12th Armored Division (United States)

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Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox military unit Template:Military unit sidebar The 12th Armored Division was an armored division of the United States Army in World War II. It fought in the European Theater of Operations in France, Germany and Austria, between November 1944 and May 1945.

The German Army called the 12th Armored Division the "Suicide Division"<ref name="Password">Template:Cite web</ref> for its fierce defensive actions during Operation Nordwind in France, and they were nicknamed the "Mystery Division"<ref name="driscoll">Template:Cite web</ref> when they were temporarily transferred to the command of the Third Army under General George S. Patton Jr., to cross the Rhine River.

The 12th Armored Division was one of only ten U.S. divisions (and only one of two U.S. armored divisions) during World War II that had African-American combat companies integrated into the division. The group was known as Company D. One of the African American soldiers, Staff Sergeant Edward A. Carter Jr. was awarded The Distinguished Service Cross for gallantry in combat during World War II, and was later awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.<ref name="historynet.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>John C. Ferguson, Hellcats: The 12th Armored Division in World War II (Military History of Texas Series). State House Press (31 August 2004)</ref>

History

12th Armored Division "Hellcat" Insignia

The 12th Armored Division was activated on 15 September 1942.<ref name="unithistories.com">Template:Cite web</ref> Organization and initial training was at Camp Campbell, Kentucky, and continued at Camp Barkeley in Abilene, Texas. The division consisted of approximately 11,000 soldiers, and was composed of tank, field artillery, motorized infantry battalions and other support units.<ref name="wtda.alc.org">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Efn

The division adopted the nickname "The Hellcats," officially announced on February 1, 1943.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was the result of a contest open to all personnel in the division during training symbolizing its toughness and readiness for combat.Template:Efn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

While at Camp Barkeley, the 44th Tank Battalion was sent to the Pacific Theater of Operations in March 1944 on a special mission and later distinguished itself as the first unit to enter Manila. The 44th was replaced by the 714th Tank Battalion, which rejoined the division after having been previously reassigned in a reorganization in November 1943.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Walt Disney designed a logo for the 714th Tank Battalion.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Origin of Combat Units

The 12th was originally organized as a heavy armored division with two armored regiments, the 43rd and 44th, and one armored infantry regiment, the 56th Armored Infantry Regiment.<ref name=Nugent>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Francis>Template:Cite web</ref> In November 1943, it was reorganized from a heavy division to a light division as part of a general streamlining of all armored divisions, except the 1st, 2nd and 3rd, which were already overseas.<ref name=Anderson>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Greenfield>Template:Cite book</ref>

Tank Battalions

The original 43rd and 44th Armored Regiments were reorganized as the 23rd, 43rd, 44th, 714th and 779th Tank Battalions during the reorganization the division underwent while at the Tennessee Maneuver Area in Watertown, Tennessee, in November 1943.<ref name=Nugent/> The 714th Tank Battalion was separated from the division and sent to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, while the 779th Tank Battalion went to Fort Knox, Kentucky. The 44th Tank Battalion was detached from the 12th AD in March 1944 and sent to the Pacific Theater of Operations, where it distinguished itself as the first tank battalion to enter the city of Manila and liberated American and Allied civilian prisoners interred in the Santo Tomas Internment Camp.<ref name=BradstreetV2>Template:Cite book</ref> It was replaced by the 714th Tank Battalion, which rejoined the 12th AD. The 779th Tank Battalion was sent to the Philippines late in the war, but did not see any combat action.<ref name=Anderson/>

Armored Infantry Battalions

The 56th Armored Infantry Regiment (AIR) traced its historical origin back to the 17th Infantry Regiment of Maj. Gen. George Sykes' 2nd Division of the 5th Army Corps, of the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. During World War I, soldiers from the reconstituted 17th Infantry Regiment were used to form the 56th Infantry Regiment on 15 May 1917, which was involved in the battle around Metz in Alsace-Lorraine. On 7 July 1942, the unit was reactivated as the 56th Armored Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 12th Armored Division, which was activated as a division at Camp Campbell, KY on 15 September 1942. On 11 November 1943 while at Watertown, Tennessee, the 12th Armored Division was reorganized and the 56th Armored Infantry Regiment was reorganized to form the 17th, 56th and 66th Armored Infantry Battalions (AIB). The 1st Battalion of the 56th AIR became the 66th AIB and the 2nd Battalion of the 56th AIR became the 17th AIB of the 12th Armored Division. The 3rd Battalion of the 56th AIR became the 56th AIB. Companies G, H and I of the 56th AIR became Companies A, B and C of the 56th AIB.<ref name=Nugent/> Template:Efn

