| 3rd Armored Division | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 The 3rd Armored Division's shoulder sleeve insignia. | |||||
| Active | 1941–1945 1947–1992 | ||||
| Country |  United States | ||||
| Branch |  United States Army | ||||
| Type | Armor | ||||
| Role | Armored warfare | ||||
| Size | Typically 15,000+ | ||||
| Nickname | "Spearhead"[1] | ||||
| March | Spearhead March | ||||
| Engagements | |||||
| Decorations | Presidential Unit Citation Meritorious Unit Commendation[2] French Croix de guerre with palm Belgian Fourragere | ||||
| Commanders | |||||
| Notable commanders | MGMaurice Rose MGGordon B. Rogers MGCreighton Abrams | ||||
| Insignia | |||||
| Flag |  | ||||
| NATO Map Symbol |
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| U.S. Armored Divisions | ||||
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The3rd Armored Division (also known as "Spearhead", 3rd Armored, and 3AD) was anarmoreddivision of theUnited States Army. Unofficially nicknamed the "Third Herd", the division was first activated in 1941 and was active in theEuropean Theater ofWorld War II. The division was stationed inWest Germany for much of theCold War and also participated in thePersian Gulf War. On 17 January 1992, still inGermany, the division ceased operations. In October 1992, it was formally inactivated as part of a general drawing down of U.S. military forces at the end of the Cold War.[4]
The 3rd Armored Division was organized as a "heavy" armored division, as was its counterpart, the2nd Armored Division ("Hell on Wheels"). Later on in World War II, higher-numbered U.S. armored divisions were made smaller, with a higher ratio ofarmored infantry totanks, based on lessons learned from fighting inNorth Africa.[5]
As a "heavy" division, the 3rd Armored commanded two armoredregiments containing a total of four medium tankbattalions and two light tank battalions (18companies) instead of the usual three tank battalions containing both light and heavy tanks (12 companies). The division commanded 232 medium tanks, compared to the 168 allotted to a standard light armored division, and commanded attached units numbering over 16,000 men in place of the usual 12,000 found in the light armored divisions. The 3rd Armored also commanded threearmored infantry battalions.[4][6]
The division's core units were the36th Armored Infantry Regiment, the32nd Armored Regiment, the33rd Armor Regiment, the 23rd Armored Engineer Battalion,[7] the 83rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion,[8] and the 143rd Armored Signal Company.[9] During World War II, these units were organized into task forces known ascombat commands A, B and R (Reserve).[10]
In addition to the core units, a number of other units of various specialties were attached to the division during various operations.[10]
The division was composed of the following units:[10]
Attached units included:[10]
The 3rd Armored was activated on 15 April 1941 atCamp Beauregard,LA. In June 1941, it moved to Camp Polk, Louisiana (nowFort Johnson). On 9 March 1942, it came under the jurisdiction of theArmy Ground Forces and was assigned to theII Armored Corps. In July 1942 it was transferred toCamp Young,CA and from August to October 1942, took part in maneuvers at theDesert Training Center there. It left Camp Young in January 1943 and moved to theIndiantown Gap Military Reservation inPennsylvania.[11]
The division arrived in the European Theatre on 15 September 1943, conducting pre-invasion training nearLiverpool andBristol inGreat Britain. It remained inSomerset,England until 24 June 1944, when it departed to partake in theNormandy operations.[11]
The first elements of the 3rd Armored saw combat on 29 June in France, with the division as a whole beginning combat operations on 9 July 1944. During this time, it was under the command ofVII Corps andXVIII Airborne CorpsFirst Army, but was later reassigned to theXIX Corps under theNinth Army and the for the rest of the war.[11]
The division was the "spearhead" of the First Army through theNormandy Campaign, taking part in a number of engagements, most notably in theBattle of Saint-Lô, where it suffered significant casualties. After facing heavy fighting in thehedgerows and developing methods to overcome the vast thickets of brush and earth that constrained its mobility, the unit broke out atMarigny alongside the1st Infantry Division and swung south to Mayenne. 3rd AD engineers and maintenance crews solved the problem of the Norman hedgerows by taking the largeI-Beam invasion barriers from thebeaches at Normandy and welding them on the fronts ofSherman tanks as large crossing rams. They would then hit the hedgerows at high speed, bursting through them without exposing the vulnerable underbellies of the tanks.[11]
The division was next ordered to help close theArgentan-Falaise Pocket containing theGerman Seventh Army, which it finished by 18 August nearPutanges. Six days later, the outfit had sped throughCourville andChartres and was approaching the banks of theSeine River. On the night of 25 August 1944, the division began the crossing of the Seine; once completed, the 3rd moved across France, reaching theBelgian border on 2 September 1944.[11]
