Two men who had been sent on foot to regimental headquarters to seek reinforcements were later captured. In the event of an emergency, the battalion headquarters and company administrative personnel, including clerks and motor-pool staff, were to join the platoon, creating a small reserve force of about 100 men. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. The 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, arrived in England on 10 October 1944. It is believed that Delbert was transferred to the 395th Infantry Regiment at some point. Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at the Siegfried Line. No division commander was appointed during the organization's brief existence. The 3rd Battalion of the 395th Infantry Regiment (3/395), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel McClernand Butler, occupied the town of Hfen on the German border. Butler's uncle, General Edward J. McClernand, fought in the Indian Wars and was awarded the Medal of Honor. Butler was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 21 March 1944, and remained in command of the 395th until 30 April 1945, when he collapsed from exhaustion. ", The 99th Infantry Division, outnumbered five to one, inflicted estimated casualties on the Germans in the ratio of eighteen to one. A captured Lt. Bemener, formerly commander of the 5th Company of the 753rd Volksgrenadier Regiment, asked his American interrogator about the unit that had defended Hfen. 449, U.S. ARMY 15 January 1945 SUBJECT: History of Medical Detachment, 395th Infantry Regiment, 1 December to 31 December 1944. At dusk on 16 December, after virtually no sleep during the preceding night and a full day of almost non-stop combat, with only a few rounds of ammunition remaining, about 50 German paratroopers finally flanked and captured the remaining 19 soldiers. They killed Germans coming at them from the front, flanks and rear. The terrain was open and rolling, and over six weeks the 3rd Battalion prepared dug-in positions that possessed good fields of fire. Battle of the Bulge The Legacy of the 99th Infantry Division: Our Artifacts Collection The 99th Infantry Division Historical Society is dedicated to preserving, Discovering the Legacy of a WW2 Soldier: Tips and Tricks Are you interested in learning more about a WW2 veteran, They shall not grow old, As we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, Nor the years, Dean F. Gilbert was a membert of 3rd Platoon, L Company,394th Infantry Regiment. It was credited with destroying "seventy-five percent of three German infantry regiments." The Battle of the Bulge was the largest battle ever fought by the United States Army. At precisely 0530 hours, the forest erupted in an ear shattering German artillery barrage along a 100 mile front. Unknown to the Allies, the Germans were preparing a surprise counter-offensive through the Ardennes with the goal of splitting the Allied armies and recapturing the Belgian port city of Antwerp. The 99th Division was constituted at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, on 23 July 1918. [13], German prisoners captured during the Battle of the Bulge volunteered praise of the 99th's effective defense of Hfen. Pennsylvania State College, and the Pennsylvania Military College. Infanterie-Division) was a German division in World War II. Excited to share my latest group in the 99th Infantry Division collection. There was no cover. The 99th RSC's mission was to provide command and control and full-service support for assigned units and facility management. The retreat turned into a route as the German tanks, two less due to a duel with two American Shermans, rolled unmolested down the street in the village. A group of photos from his wartime, unfortenately we have not been able to. Peipers right flank had to be secured and the Americans in that region had to be destroyed. Mission of the 395th Infantry Regiment I. The defense of Rocherath that had been held most of the day by infantry was decided in less than thirty minutes by 5 German tanks. A second road ran parallel to the division center and right wing, leaving the Hfen road at the small hamlet of Wahlerscheid, and continued south through two very small villages, the twin towns of Rocherath and Krinkelt. The 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, arrived in England on 10 October 1944. This was the road network the Germans needed to meet their objectives. These would later prove instrumental in defending themselves from the attacking Germans and in protecting themselves when their own artillery fired on or just in front of their own positions, which happened at least six times over the next few weeks. Yet, despite their successful defense and reinforcement from the 2nd Division, the 395th was in a precarious position on the morning of the December 17. A group At the Arcadia Conference, held in Washington, DC, from December 24, 1941 to January 14, 1942, the Western Allies agreed to a Germany First policy to govern global strategy, but the question where to engage Germany, and when, remained unsettled. The 395th Infantry was in the woods east of the northernmost section of the 2d Division withdrawal route and would provide cover for the first stage of the tricky move parallel to and close. Captain Ned Nelson, veteran of 3/395 and the battle at Hfen. Although the enemy resisted fiercely, the Ruhr pocket collapsed with the fall of Iserlohn, on 16 April. "[16][17]:75 Another German officer who was captured said, "I have fought two years on the Russian front, but never have I engaged in such a fierce and bloody battle. The 3rd Battalion, 395th Infantry, led by Lt. Col. McClernand Butler and 2nd Lt. Col. Roy S. Groffy, occupied the area around Hfen, Germany, on the border with Belgium during early December. On 5 March 1941, as the United States began to mobilize for the possibility of war, McClernand Butler became a second lieutenant in the Regular Army. Several photos from the private collection of the family of Dean F. THE EARLY YEARS Joseph Richard Evans (Dick) was born on October 17, 1920 to Charles E. Evansand Wenonah (nee Muirhead/Miller)in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. No reserves were available . The 38th Cavalry Squadron (led by Lt. Col. Robert E. O'Brien) was deployed to the north along the railroad track between Mutzenich and Konzen station. Many of the 99th Division's best soldiers were products of the ill-fated ASTP program. