The 8th Armored Division was an armored division of the United States Army that served in the European Theater of World War II.

History

Stateside

The successes of the Nazi German Army's armored units in Poland and France underscored the need for an effective U.S. armored force. The tank battles of North Africa and Russia in early 1942 caused the US Army to recognize the need to drastically increase the number of its armored units. The 8th Armored Division was activated on 1 April 1942 at Fort Knox, Kentucky, with "surplus" units of the recently reorganized 4th Armored Division and newly organized units. The division served as the first official military guardian of the gold vault at Fort Knox. From 1942 to 1944 it functioned as a training command stationed at Camp Polk, Louisiana. During this period the 8th supplied trained personnel to the 9th through 14th Armored Divisions. In September 1943 the division completed reorganization from the old style triangular division to the new 'light' armored division, as per War Department Letter AG-322, in preparation for activation as a combat unit. The light format armored division was made up of three combat commands referred to as Combat Command A (CCA), Combat Command B (CCB) and a smaller unit called Combat Command Reserve (CCR). Units could be assigned to one of the combat commands at need, creating a very flexible formation.

thumb|US Infantrymen undergoing rifle instruction

During December 1943, the division participated in the D Series of exercises in Texas. The D Series were small scale maneuver problems designed as a precursor to the full scale Sixth Louisiana Maneuver Period. The D Series included exercises to simulate contact with the enemy and included recon, movement to contact, engineering and minefield clearing problems. The 8th completed the D Series and participated in the Sixth Louisiana Maneuver Period from February through April 1944 as part of the Red Force.

On 3 April 8 turned 180 degrees in response to orders into the Ruhr Pocket and CCR attacked west toward Recklinghausen. CCR captured the towns of Stripe and Norddorf, and continued through Vollinghausen, Oberhagen, and Ebbinghausen before stopping for the night in front of Horne. The next day CCA attacked Erwitte. The US 9th Air Force continued to provide close air support as the division continued into the Ruhr Pocket through heavy fighting in the Lippstadt area.

thumb|Medical personnel stand outside a school that has been converted into a hospital for concentration camp survivors from Langenstein-Zwieberge. On the left is Cpt. Joseph Lyten, a dentist from the 8th Armored Division medical battalion.

Buchenwald administered at least 87 subcamps located across Germany, from Düsseldorf in the Rhineland to the border with the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia in the east. Prisoners in the satellite camps were put to work mostly in armaments factories, in stone quarries, and on construction projects. Periodically, prisoners throughout the Buchenwald camp system underwent selection. The SS staff sent those too weak or disabled to continue working to the Bernburg or Sonnenstein killing centers, where they were killed by gas. Other weakened prisoners were killed by phenol injections administered by the camp doctor.

Casualties

  • Total battle casualties: 2,011
  • Killed in action: 393

Commander

thumb|Major General John Devine

Major General William Grimes 1942–1944

  • Grimes left the division on 6 October 1944 just prior to the division's shipment overseas. Grimes went on to serve as Commandant of the Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas.

Major General John M. Devine 1944–45

  • Devine was personally selected by Gen. Eisenhower to command the 8th Armored. His prior assignment was Commanding General, Combat Command B, 7th Armored Division. He had been in combat continuously from D-Day plus 2 (8 June 1944) when he landed at Normandy as artillery commander of the 90th Infantry Division.
  • Headquarters
  • Headquarters Company
  • Combat Command A
  • Combat Command B
  • Combat Command Reserve
  • 18th Tank Battalion
  • 36th Tank Battalion
  • 80th Tank Battalion
  • 7th Armored Infantry Battalion
  • 49th Armored Infantry Battalion
  • 58th Armored Infantry Battalion
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 8th Armored Division Artillery
  • 398th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
  • 399th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
  • 405th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
  • 88th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized)
  • 53rd Armored Engineer Battalion
  • 148th Armored Signal Company
  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 8th Armored Division Trains
  • 130th Ordnance Maintenance Battalion
  • 78th Armored Medical Battalion
  • Military Police Platoon
  • Band

Unit commanders 24 October 1944

Combat command organization, 1944–45

Combat Command A: Col. Charles F. Colson<br>

7th Armored Infantry Battalion: Lt. Col. A. D. Poinier<br>

18th Tank Battalion: Lt. Col. G. B. Goodrich<br>

398th Arm'd Field Artillery Battalion: Lt. Col R. H. Dawson

The headquarters unit was made up of the battalion command team and their vehicles; 3 M4A3 Sherman tanks (usually not used and held as a reserve) and various peeps (World War II US Armored divisions called the jeep a 'peep') and similar vehicles. The M4A3E8 76 or 'Easy Eight' version of the Sherman was also used by the 8th as it became available. In April 1945 the 8th began receiving the new M26 Pershing. None of the 8th Armored Pershing tanks engaged in combat before the close of hostilities.

The 8th was composed of 3 armored infantry battalions:

  • 7th, 49th & 58th Armored Infantry Battalions

Firing battery

Batteries A, B and C consisted of 6 self-propelled guns and supporting vehicles broken out as follows:

  • 2 sections of 3 M7 105 mm self-propelled guns and 3 M3A1Halftracks and 1 ¼ Ton Truck
  • 1 Headquarters Section with 1 M3A1Halftrack and 1 ¼ Ton Truck
  • The 88th Armored Cavalry Recon Squadron served with the 8th Armored Division.

thumb|An armored cavalry unit on reconnaissance

The squadron was organized in troops and equipped as follows:

HQ Troop

  • 10 Jeeps
  • 4 M8 Armored Cars

Troops A, B, C & D

  • 12 M8 Armored Cars
  • 23 Jeeps

Troop E

  • 8 M8 HMC assault guns

Company F

  • 17 M5A1 tanks (Later M24 Chaffee)