Liberated in the path of the division wereMeaux,Soissons,Laon, Marle,Mons,Charleroi,Namur andLiège.[12] The division cut off 40,000Wehrmacht troopsat Mons and captured 8,000 prisoners.[13]
On 10 September 1944, the 3rd, now nicknamed the "Spearhead Division", fired what it claimed was the first Americanfield artillery shell onto German soil of the war. Two days later, it passed the German border and soon breached theSiegfried Line after taking part in theBattle of Hürtgen Forest.[11]
During the Battle of Aachen, in mid-October 1944, a 3rd Armored Division tank battalion (Task Force Hogan), attached to the1st Infantry Division, assisted in the capture of the old imperial capital. This action added the liberation of the first major city inside Germany to Spearhead's long list of accomplishments during World War II. The reinforced Sherman battalion, commanded byLieutenant Colonel Samuel Hogan, assaulted through the center of Aachen north, while protecting the flank of the3rd Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment. They seized the Lousberg Heights which overlooked the German headquarters, then proceeded to cut off the Aachen-Laurensberg highway, thus blocking any potential enemy counterattack from the Northeast.[14]
The 3rd Armored Division fought far north of the deepest German penetration during theBattle of the Bulge. The division worked its way south in an attack designed to help wipe out the bulge and bring First Army's line abreast of GeneralGeorge S. Patton's Third Army, which was fighting northward towardHouffalize. It severed a vital highway leading toSt. Vith and later reachedLierneux, Belgium, where it halted to refit.[11]
After a month of rest, the division resumed its offensive to the east, and on 26 February, rolled back inside Germany. In the following weeks, the 3rd bolted across theRoer River and seized several towns, crossed theErft, and at last broke through to theRhine River to captureCologne by 7 March.[12] During the engagement in Cologne, a spectacular film was shot of a 3rd Division T-26E Pershing ("Eagle 7") defeating a German PzKPfW V "Panther" that caught the Pershing by surprise in the city streets on 6 March.[15][16] Two weeks later, it crossed the Rhine atHonnef, a town south of Cologne.[17]
On 31 March, the commander of the division,Major GeneralMaurice Rose, rounded a corner in his jeep and found himself face to face with a German tank. As he withdrew his pistol either to throw it to the ground or in an attempt to fight back, the young German tank commander, apparently misunderstanding Rose's intentions, shot and killed the general.[12]
After Cologne, the division swept upPaderborn in its advance to shut the back door to theRuhr Pocket. In April, the division crossed theSaale River north of Halle and sped on toward theElbe River.[12]
On 11 April 1945, the 3rd Armored discovered theDora-Mittelbauconcentration camp. The division was the first to arrive on the scene, reporting back to headquarters that it had uncovered a large concentration camp near the town ofNordhausen. With help from the104th Infantry Division, the 3rd immediately began transporting some 250 prisoners to nearby hospitals.[18]
The division's last major fighting in the war was the Battle ofDessau, which the division captured on 23 April 1945 after three days of combat. Following the action at Dessau, the division moved into corps reserve atSangerhausen.[11][12] Occupational duty nearLangen was given to the division followingV-E Day, a role it filled until inactivation on 10 November 1945.[19]
The 3rd Armored Division suffered the following casualties:[20]
The division inflicted the following enemy casualties:[21]
Members of the division received the following awards:[10]
The division was reactivated on 15 July 1947 atFort Knox,Kentucky as a training formation. In 1955, the 3rd Armored Division was reorganized for combat and was shipped to Germany the next year. It replaced the4th Infantry Division under a program calledOperation Gyroscope. It was the first U.S. armored division to be stationed east of the Rhine in the Cold War. The division, headquartered atFrankfurt am Main, served in Cold War Germany for approximately 36 years, from May 1956 to July 1992, with the exception of time spent inSaudi Arabia andIraq during the leadup to and fighting of theGulf War.[11] The three main combat forces headquarters for the 3rd AD were (1)Ayers Kaserne atKirch-Goens andSchloss Kaserne atButzbach (The forces at these Kasernes initially formed Combat Command "A" [CCA] of the 3rd Armored Division), (2)Coleman Kaserne atGelnhausen (CCB/2d Brigade); and (3)Ray Barracks atFriedberg (CCC/3rd Brigade).[4]
