75th Infantry Division

The Germans couldn’t have been blamed if they had thought the American Army had at least two 75th Divisions.

The 75th—there was only one—bounded back and forth so much along the European battlefront from January to May 1945, that observing its progress was a good deal like watching a lively tennis match.

Reaching the European Theater in November 1944, nineteen months after its activation, the 75th began fighting on January 1 in the Battle of the Bulge, and stayed in action there for 26 cold and bitter days. Crossing the Salm River, the 75th moved into the north flank of the Ardennes salient in Belgium, cleared Salmchâteau and Bech, and helped take the important bastion of Vielsalm. The Division also was one of the American outfits that fought at St.Vith.

The 75th swept down to the Seventh Army front, in the Colmar-Breisach area. At the end of January, the Division was busily engaged in that part of Alsace, where it eliminated a pocket of resistance between Colmar and the Rhine.

By March 1 the 75th was up north again, in defensive positions on the west bank of the Maas River in Holland. On March 7th—there they go again—the Division jumped from Venlo, Holland, to Bryell, Germany. After much patrol activity east of the Rhine, the 75th crossed the river on March 24, and a week later launched its first big attack on the other side.

From then on, the much-travelled 75th fought in the Hotten-Grandmenil sector, took Witten, and conducted extensive mopping-up operations in the north corner of the Ruhr pocket, at Eckern and other points.

On V-E Day the 75th was at Lutgen, Germany, and shorty thereafter it set up occupation headquarters at Werdohl. Later moved out to operate an assembly area for other troops being :rturned to the United States.

From Fighting Divisions, Kahn & McLemore, Infantry Journal Press, 1945-1946.

The division insignia consists of a red, white, and blue field with a blue "7" and a red "5" superimposed. Thin insignia has no heraldic significance.

COMMAND AND STAFF

Commanding General

20 Oct 44	Maj. Gen. Willard S. Paul
22 Nov 44	Maj. Gen. Gay B. Prickett
24 Jan 45	Maj. Gen. Ray E. Porter

Assistant Division Commander

20 Oct 44

Brig. Gen. Gerald St. C. Mickle

Artillery Commander

20 Oct 44	Brig. Gen. Foster J. Tate
22 Nov 44	Brig. Gen. Albert C. Stanford
24 Jan 45	Col. Charles L. Dasher, Jr.
25 Mar 45	Brig. Gen. Charles L. Dasher, Jr.

Chief of Staff

20 Oct 44	Col. Herbert B. Powell
19 Feb 45	Col. Earl M. Miner

Assistant Chief of Staff G-1

20 Oct 44

Lt. Col. William J. Cashin

Assistant Chief of Staff G-2

20 Oct 44

Lt. Col. George C. Dewey

Assistant Chief of Staff G-3

20 Oct 44

Lt. Col. Robert C. Dean

Assistant Chief of Staff G-4

20 Oct 44	Lt. Col. Edward E. Hood
22 Nov 44	Maj. John W. Dean, Jr.
17 Mar 45	Lt. Col. John W. Dean, Jr.

Assistant Chief of Staff G-5

23 Dec 44	Maj. Hugh O. Davis
16 Apr 45	Lt. Col. Hugh O. Davis

Adjutant General

20 Oct 44	Maj. Robert T. Engle
1 Mar 45	Lt. Col. Robert T. Engle

Commanding Officer, 289th Infantry

20 Oct 44

Col. Douglas B. Smith

Commanding Officer, 290th Infantry

20 Oct 44

Col. Carl F. Duffner

Commanding Officer, 291st Infantry

20 Oct 44

Col. Harry S. Robertson

STATISTICS

Chronology

Activated	15 April 1943
Arrived ETO	20 October 1944
Arrived Continent (D+190)	13 December 1944
Entered Combat--First Elements	24 December 1944
Entered Combat--Entire Division	25 December 1944
Days in Combat	94

Casualties (Tentative)

Killed	888
Wounded	2,970
Missing	96
Captured	--
Battle Casualties	3,954
Non-Battle Casualties	4,062
Total Casualties	8,016
Percent of T/O Strength	56.9

Campaigns

Rhineland
Ardennes
Central Europe

Individual Awards

Distinguished Service Cross	3
Legion of Merit	3
Silver Star	114
Soldiers Medal	21
Bronze Star	1,287
Air Medal	29

Prisoners of War Taken 20,630

COMPOSITION

289th Infantry
290th Infantry
291st Infantry
75th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
275th Engineer Combat Battalion
375th Medical Battalion
75th Division Artillery
897th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
898th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
899th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
730th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)
Special Troops
775th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
75th Quartermaster Company
575th Signal Company
Military Police Platoon
Headquarters Company
Band

ATTACHMENTS

Antiaircraft Artillery

440th AAA AW Bn (Mbl)