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. The failure to breach the 99th IDs sector stalled the entire German advance and a decisive breakthrough was never achieved. 99th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia, Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953), Distinguished Service Cross (United States), "Battle of the Bulge: U.S. After the war, the Division founded its own Association and for many years the veterans and their families got united at the many conventions that were held. Eisenhower wrote, "the action of the 2nd and 99th Divisions on the northern shoulder could be considered the most decisive of the Ardennes campaign."[3][4]. The 99th Infantry Division was the first complete division to cross the Rhine. It had its headquarters at Franklin, Pennsylvania, and drew its personnel from Pennsylvania. Allies and former enemy Germany mark 75th anniversary of Battle of Battle of the Bulge: WWII vets travel to Belgium for 75th anniversary. [2], Because of the success of the 395th and the 99th, the Americans maintained effective freedom to maneuver across the north flank of the German's line of advance and continually limited the success of the German offensive. Dad proudly told that the 99th was the first complete unit cross the Remagen Bridge on March 9th or 10th. The silver and bronze star medal of Col. Alexander John Mackenzie, Regimental Commandor of the 395th Infantry Regiment. Their success in defending Hfen resulted in the 395th Infantry being repeatedly assigned to other divisions for difficult assignments during the remainder of the war, earning them the sobriquet, Butler's Blue Battlin' Bastards. The battalion also had its own Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon, as well as medics and support personnel. The statue of the Minute Man, Captain John Parker, (H.H.Kitson, sculptor), stands on the common in Lexington, Massachusetts. On 3 November 1944, the 395th Regiment disembarked at Le Havre, France. On 1 November 1944, the 99th Infantry Division, comprising the 393rd, 394th, and the 395th Infantry Regiments, was put under operational control of V Corps, First Army. 2nd and 3rd Battalion cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes. This, however, was the moment that Hitlers master plan collided headfirst with American fortitude. In the northern portion of the American line, heavy artillery shells crashed around the positions of the un-tested 99th Infantry Division from Lanzerath in the south to the forested areas near Monschau in the north. It was not just the lives of 3/395 at stake; a German breakthrough here would have enabled the Sixth Panzer Army to outflank the 2nd ID and 99th ID and achieve a direct route to the Meuse River. It had its headquarters at Franklin, Pennsylvania, and drew its personnel from Pennsylvania. Cemeteries & Memorials; Burial Search; About Us; Education; Facebook; Twitter; YouTube; Instagram; ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501. The regiment assumed occupation duties in Hammelburg and Bad Brckenau until it was shipped home in the summer of 1945. The 99th RRC continued to provide command and control for assigned units and support for the ongoing deployments. American troops from the 290th Regiment near Amonines, Belgium. It was redesignated with description updated, for the 395th Regiment on 7 June 1999. He found that his 600 riflemen were assigned an extremely large area about 6,000 yards (5,500m) long without any units in reserve. On 17 September 2008, the 99th Regional Support Command was activated at Fort Dix, N.J. Still, some German assaults penetrated American lines near the town of Hofen where they were eventually captured after retreating into houses in the town. On the east lay a section of the Monschau Forest. The German armor, with SS Panzergrenadiers riding on their decks, clattered down the icy roads of Rocherath and headed for Krinkelt, only a stones throw away. The 99th Infantry's report stated that 1,500 Jews were "living under terrible conditions and approximately 600 required hospitalization due to starvation and disease.". EN. squares centered on a black shield. The division insignia is a three lined checkerboard design of blue and white Alexander John Mackenzie was born in New York City, 22 February 1895, the son of Alexina and Kenneth M. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. The 395th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Division during World War II. Outnumbered five to one, they inflicted casualties in the ratio of 18 to one. The US Armys 99th Infantry Division, recently arrived in Europe and untested in combat, was assigned to the northern shoulder of the Allied front line in the Ardennes Forest. The rapid advance did not deter the men of the 38th Infantry Regiment, however, who put up a fierce defense. Gallagher (1 May 1945 29 September 1945), Organized Reserves redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps; redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve, Relieved 29 October 1998 from assignment to the 99th Infantry Division, Redesignated 17 October 1999 as the 395th Regiment and reorganized to consist of the 1st, 2d, and 3d Battalions, elements of the. So I stayed in the village overnight. "Blue" was the code word for the 3rd battalion under Army infantry's triangular organization. Earl Denzil Reese April 13th, 1945 - A combat engineer snapped this series of photos while riding on back of a truck during the Battle of the Ruhr Pocket. The Medal of Honor was awarded T/Sgt Vernon McGarity, Company L, 393rd Infantry, 99th Infantry Division, for actions taken near Krinkelt, Belgium, on 16 December 1944 during the opening phases of the Ardennes Offensive. Those who survived the initial onslaught and did not manage to flee, had to eke out a living on a battleground ravaged by incessant bombardment and street