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63rd Infantry Division

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

  • Rhineland
  • Central Europe

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.

Private First Class Joseph Caetano 254th Infantry Regiment 02/03/1945
Private First Class Herman Clark 253rd Infantry Regiment 04/06/1945
Private Robert L. Craig 253rd Infantry Regiment 01/31/1945
Private Raymond P. De Capito 253rd Infantry Regiment 01/04/1946
Private First Class Andrew J. Fortuna 253rd Infantry Regiment 02/08/1945
Private First Class Joseph M. Hartley 254th Infantry Regiment 03/03/1945
Private First Class William P. Hennessey 254th Infantry Regiment 01/15/1945
Private First Class Robert W. Hoffman 254th Infantry Regiment 03/04/1946
Private Walter A. Losee 254th Infantry Regiment 03/04/1946
Private James P. McLaughlin 254th Infantry Regiment 03/04/1946
Private Curtis L. Nabors 254th Infantry Regiment 03/03/1945
Private First Class Delmar D. Rains 253rd Infantry Regiment 01/03/1945
Private Ralph A. Sheeler 254th Infantry Regiment 03/03/1945
Private Orbin E. Thead 253rd Infantry Regiment 01/31/1945
Private First Class Stanley D. Wilmore 254th Infantry Regiment 01/08/1946
Sergeant Jack Zarifian 253rd Infantry Regiment 04/06/1945

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Patches

63RD INFANTRY DIVISION

AMERICAN MADE THIN VARIATION

63RD INFANTRY DIVISION WWII patch, front view
63RD INFANTRY DIVISION WWII patch, back view

63RD INFANTRY DIVISION

AMERICAN MADE THICKER

63RD INFANTRY DIVISION WWII patch, front view
63RD INFANTRY DIVISION WWII patch, back view







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