The reconstituted 56th Armored Infantry Battalion saw service in the European Theatre during World War II, beginning back in the Alsace-Lorraine as an element of the 12th Armored Division fighting in 1944–1945 to liberate the same region of France from Nazi occupation as the 56th Armored Infantry Regiment had in World War I.

World War II

Combat chronicle

Campaign map showing the operations of the 12th Armored Division in Europe from 5 December 1944 to 5 May 1945

After completing training the division left Abilene and departed from Camp Shanks, New York, for the European Theater of Operations on 20 September 1944. It landed at Liverpool, England on 2 October 1944. While awaiting replacement armor which had been borrowed by the U.S. Third Army, the 12th was sent to Tidworth Barracks<ref name="history.army.mil">Template:Cite journal</ref> in Wiltshire, UK. It crossed the English Channel from Southampton, arrived at Le Havre, France, on 11 November 1944 and then traveled up the Seine River to Rouen to join the Seventh Army under Lieutenant General Alexander Patch. Advance elements met the enemy near Weisslingen in Alsace on 5 December, and the entire division moved against the Maginot Line fortifications two days later.<ref name="cbtchron">Template:Cite journal</ref>

In its advance, Rohrbach-lès-Bitche and towns surrounding Bettviller were liberated by 12 December 1944, and Utweiler, Germany was seized on 21 December. After a short period of rehabilitation and maintenance, the 12th rolled against the Rhine bridgehead at Herrlisheim that the Germans had established as part of their Operation Nordwind offensive. In order to seal the Battle of the Bulge, units of the Seventh Army were diverted north to assist the Third Army in capturing Bastogne. Due to this, the remainder of the Seventh Army, including the 12th Armored Division, was stretched thin holding a Template:Convert long front line with only eight divisions.<ref name="zabecki">Template:Cite web</ref>

German defenders repulsed two division attacks in the most violent combat in the history of the division, during 8 to 10 January and 16 to 17 January 1945. The division's attacks at Herrlisheim failed to use combined-arms tactics and were defeated in detail, resulting in two tank and two armored infantry battalions taking heavy losses. Poor tactics were compounded by terrain that was almost tabletop-flat, offering the German defenders excellent fields of fire. However, enemy counterattacks also failed, in part because of the firm leadership of the commander of Combat Command B, Colonel Charles Bromley, who declared his headquarters expendable and ordered all personnel in the headquarters to prepare a hasty defense.Template:Efn<ref name="zabecki"/>

The division was subsequently relieved by the U.S. 36th Infantry Division. The 12th Armored Division suffered over 1,700 battle casualties during the fighting in and around Herrlisheim. As a consequence, when African-American soldiers who were in non-combat positions were able to volunteer to become combat troops, Major General Roderick R. Allen was one of only ten division commanders who allowed them to join the combat ranks.<ref name="historynet.com"/> After recovering from the bruising experience at Herrlisheim, the 12th went over to the offensive and attacked south from Colmar, after being assigned to the French First Army under General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In a lightning drive, the 12th effected junction with French forces at Rouffach, on 5 February, sealing the Colmar Pocket and ending German resistance in the Vosges Mountains. Except for elements acting as a protective screen, the division withdrew to the St. Avold area for rest and rehabilitation. The division was attached to the Third Army under General George S. Patton Jr. from 17 March 1945 through its crossing of the Rhine on 28 March.<ref name="history.army.mil"/> The soldiers were ordered to remove their identifying unit insignias, and vehicle markings were painted over,<ref name="eagelfeld">Template:Cite journal</ref> disguising the fact that Patton had an additional armored division under his command. Thus the 12th was given the nickname the "Mystery Division".<ref name="driscoll"/> The attack resumed on 18 March 1945.

