NAME:
Seventy-Ninth Infantry Division / 79th Division
NICKNAME:
"Cross of Lorraine Division" and "Liberty Division"
BATTLE HONORS:
World War I
Meuse-Argonne
World War II
Normandy
Northern France
Rhineland
Central Europe
ACTIVATED:
Aug 1917
June 15, 1942
Dec 22, 1967
DEACTIVATED:
June 1919
Dec 20, 1945
PATCH HISTORY:
The insignia of the 79th Division is a gray Lorraine cross on a blue shield with a gray border; it was adopted during World War I. Having distinguished itself at Montfaucon, in Lorraine, the division selected the Cross of Lorraine, a symbol of triumph since the 15th Century, as its insignia.
From: http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/documents/eto-ob/79ID-ETO.htm
HISTORY:
World War I
Activated: August 1917
Overseas: July 1918
Major Operations: Meuse-Argonne
Casualties: Total-6,874 (KIA-1,151 ; WIA-5,723)
Commanders: Maj. Gen. Joseph E. Kuhn (25 August 1917), Brig. Gen. W. J. Nicholson (26 November 1917), Maj. Gen. Joseph E. Kuhn (17 February 1918), Maj. Gen. Joseph E. Kuhn (16 April 1918), Brig. Gen. W. J. Nicholson (22 May 1918), Maj. Gen. Joseph E. Kuhn (8 June 1918), Brig. Gen. W. J. Nicholson (28 June 1918), Maj. Gen. Joseph E. Kuhn (31 December 1918)
Returned to U. S.: May 1919
Inactivated: June 1919
Combat Chronicle
Known as the "Liberty Division." Insignia, a gray Lorraine cross on a blue shield-shaped field, the whole outlined in gray. Organized Aug. 25, 1917, at Camp Meade, Md. The officers for the most part were from Pennsylvania and the selected men in the early increments were drawn from eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Beginning about this time large number of men were transferred to southern divisions and to special units throughout the United States. This continued until June, 1918.
Approximately 80,000 men were trained in this division and only about 25,000 retained.
The later increments came from New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and West Virginia.
Commenced its overseas movement July 9, 1918, the majority embarking at Hoboken, and debarking at Brest. The 154th Fld. Arty. Brigade embarked at Philadelphia and debarked in England, proceeding from there to a training area in France. The last units arrived in France, Aug. 3, 1918. This artillery brigade joined the division after the armistice.
The division left Brest for the twelfth training area, but were diverted to the tenth training area around Prauthoy and Champlite. Left the training area for the Robert Espagne area by rail. Subsequently proceeding by bus on Sept. 16th relieved a division in sector 304 (Montfaucon).
The 79th Division under the 5th Corps made its first offensive in the Mense-Argonne drive, advancing through Haucourt and Malancourt. On Sept. 27th they passed through Montfaucon and on Sept. 29th through Nantillois. They were relieved in this sector on Sept. 30th and passed to the command of the 2nd Colonial French Corps., moving Oct. 8th to the Troyon sector (Frenes-en-Woevre-Doncourt). Were relieved in this sector Oct. 26, 1918. Entered the Grand Montagne Sector (right of Meuse) and participated in the second phase of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, under the 17th French Corps, advancing through Borne-du- Cornouiller (Hill 376) on Nov. 6th, and through Damvillers and Wavrille on Nov. 9th. Ville-devant-Chaumont was passed on Nov. 11th. The division remained in same location and also took over area from Meuse river to Eresnes-en-Woevre until Nov. 26th. Moved to Souilly area south of Verdun, Dec. 27th.
Casualties, 3,223. Distinguished Service Crosses awarded, 80.
Maj.-Gen. Joseph E.Kuhn, U.S.A., commanded the division from Aug. 25, 1917
World War II
Activated: 15 June 1942
Overseas: 7 April 1944
Campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe
Days of combat: 248
Distinguished Unit Citations: 8
Awards: MH-3 ; DSC-13 ; DSM-1 ; SS-962; LM-11 ; SM-27 ; BSM-4,916 ; AM-78
Commanders: Maj. Gen. Ira T. Wyche (June 1942-May 1945), Brig. Gen. LeRoy H. Watson (May-July 1945), Maj. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe (July-August 1945), Brig. Gen. LeRoy H. Watson (August 1945 to inactivation).
Returned to U. S.: 10 December 1945.
Inactivated: 20 December 1945.
