13th Airborne Division (United States)
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| 13th Airborne Division | |
|---|---|
 Shoulder sleeve patch of the 13th Airborne Division |
|
| Active | 1943–1946 |
| Country | USA |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Parachute Infantry |
| Nickname | "Black Cat Division" |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Eldridge Chapman |
The 13th Airborne Division of the United States Army was activated on August 13, 1943. It was sent to France in January 1945.
[edit] General information
Although assigned to the First Allied Airborne Army in Europe, the division as a whole was not committed to action in the European theater. The division continued its training in France and was alerted for several operations, but these did not materialize. One of its elements, the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which was assigned to the division on March 1, 1945, had previously seen combat in Italy, Southern France, and in the Ardennes. The division returned to the United States in August 1945 for redeployment to the Pacific, but the end of the war precluded its use in combat in that theater. It was inactivated on February 25, 1946.
Units of the 13th Airborne Division included:
- 88th Glider Infantry Regiment (disbanded 1 March 1945)
- 189th Glider Infantry Regiment (disbanded 4-8 December 1943, replaced by 88GIR and 326GIR)
- 190th Glider Infantry Regiment (disbanded 4-8 December 1943, replaced by 88GIR and 326GIR)
- 326th Glider Infantry Regiment
- 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment (relieved 10 March 1944 by 515PIR)
- 515th Parachute Infantry Regiment (assigned 10 March 1944; replaced the 513PIR)
- 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment (assigned 1 March 1945)
- HHB, Division Artillery
- 458th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (75mm)
- 460th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (75mm) (assigned 22 February 1945)
- 676th Glider Field Artillery Battalion (75mm)
- 677th Glider Field Artillery Battalion (75mm)
- 129th Airborne Engineer Battalion
- 153rd Airborne Antiaircraft Battalion
- 222nd Airborne Medical Company
- 13th Parachute Maintenance Company
- Headquarters Special Troops
- Headquarters Company, 13th Airborne Division
- Military Police Platoon
- 713th Airborne Ordnance Maintenance Company
- 513th Airborne Signal Company
- 409th Airborne Quartermaster Company
[edit] References
- The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States. Combat Chronicle: 13th Airborne Division. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1950.
