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| 372nd Infantry Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Active |
|
| Country | USA |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Mottos | Fidelis et Paratus (Faithful and Ready)[1] |
| Engagements | World War I *Champagne–Marne *Meuse–Argonne |
| Decorations | FrenchCroix de Guerre |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Col. Herschel Tupes, author 1906 Manual of Bayonet Training |
| U.S. Infantry Regiments | ||||
|
The372nd Infantry Regiment was asegregatedAfrican Americanregiment, nominally a part of the93rd Division, that served inWorld War I underFrench Army command, and also inWorld War II.[2] In World War II the regiment was not attached to a division, and served in the continental United States (CONUS) and Hawaii.[1] In both wars the unit had primarily African American enlisted men andwhite officers.
During World War I, the 372nd Infantry Regiment was composed of the following segregatedNational Guard units as well as draftees:[2]
The 372nd Infantry Regiment was organized in January 1918 at Camp Stewart, Virginia and initially assigned to the93rd Division (Provisional).
Moved to France in March 1918. The 93rd Division was never fully organized, and the 372nd Infantry was seconded, along with the371st Infantry Regiment, to the157th Infantry Division of the French Army, called the "Red Hand Division".[4] Under the command of GeneralMariano Goybet, the division was in need of reinforcements. During the fighting on theWestern Front in theChampagne region, this division was in the French IX Corps of the French4th Army. After fighting in theChampagne–Marne region (28 September-7 October 1918)[5] and theMeuse–Argonne offensive, the regiment moved to theVosges Mountains area of the front. The regiment returned to the United States in February 1919, and was demobilized 28 February 1919 atCamp Jackson, South Carolina.[2]
A monument to the 372nd Infantry Regiment was erected after the war south ofMonthois to commemorate the unit's fighting in the Champagne region, in which the regiment took 579 casualties (total killed, wounded, prisoners, and missing).[6]
Emmet J. Scott'sOfficial History of the American Negro in the World War provides a chronological record of when the men were fighting with gallantry in theChampagne region of France for victory:[4]
"Over the Top September 28, 1918, the 3rd Battalion started after the Boche. The first blow being delivered by the 2nd Moroccan Division of shock troops. The retreating Boches are still bombarding our position. Machine gun fire is thick and the 88s are falling like hail.
"On the morning of September 29, 1918, we are trying hard to keep up with the retreating enemy, which is retreating fast, unable to stand our assault. This afternoon it is raining which is unfortunate for our wounded, as there are many.
"Today is September 30, 1918, and we find that the 1st Battalion is on our right, and advancing fast in the rain and mud. Machine gun opposition is still stiff. Our casualties are small and we have captured a large number of prisoners.
"October 1, 1918, we are meeting with a stiff resistance from the enemy who has fortified himself in a hill during the past night. Owing to the bad condition of the ground we are not getting any support from the French artillery.
"October 2, 1918, we have driven the enemy out ofFontaine-en-Dormois and are now in the village. Still we are giving the enemy no rest, they are retreating across the valley to one of their supply bases which has a railroad running into the same. The enemy is now burning the supplies which cannot be moved.
"October 3, 1918, we have advanced and captured the little village ofArdeuil and a considerable amount of war material. Our losses have been rather heavy during the past 24 hours, but we have inflicted a much heavier loss on the enemy. On our right the 1st Battalion has taken the village ofSéchault after some hard fighting by Company A.
"October 4, 1918, the 2nd Battalion is going in this morning, and we are resting at Vieox, which is about four kilometers from Monthois and is one of the enemy's railroad centers and hospital bases. The enemy is busy destroying supplies and moving wounded. We can see trains moving out of Monthois. Our artillery is bombarding all roads and railroads in the vicinity. The enemies' fire is fierce and we are expecting a counter-attack.
"October 5, 1918, the German artillery has opened up good and strong and we are on the alert. They attacked us and a stiff hand-to-hand combat ensued. Again he has been driven back, suffering an exceedingly heavy loss. We have taken many prisoners from about twelve different regiments. After resting a little, we continued our advance and are now on the outskirts of Monthois.
"October 6, 1918, the enemy is throwing a stiff barrage on our left where the333rd French Infantry is attacking. The enemy is again being driven back. The liaison work of the 157th Division has been wonderful, not the slightest gap has been left open.
"October 7, 1918, our patrols enteredMonthois early in the morning but were driven out by machine gun fire, but returned with the gun and its crew. We have just received word that we are to be relieved by the76th Regiment, French, sometime during the night; we were relieved at 8:00 P. M. We hiked a very long distance over the ground. We fought so hard to takeMinecourt where the regiment proceeded to reorganize.
