Despite fatigue, constant enemy shelling, and ever-increasing enemy pressure, the Third Battalion guarded a 6,000 yards (5,500m)-long front and destroyed 75 percent of three German infantry regiments. Two men who had been sent on foot to regimental headquarters to seek reinforcements were later captured. It had its headquarters at Franklin, Pennsylvania, and drew its personnel from Pennsylvania. the horizontal band of white and blue squares was adopted from the coat of arms 395 Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment (99th Infantry Division) Report, January 1945. [6], The regiment's (3rd Battalion) earned the sobriquet Butler's Battlin' Blue Bastards derived from the name of its single commander, its special fighting abilities, the battalion's color designation, and because the regiment was often lent out and belonged to no one. On May 34, 1945, as the 99th moved deeper into Bavaria, it liberated one of a number of Dachau subcamps near the town of Mhldorf. Accurate estimates of German wounded were not possible, but about 20 percent of the 326th Volksgrenadier Division were lost. squares centered on a black shield. On 25 October 1981, the entire platoon was recognized with a Presidential Unit Citation. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. The platoon seriously disrupted the entire German Sixth Panzer Army's schedule of attack along the northern edge of the offensive. The Germans were counting on something else, toothey knew that this sector was thinly manned by untested troops. They were tasked with moving 10 miles (16km) behind the German lines and cutting the Autobahn to prevent the withdrawal of the Germans. This page was last edited on 11 March 2022, at 19:44. That was not the case for the Americans near Elsenborn. Organization and training began in October but were not complete by the time the war ended in November 1918, so the division was demobilized in early 1919. [5] After more than ten days of intense battle, they pushed the Americans out of the villages, but were unable to dislodge them from the ridge, where elements of the V Corps of the First U.S. Army prevented the German forces from reaching the road network to their west. The division insignia is a three lined checkerboard design of blue and white squares centered on a black shield. Images of picturesque Ardennes landscapes before Christmas, conifers with branches drooping from heavy snowfall and beleaguered American forces doggedly defending against a last gasp attack by a defeated enemy all dot the mind when thinking of the Bulge. [1] The 99th Infantry Division was the first complete division to cross the Rhine. During the Battle of the Bulge, the regimentat times virtually surrounded by Germanswas one of the few units that did not yield ground to the attacking Germans. Category: 395th Infantry Regiment Lt. Col. Henry B. Koon Sr. Special Troops The National WWII Museum Digital Collections. Even the most hardened veteran occasionally thinks he hears twigs snap, boots crush snow or other odd noises that can cause nerves to fray. Pennsylvania State College, and the Pennsylvania Military College. The regiment assumed occupation duties in Hammelburg and Bad Brckenau until it was shipped home in the summer of 1945. [16], Following the 11 September 2001, terrorist attacks, the 99th mobilized large numbers of Army Reserve Soldiers. He found that his 600 riflemen were assigned an extremely large area about 6,000 yards (5,500m) long without any units in reserve. [1] After defensive patrolling, the 99th probed the Siegfried Line against heavy resistance on 13 December. The Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon, 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Division was the most decorated platoon for a single action of World War II. The buck's head was used to indicate the allocation of the organization to the mountainous section of Pennsylvania, where deer abound. The division insignia is a three lined checkerboard design of blue and white No division commander was appointed during the organization's brief existence. Butler attended, but did not graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. [18], As the battle ensued, small units, company and less in size, often acting independently, conducted fierce local counterattacks and mounted stubborn defenses, frustrating the German's plans for a rapid advance, and badly upsetting their timetable. 2nd Infantry Division soldiers dig in on a road bank and prepare defensive positions on the end of the Elsenborn Ridge on December 20, 1944. [11], The area around Hfen and Monschau were critical because of the road network that lay behind them. Against light resistance, it crossed the Dill River and pushed on to Krofdorf-Gleiberg, taking Giessen 29 March. Butler's great-grandfather, General John Alexander McClernand, commanded infantry during the Civil War. Because of Major Butler's success in leading his battalion in successful night attacks during the war, which the U.S. Army handbook did not recommend, the French army later asked him to write a paper on battalion-size night attacks.[6]. Staff Sergeant, Service Company, 395th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division, ETO, participated in the Battle of the Bulge, the Ruhr Pocket, and the Occupation of Germany, recipient of the Bronze Star. Honor Roll - 99th Infantry Division "They shall not grow old, As we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, Nor the years condemn. The 395th received the following campaign streamers: The entire regiment was recognized with the following unit decorations: A silver color metal and enamel device .