The most famous soldier in the division during the 1950s wasElvis Presley, who was assigned to the 1st Medium Tank Battalion,32d Armor, at Ray Barracks. After his time in service, Presley made a movie calledG.I. Blues in which he portrays a 3rd Armored Division tank crewman with little field duty but with much opportunity for singing, particularly at Frankfurt. In real life Presley was promoted tosergeant near the end of his tour in Germany without the prospect of attending the 3d Armored Division Non Commissioned Officer Academy. In the movie he wears the insignia of aspecialist five rather than sergeant's stripes.[22]
Colin Powell also served in the division. He was assigned to the 2nd Armored Rifle Battalion, 48th Infantry, Combat Command B, Coleman Kaserne, Gelnhausen, between 1958 and 1960. His first Army command assignment was infantry platoon leader.[23] The 3rd Armored's primary mission between May 1956 to July 1992 was, in the event of war, to defend theFulda Gap alongside otherNATO elements and if ordered, use tactical nuclear weapons against numerically superiorWarsaw Pact forces. The Division Artillery's (DIVARTY)333rd Field Artillery Regiment was equipped withMGM-52 Lance surface-to-surfacetactical nuclear missiles in case conventional firepower was not enough to stop advancing Warsaw Pact forces if an invasion took place.USAREUR maxed out its Cold War troop strength in June 1962; that number was never achieved again. Also in June 1962, the nuclear warheads for U.S.Davy Crockett devices arrived in Europe (3rd AD combat maneuver battalions were issued Davy Crocketts).[24] In late October 1962, during theCuban Missile Crisis, Soviet Forces, including those in theGroup of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG), were placed on the highest alert level, as there was no way to communicate betweenWashington andMoscow. Two of the five armies in the GSFG were positioned to advance through theFulda Gap – the8th Guards Army, containing three motor rifle divisions and one tank division, and1st Guards Tank Army, containing four tank divisions and one motor rifle division. From 1963 onwards,Reorganization Objective Army Division (ROAD) changes meant organizational changes within the 3rd AD's three combat commands and a name changeover to "brigades" (e.g. Combat Command A became 1st Brigade).[25]
To prepare their soldiers for a potential invasion by theWarsaw Pact, the 3rd Armored Division's units frequently conducted field training, including exercises of live fire, movement and communications, inBavaria atHohenfels Training Center,Wildflecken Training Center, andGrafenwöhr Training Center. Throughout its time in Cold War Germany, beginning in mid-1956, the division would also frequently take to the German countryside for training maneuvers, including, beginning in January 1969, what became an annually staged war game calledReforger (REturn of FORces to GERmany), which simulated an invasion of Western Europe by Warsaw Pact forces.[26][ColdWar 1]
Throughout the Cold War, the division headquarters company, the 503rd Administrative Company, 503rd Adjutant General Company, and 503rd MP Company were based at DrakeKaserne inFrankfurt, with 143rd Signal Battalion and other support units stationed across the street at Edwards Kaserne in Frankfurt, West Germany. A number of its subunits were based in other Kasernes throughout the German state ofHessen, notably Ayers Kaserne (50° 28' 32.44" N 8° 38' 29.24" E) at Kirch-Goens and Schloss Kaserne atButzbach (CCA/1st Brigade),Gelnhausen (CCB/2d Brigade), Ray Barracks atFriedberg (CCC/3rd Brigade) and Fliegerhorst nearHanau (eventually converted to the division's Aviation Brigade base). The NCO Academy contained two companies: Co. A was assigned to themedieval castle at Usingen-Kransberg, while Co. B was located in Butzbach. The division itself was of comprised an average of 15,000 soldiers organized into three combat commands (CCs) of comparable sizes to the World War II combat commands. These brigades were manned by at least one battalion each of infantry, armor, and artillery, and various supporting units, including medical, engineer, and aviation elements.[4]
The division was also assigned the dedicated 533rd Military Intelligence/CEWI (Combat Electronic Warfare and Intelligence) Battalion by 1980, replacing the 503rd MI Company that previously supported the division intelligence staff.[27]
Most of the kasernes were located adjacent to or within German communities, leading to lively trade and interaction between soldiers and German civilians. A few, however, were somewhat remotely located, particularly Ayers Kaserne ("The Rock")(50° 28' 32.44" N 8° 38' 29.24" E) outsideKirch-Goens, where the 1st Brigade was stationed.[4] As communism in eastern Europe collapsed in the late 1980s, thetwo German states reunited, and the Soviet Army was beginning to withdraw back to theSoviet Union. With these events, the Cold War came to a peaceful conclusion, freeing U.S. Army units in Europe for other deployments.[28]
