U.S. 30th Infantry Division

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Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the 30th Infantry Division.
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the 30th Infantry Division.

The 30th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. It was nicknamed the "Old Hickory" division, in honour of Andrew Jackson, due to it being comprised of National Guard units from his old stomping grounds.


Contents

[edit] World War I

  • Activated: October 1917 (National Guard Division from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee).
  • Organization 117th, 118th, 119th, 120th Infantry Regiments

113th, 114th, 115th Artillery Battalions 113th, 114th, 115th Machine Gun Companies 105th Engineers Battalion

  • Major operations: Ypres-Lys, Somme offensive.
  • Casualties: Total-8,415. (KIA-1,237; WIA-7,178).
  • Commanders: Maj. Gen. J. F. Morrison (28 August 1917), Brig. Gen. William S. Scott (19 September 1917), Maj. Gen. C. P. Townsley (14 October 1917), Brig. Gen. Samson L. Faison (1 December 1917), Maj. Gen. C. P. Townsley (6 December 1917), Brig. Gen. Samson L. Faison (17 December 1917), Brig. Gen. L. D. Tyson (22 December 1917), Brig. Gen. G. G. Gatley (28 December 1917), Brig. Gen. Samson L. Faison (1 January 1918), Brig. Gen. L. D. Tyson (30 March 1918), Brig. Gen. Samson L. Faison (7 April 1918), Maj. Gen. G. W. Read (3 May 1918), Brig. Gen. R. H. Noble (12 June 1918), Maj. Gen. G. W. Read (14 June 1918), Maj. Gen. Samson L. Faison (15 June 1918), Maj. Gen. F. H. Lewis (18 July 1918), Brig. Gen. Samson L. Faison (23 December 1918).

[edit] World War II

  • Activated: 16 September 1940.
  • Overseas: 11 February 1944.
  • Campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe
  • Days of combat: 282.
  • Distinguished Unit Citations: 8.
  • Awards: MH-6 ; DSC-50 ; DSM-1 ; SS-1,773 ; LM-12; DFC-3 ; SM-30 ; BSM-6,616 ; AM-154.
  • Commanders: Maj. Gen. Henry D. Russell (16 September 1940-April 1942), Maj. Gen. William H. Simpson (May-July 1942), Maj. Gen. Leland S. Hobbs (9 September 1942-September 1945), Maj. Gen. Albert C. Cowper (September 1945 to inactivation.)
  • Returned to U.S.: 19 August 1945.
  • Inactivated: 25 November 1945. (See National Guard.)

[edit] Organization

  • 117th, 118th(detached Aug. 1942), 119th and 120th Infantry Regiments
  • 113th, 119th, 197th and 230th Field Artillery Battalions
  • 105th Engineer Combat Battalion

[edit] Combat Chronicle

The 30th Infantry Division arrived in England, 22 February 1944, and trained until June. It landed at Omaha Beach, Normandy, 11 June 1944, secured the Vire-et-Taute Canal, crossed the Vire River, 7 July, and, beginning on 25 July spearheaded the St. Lo break-through. The day after the Division relieved the 1st Infantry Division near Mortain on 6 August, the German drive to Avranches began. Fighting in place with all available personnel, the 30th frustrated enemy plans and broke the enemy spearhead (Operation Luttich) in a week of violent struggle, 7 to 12 August. The Division drove east through Belgium, crossing the Meuse River at Vise and Liege, 10 September. Elements entered the Netherlands on the 12th, and Maastricht fell the next day. Taking up positions along the Wurm River, the 30th launched its attack on the Siegfried Line, 2 October 1944, and succeeded in contacting the 1st Division, 16 October, and encircling Aachen.

After a rest period, the Division eliminated an enemy salient northeast of Aachen, 16 November, pushed to the Inde River at Altdorf, 28 November, then moved to rest areas. On 17 December the Division rushed south to the Malmedy-Stavelot area to help block the powerful enemy drive in the Battle of the Ardennes. It launched a counteroffensive on 13 January 1945 and reached a point 2 miles south of St. Vith, 26 January, before leaving the Battle of the Bulge and moving to an assembly area near Lierneux, 27 January, and to another near Aachen to prepare for the Roer offensive. The Roer River was crossed, 23 February 1945, near Julich.

The 30th moved back for training and rehabilitation, 6 March, and on 24 March made its assault crossing of the Rhine. It pursued the enemy across Germany, mopping up enemy pockets of resistance, took Hamelin, 7 April, Braunschweig on the 12th, and helped reduce Magdeburg on the 17th. The Russians were contacted at Grunewald on the Elbe River. After a short occupation period, the 30th began moving for home, arriving 19 August 1945.

[edit] Assignments in the ETO

  • 18 February 1944: XIX Corps, First Army.
  • 15 July 1944: VII Corps.
  • 28 July 1944: XIX Corps.
  • 1 August 1944: XIX Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group.
  • 4 August 1944: V Corps.
  • 5 August 1944: VII Corps.
  • 13 August 1944: XIX Corps.
  • 26 August 1944: XV Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group, but attached to First Army.
  • 29 August 1944: XIX Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group.
  • 22 October 1944: Ninth Army, 12th Army Group.
  • 17 December 1944: Ninth Army, 12th Army Group, but attached to V Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group.
  • 21 December 1944: XVIII (Abn) Corps, and attached, with the First Army, to the British 21st Army Group.
  • 18 January 1945: XVIII (Abn) Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group.
  • 3 February 1945: XIX Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group.
  • 6 March 1945: XVI Corps.
  • 30 March 1945: XIX Corps.
  • 8 May 1945: XIII Corps.

[edit] General

  • Nickname: Old Hickory. Germans Army called the 30th "Rosevelt's SS"
  • Shoulder patch: Oval monogram containing numeral XXX in the center all in blue on a maroon field.

[edit] References

  • The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950 reproduced at CMH.
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