History World War II

In World War II, the 78th Division was reactivated at Camp Butner, North Carolina on August 15, 1942. It was designated as a Replacement Pool Division on October 1, 1942, and remained in this assignment until March 1, 1943, when the 78th Division was restored to field duty, and to its training regimen. 78th Division moved to the Carolina Maneuver Area on November 15, 1943 to test its training, and then returned to Camp Butner on December 7, 1943. The personnel then went on Christmas Leave, and deployed to the Tennessee Maneuver Area on January 25, 1944, where they participated in the 5th Second Army Tennessee Maneuvers. They then moved to Camp Pickett, Virginia, where they filled their TO&E, then deployed to the Staging Area at Camp Kilmer, NJ on October 4, 1944.

After two years as a Training Division, the 78th embarked for the European Theatre from the New York POE on October 14, 1944, whereupon they sailed for England. They arrived on October 26, 1944, and after further training crossed to France on November 22, 1944.

After landing in France, the division moved to Tongeren, Belgium on November 27, 1944, and to Rotgen, Germany on December 7, 1944, to prepare for combat. The 311th Infantry Regiment was attached to the 8th Armored Division in the Hurtgen Forest, 10 December. The 309th and 310th Infantry Regiments relieved elements of the 1st Division in the line in the vicinity of Entenpfuhl, 1-12 December. On the 13th these regiments smashed into Simmerath, Witzerath, and Bickerath and were fighting for Kesternich when Gerd von Rundstedt launched his counteroffensive in the Monschau area, on 18 December.

The 78th held the area it had taken from the Siegfried Line against the violent German attacks throughout the winter. The Division attacked, 30 January 1945, and took Kesternich, 2 February, the town of Schmidt on the 8th, and captured intact the vital Schwammanauel Dam the next day. In the advance, the Roer River was crossed, 28 February, and the Division joined the offensive of the First and Ninth Armies toward the Rhine. That river was crossed over the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, ** A History of the 311th Timberwolf Infantry Regiment: First Across the Rhine. n.p., 1945. 23 p. #603-311.1945/2. 8 March, by the 310th Regiment, the first troops to cross in the wake of the 9th Armored Division. That unit, attached to the 9th Armored and acting as a motorized unit had driven across Germany capturing Euskirchen, Rheinbach, and Bad Neuenahr. The 78th expanded the bridgehead, taking Honnef and cutting part of the Autobahn, 16 March. From 2 April to 8 May, the Division was active in the reduction of the Ruhr Pocket and at VE-day was stationed near Marburg. The Division remained on occupation duty in Germany until it was deactivated on May 22, 1946.

World War II Troop List

• Maneuver Regiments

  • 309th Infantry Regiment

  • 310th Infantry Regiment

  • 311th Infantry Regiment

• Division Artillery

  • 307th Field Artillery Battalion [105 mm]

  • 308th Field Artillery Battalion [105 mm]

  • 309th Field Artillery Battalion [155 mm]

  • 903rd Field Artillery Battalion [105 mm]

• Additional Assigned Units

  • 78th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop [Mech]

  • 78th CIC Detachment

  • 78th Signal Company

  • 78th Quartermaster Company

  • 78th Military Police Platoon

  • 303rd Engineer Battalion [CBT]

  • 303rd Medical Battalion

  • 778th Ordnance Company [LM]

  • HQ Co, 78th Infantry Division

  • HQ 78th ID Special Troops

  • HHB, 78th ID Artillery

• Attachments

  • 552nd Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion [AW] [12/20/1944 - after VE day]

  • 628th Tank Destroyer Battalion [12/19/1944 - 12/23/1944]

  • 709th Tank Battalion [12/10/1944 - 01/25/1945]

  • 736th Tank Battalion [01/25/1945 - 02/01/1945]

  • 774th Tank Battalion [02/03/1945 - 02/24/1945]

  • 817th Tank Destroyer Battalion [12/01/1944 - 12/06/1944]

  • 893rd Tank Destroyer Battalion [12/11/1944 - after VE day]

Assignments in the European Theater of Operations

• 9 November 1944: Ninth Army, 12th Army Group.

• 28 November 1944: XIX Corps

• 5 December 1944: V Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group.

• 18 December 1944: VII Corps.

• 20 December 1944: Attached, with the entire First Army, to the British 21st Army Group.

• 22 December 1944: XIX Corps, Ninth Army (attached to the British 21st Army Group), 12th Army Group.

• 2 February 1945: V Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group.

• 3 February 1945: XVIII (Abn) Corps.

• 12 February 1945: III Corps.

• 16 March 1945: VII Corps.

• 3 April 1945: XVIII (Abn) Corps.

• 19 April 1945: First Army, 12th Army Group.

• 22 May 1946: Deactivated

Summary

• Activated: 15 August 1942.

• Overseas: 14 October 1944.

• Campaigns: Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe.

• Days of combat: 125.

• Distinguished Unit Citations: 4.

• Commanders: Maj. Gen. Edwin P Parker, Jr. (August 1942-November 1945), Maj. Gen. Ray W. Barker (January 1946 to inactivation).

• Inactivated: 22 May 1946 in Europe.

The World War II Honor Roll lists: one Medal of Honor recipient (Jonah Edward Kelley, of the 311th Infantry); nine Distinguished Service Crosses; 599 Silver Star medals; 3,909 Bronze Star medals and 5,454 Purple Hearts. 1,368 officers and enlisted men had perished.

• Unit Casualty Tally

• KIA: 1,427

• WIA: 6,103

• DOW: 198