A light tank of the 12th Armored Division in Rouffach, 5 Feb. 1945
Bailey bridge built over bombed out bridge at base of Marienberg Fortress in Würzburg by the 119th Armored Engineer Battalion of the U.S 12th Armored Division, April 1945
Fortress Marienberg,14 June 2003

In a quick drive to the Rhine, Ludwigshafen fell on 21 March, and two other important river cities, Speyer and Germersheim, were secured on 24 March, clearing the Saar Palatinate. Maintaining the rapid pace, the 12th crossed the Rhine River at Worms on 28 March over pontoon bridges, advanced toward Würzburg, and captured that city along with elements of the famed 42nd Infantry Division (United States).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After assisting in the seizure of Schweinfurt, the division continued toward Nuremberg on 13 April, taking Neustadt, then shifted south toward Munich on 17 April. Elements of the 12th raced from Dinkelsbühl to the Danube, where they found the bridge at Lauingen had been blown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Moving quickly they captured the bridge at Dillingen intact before demolition men could destroy it. This bridge provided a vital artery for Allied troops flooding into southern Bavaria.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The division spearheaded the Seventh Army drive, securing Landsberg, on 27 April and clearing the area between the Ammer and Würm Lakes by 30 April. The 12th Armored Division is recognized as a liberating unit<ref>Template:Cite web "The 12th Armored Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the United States Army Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1988."</ref> of the Landsberg concentration camps near the Landsberg Prison, sub-camps of Dachau concentration camp on 27 April 1945. On 29 April 1945, the 12th AD liberated Oflag VII-A Murnau, a German Army POW camp for Polish Army officers interned north of the Bavarian town of Murnau am Staffelsee during World War II. Template:Efn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Elements crossed the Inn River and the Austrian border at Kufstein on 3 May.<ref name="Password"/> The 12th Armored Division was relieved by the 36th Infantry Division on 4 May. On 5 May, Lieutenant (later Captain) John C. Lee Jr., Co. B, 23rd Tank Battalion, organized the rescue of VIP French prisoners from an Alpine castle in Tyrol during the Battle for Castle Itter.<ref>Harding, Stephen (2013). The Last Battle: When U.S. and German Soldiers Joined Forces in the Waning Hours of World War II in Europe. Da Capo Press. Template:ISBN "Among these were 14 French notables, including two former premiers, Édouard Daladier and Paul Reynaud; Gen.Maxime Weygand and Gen. Maurice Gamelin, both former commanders of the French Armies; Jean Borotra, international tennis star; Michael Clemenceau, son of the former French Prime Minister; Gen. Charles de Gaulle's sister Marie-Agnès Cailliau, right-wing leader François de La Rocque, and future Nobel Prize winner Léon Jouhaux. It is rumored that Heinrich Himmler was planning on using these VIPs as hostages to trade to secure his escape in the event that Germany lost the war."</ref> Under Lee's command were members of the German Wehrmacht, who combined forces with 2 tanks from the 12th to fight the SS Commander and soldiers guarding the prisoners. For leading the successful rescue of these prisoners, Lee was promoted to captain and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The 12th Armored Division engaged in security duty around Ulm<ref name="eagelfeld"/> until 22 November 1945, when it left Marseille, France, for home. Some members of the 12th attended the US Army University, in either Biarritz, France or Shrivenham, England during this time.<ref name="eagelfeld"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

It was deactivated on 3 December 1945, and on 17 December 1945, its battle flags were turned in at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.<ref name="association">Template:Cite web</ref>

POWs captured

12th AD soldier with German prisoners of war, April 1945. United States National Archives, Group 208 of the Records of the Office of War Information 1926 – 1951, National Archives Identifier: 535840<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

During its deployment the 12th Armored Division captured 72,243 enemy prisoners of war.<ref name="history.army.mil"/> Among them were Adolf Eichmann<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and Wernher von Braun.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Nearly 8,500 Allied POWs, including 1,500 Americans, and an additional 20,000 non-military prisoners, were liberated by the 12th AD.<ref name="Golden">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Casualties

Total 12th Armored Division complement: 10,937 at end of 1944;<ref name="12tharmoredmuseum.com">Template:Cite web</ref> 17,000 assigned to the division between activation and deactivation<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