2 Dec 44-4 Jun 45

Armored

750th Tk Bn	22 Dec 44-26 Jan 45
CC A (3d Armd Div)	29 Dec 44-30 Dec 44
3d Bn, 32d Armd Regt (3d Armd Div)	29 Dec 44-30 Dec 44
Co I, 36th Armd Inf (3d Armd Div)	29 Dec 44-30 Dec 44
54th Armd FA Bn (3d Armd Div)	29 Dec 44-30 Dec 44
67th Armd FA Bn (3d Armd Div)	29 Dec 44-30 Dec 44
83d Armd Rcn Bn (3d Armd Div)	29 Dec 44-30 Dec 44
Co A, 23d Armd Engr Bn (3d Armd Div)	29 Dec 44-30 Dec 44
289th Inf (75th Div)	29 Dec 44-30 Dec 44
1st & 2d Bns, 112th Inf (28th Div)	29 Dec 44-30 Dec 44
509th Prcht Inf Bn (Non-Div)	29 Dec 44-30 Dec 44
Co B, 87th Cml Bn	29 Dec 44-30 Dec 44
709th Tk Bn	31 Jan 45-11 Feb 45
Co B, 379th Tk Bn	12 Mar 45-14 Apr 45
701st Tk Bn	18 Mar 45-2 Apr 45
Br 52d Lothians & Border Yeo (- Tr) (Br 79th Armd Div)	30 Mar 45-14 Apr 45
744th Tk Bn	30 Mar 45-17 Apr 45
Sq B, Br 1st Fife & Ferfar Yeo (Br 79th Armd Div)	31 Mar 45-14 Apr 45
Co B, 747th Tk Bn	3 Apr 45-7 Apr 45
Sq B, 1st Lothians & Border Yeo (Br 79th Armd Div)	5 Apr 45-7 Apr 45
717th Tk Bn	17 Apr 45-18 Apr 45
744th Tk Bn	18 Apr 45-4 Jun 45

Cavalry

15th Cav Gp (- 1 Cav Rcn Tr)

11 Mar 45-26 Mar 45

Chemical

Cos B&C, 87th Cml Mort Bn	24 Dec 44-1 Jan 45
Cos B&C, 86th Cml Mort Bn	10 Jan 45-20 Jan 45
Co B, 99th Cml Mort Bn	31 Jan 45-9 Feb 45
74th Cml SG Co	27 Mar 45-29 Mar 45
83d Cml SG Co (-4th Sec)	27 Mar 45-29 Mar 45

Engineer

298th Engr C Bn	25 Dec 44-26 Dec 44
51st Engr C Bn	13 Jan 45-15 Jan 45
1 plat, Co B, 121st Engr C Bn (29th Div)	3 Apr 45-7 Apr 45

Field Artillery

187th FA Bn (155mm How)	28 Dec 44-31 Dec 44
18th FA Bn (105mm How)	30 Dec 44-7 Jan 45
460th FA Bn	11 Jan 45-12 Jan 45
254th FA Bn (155mm How)	11 Jan 45-25 Jan 45
969th FA Bn (155mm How)	30 Jan 45-5 Feb 45
283d FA Bn (105mm How)	11 Feb 45-12 Feb 45
Hq & Hq Btry, 40th FA Gp	11 Feb 45-12 Feb 45
692d FA Bn (105mm How)	11 Mar 45-25 Mar 45
691st FA Bn (105mm How)	11 Mar 45-2 Apr 45
215th FA Bn (155mm How)	12 Mar 45-18 Mar 45
25th FA Bn (105mm How)	24 Mar 45-26 Mar 45
70th FA Bn (105mm How)	24 Mar 45-26 Mar 45
65th FA Bn (105mm How)	24 Mar 45-26 Mar 45
696th FA Bn	24 Mar 45-26 Mar 45
807th FA Bn	25 Mar 45-26 Mar 45
275th Armd FA Bn	31 Mar 45-2 Apr 45
751st FA Bn (155mm How)	31 Mar 45-2 Apr 45
215th FA Bn (155mm How)	31 Mar 45-14 Apr 45
691st FA Bn (105mm How)	3 Apr 45-14 Apr 45
751st FA Bn (155mm How)	3 Apr 45-14 Apr 45
Hq & Hq Btry, 219th FA Gp	3 Apr 45-14 Apr 45

Infantry

2d Bn, 112th Inf (28th Div)	28 Dec 44-4 Jan 45
509th Prcht Bn (Non-Div)	29 Dec 44-1 Jan 45
3d Bn (- Co C [sic]), 517th Prcht Inf (Non-Div)	30 Dec 44-1 Jan 45
504th Prcht Inf (82d Abn Div)	1 Jan 45-3 Jan 45
Br 115th Inf Bde	21 Feb 45-29 Feb 45
Neth 6th Ind Co	21 Feb 45-2 Mar 45
Belg 15th Fusilliers Bn	24 Mar 45-29 Mar 45
116th Inf (29th Div)	1 Apr 45-7 Apr 45
320th Inf (35th Div)	7 Apr 45-13 Apr 45

Tank Destroyer

772d TD Bn (T)	22 Dec 44-4 Jun 45
629th TD Bn (SP)	24 Dec 44-1 Jan 45
814th TD Bn (SP)	30 Dec 44-5 Jan 45
628th TD Bn (SP)	10 Jan 45-15 Jan 45
654th TD Bn (SP)	24 Mar 45-25 Mar 45
807th TD Bn (SP)	25 Mar 45-29 Mar 45