066 100th Infantry Division

Nickname: Century Division. . Shoulder Patch: Numeral, 100, upper half white, lower half canary, on a blue shield. History: Division was slated for organization at Camp Bowie, Texas, October, 1918, but the Armistice headed off the organization, Training: Activation: 15 November, 1942, Port Jackson, South Carolina, Second Army. Other station: Fort Bragg, North Carolina Maneuvers, Tennessee, Second Army. Overseas: September, 1944 (ETO). . Commanding General: Maj. Gen. Withers A. Burress, 15 November, 1942, to present. . Component Units: (As of September, 1944) 397th, 398th and 399th Infantry Regiments; 373rd (M), 374th, 375th and 925th (L) FA Battalions. Higher Commands: Sixth Army Group and Seventh Army. . Awards: Distinguished Unit Citation to 3rd Battalion, 398th Infantry Regiment for action near Bitche (France) 17-21 December, 1944. Commendations: From CO VI Corps for capturing Raon L’Etape and Schirmeck. From CG Sixth Army Group (Gen. Devers) for repulsing Nazis near Rimling: From CG XV Corps for help in destroying two German armies during March, 1945. . Combat Highlights: Cracking of the German winter defense line in the Vosges Mountains, capture of Bitche (France), and taking of Heilbronn (Germany) are among the battle highlights of the Century. First action of the 100th was near Rambervillers, 1 November, 1944. On 9 November, the division relieved the 45th Division and from that time until March, 1945, the Century was never out of contact with the enemy. The long battle of Bitche (France) began in December, 1944. In the hills near the town were four of the strongest Maginot forts – Simerschoff, Schiesseck, Otterbiel and Grande Hohekirkel. Systematic reduction of the defenses was stopped by the von Rundstedt offensive and the 100th went on the defensive. The Nazis on New Year’s Day, 1945, attacked the positions of the 100th. This and additional attacks including an encircling movement failed to dislodge the division. A history-making, shattering drive began 15 March, when the Century jumped off as part of the Seventh Army, which with the Third set out to clean up the Rhineland south of the Moselle. The 100th entered the city of Bitche the second day. In its 200 years of history, the city had never before been taken by frontal assault. The Century pursued enemy elements between Dietrichingen and Wlaschbronn arriving at Ludwigshaven on the Rhine 18 March. Heilbronn fell in April and with the French First Army, the Century encircled and captured Stuttgart. By the end of the war, the 100th had pushed deep into Germany.