  • Total battle casualties: 3,527<ref name="Nonbattle Deaths 1953">Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths, Final Report (Statistics and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953)</ref>
  • Killed in action: 616<ref name="Nonbattle Deaths 1953"/>
  • Wounded in action: 2,416<ref name="Nonbattle Deaths 1953"/>
  • Missing in action: 17<ref name="Nonbattle Deaths 1953"/>
  • Prisoner of war: 478<ref name="Nonbattle Deaths 1953"/>

Composition

The division was composed of the following units:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

  • Headquarters Company
  • Combat Command A
  • Combat Command B
  • Reserve Command
  • 23rd Tank Battalion
  • 43rd Tank Battalion
  • 44th Tank Battalion - detached and sent to the Pacific, replaced by the 714th Tank Battalion
  • 714th Tank Battalion - detached from the division to be a separate tank battalion and later returned to replace the detached 44th Tank Battalion
  • 17th Armored Infantry Battalion
  • 56th Armored Infantry Battalion
  • 66th Armored Infantry Battalion
  • 92nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized)
  • 119th Armored Engineer Battalion
  • 12th Armored Division Artillery
    • 493nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion
    • 494th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
    • 495th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
  • 12th Armored Division Trains
    • 152nd Armored Signal Company
    • 134th Armored Ordnance Maintenance Battalion
    • 82nd Armored Medical Battalion
    • Military Police Platoon
    • Band
City of Colmar Coat of Arms

Awards

  • Campaigns: Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe.
  • Days of combat: 102
  • Distinguished Unit Citations: 1 - 92nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Meritorious Unit Citation: 3, to the 134th Ordnance Maintenance Battalion (with a star in addition); 82d Armored Medical Battalion; and 152d Armored Signal Company<ref name="Password"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Division authorized by France to incorporate Arms of the City of Colmar in its division insignia for action in liberating the city.<ref name="Password"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Individual awards:

<ref name="history.army.mil"/>

Commanders

<ref name="cbtchron"/>

Assignments in the European Theater of Operations

  • 13 November 1944: Ninth Army, Twelfth Army Group
  • 5 December 1944: XV Corps, Seventh Army, Sixth Army Group.
  • 27 December 1944: XXI Corps.
  • 30 December 1944: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.
  • 3 January 1945: XV Corps.
  • 6 January 1945: VI Corps.
  • 3 February 1945: XXI Corps.
  • 11 February 1945: XV Corps.
  • 28 February 1945: XXI Corps.
  • 17 March 1945: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group, but attached to the XX Corps, Third Army, Twelfth Army Group.
  • 24 March 1945: XXI Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.
  • 26 March 1945: XV Corps.
  • 31 March 1945: XXI Corps.
  • 4 May 1945: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group.

<ref name="history.army.mil"/>

Assignments of the 12th AD to Higher Commands

Date Assigned to Corps Assigned to Army Attached to Army Assigned to Army Group Attached to Army Group

  • 07.10.1944 UK Base ETOUSA
  • 13.11.1944 Ninth Army 12th Army Group
  • 05.12.1944 XV Operations Seventh Army 6th Army Group
  • 27.12.1944 XXI Operations Seventh Army 6th Army Group
  • 30.12.1944 Seventh Army 6th Army Group
  • 03.01.1945 XV Corps Seventh Army 6th Army Group
  • 06.01.1945 VI Corps Seventh Army 6th Army Group
  • 03.02.1945 XXI Corps Seventh Army 6th Army Group
  • 11.02.1945 XV Corps Seventh Army 6th Army Group
  • 28.02.1945 XXI Corps Seventh Army 6th Army Group
  • 17.03.1945 XX Operations Third Army,6th Army Gp 12th Army Group
  • 24.03.1945 XXI Corps Seventh Army 6th Army Group
  • 26.03.1945 XV Corps Seventh Army 6th Army Group
  • 31.03.1945 XXI Corps Seventh Army 6th Army Group
  • 04.05.1945 Seventh Army 6th Army Group