"Regiment reachedSomme-Bionne Oct. 9, 1918. Regiment left Somme-Bionne Oct. 11, 1918 to entrain forVignemont. LeftValmy 8:00 A. M. Oct. 12, 1918 and arrived at Vignemont Oct. 13, 1918. Hiked 15 kilometers toSt. Leonard and arrived Sd. Left St. Leonard forBan-de-Laveline in theDept. of the Vosges Oct. 15, 1918, arrived at Laveline 10:15 P. M. Sd.
"November 7, 1918, 1 officer and 22 enlisted men captured by German patrol. Nov. 10, 1918, a patrol of Co. A, took several prisoners from a German patrol.
As the 372nd Infantry Regiment was a part of the 93rd Division, that was assigned to the French army, these African American troops often interacted with French soldiers. Many of the soldiers were complimentary of the French soldiers that they were fighting alongside, and similarly many had positive things to say about French civilians.[7]
On arrival in France, as this unit was transferred into the French command, its decorations are French rather than American. This unit was extremely well decorated, receiving both unit and numerous individual citations including theCroix de Guerre andLégion d'Honneur. CorporalClarence Van Allen won theMédaille militaire one of a few Americans to do so.
The following order was issued to the 157th Division following the campaign in the Champagne region:[4]
P. C. October 8, 1918.
"157th Division.
"Staff.
General Order No. 234
"In transmitting to you with legitimate pride the thanks and congratulations of the GeneralGarnier-Duplessis, allow me, my dear friends of all ranks, Americans and French, to thank you from the bottom of my heart as a chief and a soldier for the expression of gratitude for the glory which you have lent our good 157th Division. I had full confidence in you but you have surpassed my hopes.
"During these nine days of hard fighting you have progressed nine kilometers through powerful organized defenses, taken nearly 600 prisoners, 15 guns of different calibres, 20minenwerfers, and nearly 150 machine guns, secured an enormous amount of engineering material, an important supply of artillery ammunition, brought down by your fire three enemy aeroplanes.
"THE RED HAND", sign of the Division, thanks to you, became a bloody hand which took the Boche by the throat and made him cry for mercy. You have well avenged our glorious dead.
Signed General Goybet
The 372nd Infantry Regiment was reconstituted in the National Guard and allotted by January 1925; the 1st Battalion to theDistrict of Columbia, the 2nd Battalion toOhio, and the 3rd Battalion toMassachusetts.
Company A, 372nd Infantry was redesignated the Headquarters Company on 3 September 1940. Concurrently, the 1st Separate Battalion, Infantry, New Jersey National Guard, was redesignated the 1st Battalion, 372nd Infantry on 11 September 1940. The 1st Separate Company, Infantry, Maryland National Guard was redesignated the Service Company, 372nd Infantry on 11 September 1940.
On 10 March 1941 the 372nd Infantry was inducted into service at home stations.[8] 2nd Battalion at Columbus, Ohio, 3rd Battalion at Boston, Massachusetts, and service company from Maryland.[9]
The unit moved toFort Dix, New Jersey 17 March 1941; following theattack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 the regiment moved to New York City 17 December 1941, assigned to theEastern Defense Command 1 May 1942 for security and other duties in Greater New York. On 21 January 1944 assigned to the 2nd Service Command, transferred toCamp Breckinridge, Kentucky underXXII Corps 20 April 1944, where it provided an accelerated six-week course of infantry training (four weeks of familiarization, qualification, and transition firing, and two weeks of tactical training) to African-American soldiers who were formerly members of disbanded anti-aircraft and tank destroyer units or who had volunteered for transfer to the infantry from other branches of the Army. Reassigned toFourth Army in September 1944. Moved toFort Huachuca, Arizona 11 November 1944. Prepared for overseas movement; staged atFort Lawton, Washington state 24 April 1945 and departed Seattle Port of Embarkation 29 April 1945. Arrived in Hawaii 9 May 1945 and assigned to theCentral Pacific Base Command on 15 May 1945, relieving the98th Infantry Division so that division could prepare toinvade Japan; inactivated in Hawaii 31 January 1946.
On 13 August 1945, at the end of hostilities, the unit was deployed as follows:Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, less 2nd Battalion atHilo, Co. D atBellows Field, Co. F onKauai, Co. G onMaui, Co. H onMolokai, Co. I atAiea, and Co. K atFort Shafter.[1]
The regimental Lineage was carried on postwar by HHD/372nd Military Police Battalion (ARNG DC) and the 372nd Infantry Battalion ("Ninth Ohio") O.N.G.[10] The 372nd Infantry Battalion was broken up in 1959 and its components reorganized as elements of the 38th Ordnance Battalion except for Company C, which became the 3582nd Transportation Company (part). The lineage of the Ninth Ohio is currently carried by the 237th Support Battalion.[11]
World War II
372nd U.S. Infantry regiment on French Wikipedia (in French)
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