Throughout the summer of 1990, in response to the winding down of the Cold War, 3AD was instructed to begin selective standing down of various division elements. Some units, for example the 3rd Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery, were turning in equipment and cross-leveling with other 3AD units when momentous events in the Middle East developed in August 1990. That month,Iraqinvaded Kuwait, and soon after, PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush committed U.S. troops to the theater, first to defendSaudi Arabia, and then to eject Iraqi troops fromKuwait. Deployment of advance elements of 3AD began in December, with the remaining deploying units arriving by January. Units that had drawn down were replaced or augmented back to full strength. As an example, 3–5 ADA was replaced by the 8th Infantry Division's 5th Battalion, 3rd Air Defense Artillery. Other units were attached to 3AD to bring it up to, and even beyond, full strength.[11]
The 3rd Armored Division, then commanded by Major GeneralPaul Funk, was one of four U.S. heavy divisions deployed withVII Corps to theGulf Region.[29] The division and its equipment were shifted from Germany to Saudi Arabia, withArmy National Guard andArmy Reserveelements taking over some of their duties in Germany, while in others, kasernes were left virtually empty. This massive deployment was made possible by the end of the Cold War.[4]
After deployment, the division acclimated to thedesert climate, and its troops faced new challenges in mobility, tactics and maintenance in a sandy and hot climate. Various National Guard and Army Reserve units were attached to the division for the duration of the conflict, swelling the division's size to over 20,000 troops – 25% larger than during its time in Germany.[4]
The majority of the division's troops never receivedDesert Battle Dress Uniforms due to equipment shortages, and fought instead in lightweight summer "woodland pattern" uniforms covered by tanker suits or chemical warfare protectiveMOPP suits.[30]
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For Desert Storm, the division consisted of:[4][failed verification]
After months of training, the division moved to theline of departure, with the1st Armored Division on its left flank and the2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment on its right flank. While the Iraqi Army concentrated much of its defenses in and around Kuwait itself, the 3rd AD and VII Corps launched a massive armored attack into Iraq, just to the west of Kuwait, taking the Iraqis completely by surprise.[31]
Scouts from 2nd Brigade crossed the border on the afternoon of 23 February 1991 just after 1500 hours. Less than two hours later, they had penetrated several miles into Iraq and managed to capture over 200 prisoners. On 24 February, the official first day of action, the division as a whole swung into action as part of a coordinated attack by hundreds of thousands ofCoalition troops. By dawn on the second day, an additional 50 prisoners had been taken, with scouts reporting enemy reinforcements moving to meet the division.[31]
At 1115 hours on the second day of the invasion, all elements of the division finally moved across the line of departure. The day was marked by hard pushing to penetrate deep and fast for an objective south ofBasra. In the course of its drive, various elements of 3AD engaged the enemy, taking prisoners, skirmishing, sometimes bypassing enemy strongholds to gain ground, and other times engaging in full-scale battle.[31]
By nightfall of the second day, 3AD had driven 53 miles into Iraq, with dozens of enemy vehicles destroyed, hundreds of POWs captured, and was on the verge of achieving its first objective – an accomplishment that war planners had not anticipated.[31]
On the third day of combat, 26 February, the division closed in on its objective and faced for the first time the IraqiRepublican Guard, a much stronger foe than the conscripts the division had first engaged, and less inclined to retreat or surrender. Opposing forces included the highly touted Republican Guard"Tawakalna" Division, theIraqi 52nd Armored Division and elements of the 17th and the 10th Armored Divisions. The division engaged in full scale tank battles for the first time since World War II, with one of the division's veterans stating "there was more than enough action for everyone".[31][32]
Action continued after nightfall, and by 1840 hours, the ground and air elements of the 3rd AD reported over 20 tanks, 14APCs, several trucks and some artillery pieces destroyed. That same evening, the 4th Battalion, 32nd Armor lost the division's first casualties, with two soldiers killed and three wounded to 25mm cannon fire and theBradley Fighting Vehicle they were in destroyed. During the night, both darkness and sandstorms hampered soldiers' visibility, butthermal sighting systems onboard theM1A1 Abrams tanks and Bradleys allowed gunners to continue to knock out Iraqi targets.[31][32]
By the fourth day, the division had reached its objective and was pursuing its now retreating enemy. The division turned east into Kuwait, continuing to inflict heavy casualties and capture troops as it rolled forward, often hitting Iraqi units whosedefensive berms andfoxholes faced south from their northern flank, rendering their defenses ineffective. By nightfall, forces facing 3AD had been virtually eliminated, with their remnants in full retreat.[31]