<ref name="history.army.mil"/>

Detachments of units of the 12th Armored Division to other Commands

Unit Attached to From date (dd.mm.yyyy) To date (dd.mm.yyyy)
92nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron Normandy Base Section 18.11.1944 30.11.1944
119th Engineer Battalion, C Company Normandy Base Section 18.11.1944 30.11.1944
493rd Armored FA Battalion, C Battery Normandy Base Section 18.11.1944 30.11.1944
493rd Armored FA Battalion 44th Infantry Division 05.12.1944 07.12.1944
494th Armored FA Battalion 44th Infantry Division 05.12.1944 07.12.1944
495th Armored FA Battalion 100th Infantry Division 05.12.1944 07.12.1944
43rd Tank Battalion, A Company 103rd Infantry Division 05.12.1944 07.01.1945
493rd Armored FA Battalion 106th Cavalry Group 23.12.1944 02.01.1945
495th Armored FA Battalion 103rd Infantry Division 26.12.1944 02.01.1945
494th Armored FA Battalion 44th Infantry Division 26.12.1944 06.01.1945
23rd Tank Battalion, A Company 100th Infantry Division 01.01.1945 07.01.1945
495th Armored FA Battalion 100th Infantry Division 02.01.1945 06.01.1945
493rd Armored FA Battalion 44th Infantry Division 02.01.1945 06.01.1945
493rd Armored FA Battalion 79th Infantry Division 07.01.1945 14.01.1945
CC B 79th Infantry Division 07.01.1945 15.01.1945
495th Armored FA Battalion 3rd Algerian Infantry Division 15.01.1945 16.01.1945
49th Armored FA Battalion 36th Infantry Division 20.01.1945 23.01.1945
493rd Armored FA Battalion 36th Infantry Division 20.01.1945 23.01.1945
494th Armored FA Battalion 36th Infantry Division 21.01.1945 23.01.1945
493rd Armored FA Battalion 3rd Algerian Infantry Division 23.01.1945 02.02.1945
494th Armored FA Battalion 3rd Algerian Infantry Division 24.01.1945 02.02.1945
495th Armored FA Battalion 3rd Algerian Infantry Division 24.01.1945 02.02.1945
493rd Armored FA Battalion 117th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron 02.02.1945 Template:Efn
494th Armored FA Battalion 28th Infantry Division 04.02.1945 09.02.1945
495th Armored FA Battalion 28th Infantry Division 07.02.1945 10.02.1945
494th Armored FA Battalion 70th Infantry Division 10.02.1945 13.02.1945
493rd Armored FA Battalion 44th Infantry Division 10.02.1945 16.02.1945
495th Armored FA Battalion 70th Infantry Division 11.02.1945 12.02.1945
714th Tank Battalion 70th Infantry Division 12.02.1945 17.02.1945
495th Armored FA Battalion 44th Infantry Division 13.02.1945 16.02.1945
494th Armored FA Battalion 44th Infantry Division 14.02.1945 16.02.1945
494th Armored FA Battalion 70th Infantry Division 17.02.1945 09.03.1945
495th Armored FA Battalion 70th Infantry Division 17.02.1945 9.03.1945
CC A 70th Infantry Division 02.03.1945 08.03.1945
CC R 101st Cavalry Group 02.03.1945 08.03.1945
43rd Tank Battalion, C Company 63rd Infantry Division 09.03.1945 14.03.1945
493rd Armored FA Battalion 70th Infantry Division 13.03.1945 17.03.1945
494th Armored FA Battalion 70th Infantry Division 13.03.1945 17.03.1945
495th Armored FA Battalion 70th Infantry Division 13.03.1945 17.03.1945
92nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron 63rd Infantry Division 5.03.1945 16.03.1945
CC A 94th Infantry Division 22.03.1945 22.03.1945
CC A 42nd Infantry Division 07.04.1945 13.04.1945

<ref name="history.army.mil"/>

Attachments (Units officially attached to the 12th Armored Division)

