Before Organized Reserve infantry divisions were ordered into active military service, they were reorganized on paper as "triangular" divisions under the 1940 tables of organization. The headquarters companies of the two infantry brigades were consolidated into the division's cavalry reconnaissance troop, and one infantry regiment was removed by inactivation. The field artillery brigade headquarters and headquarters battery became the headquarters and headquarters battery of the division artillery, and its three field artillery regiments were reorganized into four battalions. The engineer, medical, and quartermaster regiments were reorganized into battalions. In 1942, divisional quartermaster battalions were split into ordnance light maintenance companies and quartermaster companies, and the division's headquarters and military police company, which had previously been a combined unit, was split. The 87th Infantry Division was ordered into active military service on 15 December 1942 at
Camp McCain, Mississippi. It was nicknamed the "Baby Division" because many of its initial filler soldiers were among the first eighteen year olds conscripted after the lower limit of the draft age was reduced from twenty to eighteen years old in November 1942. It moved to the Tennessee Maneuver Area on 3 December 1943, for the Second Army #4 Tennessee Maneuvers, and consolidated at Fort Jackson, South Carolina on 20 January 1944 for divisional training. The division staged at Camp Kilmer, at Stelton (now Edison), New Jersey, on 10 October 1944 until it received its port call to the
New York Port of Embarkation in
Brooklyn, New York. It sailed to the European Theater on 17 October 1944, arrived in England on 12 November 1944, and staged for movement to France. It was assigned to the Third Army on 25 November 1944, and arrived at
Le Havre, France, on 28 November 1944. The 87th was further assigned to the III Corps on 4 December 1944, and to the XII Corps on 11 December 1944, to the XV Corps on 21 December 1944, and to the VIII Corps on 29 December 1944. Crossed into
Belgium on 12 January 1945, and returned to XII Corps on 14 January 1945. Crossed into
Luxembourg on 21 January 1945, and assigned to VIII Corps on 25 January 1945. Because of discontinuity in the German railroad system, the 87th was routed to Germany by returning to Belgium on 3 February 1945. Entered Germany 16 March 1945, and remained to
Victory in Europe Day. Returned to the United States at the New York Port of Embarkation on 11 July 1945, and proceeded to
Fort Benning, Georgia, on 14 July 1945 to prepare for deployment to Japan; it was at Fort Benning on
VJ Day. The 87th Infantry Division was inactivated on 21 September 1945, at Fort Benning. • Campaigns:
Rhineland,
Ardennes-Alsace,
Central Europe. • Days of combat: 154. •
Distinguished Unit Citation: 2. • Awards: •
Medal of Honor-
1; •
Distinguished Service Cross-9; •
Army Distinguished Service Medal-1; •
Silver Star-364; •
Legion of Merit −20; •
Soldier's Medal −41; •
Bronze Star −1,542; •
Air Medal −49. ---- • Commanders: • MG
Percy W. Clarkson (December 1942 – October 1943), • MG
Eugene M. Landrum (October 1943 – April 1944), • MG
Frank L. Culin Jr. (April 1944 to inactivation). • Returned to U.S.: 11 July 1945. • Inactivated: 20 September 1945. ----
Combat chronicle The 87th Infantry Division arrived in
Scotland, 22 October 1944, and trained in
England, 23 October-30 November. It landed in
France, including at
Rouen, 1–3 December, and moved to
Metz, where, on 6 December, it went into action against and took
Fort Driant after shelling the ports day and night for five days. The division then shifted to the vicinity of
Gros-Réderching near the
Saar-
German border on 10 December. The 87th was moving into Germany when, on 16 December 1944, German
Field Marshal Von Rundstedt launched his offensive in the
Ardennes forest (
Battle of the Bulge). Through 22 December, the division captured Rimling, Obergailbach, and Guiderkirch. Then ordered to head for the Bulge, they were relieved by the 44th division. The Division was placed in
SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force) reserve, 24–28 December, then thrown into the Bulge battle in Belgium, 29 December. In a fluctuating battle, it captured Moircy on 29 December and
Recogne on 30 December. On 2 January 1945, it took Gérimont, on 10 January Tillet, 12 January St. Hubert, and reached the
Ourthe by 13 January. On 15 January 1945, the division moved to
Luxembourg to relieve the
4th Infantry Division along the
Sauer and seized
Wasserbillig on 23 January. The 87th moved to the vicinity of
St. Vith, 28 January, and attacked and captured Schlierbach, Selz, and Hogden by the end of the month. After the fall of
Neuendorf, 9 February, the division went on the defensive until 26 February, when Ormont and Hallschlag were taken in night attacks. The 87th crossed the
Kyll River, 6 March, took
Dollendorf on 8 March, and after a brief rest, returned to combat, 13 March 1945, crossing the Moselle on 16th and clearing
Koblenz, 18–19 March. The division crossed the
Rhine, 25–26 March, despite strong opposition, consolidated its
bridgehead, and secured
Grossenlinden and
Langgöns. On 7 April, it jumped off in an attack which carried it through
Thuringia into
Saxony.
Plauen fell, 17 April, and the division took up defensive positions, 20 April, about 4 miles from the border to
Czechoslovakia. On 6 May 1945, it took
Falkenstein. On 10 May 1945, the division was ordered to maintain the immediate area, moving back through
Poessneck to
Saalfeld, where they took over two hotels, one of which was called the
Hotel Goldener Anker. Troops maintained their positions until
Victory in Europe Day, and remained in these hotels until at least 16 May 1945. The 87th Division returned to the States in July 1945 expecting to be called upon to play a role in the defeat of the
Imperial Japanese, but the sudden termination of the
war in the Pacific while the division was reassembling at
Fort Benning changed the future of the 87th. The division was inactivated 21 September 1945. The last active soldier from the division that served in World War II retired in June 1981. Colonel Vedder B. Driscoll (1925–1983), who had enlisted in 1943 and was a platoon sergeant for Company I, 345th Infantry, achieved thirty years of commissioned service.
Casualties •
Total battle casualties: 6,034 •
Killed in action: 1,154 •
Wounded in action: 4,342 •
Missing in action: 109 •
Prisoner of war: 429
Assignments in European Theater of Operations • 25 November 1944:
Third Army,
12th Army Group. • 4 December 1944: III Corps. • 11 December 1944: XII Corps. • 21 December 1944: XV Corps,
Seventh Army,
6th Army Group. • 29 December 1944: VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group. • 14 January 1945: XII Corps. • 25 January 1945: VIII Corps. • 22 April 1945: VIII Corps,
First Army, 12th Army Group.
Order of battle • Headquarters, 87th Infantry Division • 345th Infantry Regiment • 346th Infantry Regiment • 347th Infantry Regiment • Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 87th Infantry Division Artillery • 334th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) • 335th Field Artillery Battalion (155 mm) • 336th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) • 912th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) • 312th Engineer Combat Battalion • 312th Medical Battalion •
87th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized) • Headquarters, Special Troops, 87th Infantry Division • Headquarters Company, 87th Infantry Division • 787th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company • 87th Quartermaster Company • 87th Signal Company • Military Police Platoon • Band • 87th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment ==Postwar==