Robert T. Frederick | |
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| Born | (1907-03-14)March 14, 1907 |
| Died | November 29, 1970(1970-11-29) (aged 63) Stanford, California, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1928–1952 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Service number | O-17196 |
| Unit | Coastal Artillery Corps |
| Commands | 1st Special Service Force 1st Allied Airborne Task Force 45th Infantry Division 4th Infantry Division 6th Infantry Division |
| Battles / wars | World War II Aleutian Islands Campaign - July 1943 |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross (2) Army Distinguished Service Medal (2) Silver Star Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal (2) Purple Heart (8) |
Major GeneralRobert Tryon Frederick (March 14, 1907 – November 29, 1970) was a seniorUnited States Armyofficer. DuringWorld War II, he commanded the1st Special Service Force nicknamed the "Devil's Brigade", and the1st Allied Airborne Task Force, an ad hoc division-sized airborne formation, commanding the task force as aBrigadier General duringOperation Dragoon. As aMajor general at 37 years old from December 3, 1944, until September 1945 he commanded the45th Infantry Division during theWestern Allied invasion of Germany and theAllied-occupied Germany that followed. He was twice awarded theDistinguished Service Cross (United States) and was a recipient of a remarkable eight Purple Hearts received from combat during World War II.
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Frederick was born on March 14, 1907, inSan Francisco, California. He attendedStaunton Military Academy from 1923 to 1924 and theUnited States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point from 1924 to 1928. Upon graduation fromWest Point, New York, he wascommissioned as asecond lieutenant in theCoast Artillery Corps of theUnited States Army. He graduated from theU.S. Army Command and General Staff College atFort Leavenworth, Kansas in 1939.
Frederick was serving as astaff officer in theWar Department when the United States enteredWorld War II following theJapaneseattack on Pearl Harbor. In 1942 Frederick, then alieutenant colonel, was tasked with raising a new U.S.-Canadian regiment sizecommando force, which became the1st Special Service Force (later called the "Devil's Brigade").[1] The unit, activated on July 9, 1942, atFort William Henry Harrison,Montana, was originally intended for commando operations in Norway, and trained extensively inwinter andmountain warfare, as well as hand-to-hand combat and other infantry skills. In April 1943, the unit moved toCamp Bradford, Virginia for training, then toFort Ethan Allen, Vermont. The Norway mission was cancelled, however, and the 1st Special Service Force was sent instead to theAleutian Islands in July 1943. It returned to the contiguous United States in September, and then left in October for theEuropean Theater of Operations (ETO).
Frederick's men arrived inCasablanca inFrench Morocco in November 1943 and quickly moved to theItalian front. Landing atNaples on November 19, 1943, the 1st Special Service Force went into the line. In December 1943 and January 1944, the 1st Special Service Force conducted a series of operations atMonte la Difensa,Monte la Remetanea,Monte Sammucro (Hill 720),Monte Vischiataro andMonte Majo. The 1st Special Service Force attacked and captured the enemy forces at the impregnable Monte la Difensa[2] and atMonte Majo. Frederick was wounded three times at Monte Majo and was awarded theDistinguished Service Cross for his actions and leadership in the battle from 10-13 January, 1944.[3] He was promoted to Brigadier General following Monte Majo.[4]
On February 2, 1944, Frederick and his menlanded at Anzio and went into action along theMussolini Canal. They were the firstAllied troops to enter the Italian capital ofRome on June 4, 1944. Frederick was decorated twice with theDistinguished Service Cross, the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor in combat. The first award was for Monte Majo, and the second award for actions on June 4, 1944, during the drive on Rome. While atAnzio he was wounded a number of times, including two separate wounds on a single day.