<ref name="history.army.mil"/>

Memorials Recognizing the 12th Armored Division

<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

  • Monument at the top of Mont de Sigolsheim honors the American soldiers who fought for the liberation of Alsace at the site of the Battle of Sigolsheim in Dec. 1944.
    Monument at the top of Mont de Sigolsheim honors the American soldiers who fought for the liberation of Alsace at the site of the Battle of Sigolsheim in Dec. 1944.
  • In Appreciation (by the people of) Alsace to the 1st French Army of the Rhine and Danube and their American Comrades (who) liberated Alsace 1944–1945. The U.S. 21st Army Corps, U.S. 12th Armored Division, the U.S. 3rd, 28th, 75th, 36th, 45th, 63rd, 103rd Infantry Divisions.
    In Appreciation (by the people of) Alsace to the 1st French Army of the Rhine and Danube and their American Comrades (who) liberated Alsace 1944–1945. The U.S. 21st Army Corps, U.S. 12th Armored Division, the U.S. 3rd, 28th, 75th, 36th, 45th, 63rd, 103rd Infantry Divisions.
  • The insignias of the U.S. Divisions that fought in Alsace are emblazoned on the Sigolsheim monument: the U.S. 21st Army Corps, U.S. 12th Armored Division (bottom row, 2nd from left), the U.S. 3rd, 28th, 75th, 36th, 45th, 63rd, 103rd Infantry Divisions.
    The insignias of the U.S. Divisions that fought in Alsace are emblazoned on the Sigolsheim monument: the U.S. 21st Army Corps, U.S. 12th Armored Division (bottom row, 2nd from left), the U.S. 3rd, 28th, 75th, 36th, 45th, 63rd, 103rd Infantry Divisions.
  • Place Colonel Meigs is located in Rohrbach, France near where Lt. Col. Montgomery C. Meigs died while commanding the 23rd Tank Bn, 12th AD. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.
    Place Colonel Meigs is located in Rohrbach, France near where Lt. Col. Montgomery C. Meigs died while commanding the 23rd Tank Bn, 12th AD. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.
  • Grave marker of Lt. Col Meigs, commander of the 23rd Tank Bn., 12th AD, Lorraine American Cemetery, Saint-Avold, Departement de la Moselle, Lorraine, France. Photo courtesy of Command Sergeant Major Dwight "Andy" Anderson (ret), American Battle Monuments Commission.
    Grave marker of Lt. Col Meigs, commander of the 23rd Tank Bn., 12th AD, Lorraine American Cemetery, Saint-Avold, Departement de la Moselle, Lorraine, France. Photo courtesy of Command Sergeant Major Dwight "Andy" Anderson (ret), American Battle Monuments Commission.
  • 50th Anniversary of World War II Memorial, Herrlisheim, France
    50th Anniversary of World War II Memorial, Herrlisheim, France
  • Plaque on the 50th Anniversary of World War II Memorial, Herrlisheim, France
    Plaque on the 50th Anniversary of World War II Memorial, Herrlisheim, France
  • Memorial at Andersonville National Historic Site
    Memorial at Andersonville National Historic Site

12th Armored Division Association

The 12th Armored Division Association was founded on 15 September 1945 at Heidenheim, Germany, on the occasion of the third anniversary of the division's activation.<ref>Template:Cite web "One purpose of the organization, as stated in its constitution, was to "commemorate the memories of fallen comrades and enjoy the companionship of those still with us." The association assumed responsibility for continued publication of the "Hellcat News", the division newspaper started during the war. Today the paper continues to be published by the 12th Armored Association. In addition to veterans who were among the 17,000 soldiers who fought with the 12th Armored division, the association has members who are spouses and family (legacy members) of division veterans. The association elects a "Hellcat of the Year", which has been awarded every year since the first meeting of the association. Col. Richard A Gordon, (CCR) was elected as the first president of the association at its founding meeting. The first state-side reunion was held at the Hotel Commodore, New York City, 13–24 September 1947. Both annual national conventions and regional chapter meetings are announced in the "Hellcat News"."</ref> Website: https://sites.google.com/view/12tharmoreddivisionassociation

The Hellcat News (newspaper)

The Hellcat News, the newspaper of the 12th Armored Division, was first published in 1942 as an information sheet. Initial publication was part of the public relations duties of the Special Services unit of the 12th Armored Division while the division trained at Camp (later Fort) Campbell, Kentucky. In 1943, after the division was transferred to Camp Barkeley in Abilene, Texas, the division commander, Major General Carlos Brewer, assigned three men to Special Services to continue the newspaper.<ref name=" HellcatArchive">Template:Cite web</ref> The first official issue of the newspaper was published at Camp Campbell, Kentucky, although the byline reads "Somewhere in Tennessee". This was because Camp Campbell was in the Tennessee Maneuver Area<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> located on the Kentucky-Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee. Due to its close proximity to Clarksville, Tennessee, the War Department on 6 March 1942, designated Tennessee as the official address of the new camp. This caused a great deal of confusion, since the Headquarters was in Tennessee and the post office was in Kentucky. After many months of mail delivery problems, Colonel Guy W. Chipman requested that the address be changed to Camp Campbell, Kentucky. The U.S. War Department officially changed the address on 23 September 1942.<ref name=" armybases.org">Template:Cite web</ref>

