NAME:
Twenty-Seventh Infantry Division / 27th Division
NICKNAME:
"New York"
PATCH HISTORY:
Khaki-bordered circle with black background and within a red circle the letters "NY" worked into a monogram; with the red circle stars depicting Orion, from "O'Ryan", the name of the Division's WWI commander.
BATTLE HONORS:
World War I
Meuse-Argonne
Ypres-Lys
Somme offensive
World War II
Makin Island
Saipan
Okinawa
ACTIVATED:
July 15, 1917
Oct 15 1940
DEACTIVATED:
April 1919
Dec 31, 1945
HISTORY:
World War I
Called into federal service on July 15, 1917, the Twenty-seventh Division hastily recruited to greater personnel strength and, late in August, concentrated at Camp Wadsworth, near Spartanburg, SC, for intensive training. In the Spring of 1918 the movement toward embarkation camps began. The advance detachment left Hoboken May 2 and arrived at Brest, France, May 10. Late in June the last units of theTwenty-seventh Division had arrived safely overseas.
Until July 24 the division was in the final stages of intensive training under British mentors, ln Picardy and Flanders. On July 25 the Empire State men, less their artillery and the 102d Supply Train, participated in the occupation of the Dickebusch Lake and Scherpenberg sectors in Flanders. A few days more than a month later the operation merged into the Ypres-Lys action, and then, from Aug. 19 to Sept.3, the division was on its own.
The great Somme "push," lasting from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1, saw the 27th in some severe fighting along the St.Quentin Canal Tunnel, one of the out-lying strong points of the supposedly impregnable Hindenburg line. Rehabilitation of the 27th was necessary at the conclusion of this first phase of the Somme "Push," and the New Yorkers moved back Into reserve on Oct. 1st. Six days later the Twenty-Seventh Division was back into action again, moving by easy stages toward Busigny on the heels of the retiring Germans.
There was no further rest for the New Yorkers until late in October. In the meantime they, with the British, forces and the Thirtieth Division, American Expeditionary Forces, had accomplished the supposedly impossible by cracking the vaunted Hindenburg line wide open.
The 52d Field Artillery Brigade and the 102nd Ammunition Train of the New York Division had not gone with the rest of the Twenty-seventh Division to the British front in Flanders. They had moved up on Oct. 28, to the support of the Seventy-ninth Division In the Argonne.
Meanwhile the Twenty-seventh Division units which had seen heavy action in Flanders, had also moved back to an area near the French seaport of Brest. Commanders of the Twenty-seventh Division included Maj. Gen. John P. O'Ryan, Brig. Gen. Charles L. Phillips (ad interim), and Brig. Gen. Palmer E. Pierce (ad interim) --- only three commanding officers, and two of those serving only for ad interim periods.
Composition of the Twenty-seventh Division in WWI
Fifty-third Infantry Brigade: 105th Infantry,106th Infantry, 105th Machine Gun Battalion
Fifty-fourth Infantry Brigade: 107th Infantry,108th Infantry, 106th Machine Gun Battalion.
Fifty-second Field Artillery Brigade:104th Field Artillery (75s), 105th Field Artillery (75's), 106th Field Artillery (155's), 102nd Trench Mortar Battery
Divisional Troops: 104th Machine Gun Battalion, 102d Engineers, 102d Field Signal Battalion, Headquarters Troop.
Trains: 102nd Train Headquarters and Military Police, 102nd AmmunitionTrain, 102nd Supply Train, 102nd Engineer Train, and 102nd Sanitary Train.
Activated: July 1917 (National Guard Division from New York).
Overseas: Early summer 1918.
Major Operations: Meuse-Argonne, Ypres-Lys, Somme offensive.
Casualties: Total 8,334 (KIA-1,442; WIA-6,892).
Commanders:
Maj. Gen. John F. O'Ryan (16 July 1917),
Brig. Gen. C. L. Phillips (19 September 1917),
Maj. Gen. J. F. O'Ryan (6 December 1917),
Brig. Gen. C. L. Phillips (23 December 1917),
Maj. Gen. J. F. O'Ryan (29 December 1917),
Brig. Gen. C. L. Phillips (22 February 1918),
Maj. Gen. J. F. O'Ryan (1 March 1918),
Brig. Gen. Palmer E. Pierce (16 June 1918),
Maj. Gen. J. F. O'Ryan (18 June 1918),
Brig. Gen. Palmer E. Pierce (14 November 1918),
Maj. Gen. J. F. O'Ryan (23 November 1918).
Inactivated: April 1919.
World War II
Activated: 15 October 1940.
Overseas: 10 March 1942.
Campaigns: Various elements participated in several campaigns in the Pacific but not the entire division.
Distinguished Unit Citations: 2.
Awards: MH-3 ; DSC-21 ; DSM-2 ; SS-412 ; LM-15; SM-13 ; BSM-986 ; AM-9.
Commanders:
Maj. Gen. William N. Haskell (October 1940–October 1941),
Brig. Gen. Ralph McT. Pennell (November 1941–October 1942),
Maj. Gen. Ralph C. Smith (November 1942–May 1944),
Maj. Gen. George W. Griner, Jr. (June 1944–December 1945).
Returned to U.S.: 15 December 1945.
Inactivated: 31 December 1945.
Organization
105th, 106th, 165th Infantry Regiments ("The Fighting 69th")
104th, 105th, 106th and 249th Field Artillery Battalions
102nd Engineer Combat Battalion
Combat Chronicle
The 27th Infantry Division arrived in Hawaii, 21 May 1942, to defend the outer islands from amphibious attack. Elements of the Division first saw action in the attack and capture of Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands, 21–24 November 1943. One battalion of the 106th Regiment participated in the attack on Eniwetok Atoll, 19–26 February 1944, returning to Oahu in March. During this mission, one battalion landed unopposed on Majuro Island, 1 February, and completed its seizure, 3 February. The Division began preparations for the Marianas operations, 15 March. On D-day plus 1, 16 June 1944, elements landed at night on Saipan to support the Second and Fourth Marine Divisions. A bridgehead was established and Aslito Airfield captured, 18 June. Fighting continued throughout June. During a pitched battle, 7 July, Japanese overran elements of the Division in a banzai attack, but organized resistance was crushed the next day. During the months of July and August, the 27th cleaned out isolated pockets in the mountains and cliffs of Saipan.
Beginning in the middle of August, the Division moved to the New Hebrides for rest and rehabilitation. On 25 March 1945, the 27th sailed from Espiritu Santo, arriving at Okinawa, 9 April 1945. The Division participated in the XXIV Corps general attack, 19 April 1945, securing a dominating ridge line south of Machinato and Kakazu. Machinato Airfield was captured, 28 April, after a severe struggle. On 1 May, the Division was relieved by the 1st Marine Division and attached to the Island Command for garrison duty. Tori Shima was seized, 12 May, without opposition. The 27th attacked from the south end of Ishikawa Isthmus to sweep the northern sector of Okinawa. The enemy fought bitterly on Onnatake Hill from 23 May until 2 June, before losing the strong point. After a mopping-up period, the Division left Okinawa, 7 September 1945, moved to Japan and occupied Niigata and Fukushima Prefectures.
Divisional history from:
http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/arng/27bde/history27.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_27th_Infantry_Division