On June 23, 1944, Frederick announced he was leaving the unit. He was promoted to theone-stargeneral officer rank ofbrigadier general effective 18 January,[1] and was given command of the1st Allied Airborne Task Force, an ad hocdivision-sized airborne formation, for the Alliedinvasion of Southern France. The task force consisted of theBritish 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade and the American509th and551st Parachute Infantry Battalions, the517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team, the550th Glider Infantry Battalion, and the460th and463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalions, along with various support units.
On August 15, under the code nameRugby Force, the unit jumped into theArgens Valley betweenLe Luc andLe Muy, behind theMassif des Maures, a key piece of terrain which overlooked the Allied landing beaches nearSt. Tropez andSt. Raphaël. Having successfully blocked German forces from reaching the invasion beaches, the 1st Airborne Task Force linked up with theU.S. 36th Infantry Division on August 17, 1944. It then moved up theFrench Riviera coastline, takingCannes unopposed on August 24, 1944, and linking up with Frederick's old unit, the 1st Special Service Force. The 1st Special Service Force had initially been tasked to seize several small islands off theFrench Riviera and then moved onshore, where it was attached to the 1st Airborne Task Force on August 22 (replacing the British 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade). The task force then fought on to the French-Italian border, where it took up defensive positions. The task force was dissolved on November 23, 1944 (and the 1st Special Service Force was disbanded on December 5).
Frederick was, at the age of just 37, promoted to thetwo-star rank ofmajor general and given command of the45th Infantry Division on December 3, 1944.[5] Along with Major GeneralJames M. Gavin, then commanding the82nd Airborne Division, this made both Frederick and Gavin (eight days older than Frederick) the two youngest division commanders in the U.S. Army during the war. He led the 45th Division until September 10, 1945. The 45th saw heavy combat in FrenchAlsace from December 1944 through to February 1945, and was pulled from the line to rehabilitate on February 17. In mid-March, it was assigned toXV Corps forOperation Undertone, thefinal drive into Germany.
The division crossed theRhine and advanced to theMain. Moving along the Main intoBavaria, participating in heavy fighting inAschaffenburg from March 28 to April 3 and then drove toNuremberg, taken in heavy fighting from April 16–20. Moving south, the division crossed theDanube on April 26, and opened up the path for theU.S. 20th Armored Division to drive onMunich. ReachingMunich on April 29, the division shifted from combat to occupation.
TheBritish Prime Minister,Sir Winston Churchill, when advised by GeneralDwight Eisenhower that the 1st Special Service Force had taken Monte la Difensa, declared that Frederick was "the greatest fighting general of all time" and "if we had had a dozen more like him we would have smashedHitler in 1942".[1]
After a period of occupation duty, the45th Infantry Division prepared to return to the United States and Frederick relinquished command in September 1945. From 1 November 1945 to 19 August 1947 he was commandant of theCoast Artillery School, and presided over its move fromFort Monroe toFort Winfield Scott. After a period of staff duty and recuperation (he had been wounded eight times), Major General Frederick was assigned to Allied occupation forces inAustria, commanding the U.S. Sector, of theVienna Inter-Allied Command in 1948. From February 28, 1949, to October 10, 1950, he commanded the4th Infantry Division, which had been reactivated as a training division atFort Ord, California, in 1947. In October 1950, the division was redesignated the6th Infantry Division, and Frederick continued as its commanding general until 1951.
In 1951, Frederick returned to Europe to take command of theJoint U.S. Military Aid Group,Greece (JUSMAG Greece). He retired on disability in March 1952. In the 1968 filmThe Devil's Brigade, which chronicled the formation, training and combat in Italy of the 1st Special Service Force, Robert T. Frederick was played by actorWilliam Holden. Frederick died on November 29, 1970, inStanford, California.
TheV-42 combat knife was designed in part by Frederick when commanding officer of the 1st Special Service Force. The V-42 was the trademark weapon of the 1st Special Service Force, and its members were trained extensively in its use. It is a short-bladed stiletto with a thumb groove on the top of the blade to promote proper hand placement when attacking an opponent. It is often confused with the longer- and thicker-bladedFairbairn–Sykes fighting knife. The profile of the V-42 knife appears in the crests of theU.S. Army Special Forces and Canada'sJoint Task Force Two.