By the fifth day of combat, 28 February, the division had achieved all of its original objectives. It had cleared Objective Dorset after meeting stiff resistance and destroying more than 300 enemy vehicles.[33] The 3rd Brigade, 3AD had also captured 2,500 enemy prisoners.[33][34] The division was now pushing east to block the Iraqi retreat from Kuwait and conduct mopping up operations.[31] Less than one hundred hours after the ground campaign started, President Bush declared aceasefire.[citation needed]
At the height of the war, the 3rd Armored Division commanded 32 battalions and 20,533 personnel.[29] The 3rd Armored Division was the largest coalition division in the Gulf War and the largest U.S. armored division in history. In its arsenal were 360Abramsmain battle tanks, 340Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 128 self-propelled155 mm howitzers, 27Apache attack helicopters, 9multiple-launch rocket systems, and additional equipment.[35]
The 3rd AD served at theBattle of 73 Easting and theBattle of Norfolk. Only three of its M1A1 Abrams tanks were damaged during combat operations.[36][37] The 3rd Armored Division suffered 15 soldiers killed between December 1990 and late February 1991.[38] Seven soldiers were killed in action and another 27 were wounded during combat operations.[34][38]
In 1991, Division Historian Dan Peterson, comparing the performance of the division in World War II and Desert Storm, stated, "History does always repeat itself. 3rd Armored Division was the Spearhead in both wars."[39]
Following the war, 3rd Armored Division was one of the first units rotated toCamp Doha, Kuwait, providing protection to Kuwait as the country was rebuilt.[34]
Following Desert Storm, a number of the division's units were transferred to the1st Armored Division.[citation needed]
On 17 January 1992, the 3rd Armored Division officially ceased operations in Germany with a ceremony held in Frankfurt at Division Headquarters Drake Kaserne.[4]
"Sir, this is my final salute. Mission accomplished," said Maj. Gen.Jerry Rutherford, the division commander. Rutherford preceded the final salute to GeneralCrosbie E. Saint,USAREUR Commander, with a loudly shouted "Spearhead!". The division colors were then returned to the United States with the 3rd AD still officially active, since Army regulations state that a Divisional "Casing of the Colors" cannot occur on foreign soil.[citation needed]
Official Inactivation took place atFort Knox, on 17 October 1992. In attendance at the ceremony were several former Spearhead commanding generals and division veterans from all eras. In a traditional ceremony, Command Sgt. Major Richard L. Ross, holding the division color with battle streamers, passed it to GeneralFrederick M. Franks, Jr., completing the official inactivation of the division. With this ceremony, the 3rd Armored Division was removed from the active duty force structure of the U.S. Army.[4]
With the end of the Cold War, several of the division's overseas Kasernes were transferred to other units, particularly the 1st Armored Division. Over time, many were closed, fell into disrepair, or were demolished. Some 3rd Armored units were transferred to the 1st Armored, notably the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery, later portrayed inGunner Palace.
The 1st Battalion, 32nd Armor was reflagged and is now stationed atFort Campbell,Kentucky as part of the101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The unit was reorganized as the 1stSquadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, and is assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as its organicreconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) element. The 1st Battalion, 33rd Armor was also reflagged and stationed at Fort Campbell with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, and is assigned to the Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team. The 4th Squadron, 7th Cavalry later became part of 1st Brigade,2nd Infantry Division.[citation needed][40] It was inactivated on 2 July 2015.[41]
The following 3AD units were assigned to the1st Cavalry Division:[citation needed]
Additionally, the 122nd Support Battalion (Main) from theDivision Support Command was reactivated atFort Bragg and assigned to the Combat Aviation Brigade,82nd Airborne Division as the 122nd Support Battalion (Aviation). The 54th Support Battalion (Main) was reactivated on 16 September 1994 as the 54th Support Battalion (Base) of the 80th Support Group (Area).[42]
The 3rd Armored Division had thirty-nine commanders over the course of its history, many of whom went on to obtain four star rank.[43]
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Books, movies and other media that feature the Third Armored Division include:
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