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}3732 inches (2.94cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Argent, a buck's head attired of ten tynes couped Or. Sgt. EN RU CN DE ES. The 99th Division was constituted at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, on 23 July 1918. His World War II story. During the battle to come, if the Germans succeeded in taking Hfen, their ranks would be swelled rapidly, and the 99th and 2nd Infantry Divisions would be outflanked and could be attacked from the rear. Unknown to the Allies, the Germans were preparing a surprise counter-offensive through the Ardennes with the goal of splitting the Allied armies and recapturing the Belgian port city of Antwerp. The unit was inactivated after World War II, then became a reserve unit, and was redesignated as the 395th Regiment in 1999. Forests, by nature, are eerily quiet at night. The 3rd Battalion of the 395th Infantry Regiment (3/395), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel McClernand Butler, occupied the town of Hfen on the German border. The 99th crossed the Ludwig Canal against stiff resistance and established a bridgehead over the Altmuhl River, 25 April. : 33 On at least six occasions they called in . The battalion also had its own Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon, as well as medics and support personnel. [12] The 99th Infantry's after action report stated they found 1,500 Jews "living under terrible conditions and approximately 600 required hospitalization due to starvation and disease. When I got to Hfen, I found the area too big to cover in one afternoon. Troops were fatigued by weeks of continuous combat, Allied supply lines were stretched extremely thin, and supplies were dangerously depleted. Many of the 99th Division's best soldiers were products of the ill-fated ASTP program. As the tanks neared Krinkelt, they plowed right through elements of the 2nd Infantry Division, many of whom had arrived literally moments earlier to reinforce their brothers who had earlier reinforced the 99ers. Put under operational control of V Corps, First Army, it moved to Le Havre, France on 3 November and proceeded to Aubel, Belgium, to prepare to enter the front lines. No one had anticipated such a rapid Allied advance. Gen. von Manteuffel, commander of the 5th Panzer Army, stated in the address to his troops prior to the attack that "our ground mission must be continuous; otherwise we will not achieve our goal". Mission of the 395th Infantry Regiment The 99th Infantry's report stated that 1,500 Jews were "living under terrible conditions and approximately 600 required hospitalization due to starvation and disease.". The 99th Infantry Division, nicknamed Battle Babies and compromised of the 393rd, 394th, 395th Infantry Regiments and supporting units, spent approximately 151 days in combat during World War Two. Still, some German assaults penetrated American lines near the town of Hofen where they were eventually captured after retreating into houses in the town. On 2 March 1945, the division took the offensive, moving toward Cologne and crossing the Erft Canal near Glesch. "In two cases, the enemy fell in the BAR gunners' foxholes. The 393rd, 394th, and 395th Regiments were put on line, each unit protecting approximately 11 kilometres (6.8mi) of front, roughly equivalent to one front-line infantry man every 91 metres (299ft). The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. Ordered into active military service: 15 November 1942 Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. The terrain was open and rolling, and over six weeks the 3rd Battalion prepared dug-in positions that possessed good fields of fire. The 99th RSC's mission was to provide base operations functions for the assigned 13-state Northeast Region. Richard V. Horrell WW 2 Connections, Aug 6, 2010 #6 Buten42 Member Joined: Jun 27, 2009 Messages: 1,287 Likes Received: 210 Location: Washington State 394th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment (99th Infantry Division), Medical History, December 1944. . Several photos from the private collection of the family of Dean F. THE EARLY YEARS Joseph Richard Evans (Dick) was born on October 17, 1920 to Charles E. Evansand Wenonah (nee Muirhead/Miller)in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, arrived in England on 10 October 1944. The thick forest was tangled with rocky gorges, little streams, and sharp hills. [2] Historian John S.D. The camp was newly built, and the barracks were covered in tar paper. In 1975, the 99th ARCOM moved its headquarters to Oakdale, Pennsylvania. Plans called for the division to include the 393rd, 394th, 395th, and 396th Infantry Regiments. The 3rd Battalion, 395th Infantry, led by Lt. Col. McClernand Butler and 2nd Lt. Col. Roy S. Groffy, occupied the area around Hfen, Germany, on the border with Belgium during early December. During the first day of the Battle of the Bulge, the 3rd Battalion took 19 prisoners and killed an estimated 200 Germans. Yet, despite their successful defense and reinforcement from the 2nd Division, the 395th was in a precarious position on the morning of the December 17. Shield The 395th Infantry, Organized Reserves, was organized in 1921. The 395th Infantry Regiment was a unit of the United States 99th Infantry Division.It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. It was redesignated for the 395th Regiment on 7 June 