Frederick's military decorations and awards include:[6][7]
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| 1st Row | Distinguished Service Cross w/Oak Leaf Cluster | Army Distinguished Service Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster | Silver Star | |||||||||||||||
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| 2nd Row | Legion of Merit w/ Oak Leaf Cluster | Bronze Star Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster | Air Medal | Purple Heart w/ seven Oak Leaf Clusters | ||||||||||||||
| 3rd Row | American Defense Service Medal w/ battle clasp (service star) | American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ one service star andArrowhead device | European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal w/ three service stars | ||||||||||||||
| 4th Row | World War II Victory Medal | Army of Occupation Medal | National Defense Service Medal | Distinguished Service Order (United Kingdom) | ||||||||||||||
| 5th Row | Officer of the Legion of Honour (France) | Croix de guerre 1939–1945 w/ palm (France) | Grand Officer of the Order of St. Charles (Monaco) | King Haakon VII Freedom Medal (Norway) | ||||||||||||||
Rank: Brigadier General (then colonel)
Unit: 1st Special Service Force
Awarded on: 1944
Action: January 10 to 13, 1944
General Orders: Headquarters, Fifth U.S. Army, General Orders No. 102 (1944)
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Brigadier General Robert Tryon Frederick (ASN: 0-17196), United States Army
Citation:
For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy as Commander of the 1st Special Service Force, in action against enemy forces during the period 10 January to 13 January 1944, near Mount Vischiataro, Italy. While commanding his own organization and an attached task force, Brigadier General Frederick made a personal reconnaissance to determine hostile positions prior to an attack. Far in advance of the foremost elements of his command, under enemy machine gun, mortar and artillery fire, he probed enemy defenses and selected a covered route of approach for his troops. While leading his men against the enemy, he continued his reconnaissance in advance of his forward troops to obtain information from which to plan the development of the attack. Operating in terrain almost devoid of cover and concealment, he organized a surprise attack that quickly drove the enemy from a strategically important position. Brigadier General Frederick's constant presence under enemy fire forward of his own troops proved an inspiration to them and a decisive factor in the accomplishment of his mission. His heroism, aggressiveness, and tactical skill exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.[6][8]
Rank: Major General (then Brig. General)
Unit: 1st Special Service Force
Awarded on: 1944
Action: June 4, 1944
General Orders: Headquarters, Fifth U.S. Army, General Orders No. 102 (1944)
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Major General Robert Tryon Frederick (ASN: 0-17196), United States Army
Citation:
For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy as Commander of the 1st Special Service Force, in action against enemy forces on 4 June 1944, in Rome, Italy. In order to advance to the city of Rome and seize bridges within the city, General Frederick organized a small, fast-moving force of armored vehicles and infantry to speedily execute the mission. Upon entering the city, the force met strong, determined resistance. Because of communication difficulties, General Frederick moved from place to place, constantly under fire, issuing orders and controlling his units. When the resistance had been overcome and movement through the city resumed, General Frederick, with only a small party, sped ahead in his half-track vehicle to examine the bridges for demolitions and neutralize charges that may have been placed but not yet exploded. As the examination of the first bridge was completed, an enemy unit approached to cross. In the ensuing fight, five of the enemy were killed, six wounded, eleven captured, and the remainder forced to withdraw. Although General Frederick had been slightly wounded early in the day and twice wounded at the bridge, he spent the remainder of the night disposing his forces to protect the bridges. His courage, leadership and determination in battle inspired his troops and were largely responsible for the successful accomplishment of a difficult operation. Major General Frederick's gallant leadership, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.[6][8]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commanding General 45th Infantry Division 1944–1945 | Post deactivated |
| Preceded by | Commanding General 4th Infantry Division 1949–1950 | Succeeded by |
