No distinctive Insignia Authorized

1 Oct 41 activated at Ft Knox Ky and transferred to Cp Cooke Calif 16 Feb 42; participated 14 Aug 42 in the Desert Training Center II Armored Corps Calif Maneuvers; returned to Cp Cooke Calif 19 Nov 42; moved 17 Mar 43 to the Second Army No.1 Tennessee Maneuvers; arrived at Pine Camp N.Y. 24 Jun 43 and at Indiantown Gap Mil Res Pa 8 Dec 43; staged at Cp Kilmer N.J. 4 Feb 44 until departed New York P/E 11 Feb 44; arrived England 24 Feb 44 and landed in France 25 Jul 44; crossed into Luxembourg 2 Sep 44 and into Belgium 5 Oct 44; initially entered Germany 1 Dec 44; returned to Belgium 24 Dec 44 and to Holland 5 Feb 45; re-entered Germany 25 Feb 45; returned New York P/E 10 Oct 45 and inactivated at Cp Kilmer N.J. 11 Oct 45.

Campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe

Aug 45 Loc: Muhlhausen, Germany

Typical Organization (1941):

5th Armored Brigade HHC
31st Armored Regiment (Light)
34th Armored Regiment (Light)
81st Armored Regiment (Medium)
65th Field Artillery Regiment (Armored)
85th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
58th Field Artillery Battalion (Armored)
46th Infantry (Armored)
Headquarters
Hqs Company, 5th Armored Division
22nd Engineer Battalion (Armored)
75th Medical Battalion (Armored)
145th Signal Company (Armored)
21st Ordnance Battalion (Armored)
19th Quartermaster Battalion (Armored)

Typical Organization (1944/45):

10th Tank Battalion
34th Tank Battalion
81st Tank Battalion
15th Armored Infantry Battalion
46th Armored Infantry Battalion
47th Armored Infantry Battalion
HHB Division Artillery
47th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
71st Armored Field Artillery Battalion
95th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
85th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mecz
505th Counter Intelligence Corps Det
628th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 2 Aug 44-19 Dec 44, 28 Jan 45-9 May 45)
629th Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 29 Aug 44-14 Dec 44)
771st Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 17 Apr 45-24 Apr 45)
387th AAA Auto-Wpns Battalion (attached 1 Aug 44-25 Mar 45, 28 Mar 45-9 May 45)
Headquarters
Hqs Company, 5th Armored Division
HHC, Combat Command A
HHC, Combat Command B
Hqs, Reserve Command
HHC, Division Trains:
75th Medical Battalion, Armored
127th Armored Maintenance Battalion
Military Police Platoon
22nd Armored Engineer Battalion
145th Armored Signal Company

Overseas Wartime Assignments:

Third Army -3 Mar 44
XX Corps - 29 Mar 44
XII Corps-17 Jun 44
Third Army - 31 Jul 44
XV Corps-1 Aug 44
First Army (attached) - 24 Aug 44
XV Corps - 26 Aug 44
V Corps - 29 Aug 44
VII Corps-29 Nov 44
V Corps - 23 Dec 44
XIX Corps-27 Jan 45
XVI Corps - 29 Jan 45
XIII Corps-1 Feb 45
XVIII (A/B) Corps - 4 May 45

Commanders:

MG Jack W. Heard: Oct 41
MG Lunsford E. Oliver: Mar 43
BG Morrill Ross: Jul 45
MG Holmes E. Dager: Sep 45

Killed in Action: 570
Wounded in Action: 2,442
Died of Wounds: 140

5th Armored Division Combat Narrative

The division arrived across Utah Beach France on 25 Jul 44 and concentrated between the See' and Selune River to block German movement toward Avranches on 1 Aug 44. It drove south through Coutances, Avranches, and Vitre to cross the Mayenne River and take Le Mans 8 Aug 44. The next day the division swung north toward Alencon, and advanced to the edge of Argentan 12 Aug 44 which it then left to the 90th Inf Div. It advanced 60 miles to reach the Eure River at Dreux which fell 16 Aug 44. Advancing with the 79th Inf Div, the division reached the Seine River at Mantes-Gassicourt on 18 Aug 44 and started along the west bank toward Louviers the next day to cut off German retreat. By 22 Aug 44 it encountered strong opposition between the Seine and Eure Rivers and reached Houdebouville 24 Aug 44. The division moved through Paris 30 Aug 44 to spearhead the drive on Compiegne, and crossed the Oise River at Pont Ste Maxence with CCB on 31 Aug 44. It reached the Belgian border at Conde 2 Sep 44 and secured crossings over the Meuse River near Sedan on 5 Sep 44 with CCA at Bazeilles and CCR at Mohon, taking Sedan the next day. On 10 Sep 44 the city of Luxembourg fell to CCA without opposition. The 85th Rcn Sqdn entered Germany with a dismounted patrol near Stalzenburg on 11 Sep 44 and became the first allied unit to enter the Reich from the west. CCR crossed the Sauer River into Germany on 14 Sep 44 and cleared Wallendorf, driving through the West Wall to the edge of Bettingen the next day. The division then held the Wallendorf salient against counterattacks until 20 Sep 44, and then moved to defensive lines in the Monschau-Hofen sector.

CCR reinforced the 4th Inf Div in the Huertgen Forest on 16 Nov 44 and advanced in heavy combat. It was halted on 25 Nov 44 outside Grosshau by a large crater and mines, but by 29 Nov 44 seized Kleinhau. The division took Brandenburg with air support on 3 Dec 44 as CCR cleared a strongpoint at Vossenack 3-4 Dec 44. The division pushed into Bergstein the next day and by 16 Dec 44 had reached the Roer River in the Bilstein area. It resumed the attack toward the Roer on 20 Dec 44 and CCA fought the Battle for Schneidhausen 20-22 Dec 44, after which the division was relieved in line by the 8th and 83rd Inf Divs. It closed into Eupen on 24 Dec 44 and was placed in reserve.

CCA seized Eicherscheid on 30 Jan 45 and captured Colmar 2 Feb 45. CCR crossed the Roer River 25 Feb 45 and assembled south of Hottorf, attacking through mud which bogged division's CCB down outside Guenhoven 27 Feb 45. CCA crossed the Niers Canal on 1 Mar 45 and took both Anrath and Fischeln the next day. CCR mopped up the Orsoy area, which included the Battle of Repelen, 1-7 Mar 45, during which it reached the Rhine 5 Mar 45. CCA and CCB meanwhile assembled at Kempen. The division remained in the Kempen-Repelen area until 11 Mar 45, when relieved by the 75th Inf Div. The division then crossed the Rhine River at Wessel 30-31 Mar 45.