The newspaper continued to be published by the division Special Services after transfer of the division to Camp Barkeley in Abilene, Texas, from February 1944 through the final issue published in the U.S during the war on 10 August 1944 (Vol. 2, No. 26), when the entire division was shipped to Europe to join the 7th Army in France. Publication resumed with Volume 3, Issue 1 on 18 May 1945, in Heidenheim, Germany, following cessation of combat operations in the ETO. The Special Services of the division published the first issues in Europe on a weekly basis when conditions permitted, until the deactivation of the division in 1946.<ref name=" HellcatArchive"/> The Hellcat News is one of two U.S. military newspapers that has been continuously published since World War 2, the other being the older "Stars and "Stripes", which began publication on 9 November 1861 in Bloomfield, Missouri. The "Hellcat News" is the oldest U.S. Armed Forces divisional newspaper still being published since World War 2.

Content

Wartime publications contained division news stories, cartoons and photographs. The later editions of the 12th Armored Association contain information about former members of the division, organizational news including information about the yearly reunion, original cartoons, and photographs both from the war years and afterwards. A series relating the history of the division is also recounted in the newspaper. In addition, the president of the association and the secretary included messages of interest in most issues. These messages contain information about the division's Medal of Honor recipient, Staff Sergeant Edward A. Carter Jr. The Hellcat News is published by the 12th Armored Division Association. Archived copies of the Hellcat News from the first issue in 1943 through 2012 are available online through the West Texas Digital Archive.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

12th Armored Division Memorial Museum

12th Armored Division Memorial Museum

In October 2001 the 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum opened its doors to the public in Abilene, Texas, with the stated mission to serve as a display and teaching museum for the study of World War II and its impact on the American people.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "The Twelfth Armored Division Memorial Museum is located in Abilene, Texas, near (northeast of) the site of the former Camp Barkeley where the Division trained prior to being sent overseas into the European Theater of Operations. The Museum holds collections of the 12th Armored Division, World War II archives, memorabilia, and oral histories, along with selected equipment and material loaned or donated by others. The education plan focuses on expanding academic access to World War II historical materials, veterans, and their families; preserving the history of the 12th Armored Division for study, research, and investigations by future generations; providing training in public history professions, developing new education programs for students and establishing a technology bridge between the 12th Armored Division Historical Collection and the public."

Website: https://www.12tharmoreddivisionmuseum.com/

As part of an ongoing venture to become a larger part of the West Texas community and the greater Abilene area, 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum has partnered with the West Texas Digital Archives,<ref name="wtda">Template:Cite web</ref> providing access to copies of the "Hellcat News" from first edition to 2012.

This Website ("Humans of the 12th Armored") Accesses the Texas Archives from the Roster of the Veterans from the 12th Armored Museum Website: https://12th-armored.directory/

See also

Notable Veterans

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

Template:Reflist

Further reading

  • Phibbs, Brendan (2002) Our war for the world : a memoir of life and death on the front lines in WWII. Lyons Press, Guilford, Conn. Template:ISBN, originally published as: Phibbs, Brendan (1987, 1st ed.) The other side of time : a combat surgeon in World War II. Little, Brown, Boston. Template:ISBN, a combat surgeon in the 12th Armored Division, covers the division's experiences in Europe. The book has been called "one of the best five Allied memoirs of the World War II".
  • Van Ells, Mark D. ed., (2009) The Daily Life of an Ordinary American Soldier in World War II: The Letters of Wilbur C. Berget. Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston. Template:ISBN.
  • Speed is the Password: The Story of the 12th Armored Division
  • Ferguson, John C. (2004, 1st ed.) Hellcats: The 12th Armored Division in World War II. (Military History of Texas Series). State House Press, Abilene, Tex. Template:ISBN
  • Monroe-Jones, Edward (2010) Crossing the Zorn: The January 1945 Battle at Herrlisheim as Told by the American and German Soldiers Who Fought It. McFarland, Jefferson, N.C. Template:ISBN

Template:Army Divisions (United States)

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