13th Armored Division (United States)

History and combat chronicle

The division was constituted in the Army of the United States on 9 June 1942 and activated on 15 October 1942 at Camp Beale, east of Marysville, California. During training, the division adopted the nickname "Black Cats." The division landed at Le Havre, France, 29 January 1945. After performing occupation duties, the division moved to Homberg near Kassel to prepare for combat under the Third Army, 5 April. At Altenkirchen, it was attached to the XVIII Airborne Corps and prepared for the Ruhr Pocket operation. The attack jumped off at Honnef, 10 April. After crossing the river Sieg at Siegburg, the 13th pushed north to Bergisch Gladbach, then toward Duisburg and Mettmann by 18 April.

Shifting south to Eschenau, the division prepared for Bavarian operations. Starting from Parsberg, 26 April, the 13th crossed the Regen river, then the Danube at Matting and secured the area near Dünzling. On the 28th, elements closed in at Plattling and crossed the Isar River. Moderate to heavy resistance was met during this drive through southern Germany. The division smashed into Braunau am Inn, Austria, 2 May, and the command post was set up in the house where Adolf Hitler was born. A bridgehead across the Inn was established at Marktl, but the river was not crossed as orders came to reassemble north of Inn River, 2 May.

Preparations were made for further advances when the war in Europe ended. The 13th remained in Germany until 25 June and left Le Havre, France, for home, 14 July 1945.

The division moved to Camp Cooke, California, after returning to the United States. It commenced training in amphibious operations, and the men were aware that it was an open secret that they were likely to participate in the invasion of mainland Japan. After the Japanese surrender, it was inactivated on 15 November 1945.

On 20 August 1947, the 13th Armored Division was allotted to the Organized Reserve (redesignated 25 March 1948 as the Organized Reserve Corps, and redesignated 9 July 1952 as the Army Reserve) and activated by reflagging it from the 19th Armored Division, which had been allotted to the Sixth Army area of the Organized Reserve, specifically California, Oregon, and Arizona. The 13th Armored Division was inactivated on 1 March 1952, and withdrawn from the Army Reserve and allotted to the Regular Army on 25 February 1953. In 1947, the 19th Armored Division was reflagged as the 13th Armored Division at California's request. In 1952, the division was reflagged as the 63rd Infantry Division in Los Angeles, California, and thus the 13th Armored Division was finally inactivated.

Composition

The division was composed of the following units:

• Headquarters Company
• Combat Command A
• Combat Command B
• Reserve Command
• 24th Tank Battalion
• 45th Tank Battalion
• 46th Tank Battalion
• 16th Armored Infantry Battalion
• 59th Armored Infantry Battalion
• 67th Armored Infantry Battalion
• 93rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized)
• 124th Armored Engineer Battalion
• 153rd Armored Signal Company
• 13th Armored Division Artillery
  • 496th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
  • 497th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
  • 498th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
• 13th Armored Division Trains
  • 135th Armored Ordnance Maintenance Battalion
  • 83rd Armored Medical Battalion
  • Military Police Platoon
  • Band

Statistics

Casualties

• Total battle casualties: 1,176
• Killed in action: 214
• Wounded in action: 912
• Missing in action: 16
• Prisoner of war: 34

Awards

Campaigns

• Rhineland
• Central Europe

Individual Awards

• Distinguished Service Cross: 2
• Silver Star: 6
• Bronze Star: 102

References

References

1. Wilson, John B. (1997). Maneuver and Firepower: The Evolution of Divisions and Separate Brigades. Washington, DC: Center of Military History.[http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/060/60-14-1/cmhPub_60-14-1.pdf] {{Webarchive. link. (1 March 2014)
2. McKenny, Janice E.. (1997). "Reflagging in the Army". [[United States Army Center of Military History]].
3. "Order of Battle of the US Army - WWII - ETO - 13th Armored Division". US Army Center of Military History.
4. Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths, Final Report (Statistics and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953)
5. Office of the Theater Historian. (December 1945). "Order of Battle of the United States Army – World War II European Theater of Operations. Part I – Order of Battle of Divisions. 13th Armored Division". U.S. Army Center of Military History.