92nd Infantry Division (United States)

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92nd Infantry Division (colored)

Shoulder sleeve insignia
Active October 1917 - November 1945
Country United States of America
Branch Army
Type Infantry
Size Division
Nickname Buffalo Soldiers Division
Motto "Deeds, not words"
Engagements World War I,

World War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Maj. Gen. Edward M. Almond (October 1942 - August 1945)
U.S. Infantry Divisions
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The 92nd Infantry Division (colored) was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. Nicknamed the "Buffalo Soldiers Division", this segregated unit was the only African American infantry division to see combat in Europe during WWII, as part of the 5th Army.

Contents

[edit] World War I

  • Activated: October 1917.
  • Overseas: 18 July 1918.
  • Major Operations: Meuse-Argonne (less FA).
  • Casualties: Total-1,647 (KIA-120; WIA-1,527).
  • Commanders: Maj. Gen. Charles C. Ballou (29 October 1917), Maj. Gen. Charles H. Martin (19 November 1918), Brig. Gen. James B. Erwin (16 December 1918).
  • Returned to U. S. and inactivated: February 1919.

[edit] World War II

[edit] Combat chronicle

Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division operate a mortar, Massa, Italy in November 1944.
Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division operate a mortar, Massa, Italy in November 1944.
Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division pursue the retreating Germans through the Po Valley, Italy, end of April-1945.
Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division pursue the retreating Germans through the Po Valley, Italy, end of April-1945.

The 370th Regimental Combat Team, attached to the 1st Armored Division, arrived in Naples, Italy, 1 August 1944 and entered combat on the 24th. It participated in the crossing of the Arno River, the occupation of Lucca and the penetration of the Gothic Line. Enemy resistance was negligible in its area. As Task Force 92, elements of the 92nd attacked on the Ligurian coastal flank toward Massa, 5 October. By the 12th, the slight gains achieved were lost to counterattacks. On 13 October, the remainder of the Division concentrated for patrol activities. Elements of the 92nd moved to the Serchio sector, 3 November 1944, and advanced in the Serchio River Valley against light resistance, but the attempt to capture Castelnuovo di Garfagnana did not succeed. Patrol activities continued until 26 December when the enemy attacked, forcing units of the 92nd to withdraw. The attack ended on 28 December. The attacking forces were mainly from the Alpine Division "Monte Rosa", a division of the army of the Italian Social Republic (4 battalions), with the support of 3 German battalions. Aside from patrols and reconnaissance, units of the 92d attacked in the Serchio sector, 5-8 February 1945, against the Italian Bersaglieri Division "Italia", another unit of the army of the Italian Social Republic, but enemy counterattacks nullified Division advances.

On 1 April, the 370th RCT and the attached 442nd RCT (Nisei) attacked in the Ligurian coastal sector and drove rapidly north against light opposition of German 148th Infantry Division supported by Italian coastal units. The 370th took over the Serchio sector and pursued a retreating enemy from 18 April until the collapse of enemy forces, 29 April 1945. Elements of the 92nd Division entered La Spezia and Genoa on the 27th and took over selected towns along the Ligurian coast until the enemy surrendered, 2 May 1945.

Between August 1944 and May 1945 the 92d Division suffered 3,200 casualties, factoring losses from units attached to the Division brings the totals up to 5,000 casualties.

On Italian Front the Buffalo soldiers had opportunity to made contact with men of many nationalities: beyond other segregated Americans like the japaneses descendents, They had contact with the also segregated troops of British and French colonial empires (Black Africans, Morrocans, Algerians, Indians, Gurkhas, Jews and Palestinians) as well as with exiled Poles, Greeks and Czechs; units of the Regio Esercito that fought against the fascist and the Nonsegregated troops of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force.[1][2]

Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division with a captured German soldier.
Soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division with a captured German soldier.

[edit] Medal of Honor recipients

[edit] General

  • Nickname: Buffalo Soldiers Division.
  • Slogan: "Deeds, not words".
  • Shoulder patch: Black-bordered circular patch, black buffalo on olive drab field.

[edit] Units during World War II

  • 365 Infantry Regiment
  • 366 Infantry Regiment
  • 370 Infantry Regiment
  • 371 Infantry Regiment
  • 597 Field Artillery Battalion
  • 598 Field Artillery Battalion
  • 599 Field Artillery Battalion
  • 600 Field Artillery Battalion
  • 317 Engineer Combat Battalion
  • 317 Medical Battalion
  • 92nd Military Police Platoon
  • 92nd Quartermaster Company
  • 92nd Signal Company
  • 792nd Ordinance (LM) Company
  • 92nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ready, J.Lee, "Forgotten Allies: The Military Contribution of the Colonies, Exiled Governments and Lesser Powers to the Allied Victory in World War II"
  2. ^ Ready, J.Lee, "Forgotten Allies: The European Theatre, Volume I"

[edit] See also

[edit] External links