9th Infantry Division

 

Shoulder Patch: Octofoil with white center — upper half red, lower half blue, against a khaki background.

 

Song: The 9th Division March

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Overview Organized July 1918 at Camp Sheridan, Alabama. Reactivated August 1, 1940 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Conducted amphibious training with the Atlantic Fleet at Norfolk, Virginia before deploying to North Africa in September 1942.

 

Component Units (as of December 1942) 39th, 47th and 60th Infantry Regiments — 34th (M), 26th, 60th and 84th (L) FA Battalions Higher Commands: First Army and XX Corps

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Combat History The 9th Division spearheaded the North Africa and Sicily landings and was the first American division to cross the Rhine. Combat teams of the 39th Regiment landed at Algiers on November 8, 1942, advancing through Safi, Morocco and Port Lyautey. The North Africa campaign included the Maknassey battle, El Guettar, the Gafsa-Gabes axis and the drive on Bizerte.

 

Going ashore west of Troina in Sicily the 9th saw action at Floresta, Randazzo and Messina before sailing for England in November 1943. Landing in Normandy on June 10, 1944 the division began a distinguished series of actions including the capture of Quinneville, St. Lo, D’Ourville, Barneville, the Cotentin Peninsula, Cherbourg and Octeville. Pushing through Cap de la Hague, the Falaise Gap and Melun across the Seine, the division fought through Belgium at Momignies, Chimay, Couvin and the Meuse crossing. In Germany the 9th fought through Roetgen, Aachen, Monchau Forest, Einruhr, Wascheid, Gemund, Bonn, Zulpich, the Ruhr and Remagen before reaching Lutzel.

 

Awards Distinguished Unit Citation to 1st Battalion, 39th Regiment for actions near St. Jacques de Nehou and Cherence le Roussel, June-August 1944 — DUC to 2nd Battalion, 39th for action near Le Desert, June 21-26, 1944 — DUC to 2nd Battalion, 47th for action at Cherbourg, June 21-26, 1944 — DUC to 3rd Battalion, 47th for action at Cherbourg and Hague Peninsula, June 21-26, 1944

 

Commanding Generals Col. Charles B. Elliott through Brig. Gen. Francis W. Honeycutt, Gen. Jacob L. Devers, Maj. Gen. Rene E. de R. Hoyle, Maj. Gen. Manton S. Eddy, Maj. Gen. Louis A. Craig and Brig. Gen. Jessie A. Ladd through the end of the war.