No division commander was appointed during the organization's brief existence. American artillery fired at pre-registered locations along the German route of advance, and along with support from in the knick of time arriving American armor halted and turned the German advance into a retreat. The platoon members were not recognized for their courageous deeds for thirty-seven years. Harold was . Crest That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Army Reserve: From a wreath Argent and Azure, the Lexington Minute Man Proper. A 105mm artillery piece from the 2nd Infantry Div. Many of the 99th Division's best soldiers were products of the ill-fated ASTP program. Despite fatigue, constant enemy shelling, and ever-increasing enemy pressure, the Third Battalion guarded a 6,000 yards (5,500m)-long front and destroyed 75 percent of three German infantry regiments. [6][17]:vii. [16], Following the 11 September 2001, terrorist attacks, the 99th mobilized large numbers of Army Reserve Soldiers. These would later prove instrumental in defending themselves from the attacking Germans and in protecting themselves when their own artillery fired on or just in front of their own positions, which happened at least six times over the next few weeks. History | AMEDD Center of History & Heritage This article contains content in the public domain from U.S. military sources. Mission of the 395th Infantry Regiment I. The Medal of Honor was awarded T/Sgt Vernon McGarity, Company L, 393rd Infantry, 99th Infantry Division, for actions taken near Krinkelt, Belgium, on 16 December 1944 during the opening phases of the Ardennes Offensive. The program never fulfilled its promise, and the large number of "ASTPers" were rapidly integrated into various divisions to make up for personnel shortages in front line units during 1944. An overwhelming majority of them were women and children. Cemeteries & Memorials; Burial Search; About Us; Education; Facebook; Twitter; YouTube; Instagram; ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501. The camp was newly built, and the barracks were covered in tar paper. The 1st Battalion was positioned on the right. The 99th Infantry Division, on December 12, . Either short or completely devoid of ammunition, the defenders of Rocherath began to filter to the rear in the growing darkness that swallowed the battlefield. Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at the Siegfried Line. 395 th Regiment Constituted 23 July 1918 in the National Army as the 395th Infantry and assigned to the 99th Division Demobilized 30 November 1918 Reconstituted 24 June 1921 in the. "[7]:24, Two Distinguished Service Crosses and several Silver Stars were awarded to members of the battalion for valorous actions against the enemy during this battle. 395th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division | American Battle The battalion also had its own Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon, as well as medics and support personnel. The Germans would never take Hfen, nor most of their other ambitious objectives in the Ardennes, due in large part to the soldiers of 3/395 and the 99th ID as a whole. Butler attended, but did not graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Through this eerie artificial moonlight, the 326th Volksgrenadier Division advanced on 3/395s position. Byers, Carl F. MAJ, "Operations of Company G, 395th Infantry, 99th Division, in the Reduction of a Fortified Position of the Siegfried Line, West of Schleiden, Germany, 14-15 December 1944". Two months later, when the 99th Division was transferred to VII Corps under Maj. Gen. Walter E. Lauer, the commanding officer of V Corps, Maj. Gen. Clarence R. Huebner, wrote him: The 99th Infantry Division arrived in this theater without previous combat experience early in November 1944. The 197th Infantry Division (German: 197. 395th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division | American Battle Shield Argent, a buck's head attired of ten tynes couped Proper. The thick forest was tangled with rocky gorges, little streams, and sharp hills. There are nine white squares and nine blue ones, signifying the number 99. [16] The accurate fire from the 12 3-inch guns of A Company, 612th Tank Destroyer Battalion, was instrumental in keeping German tanks from advancing. [19] The regiment's successful defense prevented the Germans, who had counted on surprise, numbers, and minimum hard fighting as their keys to success, from accessing the best routes into the Belgium interior, and seriously delayed their scheduled advance by more than 48 hours, allowing the Americans to move large numbers of units and bring up reserves. Outnumbered five to one, they inflicted casualties in the ratio of 18 to one. Any delay would jeopardize the plan to cross the Meuse River and advance on Antwerp before the skies cleared and the Allies regained their balance. Battle of the Bulge The concentration camp was one of the "forest camps" (Waldlager) tied to the Mhldorf camp complex. [9], Because the unit's radios had been destroyed, the soldiers captured, and the rapid subsequent German advance, U.S. Army commanders did not know about the unit's success at slowing the German advance, or even if they had been captured or killed. The stiff American defense prevented the Germans from reaching the vast array of supplies near the Belgian cities of Lige and Spa and the road network west of the Elsenborn Ridge leading to the Meuse River. The 99th Infantry's report stated that 1,500 Jews were "living under terrible conditions and approximately 600 required hospitalization due to starvation and disease.". The 395th Regiment's success earned it many difficult assignments. George Co 2/395-IR (99-ID) Schleiden - Germany December 1944 commanders. It is believed that Delbert was transferred to the 395th Infantry Regiment at some point. While the supply situation improved in October, the manpower situation was still critical. Troops