Reactivated: (Org. Res. Div. 29 November 1946).
Combat Chronicle
After training in the United Kingdom from 17 April 1944, the 79th Infantry Division landed on Utah Beach, Normandy, 12-14 June and entered combat 19 June 1944, with an attack on the high ground west and northwest of Valognes and high ground south of Cherbourg. The Division took Fort du Roule after a heavy engagement and entered Cherbourg, 25 June. It held a defensive line at the Ollonde River until 2 July 1944 and then returned to the offensive, taking La Haye du Puits in house-to-house fighting, 8 July. On 26 July, the 79th attacked across the Ay River, took Lessay, crossed the Sarthe River and entered Le Mans, 8 August, meeting only light resistance. The advance continued across the Seine, 19 August. Heavy German counterattacks were repulsed, 22-27 August, and the Division reached the Therain River, 31 August. Moving swiftly to the Franco-Belgian frontier near St. Amand, the Division encountered heavy resistance in taking Charmes in street fighting, 12 September. The 79th cut across the Moselle and Meurthe Rivers, 13-23 September, cleared the Foret de Parroy in a severe engagement, 28 September-9 October, and attacked to gain high ground east of Embermenil, 14-23 October, when it was relieved, 24 October.
After rest and training at Luneville, the Division returned to combat with an attack from the MignevineMontiguy area, 13 November 1944, which carried it across the Vezouse and Moder Rivers, 18 November-10 December, through Haguenau in spite of determined enemy resistance, and into the Siegfried Line, 17-20 December. The Division held a defensive line along the Lauter River, at Wissembourg from 20 December 1944 until 2 January 1945, when it withdrew to Maginot Line defenses. The German attempt to establish a bridgehead west of the Rhine at Gambsheim resulted in furious fighting. The 79th beat off German attacks at Hatten and Rittershoffen in an 11-day battle before withdrawing to new defensive positions south of Haguenau on the Moder River, 19 January 1945. The Division remained on the defensive along the Moder until 6 February 1945. After resting in February and March 1945, the Division returned to combat, 24 March 1945, crossed the Rhine, drove across the Rhine-Herne Canal, 7 April, secured the north bank of the Ruhr and took part in clearing the Ruhr Pocket until 13 April. The Division then went on occupation duty, in the Dortmund, Sudetenland, and Bavarian areas successively, until its return to the United States and inactivation.
Throughout its 248 days of the WW2 campaign, the division suffered 2,476 Killed with 10,971 wounded and 14,875 non-battle injuries. Three soldiers from this division were awarded the Medal of Honor.
The division had taken some 35,466 Prisoners of War.
Assignments in the European Theater of Operations
18 April 1944: VIII Corps, Third Army.
29 May 1944: Third Army but attached to VII Corps, First Army.
30 June 1944: Third Army, but attached to First Army.
1 July 1944: VIII Corps.
1 August 1944: VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group.
8 August 1944: XV Corps.
24 August 1944: XV Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group, but attached to First Army.
26 August 1944: XV Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group.
29 August 1944: XII Corps.
7 September 1944: XV Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group.
29 September 1944: Third Army, 12th Army Group, but attached to the XV Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.
25 November 1944: XV Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.
5 December 1945: VI Corps.
6 February 1945: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.
17 February 1945: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group, but attached to the XVI Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group.
1 March 1945: XIII Corps.
7 March 1945: XVI Corps.
7 April 1945: XVI Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group.
Cold War to Present
The division became the 79th Army Reserve Command in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, on December 22, 1967. In May 1968, two 97th transportation units were mobilized and deployed to Vietnam. The 315th Transportation Company was awarded a Meritorious Unit Citation for its service. When U.S. troops deployed to Grenada in 1983 to rescue American citizens attending medical school, civil affairs soldiers from the 79th were among the first rescuers to reach the students.
In 1990, the 79th activated the first of 15 units that deployed to Operation Desert Storm. These units provided medical, military police, support and supply missions in the Persian Gulf. The last of these units returned to Reserve status in July 1991.
In 1996, during reorganization of the Army Reserve to better meet the needs of the 21st century, the 79th joined two other Army Reserve commands, the 99th and 97th, to form the 99th Regional Readiness Command.
Divisional history from:
http://ranger95.com/divisions/order_battle_79th_div_ww1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_79th_Infantry_Division
http://www.armyreserve.army.mil/USARC/RRC/...RRC_History.htm