Americal Division

 

Name: Derived from combining “America” and “New Caledonia”

 

Shoulder Patch: White stars in the form of the Southern Cross on a blue shield-shaped background — indicating the area of the division’s organization in the South Pacific.

---

Overview Activated May 27, 1942 in New Caledonia from Task Force 6814. Unique among American divisions in that its units trained on board the ship that carried them to Australia and then to New Caledonia. After moving to Fiji in March 1943 the division underwent intensive rifle and jungle squad training.

 

Component Units (as of June 1942) 132nd, 182nd and 164th Infantry Regiments — 112th Cavalry — 70th Coast Artillery — 245th, 246th and 247th FA Battalions (L) — 221st and 223rd FA Battalions (M) Higher Command: Eighth Army

---

Combat History The Americal Division fought on Guadalcanal where U.S. troops were tested for the first time in the Southwest Pacific. In a defining action on December 17, 1942 the 132nd Infantry took Mt. Austen against seven Japanese counterattacks, ultimately bottling up the famed Oka Regiment of the Japanese Army and eliminating that force entirely. This operation caused the Japanese to lose all observation on the vital Henderson Field. Resistance on Guadalcanal ended February 8, 1943.

 

Moving to Fiji in March 1943 the division prepared for further combat. On Christmas Day 1943 the division moved to Bougainville commencing that campaign. Relieved of combat mission on Bougainville December 10, 1944, the division left in January 1945 for the invasion of Leyte in the Philippine Islands. Final actions included Cebu Island February 19, Samar Island February 19 and Cebu Island March 26, 1945.

 

Awards Presidential Unit Citation — Navy Award — for action with the 1st Marine Division from August 7 to December 9, 1942. Units of the division were also cited by letter by the 1st Marine Division on April 30, 1943.

 

Commanding Generals Maj. Gen. Alexander M. Patch through Brig. Gen. Edmund B. Sebree, Maj. Gen. John R. Hodge, Maj. Gen. Robert B. McClure, and Maj. Gen. William H. Arnold through the end of the war.