At the Casablanca Conference, early in 1943, the Allies vowed to make their enemies “bleed and bum in expiation of their crimes against humanity.” That struck the men of the 63d Division, when their outfit was activated the following June, as an estimable idea, and the division promptly adopted the vengeful nickname “Blood and Fire.”
After a year and a half of training in the States, the 63d sailed for Europe to do what it could about helping to carry out the Casablanca promise. Late in 1944, the men who wear the blood-tipped dagger thrust into the German lines for the first time.
The first fight of one regiment—the 254th Infantry—was especially notable. Attached to the 3d Infantry Division during the fierce struggle for the Colmar bridgehead on the Seventh Army front from January 22 to February 6, the whole regiment was among units cited for outstanding performance of duty in that sector. Struggling forward through knee-deep snow that concealed deadly land mines, the 254th helped to cut off Colmar from the Rhine in what was officially described as “one of the hardest fought and bloodiest campaigns of the war.”
In February, with the whole Division reassembled, the 63d crossed the Saar north of Sarreguemines and led the Seventh Army back onto German soil, from which it had been forced to pull back, and the Division captured the fortress town of Ommersheim. A few weeks later, the 63d led the Army into the lower Siegfried Line on a two-mile front, just south of Saarbrucken.
Early in April, the Blood-and-Fire men destroyed the 17th SS Division, fought through the Hardthauser Woods, crossed the Neckar River, and forced the enemy to retreat to new positions south of the Kocher River.
Then when the Germans in the south began to fall back in disorganization, the 63d was one of the outfits that pursued them relentlessly, striking at the near-beaten enemy forces. It chased ihe Germans through Württemberg and Bavaria down to the Danube, crossing the river at Günzburg and going on down to Landsberg, at the edge of the Bavarian Alps.
The Germans, who were great ones for burning books, always regarded Heidelberg as their principal seat of learning. It was thus perhaps only justice that the “Blood-and-Fire” Division should have been the American outfit that fought its way into the university city and captured it at the end of March.
Funny thing, too: there wasn’t a single book deliberately burned.
From Fighting Divisions, Kahn & McLemore, Infantry Journal Press, 1945-1946.
"Blood and Fire Division"
The division insignia is a blood-tipped golden sword on a sheet of crimson flame. The Commanding General, Major General L. B. Hibbs, inspired by the promise to the enemy of President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill at Casablanca in 1943 "To bleed and burn in expiation of their crimes against humanity", developed this emblem. A card showing the emblem explaining its significance, and containing the signatures of 10 civil and military leaders of Great Britain and the United States who were participants at the Casablanca Conference, has been placed in War Department archives.
COMMAND AND STAFF
Commanding General
8 Dec 44 |
Maj. Gen. Louis E. Hibbs |
Assistant Division Commander
8 Dec 44 |
Brig. Gen. Frederick L. Harris |
Artillery Commander
8 Dec 44 |
Brig. Gen. Edward J. McGaw |
Chief of Staff
8 Dec 44 |
Col. Earl G. Wheeler |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-1
8 Dec 44 |
Lt. Col. John E. Brooks, Jr. |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-2
8 Dec 44 |
Lt. Col. John M. Hardaway |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-3
8 Dec 44 |
Lt. Col. Morris O. Edwards |
6 Mar 45 |
Lt. Col. Robert S. Redfield |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-4