1999. American troops from the 290th Regiment near Amonines, Belgium. This did not turn out to be true. They engaged in division-level maneuvers in July 1944. "[9]:1738 On at least six occasions they called in artillery strikes on or directly in front of their own positions. He returned to Illinois and in 1933 was commissioned a second lieutenant in the National Guard. Troops Fight at Elsenburn Ridge", "Why the Bulge Didn't Break: Green Troops Grew Up Fast to Become Heroes of Hofen", "The Battle for Lanzerath HillThe True Story16December1944", "A hero remembers the Battle of the Bulge", "The Heroic Stand of an Intelligence Platoon", "General Orders No. Medical Detachment, 395th Infantry A. P. O. Battle of the Bulge In early December, the front was unusually calm and the weather was bone-chilling cold. Excited to share my latest group in the 99th Infantry Division collection. Dad proudly told that the 99th was the first complete unit cross the Remagen Bridge on March 9th or 10th. The blue and white are taken from the coat of arms for William Pitt for whom Pittsburgh was named. Originally planned as a Pennsylvania unit, the horizontal band of white and blue. At the Arcadia Conference, held in Washington, DC, from December 24, 1941 to January 14, 1942, the Western Allies agreed to a Germany First policy to govern global strategy, but the question where to engage Germany, and when, remained unsettled. A member of the 395th Infantry Regiment , the photographer captured an amazing scene through the lens of this camera in these images. By December 1944, Allied armies had reached the western border of Germany itself. The 99th battled on to the bridge at Remagen that was taken on March 7th. [16], On 23 Dec. 1996, the 99th RSC mobilized the first of six units for deployment to Operation Joint Endeavor in support of peacekeeping missions in Bosnia. The black background The division was reconstituted in the Organized Reserve on 24 June 1921 and assigned to the western half of the state of Pennsylvania. Lieutenant Colonel McClernand Butler, commander of 3/395. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, MIGHTY NETWORKS, 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Artificial Intelligence just flew an F-16 Fighting Falcon for the US military, WWII vet finally receives Silver Star for heroism at Battle of the Bulge, This is the massive Nazi sneak attack at the Battle of the Bulge, Rarely seen footage from the Battle of the Bulge, The first tank to break into Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge was almost lost to history. The success of the defense of the twin villages would be short-lived if ammunition was not resupplied. and the situation was desperate. In a long fight with about 500 men of the 1st Battalion, 9th Fallschirmjaeger Regiment, 3rd Fallschirmjaeger Division, the 18 men of the platoon along with four artillery observers inflicted between 60[6][7] to more than 100[8] casualties on the Germans. The campaign in North Africa began with a daring Anglo-American commando raid code-named Operation RESERVIST. The Germans were operating under a tight timetable, however, and the assaults center of gravitythe 6th Panzer Armyhad only one day to breach the 99th IDs line. Allied forces were fighting their way across France, and fresh units were badly needed in autumn 1944 to continue to press the offensive. In January 2003, the 99th RSC started mobilizing units for projected operations in Iraq. This northern shoulder of the American line where the 99th ID was entrenched would be the hinge on which the German assault would pivot northwest toward Antwerp. 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 Peipers right flank had to be secured and the Americans in that region had to be destroyed. Not only did your command assist in effectively frustrating that particular part of the plan, but it also inflicted such heavy losses on the enemy that he was unable to carry out other contemplated missions in other sectors of the Allied front. The division was also known as the "Battle Babies" during 1945, a sobriquet coined by a United Press correspondent when the division was first mentioned in press reports during the Battle of the Bulge. The Army operated a program designed to capitalize on the large number of educated and intelligent recruits that were available. [4], The 395th, entrenched along the "International Road" and Elsenborn Ridge, forced the Germans to commit and sacrifice many of their infantrymen and expose their armored formations to withering artillery fire. Table of Contents. The Germans, moving across illuminated open ground without cover, fell by the hundreds against the murderous American fire. At the going down of the sun And in the morning We will remember them." 324th Engineer Combat Battalion Albertson Dale W Bass Robert D Brown Edwin C Busk [8], That is three to four times wider than recommended by Army textbooks. There was no cover. On 22 December 1967, the 99th Army Reserve Command (ARCOM) was activated. Some toppled directly into US foxholes as American troops engaged them at point-blank range. The 5 th Infantry Division was moved from Saarlautern, Luxembourg to the area of south and southwest of Echternach. The 393rd, 394th & 395th were the Infantry Regiments of the 99th Infantry Division. The 1st Battalion was positioned on the right. [5] The 99th boarded ships bound for England on 10 October 1944 and briefly stayed at Camp Marabout, Dorchester, England. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Medal of Honor was awarded T/Sgt Vernon McGarity, Company L, 393rd Infantry, 99th Infantry Division, for actions taken near Krinkelt, Belgium, on 16 December 1944 during the opening phases of the Ardennes Offensive. The 394th Infantry Regiment was established on 23 July 1918 as the 394th Infantry and assigned to the 99th Division as a member of the National Army. The buck's head was used to indicate the allocation of the organization to the mountainous section of Pennsylvania, where deer abound. A few miles to the east lay the Siegfried Line, the enemys final defensive line guarding the German heartland. Their success in defending Hfen resulted in the 395th Infantry being repeatedly assigned to other divisions for difficult assignments during the remainder of the war, earning them the sobriquet, Butler's Blue Battlin' Bastards. For their actions the battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation which read, in part: outnumbered 5 to 1, [3/395] inflicted casualties in the ratio of 18 to 1. One Wehrmacht officer captured at Hfen asked his interrogators which unit had defended the town. Hfen remained in American handsfor now. 449, U.S. ARMY 15 January 1945 SUBJECT: History of Medical Detachment, 395th Infantry Regiment, 1 December to 31 December 1944. Every member of the platoon was decorated, which included four Distinguished Service Crosses, five Silver Stars and ten Bronze Stars with "V" devices signifying awards for valor in combat.[10]. The enemy artillery was so intense that communications were generally out. 395th Infantry Regiment Medical Detachment (99th Infantry . On 5 March 1941, as the United States began to mobilize for the possibility of war, McClernand Butler became a second lieutenant in the Regular Army. When the Germans finally broke through 3/395s lines and established a foothold in the town, the Americans recaptured the buildings by firing anti-tank guns through the walls. "[9]:79, The battalion dug in, its purpose to hold the line so that other units could attack key dams across the Roer River. [14], The 99th as a whole, outnumbered five to one, inflicted casualties in the ratio of eighteen to one. The infantry at Hfen lay in a foxhole line along a 910 metres (2,990ft) front on the eastern side of the village, backed up by dug-out support positions. German Panzer tanks en route to the Ardennes. There Major Butler collapsed due to exhaustion on 30 April, and Lt. Col. J. The unit's distinctive shoulder patch consisted of a five-sided shield of black on which is superimposed a horizontal band of white and blue squares. The 99th Infantry Division, the "Checkerboard" division, gained its nickname from the division's insignia. The platoon members were not recognized for their courageous deeds for thirty-seven years. Your organization gave ample proof of the fact that it is a good hard fighting division and one in which you and each and every member of your command can be justly proud[16], Major Butler was decorated with the Silver Star, the French Croix de Guerre, the Belgian Fourragre, the Belgian Order de la Couronne, and the Bronze Star Medal with the Oak leaf cluster. Mission of the 395th Infantry Regiment I. On 28 January 1945, after six weeks of the most intense and relentless combat of the war in the biggest battle of World War II, involving approximately 1.3million men, the Allies declared the Ardennes Offensive, or Battle of the Bulge, officially over. As many as half a million civilians remained in Stalingrad when the Germans approached in the late summer of 1942. For four successive days the battalion held this sector against combined German tank and infantry attacks, launched with fanatical determination and supported by heavy artillery. The men carried out missions without orders when their positions were penetrated or infiltrated. The 3rd Battalion, 395th Regiment had acquitted itself with valor, having held its lines despite the harsh winter weather, the enemy's numerical superiority and greater numbers of armored units. The Battle of the Bulge was the largest battle ever fought by the United States Army. When hostilities ceased on 7 May 1945, the regiment had during six months of fighting experienced 300 percent turnover due to casualties. Through this eerie artificial moonlight, the 326th Volksgrenadier Division advanced on 3/395s position. This quick infusion of personnel into the 99th Division occurred in March 1944, when more than 3000 joined the division. These two German divisions directed their fury against the 395th early on the morning of the December 17. As the night grew darker, optimistic American officers in the 2nd Division relayed a message to headquarters, Action quieting; believe we can hold. This would prove to be a false hope. Butler held a single platoon of 40 men from Company L in reserve. At the end of the day, the veterans of the 26th Infantry still held their groundand looked out on a battlefield strewn with destroyed German armor and scores of enemy dead. On 1 February 1944, Major Butler assumed command of the 3rd Battalion, 395th Regiment. Two months later, when the 99th Division was transferred to VII Corps under Maj. Gen. Walter E. Lauer, the commanding officer of V Corps, Maj. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner, wrote him: The 99th Infantry Division arrived in this theater without previous combat experience early in November 1944. [7]:3, Col. Butler went ahead to look over the area they were assigned to defend. It was activated on 1 December 1939. Infanterie-Division) was a German division in World War II. Score: 4.8/5 (10 votes) . The 395th Infantry had mostly held their lines, and now with the battle hardened 2nd Infantry Division on the way to back them up, the lines of defense near Elsenborn appeared to be significantly harder to pierce. The ferocious assault caught the Allies off-guard and the rapid German advance famously caused a bulge on Allied maps. 18 Dec 44-7 Jan 45 Attached to 2d Infantry Division, Blandford (Longton Long, Dorset Barracks), 370th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer), 371st Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer), 924th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer), 372d Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer). Allies and former enemy Germany mark 75th anniversary of Battle of Battle of the Bulge: WWII vets travel to Belgium for 75th anniversary. The 3rd Battalion received a Presidential Unit Citation for its actions around Hfen from 16 to 19 December. [16], On 16 July 2003, the command was redesignated as the 99th Regional Readiness Command, placing additional emphasis on training, readiness, and mobilization. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. "[13] The division continued to attack without opposition to the Inn River and Giesenhausen until VE-day. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. Specific units were charged with penetrating Germany's West Wall. A group of photos from his wartime, unfortenately we have not been able to. Ehrenfried-Oskar Bge. German troops pass burning American equipment during the Ardennes offensive. [citation needed]. Butler's uncle, General Edward J. McClernand, fought in the Indian Wars and was awarded the Medal of Honor. Under the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! It had its headquarters at Franklin, Pennsylvania, and drew its personnel from Pennsylvania. [13], German prisoners captured during the Battle of the Bulge volunteered praise of the 99th's effective defense of Hfen. The 99th RSC was awarded the Army Superior Unit Award on 9 May 2016 by the US Army Human Resources Command for its role in the relief support after Hurricane Sandy, from 29 October 2012 thru 31 March 2013. The three regiments of the 99th IDthe 393rd, 394th, & 395th Infantry Regimentswere thinly spread across this frigid but quiet portion of the front. When three hours later a third SS assault hit the defenders, it too was stopped. 3/395 greeted the Volksgrenadiers with a punishing hail of bullets, mortars, and artillery. 504-528-1944, Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy, Black Volunteer Infantry Platoons in World War II, Kasserine Pass: German Offensive, American Victory, The Top 5 Veteran Research Questions: Where to Go and What to Know, Gallantry against Great Odds: LTC George Marshall and Operation RESERVIST, Prelude to Liberation: Genesis of American Amphibious Assault in the ETO, Black Thursday October 14, 1943: The Second Schweinfurt Bombing Raid, An Exercise in Depravity: The Establishment of the Warsaw Ghetto, Unsung Witnesses of the Battle of Stalingrad. Army policy does not allow for the lineage and honors of a TO&E organization, such as an infantry division, to be perpetuated by a TDA organization, such as an RSC. The 99th Infantry Division was formed in 1942 and deployed overseas in 1944. In the event of an emergency, the battalion headquarters and company administrative personnel, including clerks and motor-pool staff, were to join the platoon, creating a small reserve force of about 100 men. He began his career conducting oral histories and research for HBOs miniseries The Pacific and holds the distinction of being the first historian hired by the Museums Research Department. While an RSC is allowed to wear the insignia and use the same number as a previous infantry division, it is not entitled to its lineage and honors. [6] On more than one occasion, BAR gunners would allow Germans to get within feet of their positions before opening fire, with the objective of increasing the odds of killing the attacking Germans. The insignia was devised upon the 99th's formation in 1942 when the division was headquartered in the city of Pittsburgh. info@nationalww2museum.org The 197th Infantry Division (German: 197. The statue of the Minute Man, Captain John Parker, (H.H.Kitson, sculptor), stands on the common in Lexington, Massachusetts. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. Harold was . 99th Infantry Division soldiers putting up a winterized squad hut. T. E. Piersall and Pfc. The regiment arrived at Camp Van Dorn in early December. While the 99th was fully involved in this large mobilization, the headquarters moved to Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. [1] During the Battle of the Bulge, the regimentat times virtually surrounded by Germanswas one of the few units that did not yield ground to the attacking Germans. Those Germans who made it into the town itself were quickly mopped up. The 99th RRC continued to provide command and control for assigned units and support for the ongoing deployments. They killed Germans coming at them from the front, flanks and rear. The silver and bronze star medal of Col. Alexander John Mackenzie, Regimental Commandor of the 395th Infantry Regiment. Up to that point, the Army had married a battalion of tanks to a battalion of infantry in support of the tanks. The 395th Infantry was in the woods east of the northernmost section of the 2d Division withdrawal route and would provide cover for the first stage of the tricky move parallel to and close.