Battle Fleet

Plate 002 — Battles

REF: BF-BTL-002

Battle Fleet / Battles

82nd Airborne Division

COMMAND AND STAFF, Campaigns, , Antiaircraft Artillery, Armored, Cavalry, Engineer, Field Artillery, Tank Destroyer, COMMAND POSTS

82. AIRBORNE DIVISION WW2
"All American Division"

The division insignia consists of the letters "AA" inscribed in white on a blue circle, which in turn is superimposed on a bright red square background. The 82d Infantry Division in World War I was comprised of soldiers from every state in the Union and therefore, the nickname "All American" was adopted and "AA" was included in the insignia. When in 1942 the 82d was reactivated and made airborne, the word "Airborne", in white letters, was placed on a crescent-shaped blue background, and added to the top of the insignia.

COMMAND AND STAFF

  • Commanding General
  • Maj. Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway
  • Brig . Gen. James M. Gavin
  • Maj. Gen. James M. Gavin
  • Assistant Division Commander
  • Brig. Gen. James M. Gavin
  • Col. Ira P. Swift
  • Brig. Gen. Ira P. Swift
  • Artillery Commander
  • Col. Francis A. March
  • Brig. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor
  • Col. Francis A. March
  • Col. Lemuel Mathewson
  • Col. Francis A. March
  • Brig. Gen. Francis A. March
  • Chief of Staff
  • Col. Ralph P. Eaton
  • Lt. Col. Robert H. Wienecke
  • Col. Robert H. Wienecke
  • Campaigns
  • Normandy
  • Ardennes
  • Rhineland
  • Central Europe

Individual Awards

  • Distinguished Service Cross 41
  • Legion of Merit 24
  • Silver Star 759
  • Soldiers Medal 41
  • Bronze Star 1,873
  • Air Medal 15

Prisoners of War Taken 157,835

ORDER OF BATTLE

  • 325th Glider Infantry
  • 504th Parachute Infantry
  • 505th Parachute Infantry
  • 307th Airborne Engineer Battalion
  • 80th Airborne Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion
  • 307th Airborne Medical Company
  • 82d Parachute Maintenance Battalion
  • 82d Airborne Division Artillery
  • 319th Glider Field Artillery Battalion
  • 320th Glider Field Artillery Battalion
  • 376th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion
  • 456th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion
  • Special Troops [Activated 1 Mar 45; units previously directly under division.]
  • 782d Airborne Ordnance Company
  • 407th Quartermaster Company
  • 82d Airborne Signal Company
  • Military Police Platoon
  • Headquarters Company
  • Reconnaissance Platoon
  • Band

ATTACHMENTS

Antiaircraft Artillery

  • Btry C, 563d AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 24 Dec 44-26 Dec 44
  • 634th AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 6 Feb 45-19 Feb 45
  • 580th AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 28 Apr 45-30 Apr 45
  • 445th AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 1 May 45

Armored

Co C, 746th Tk Bn 4 Jun 44-10 Jun 44
Co A, 746th Tk Bn 13 Jun 44-16 Jun 44
Br 2d Irish Guards (Br Guards Armd Div) 16 Sep 4-23 Oct 44
Br Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 19 Sep 44-20 Sep 44
Br 1st Coldstream Guards (Br Guards Armd Div) 19 Sep 44-22 Sep 44
2 sqdns, Br 2d Irish Guards (Br Guards Armd Div) 23 Oct 44-10 Nov 44
Cdn 27th Armd Regt 10 Nov 44-12 Nov 44
14th Tk Bn (9th Armd Div) 23 Dec 44-24 Dec 44
740th Tk Bn 30 Dec 44-11 Jan 45
740th Tk Bn 27 Jan 45-7 Feb 45
Co B, 774th Tk Bn 9 Feb 45-19 Feb 45
Br 4th Bn Royal Tank Regt (Br 79th Armd Div) 29 Apr 45-30 Apr 45
Co A, 740th Tk Bn 30 Apr 45-1 May 45
Co C, 740th Tk Bn 30 Apr 45-1 May 45
Br 4th Bn Royal Tank Regt (Br 79th Armd Div) 2 May 45-3 May 45
CC B (7th Armd Div) 7 May 45-4 May 45 [sic]

