| 86th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
86th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia |
|
| Active | 1917–1919 1942–1946 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | U.S. Army |
| Nickname | Blackhawk Division |
| Engagements | World War I World War II |
| US infantry divisions (1939–present) | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 85th Infantry Division | 87th Infantry Division |
The 86th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II.
Contents |
The 86th Infantry Division arrived in France, 4 March 1945, and moved to Köln, Germany, taking over defensive positions near Weiden, 24 March, in relief of the 8th Infantry Division. After a short period of patrolling on both sides of the Rhine, the division was relieved, and moved across the Rhine to Eibelshausen, Germany, 5 April. In a rapid offensive advance, the 86th moved across the Bigge River, cleared Attendorn, 11 April, and continued on to the Ruhr, taking part in the Ruhr pocket fighting. On 21 April, the division moved to Ansbach and continued to advance, taking Eichstätt on the 25th, crossing the Danube at Ingolstadt on the 27th, securing the bridge over the Amper Canal, 29 April, crossing the Isar and reaching Mittel Isar Canal by the end of the month. The division was ordered to take Wasserburg, 1 May, and leading elements had reached the outskirts of the city when they were ordered to withdraw, 2 May, and to move east to Salzburg.
On 4 May, the Division captured the crown jewels of Hungary in Mattsee, Austria.[1] At the end of the war, the division was securing the left flank of the XV Corps. After processing German prisoners of war, it was redeployed to the United States, arriving in New York 17 June 1945. The division trained briefly at Camp Gruber, Oklahoma, 21 June-11 August 1945; and then left San Francisco, 24 August 1945, for the Philippines. The 86th Division was aboard ship in Leyte harbor when the Japanese surrendered. After landing on Luzon the unit was dispersed throughout the Island, some to Marikina, some to other locations. A few were assigned to Corregidor Island to guard Japanese prisoners of war.
The division was nicknamed the "Black Hawk Division," named after the Sauk Leader Chief Black Hawk. Frederic McLaughlin, was a commander with the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division during World War I. In 1926, McLaughlin would be granted a franchise by the National Hockey League, which he would put in his home town of Chicago. He named the team the Chicago Blackhawks after the unit.
Government Printing Office, 1950 reproduced at http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cbtchron.html