 07/10/1944

Private First Class George J. Aulette 36th Infantry Regiment 09/18/1945

Private Floyd C. Baker 32nd Regiment 07/29/1944

Technician Fourth Grade Kenneth F. Beckman 32nd Regiment 06/30/1944

Private Anthony P. Bellavia 33rd Regiment 11/16/1944

Private First Class Bernard Berman 33rd Regiment 08/31/1944

Private First Class Wilbert C. Boggs 32nd Regiment 07/14/1944

Corporal Glenn D. Bolick 33rd Regiment 12/20/1944

Technician Fifth Grade Joseph S. Brockman 33rd Regiment 08/17/1944

Private Bob Bryant 33rd Regiment 07/11/1944

Corporal Nelson B. Buch 33rd Regiment 07/09/1944

Private First Class Clarence N. Bush 32nd Regiment 08/02/1944

Private First Class Salvatore J. Cicconi 36th Infantry Regiment 11/09/1945

Private First Class Charles J. Cockburn 33rd Regiment 12/20/1944

Private First Class Basil M. Cook 32nd Regiment 11/25/1944

Corporal Peter A. Coschignano 33rd Regiment 08/17/1944

Staff Sergeant James V. Curry 33rd Regiment 07/15/1944

Corporal Addison L. Darbison 33rd Regiment 07/11/1944

Sergeant Walter H. Denk 32nd Regiment 12/22/1944

Private Thomas T. Dooley 33rd Regiment 08/07/1944

Private First Class Archie U. Dorris 32nd Regiment 09/18/1944

Technician Fifth Grade Floyd S. Duggins 33rd Regiment 07/30/1944

Private First Class Russell D. Feldbush 33rd Regiment 11/16/1944

Corporal Wilbert C. Forster 83rd Reconnaissance Battalion 07/08/1944

Private First Class Reece Gass 33rd Regiment 01/14/1945

Private First Class Walter B. Gielow 33rd Regiment 08/12/1945

Private First Class Benjamin F. Goad 33rd Regiment 07/16/1944

Private First Class Lawrence S. Gordon 32nd Regiment 08/13/1944

Private Ray Grimes 32nd Regiment 08/17/1944

Private First Class Tearsie E. Hargett 83rd Reconnaissance Battalion 07/11/1945

Private Johnie T. Harman 33rd Regiment 09/10/1945

Private First Class Melvin L. Harris 36th Infantry Regiment 09/28/1945

Private Robert J. Harris 32nd Regiment 09/13/1944

Corporal Sam J. Heitz 33rd Regiment 08/09/1944

Sergeant Harold F. Hill 36th Infantry Regiment 08/13/1944

Private First Class Eugene T. Hines 36th Infantry Regiment 09/17/1944

Second Lieutenant Roger J. Horan 32nd Regiment 06/29/1944

Corporal John W. Hurd 33rd Regiment 09/18/1944

Private Arthur C. Isken 36th Infantry Regiment 09/26/1945

Private First Class Joseph Jadak 83rd Reconnaissance Battalion 07/11/1945

Technician Fifth Grade Robert V. Jeter 83rd Reconnaissance Battalion 12/26/1944

Corporal Robert C. Jones 33rd Regiment 07/17/1944

Private First Class William Jurak 36th Infantry Regiment 12/12/1944

Sergeant Hero E. Karvela 36th Infantry Regiment 09/18/1945

Private First Class Leon R. Karwacki 36th Infantry Regiment 09/17/1944

Private First Class Elmer A. Kassanitsh 36th Infantry Regiment 08/11/1944

Staff Sergeant Henry A. Klawitter 33rd Regiment 08/17/1944

Technician Fifth Grade Ivan E. Klekoski 33rd Regiment 07/08/1944

Technician Fifth Grade Michael Kuzmovich 33rd Regiment 07/11/1944

Staff Sergeant Harold E. Lawall 36th Infantry Regiment 10/04/1944

Technician Fourth Grade Earl R. Lazore 33rd Regiment 09/08/1944

Private First Class Leon W. Lee 33rd Regiment 08/08/1944

Private Robert C. Light 33rd Regiment 09/24/1944

Private John W. Lindner 32nd Regiment 07/28/1944

Private Daniel A. Marblo 32nd Regiment 12/25/1945

Sergeant Franck Matthews 33rd Regiment 07/11/1944

Private Bob McKinney 33rd Regiment 07/16/1944

Private Russell K. McMahon 36th Infantry Regiment 08/26/1944

Private First Class Raymond J. Michaud 391st Field Artillery Battalion 11/18/1944

Corporal George Miller 33rd Regiment 08/31/1944

Technician Fourth Grade Walter J. Moran 32nd Regiment 08/02/1944

Private Rufus R. Muirhead 23rd Engineer Battalion 12/28/1944

First Lieutenant Charles E. Myers 32nd Regiment 03/27/1945

Private Paul A. Newton 33rd Regiment 08/07/1944

Technician Fourth Grade Albert D. Oliaro 33rd Regiment 07/16/1944

Technician Fourth Grade Charlie L. Oliver 33rd Regiment 04/07/1945

Technician Fifth Grade Seymour Orshan 33rd Regiment 09/18/1944

Private Odis Parker 33rd Regiment 03/05/1945

Private Elmer E. Pellett 32nd Regiment 12/23/1945

Private First Class Marion P. Perry 32nd Regiment 01/23/1945

Technician Fifth Grade Henry Potter 33rd Regiment 07/17/1944

Private Lester E. Pyle 83rd Reconnaissance Battalion 02/10/1945

Private First Class Steve Rados 36th Infantry Regiment 06/30/1944

Private Frank Ramirez 33rd Regiment 08/31/1944

Private First Class Arthur J. Reid 32nd Regiment 06/29/1944

Private First Class John M. Renahan 54th Field Artillery Battalion 01/16/1945

Private Anthony Retone 33rd Regiment 09/18/1944

Staff Sergeant Paris C. Richardson 33rd Regiment 04/08/1945

Private Hubert G. Roberts 82nd Reconnaissance Battalion 07/27/1944

Technician Fifth Grade Willis A. Rubach 32nd Regiment 06/30/1944

Technician Fifth Grade Robert R. Scheelk 33rd Regiment 07/11/1944

Sergeant Romeo A. Sirois 36th Infantry Regiment 09/18/1945

Private First Class Hilton A. Smith 36th Infantry Regiment 09/17/1944

Private First Class Thomas R. Smyczynski 33rd Regiment 08/17/1944

Technician Fifth Grade Eldon O. Spears 32nd Regiment 07/27/1944

Corporal Donald F. Stein 33rd Regiment 08/09/1944

Private First Class Harold J. Stenton 33rd Regiment 04/07/1945

Private Elmer R. Stephens 32nd Regiment 12/22/1944

Private Carl B. Strode 33rd Regiment 07/15/1944

Private Floyd D. Terwilliger 32nd Regiment 07/13/1944

Private First Class Harry E. Thompson 36th Infantry Regiment 09/17/1944

Private William R. Tolley 33rd Regiment 07/17/1944

Private Angelo J. Venturi 33rd Regiment 07/16/1944

Sergeant James R. Wagner 36th Infantry Regiment 09/25/1944

Second Lieutenant Gene F. Walker 32nd Regiment 11/24/1944

Private First Class Earl L. Wallin 33rd Regiment 07/16/1944

Technician Fourth Grade Raymond A. Wieneke 33rd Regiment 01/14/1945

Technician Fifth Grade Elvin Woods 33rd Regiment 07/11/1944

Private Earl M. Wyatt 33rd Regiment 08/10/1944

Private First Class William Zella 33rd Regiment 07/11/1944

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