8 Dec 44 |
Lt. Col. Frank T. Ritter, Jr. |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-5
1 Jan 45 |
Lt. Col. Halkey K. Ross |
Adjutant General
8 Dec 44 |
Lt. Col. Ralph Lavergna |
Commanding Officer, 253d Infantry
8 Dec 44 |
Col. Edward P. Lukert |
10 Mar 45 |
Col. Morris O. Edwards |
Commanding Officer, 254th Infantry
8 Dec 44 |
Col. Joseph H. Warren |
Commanding Officer, 355th Infantry
8 Dec 44 |
Col. Edward A. Chazal |
21 Mar 45 |
Col. James F. Hatcher |
STATISTICS
Chronology
Activated |
15 June 1943 |
Arrived ETO |
14 January 1945 |
Arrived Continent (D+151) |
14 January 1945 |
Entered Combat--First Elements |
22 December 1944 |
Entered Combat--Entire Division |
6 February 1945 |
Days in Combat |
119 |
NOTE: Three Inf Regts and improvised Div Hq under command of Asst Div Comdr arrived 8 Dec 44. D Day Southern France 15 Aug 44
Casualties (Tentative)
Killed |
735 |
Wounded |
3,417 |
Missing |
332 |
Captured |
63 |
Battle Casualties |
4,547 |
Non-Battle Casualties |
3,472 |
Total Casualties |
8,019 |
Percent of T/O Strength |
56.9 |
Campaigns
Individual Awards
Distinguished Service Cross |
1 |
Legion of Merit |
3 |
Silver Star |
293 |
Soldiers Medal |
9 |
Bronze Star |
2,692 |
Air Medal |
25 |
Prisoners of War Taken 21,542
COMPOSITION
- 253d Infantry
- 254th Infantry
- 255th Infantry
- 63d Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
- 263d Engineer Combat Battalion
- 363d Medical Battalion
- 63d Division Artillery
- 861st Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
- 862d Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
- 863d Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
- 718th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)
- Special Troops
- 861st Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
- 63d Quartermaster Company
- 563d Signal Company
- Military Police Platoon
- Headquarters Company
- Band
ATTACHMENTS
Antiaircraft Artillery
436th AAA AW Bn (Mbl) |
11 Feb 45-1 May 45 |
1st Plat, Btry C, 353d AAA SL Bn |
16 Feb 45-30 Apr 45 |
Armored
Co A, 749th Tk Bn |
2 Mar 45-4 Mar 45 |
Co C, 43d Tk Bn (12th Armd Div) |
9 Mar 45-12 Mar 45 |
70th Tk Bn |
12 Mar 45-18 Mar 45 |
740th Tk Bn |
17 Mar 45-28 Mar 45 |
CC A (6th Armd Div) |
19 Mar 45-20 Mar 45 |
15th Tk Bn (6th Armd Div) |
19 Mar 45-20 Mar 45 |
9th Armd Inf Bn (6th Armd Div) |
19 Mar 45-20 Mar 45 |
212th Armd FA Bn (6th Armd Div) |
19 Mar 45-20 Mar 45 |
Tr A, 86th Cav Rcn Sq (6th Armd Div) |
19 Mar 45-20 Mar 45 |
Co B, 25th Armd Engr Bn (6th Armd Div) |
19 Mar 45-20 Mar 45 |
753d Tk Bn |
31 Mar 45-28 May 45 |
Cavalry
92d Cav Rcn Sq (12th Armd Div) |
15 Mar 45-16 Mar 45 |
116th Cav Rcn Sq |
15 Mar 45-20 Mar 45 |
101st Cav Rcn Sq |
17 Mar 45-20 Mar 45 |
117th Cav Rcn Sq (-) |
2 Apr 45-19 Apr 45 |
Chemical
Co A, 99th Cml Mort Bn |
22 Feb 45-7 Mar 45 |
Co A, 99th Cml Mort Bn |
8 Mar 45-22 Mar 45 |
99th Cml Mort Bn (- Co C) |
17 Mar 45-21 Mar 45 |
Co A, 83d Cml Mort Bn |
31 Mar 45-19 Apr 45 |
99th Cml Mort Bn (- Co B) |
19 Apr 45-28 May 45 |
Engineer
1271st Engr C Bn |
13 Apr 45-14 Apr 45 |
Field Artillery
18th FA Bn (105mm How) |
13 Mar 45-21 Mar 45 |
522d FA Bn (105mm How) |
13 Mar 45-22 Mar 45 |
93d Armd FA Bn |
21 Mar 45-24 Mar 45 |
59th Armd FA Bn |
31 Mar 45-4 Apr 45 |
36th FA Gp |
19 Apr 45-28 May 45 |
162d FA Bn (105mm How) |
8 May 45-10 Jun 45 |
Infantry
65th Inf (- Cos A&C) (Non-Div) |
30 Apr 45-12 May 45 |
Tank Destroyer
822d TD Bn (SP) |
6 Feb 45-17 Mar 45 |
776th TD Bn (SP) |
16 Mar 45-21 Mar 45 |
822d TD Bn (SP) |
21 Mar 44-28 May 45 |
692d TD Bn (SP) |
30 Mar 45-31 Mar 45 |
63rd Infantry Division World War II Missing in Action
There are 16 soldiers of the 63rd Infantry Division World War II still listed as missing in action.