fighting. The camp was newly built, and the barracks were covered in tar paper. And while the defense of the crossroads of hell was gallant to be sure, it was not the back breaker that most people assume it to have been. Shield Argent, a buck's head attired of ten tynes couped Proper. This did not turn out to be true. It was organized with the rest of the 99th on 16 November 1942 at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi. Motto VIGILANS ET CELER (Vigilant and Swift). The 395th Infantry Regimentwas an infantryregimentof the United States Army, part of the 99th Infantry Divisionduring World War II. Sgt. The 395th were moved by train and truck, and finally by foot, to front line positions near the German town of Hfen a few kilometers west of the Siegfried Line and near the Belgium-German border. Butler's great-grandfather, General John Alexander McClernand, commanded infantry during the Civil War. During the Battle of the Bulge, the regimentat times virtually surrounded by Germanswas one of the few units that did not yield ground to the attacking Germans. At the end of the day, the veterans of the 26th Infantry still held their groundand looked out on a battlefield strewn with destroyed German armor and scores of enemy dead. Put under operational control of V Corps, First Army, it moved to Le Havre, France on 3 November and proceeded to Aubel, Belgium, to prepare to enter the front lines. ABMC Headquarters 2300 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Phone: 703-584-1501 Several photos from the private collection of, THE EARLY YEARS Joseph Richard Evans (Dick) was born on October 17, 1920 to Charles E. Evansand Wenonah (nee Muirhead/Miller)in, Source: family of Raymond J. Willaredt. The black represents the iron from the mills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where many of the troops were from. Crest That for the regiments and separate battalions of the Army Reserve: From a wreath Argent and Azure, the Lexington Minute Man Proper. In a long fight with about 500 men of the 1st Battalion, 9th Fallschirmjaeger Regiment, 3rd Fallschirmjaeger Division, the 18 men of the platoon along with four artillery observers inflicted between 60[6][7] to more than 100[8] casualties on the Germans. Here it held firmly against violent enemy attacks. Crossing on the 23d, it pushed east on the Koln-Frankfurt highway to Giessen. [10], Around Hfen, which the 395th defended, the ground was marked with open hills. Crest The crest is that of the U.S. Army Reserve. On 1 February 1944, Major Butler assumed command of the 3rd Battalion, 395th Regiment. The 99th Infantry Division, on December 12, . The other two regiments of the 99th Division had been beaten to a pulp by the initial German assault, and for the most part had been rendered ineffective, thus leaving the 395th dangerously exposed to a flank assault. 3/395, soon to be nicknamed Butlers Blue Battlin Bastards, was one of the only US Army units that did not retreat in the opening days of the battle. [1] . [5] After more than ten days of intense battle, they pushed the Americans out of the villages, but were unable to dislodge them from the ridge, where elements of the V Corps of the First U.S. Army prevented the German forces from reaching the road network to their west. This was the most southern area of the Battle of the Bulge. After the battalion was inactivated on 29 September 1945, its colors remained folded for more than fifty years. The 99th Infantry Division was formed in 1942 and deployed overseas in 1944. [1] After defensive patrolling, the 99th probed the Siegfried Line against heavy resistance on 13 December. From Camp Van Dorn they were transferred to the more established Camp Maxey in Paris, Texas for additional training. For their actions the battalion was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation which read, in part: outnumbered 5 to 1, [3/395] inflicted casualties in the ratio of 18 to 1. Every member of the platoon was decorated, which included four Distinguished Service Crosses, five Silver Stars and ten Bronze Stars with "V" devices signifying awards for valor in combat.[10]. The 197th Infantry Division (German: 197. Butler's regiment crossed the Erft Canal near the Rhine and enlarged the bridgehead, taking that town with a night attack without losing a single man. The real crusher to the German offensive plans in the Ardennes occurred 46 miles north east of Bastogne, in a small area consisting of a copse of small villages and a piece of high ground called Elsenborn Ridge. The 99th RSC continued to support operations in the Balkan Republics while providing refuge to those fleeing Kosovo as they sought temporary recovery in the United States. The 5th replaced the 4 th Infantry Division on December 23 rd, and pushed the Germans back to the Sauer River. Army policy does not allow for the lineage and honors of a TO&E organization, such as an infantry division, to be perpetuated by a TDA organization, such as an RSC. Category: 395thIR On this page, we honor the memory of the men of the 99th Infantry Division and pay tribute to their extraordinary contributions to the war effort. The 395th was held in the United States until more room was available for the unit to enter Europe. When told it was 3/395, the prisoner replied, It must be one of your best formations.. During the first day of the Battle of the Bulge, the 3rd Battalion took 19 prisoners and killed an estimated 200 Germans. [2] Historian John S.D. Good luck with your quest. While the supply situation improved in October, the manpower situation was still critical. That task fell to the 277th Volksgrenadier Division and the 12th SS Panzer Division. Accurate estimates of German wounded were not possible, but about 20 percent of the 326th Volksgrenadier Division were lost. "[9]:79, The battalion dug in, its purpose to hold the line so that other units could attack key dams across the Roer River. The combination of no ammunition and heavy German armor caused the American lines to fold, like a dam bursting. Butler's father had been a major in the Illinois National Guard and urged his son to become a guardsman when he was 16 years old.