Fight at Elsenburn Ridge", "Bob Galloway, the Battle of the Bulge, and the 99th Infantry Division", "Heidelberg staff retraces historical Battle of the Bulge route", United States Army Center of Military History, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=395th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)&oldid=1076569987, 395th Infantry Regiment: Lt. Col. Griffin, 3rd Battalion: Lt. Col. McClernand Butler (1 November 1942 30 April 1945) Lt. Col. J.A. Akins, Thomas W. MAJ, "Operations of Company "E", 442nd Infantry Regiment, Attached to 92nd Division, at San Terenzo, Italy, 20-23 April 1945" (Po Valley Campaign) Albright, Barry E. CPT, "Operations of the 2nd Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, in the Invasion of Normandy, 5-13 June 1944" (Normandy Campaign. Despite mauling the Germans on their first attempt to take Hfen, 3/395s situation was grim. Many members of the 99th Infantry Division had participated in the Army Specialized Training Program or ASTP, derisively nicknamed "all safe 'till peace;" in February 1944, the program was drawn down, and the majority of its members were assigned to later-deploying divisions such as the 99th. The 14th Armored Division and the Liberation of Stalag VIIA In the northern sector opposite the 99th, this included more than 4,000 deaths and the destruction of 60 tanks and big guns. The German spearhead in the north, led by the 1st SS Panzer Division and Jochen Peipers Kampfgruppe plowed through jammed roads to the south of Elsenborn and the twin villages of Krinkelt and Rocherath hell bent on their ultimate destination of the Meuse River. [email protected] Who were the soldiers of the 99th infrantry div? | WWII Forums The National WWII Museum Digital Collections. The 99th RRC continued to provide command and control for assigned units and support for the ongoing deployments. He returned to Illinois and in 1933 was commissioned a second lieutenant in the National Guard. By 17 December, German military planners knew that their objectives along the Elsenborn Ridge would not be taken as soon as planned. A written commendation was received from Maj. Gen. Leonard T. Gerow, V Corps Commander: I wish to express to you and the members of your command my appreciation and commendation for the fine job you did in preventing the enemy from carrying out his plans to break through the V Corps sector and push on to the Meuse River. Honor Roll - 99th Infantry Division 394th Infantry Regiment Co. A, first platoon This is my Dad's story. The town of Kuckhof cost the battalion dearly, with more than fifty casualties inflicted on one company alone (I Company). The 99th was selected as one of these new regional support commands. Chapter 6-THE ARDENNES: BATTLE OF THE BULGE This assault, like the first, was ground to a halt due to heavy American small arms and artillery fire. [6] On more than one occasion, BAR gunners would allow Germans to get within feet of their positions before opening fire, with the objective of increasing the odds of killing the attacking Germans. The 99th Infantry Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the US Army's Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1992. Ehrenfried-Oskar Bge. 3/395 greeted the Volksgrenadiers with a punishing hail of bullets, mortars, and artillery. The 395th Infantry had mostly held their lines, and now with the battle hardened 2nd Infantry Division on the way to back them up, the lines of defense near Elsenborn appeared to be significantly harder to pierce. Hfen-Monschau was vital to the operations success because the nearby road junctions would enable rapid movement of tanks. The real crusher to the German offensive plans in the Ardennes occurred 46 miles north east of Bastogne, in a small area consisting of a copse of small villages and a piece of high ground called Elsenborn Ridge. The Army operated a program designed to capitalize on the large number of educated and intelligent recruits that were available. I decided to stage the night attack at Bergheim because my troops would be going across an open area about 500 yards (460m) long and 400 yards (370m) wide. "[13] The division continued to attack without opposition to the Inn River and Giesenhausen until VE-day. German assaults in the heavily wooded area in front of the villages pushed the 99ers out of the woods and caused them to flee, many in disarray, back through the twin villages of Krinkelt and Rocherath behind them. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. When the Ardennes Offensive ended, Gen. Lauer received verbal commendations from Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery, 21st Army Group Commander, and Gen. Courtney Hodges, First Army Commander, on the vigorous and effective defense contributed by the 99th. The infantry at Hfen lay in a foxhole line along a 910 metres (2,990ft) front on the eastern side of the village, backed up by dug-out support positions. German Panzer tanks en route to the Ardennes. [16], After Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, 22 99th units deployed to Saudi Arabia, Europe, and other locations. 395th Infantry Regiment (United States) | Detailed Pedia The division lost about 20% of its effective strength, including 465 killed and 2,524 evacuated due to wounds, injuries, fatigue, or trench foot; German losses were much higher. [4] Lt. Col. Butler retired from the Army on 14 January 1946 and worked for the phone company for the rest of his career. The Germans were counting on something else, toothey knew that this sector was thinly manned by untested troops. The Germans threw wave after wave of infantry, and a unit of panzers, at the town. In March 1945, the 99th advanced into the Rhineland, crossing the Rhine River at Remagen on March 11. [citation needed]. Due to the dwindling attendance over the years, the decision was made to hold the final convention in 2011. Under the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates!