U.S. 83rd Infantry Division

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83rd Infantry Division
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the 83rd Infantry Division.
Active	September 1917-October 1919; August 15, 1942-April 5, 1946
Country	United States
Branch	U.S. Army
Type	Infantry
Nickname	Thunderbolt Division, Ohio Division

The 83rd Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II.

1 World War I
2 World War II
- 2.1 WWII Combat Chronicle
- 2.2 Assignments in the ETO
3 General
4 References
5 External Links

[edit] World War I

Activated: September 1917
Overseas: June 1918
Major Operations: Designated a depot division; supplied over 195,000 officers and enlisted men as replacements in France. Certain division units saw action
Commanders: Maj. Gen. Edwin F. Glenn (25 August 1917), Brig. Gen. Frederick Perkins (13 January 1918), Brig. Gen. Willard A. Holbrook (23 March 1918), Maj. Gen. Edwin F. Glenn (3 April 1918)
Inactivated: October 1919

[edit] World War II

Activated: 15 August 1942
Overseas: 6 April 1944
Campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe
Days of combat: 244
Distinguished Unit Citations: 7
Awards: MH-1 ; DSC-7 ; DSM-1 ; SS-710; LM-11; SM-25 ; BSM-6,294 ; AM-110
Commanders: Maj. Gen. Frank W. Milburn (August 1942-December 1943), Maj. Gen. Robert C. Macon (January 1944-31 January 1946)
Returned to U.S.: 26 March 1946
Inactivated: 5 April 1946

[edit] WWII Combat Chronicle

The 83d Infantry Division arrived in England on 16 April 1944. After training in Wales, the division landed at Omaha Beach, 18 June 1944, and entered the hedgerow struggle south of Carentan, 27 June. Taking the offensive, the 83d reached the St. Lo-Periers Road, 25 July, and advanced 8 miles against strong opposition as the Normandy campaign ended. Edward Pogota After a period of training, elements of the division took Chateauneuf, 5 August, and Dinard, 7 August, and approached the heavily fortified area protecting St. Malo. Intense fighting reduced enemy strong points and a combined attack against the Citadel Fortress of St. Servan caused its surrender, 17 August. While elements moved south to protect the north bank of the Loire River, the main body of the division concentrated south of Rennes for patrolling and reconnaissance activities. Elements reduced the garrison at Ile de Cezembre, which surrendered, 2 September. The movement into Luxembourg was completed on 25 September. Taking Remich on the 28th and patrolling defensively along the Moselle, the 83d resisted counterattacks and advanced to the Siegfried Line defenses across the Sauer after capturing Grevenmacher and Echternach, 7 October. As the initial movement in operation "Unicorn," the division took Le Stromberg Hill in the vicinity of Basse Konz against strong opposition, 5 November, and beat off counterattacks.

Moving to the Hurtgen Forest, the 83d thrust forward from Gressenich to the west bank of the Roer. It entered the Battle of the Bulge, 27 December, striking at Rochefort and reducing the enemy salient in a bitter struggle. The division moved back to Belgium and the Netherlands for rehabilitation and training, 22 January 1945. On 1 March, the 83d advanced toward the Rhine in Operation Grenade, and captured Neuss. The west bank of the Rhine from north of Oberkassel to the Erft Canal was cleared and defensive positions established by 2 March and the division renewed its training. The 83d crossed the Rhine south of Wesel, 29 March, and advanced across the Munster Plain to the Weser, crossing it at Bodenwerder. As opposition disintegrated, Halle fell on 6 April. The division crossed the Leine, 8 April, and attacked to the east, pushing over the Harz Mountain region and advancing to the Elbe at Barby. That city was taken on the 13th. The 83d established a bridgehead over the river but evacuated the area to the Russians on 6 May 1945.

[edit] Assignments in the ETO

8 April 1944: VIII Corps, Third Army
25 June 1944: Third Army, but attached to the VIII Corps of First Army
1 July 1944: VII Corps
15 July 1944: VIII Corps
1 August 1944: XV Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group
3 August 1944: VIII Corps
5 September 1944: VIII Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group
10 September 1944: Ninth Army, 12th Army Group
21 September 1944: Third Army, 12th Army Group
11 October 1944: VIII Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group
22 October 1944: VIII Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group
8 November 1944: Third Army, 12th Army Group
11 November 1944: VIII Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group
7 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)
26 December 1944: VII Corps, First Army (attached to British 21st Army Group), 12th Army Group
16 February 1945: XIX Corps, Ninth Army, 12th Army Group
8 May 1945: XIII Corps

[edit] General

Nicknames: Thunderbolt Division, and Ohio.

Shoulder patch: A black isosceles triangle with its vertex pointed downward in the center of which, within a gold circle, appear the letters "O," "H," "I," and "O," in a monogram pattern.