• Activated: 1 August 1940 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. • Overseas: 11 December 1942 (Three organic combat teams participated in North African landings 8 November 1942) • Campaigns:
Algeria-French Morocco,
Tunisia,
Sicily,
Normandy,
North France,
Rhineland Campaign,
Ardennes-Alsace,
Central Europe • Days of combat: 304 • Distinguished Unit Citations: 24 • Awards:
Medal of Honor – 5;
Distinguished Service Cross – 104;
Distinguished Service Medal – 3;
Silver Star – 2,282;
Legion of Merit – 19;
DFC – 2;
Soldier's Medal – 100;
Bronze Star –6,593;
Air Medal – 129
Combat chronicle The 9th Infantry Division was among the first U.S. combat units to engage in offensive ground operations during World War II. (The others were the
32nd and the
41st in the Pacific on
New Guinea,
Carlson's Raiders on
Makin Island, the
1st Marine, and the
Americal on
Guadalcanal, and, alongside the 9th in
North Africa, were the
1st Infantry,
3rd Infantry,
34th Infantry and the
2nd Armored Divisions.) The 9th saw its first combat on 8 November 1942, when its elements landed at
Algiers,
Safi, and
Port Lyautey, with the taking of Safi by the 3rd Battalion of the 47th Infantry Regiment standing as the first liberation of a city from Axis control in World War II. With the collapse of French resistance on 11 November 1942, the division patrolled the Spanish Moroccan border. The 9th returned to Tunisia in February and engaged in small defensive actions and patrol activity. On 28 March 1943 it launched an attack in southern Tunisia and fought its way north into
Bizerte, 7 May. In August, the 9th landed at
Palermo,
Sicily, and took part in the capture of
Randazzo and
Messina. Sent to England for further training, the division landed on
Utah Beach on 10 June 1944 (
D-day plus 4), cut off the
Cotentin Peninsula, drove on to
Cherbourg Harbour and penetrated the port's heavy defenses. Following a brief rest in July, the division took part in the
St. Lo break-through and in August helped close the
Falaise Gap. Turning east, the 9th crossed the
Marne, 28 August, swept through
Saarlautern, and in November and December held defensive positions from
Monschau to
Losheim. Moving north to
Bergrath, Germany, it launched an attack toward the
Roer river, 10 December, taking
Echtz and Schlich. From mid-December through January 1945, the division held defensive positions from
Kalterherberg to
Elsenborn. On 30 January the division jumped off from Monschau in a drive across the Roer and to the
Rhine, crossing at
Remagen, 7 March. After breaking out of the Remagen bridgehead, the 9th assisted in the sealing and clearing of the
Ruhr Pocket, then moved 150 miles (240 km) east to
Nordhausen, where it assisted in the liberation of the
Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp, and attacked in the
Harz Mountains, 14–20 April. On 21 April the Division relieved the
3d Armored Division along the
Mulde River, near
Dessau, and held that line until
VE-day. After the war, the Division moved south to Ingolstadt. The Division assumed control of the Dachau Concentration Camp in early July.
Mediterranean theater of operations • previous:
II Corps • May 1943:
I Armored Corps European theater of operations • 20 November 1943:
First Army • 25 November 1943:
VII Corps • 1 August 1944: VII Corps, First Army,
12th Army Group • 26 October 1944:
V Corps • 6 December 1944: VII Corps • 18 December 1944: V Corps • 20 December 1944: Attached, with the entire First Army, to the
British 21st Army Group • 18 January 1945: V Corps, First Army, 12th Army Group • 17 February 1945:
III Corps • 31 March 1945: VII Corps • 4 April 1945: III Corps • 14 April 1945: VII Corps
Order of battle • Headquarters, 9th Infantry Division •
39th Infantry Regiment •
47th Infantry Regiment •
60th Infantry Regiment • Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 9th Infantry Division Artillery • 26th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) • 34th Field Artillery Battalion (155 mm) • 60th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) • 84th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) •
15th Engineer Combat Battalion • 9th Medical Battalion • 9th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized) • Headquarters, Special Troops, 9th Infantry Division • Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry Division • 709th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company • 9th Quartermaster Company • 9th Signal Company • Military Police Platoon • Band • 9th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment • 376th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion Detachment
Statistics Chronology • Activated 1 August 1940 • Arrived UK 27 November 1943 • Arrived Continent
(D+4) 10 June 1944 • Entered Combat 14 June 1944
(First elements in combat in North Africa 8 November 1942; entire division entered combat 26 March 1943) • Days in Combat 264
Casualties Source: •
Total battle casualties: 23,277 • European Theater: 19,719 • Mediterranean Theater: 3,558 •
Killed in action: 3,856 • European Theater: 3,246 • Mediterranean Theater: 610 •
Wounded in action: 17,416 • European Theater: 14,874 • Mediterranean Theater: 2,542 •
Missing in action: 357 • European Theater: 291 • Mediterranean Theater: 66 •
Prisoner of war: 1,648 • European Theater: 1,308 • Mediterranean Theater: 340
Campaigns •
Algeria-French Morocco (
Arrowhead device) •
Tunisia •
Sicily •
Normandy •
Northern France •
Rhineland •
Ardennes-Alsace •
Central Europe Individual awards • Medal of Honor: 4 • Distinguished Service Cross: 86 • Legion of Merit: 6 • Silver Star: 1,789 • Soldier's Medal: 55 • Bronze Star: 5,518 • Distinguished Flying Cross: 1 • Air Medal: 124
Unit awards Presidential Unit Citations: • Division Artillery Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, for 21–23 February 1943 (
WD GO 115, 1946) • Military Police Platoon, for 9–15 March 1943 (WD GO 84, 1945) • Company B, 9th Medical Battalion, for 8–19 March 1945 (WD GO 65, 1946) • 15th Engineer Combat Battalion, for 14 September-23 October 1944 (WD GO 67, 1946) • Company B, 15th Engineer Combat Battalion, for 8–19 March 1945 (WD GO 65, 1946) • 34th Field Artillery Battalion, for 21–23 February 1943 (WD GO 51, 1946) • 1st Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, for 18 June 1944 (WD GO 10, 1945) • 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, for 11–12 July 1944 (WD GO 24, 1945) • 1st Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, for 6–9 August 1944 (WD GO 10, 1945) • 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, for 21–26 June 1944 (WD GO 86, 1944) • 1st Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment • 47th Infantry Regiment, for 8–19 March 1945 (WD GO 65, 1946) • 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, for 2–5 April 1945 (WD GO 98, 1945) • 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, for 14–22 September 1944 (WD GO 139, 1946) • 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, for 24–28 November 1944 (DA GO 25, 1948) • 60th Field Artillery Battalion, for 21–23 February 1943 (WD GO 84, 1947) • 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, for 23–24 April 1943 (WD GO 1, 1944) • 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, for 16 June 1944 (WD GO 90, 1944) • Cannon Company, 60th Infantry Regiment, for 21–23 February 1943 (WD GO 84, 1947) • Medical Detachment, 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, for 6 September 1944 (WD GO 12, 1945) • Company B, 60th Infantry Regiment, for 12 December 1944 (WD GO 55, 1945) • 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry Regiment, for 9–10 February 1945 (WD GO 68, 1945) • 60th Field Artillery Battalion, for 21–23 February 1943 (WD GO 84, 1947) • 84th Field Artillery Battalion (WD GO 51, 1946) • 84th Field Artillery Battalion (WD GO 65, 1946)
Prisoners of war taken • Total: 130,000 == Post-World War II ==