Cavalry

  • Tr B, 4th Cav Rcn Sq 10 Jun 44-19 Jun 44
  • 1 sq Br Royals 20 Sep 44-22 Sep 44
  • 32d Cav Rcn Sq 28 Jan 45-31 Jan 45
  • 1 plat, Co F, 32d Cav Rcn Sq 2 Feb 45-6 Feb 45

Chemical

  • Co B, 87th Cml Mort Bn 16 Jun 44-18 Jun 44
  • Co B, 86th Cml Mort Bn 25 Dec 44-11 Jan 45
  • Co A, 87th Cml Mort Bn 26 Jan 45-31 Jan 45
  • Co C, 90th Cml Mort Bn 13 Feb 45-19 Feb 45
  • 1 sect, 74th Cml SG Co 5 Apr 45-22 Apr 45
  • 89th Cml Mort Bn 30 Apr 45-1 May 45

Engineer

  • 596th Engr Co 2 Jan 45-11 Jan 45
  • 596th Engr Co 3 Feb 45-5 Feb 45
  • 596th Engr Co 8 Feb 45-9 Feb 45
  • 1130th Engr C Gp 26 Apr 45
  • Co C, 12th Engr C Bn (8th Div) 1 May 45

Field Artillery

  • 456th FA Bn 8 Jun 44-10 Jun 44
  • 87th FA Bn 14 Jun 44-17 Jun 44
  • 188th FA Bn (155mm How) 14 Jun 44-19 Jun 44
  • 456th FA Bn 15 Jun 44-17 Jun 44
  • 87th Armd FA Bn 16 Jun 44-19 Jun 44
  • 254th FA Bn (155mm How) 21 Dec 44-11 Jan 45
  • 591st FA Bn (106th Div) (105mm How) 29 Dec 44-9 Jan 45
  • 460th Prcht FA Bn 2 Jan 45-11 Jan 45
  • 275th FA Bn 6 Jan 45-11 Jan 45
  • 460th Prcht FA Bn 24 Jan 45-
  • 254th FA Bn (155mm How) 26 Jan 45-19 Feb 45
  • 400th Armd FA Bn (105mm How) 26 Jan 45-19 Feb 45
  • 460th Prcht FA Bn 3 Feb 45-5 Feb 45
  • 460th Prcht FA Bn 8 Feb 45-9 Feb 45
  • 987th FA Bn (- Btrys A & C) (155mm Gun) 15 Feb 45-19 Feb 45
  • 417th FA Gp 5 Apr 45-27 Apr 45
  • 672d FA Bn (155mm How) 5 Apr 45-14 Apr 45
  • 805th FA Bn (155mm How) 5 Apr 45-17 Apr 45
  • 746th FA Bn (8" How) 5 Apr 45-27 Apr 45
  • 546th FA Bn (155mm Gun) 10 Apr 45-17 Apr 45
  • 790th FA Bn (8" How) 12 Apr 45-15 Apr 45
  • 541st FA Bn (155mm Gun) 13 Apr 45-17 Apr 45
  • 942d FA Bn (155mm How) 19 Apr 45-24 Apr 45
  • 74th FA Bn (105mm How) 19 Apr 45-27 Apr 45
  • 661st FA Bn (8" How) 19 Apr 45-27 Apr 45
  • 541st FA Bn (155mm Gun) 20 Apr 45-27 Apr 45
  • 294th FA Obsn Bn 26 Apr 45
  • 43d FA Bn (8th Div) (105mm How) 28 Apr 45-1 May 45
  • 36th FA Bn (8th Div) (105mm How) 30 Apr 45-1 May 45
  • 280th FA Bn (105mm How) 30 Apr 45-7 May 45
  • Hq & Hq Btry, 205th FA Bn 2 May 45-7 May 45
  • 207th FA Bn (8" How) 2 May 45-7 May 45
  • 768th FA Bn (155mm How) 2 May 45-7 May 45

Infantry

508th Prcht Inf (Non-Div) 14 Jun 44-21 Jun 44
507th Prcht Inf (Non-Div) 14 Jun 44-1 Mar 45 (reorganization date when became organic element of 17th Abn Div)
2d Bn, 401st Gli Inf (101st Abn Div) 6 Jun 44-1 Mar 45
Br 5th Coldstream Guards (Br Guards Armd Div) 19 Sep 44-22 Sep 44
502d Prcht Inf (101st Abn Div) 4 Oct 44-5 Oct 44
3d Bn, 112th Inf (28th Div) 23 Dec 44-25 Dec 45
5551st Prcht Inf Bn (Non-Div) 26 Dec 44-13 Jan 45
517th Prcht Inf (Non-Div) 1 Jan 45-11 Jan 45
551st Prcht Inf Bn (Non-Div) 21 Jan 45-27 Jan 45
508th Prcht Inf (Non-Div) 23 Jan 45-still attached 9 May 45
517th Prcht Inf (- 2d Bn) (Non-Div) 23 Jan 45-26 Jan 45
517th Prcht Inf (- 3d Bn) (Non-Div) 3 Feb 45-5 Feb 45
517th Prcht Inf (- 3d Bn) (Non-Div) 9 Feb 45-10 Feb 45
341st Inf (86th Div) 5 Apr 45
3d Co, Belg 22d Fusilliers Bn 22 Apr 45-27 Apr 45
13th Inf (8th Div) 29 Apr 45-1 May 45
121st Inf (8th Div) 30 Apr 45-1 May 45

Tank Destroyer

  • Co C, 899th TD Bn (SP) 16 Jun 44-18 Jun 44
  • Co B, 703d TD Bn (SP) 21 Dec 44-2 Jan 45
  • Co C, 703d TD Bn (SP) 26 Dec 44-2 Jan 45
  • 628th TD Bn (T) 2 Jan 45-11 Jan 45
  • 643d TD Bn (SP) 4 Jan 45-5 Jan 45
  • Co B, 643d TD Bn (SP) 7 Jan 45-11 Jan 45
  • Co C, 643d TD Bn (SP) 21 Jan 45-28 Jan 45
  • Co A, 643d TD Bn (SP) 25 Jan 45-2 Feb 45
  • Co B, 643d TD Bn (SP) 27 Jan 45-2 Feb 45
  • 629th TD Bn (SP) 1 Feb 45-19 Feb 45
  • 2 plats, 893d TD Bn (SP) 9 Feb 45-11 Feb 45
  • 12th TD Gp 19 Apr 45-25 Apr 45
  • 605th TD Bn (T) 29 Apr 45-30 Apr 45
  • Co A, 644th TD Bn (SP) 30 Apr 45-1 May 45
  • 605th TD Bn (T) 2 May 45-7 May 45
  • Co A, 644th TD Bn (SP) 7 May 45-9 May 45

COMMAND POSTS

  • Castle Dawson
  • Leicester (Braunstone Park)
  • Ste-Mere-Eglise (vic)
  • Leicester (Braunstone Park)
  • Nijmegen (vic S)
  • Sissone
  • Werbomont
  • Habiemont
  • Lierneux
  • Bra
  • Habiemont
  • Chevron
  • Bassebodeux
  • Abrefontaine
  • Nonceveux
  • Hunnage
  • Medell
  • Wereth
  • Holzheim
  • Stavelot
  • Rott
  • Hurtgen
  • Rott
  • Sissone
  • Weiden
  • Hohenzethen
  • Bleckede
  • Neuhaus
  • Ludwigslust