- Joined
- Sep 10, 2008
- Messages
- 2,718
3rd Infantry Division
"Rock of the Marne"
The 3rd Infantry Division (nicknamed the "Rock of the Marne") is a United States Army infantry division based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. It is a direct subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and U.S. Army Forces Command
The division fought in France in World War I. In World War II, it landed with Gen. Patton's task force in a contested amphibious landing on the coast of Morocco, overwhelming Vichy French defenders in November 1942. North Africa. In 1943, the division invaded Sicily in July, and invaded Italy at Salerno in September, before fighting in France and finally Germany.
The division also deployed to Korea in 1950 during the Korean War and fought in some of the toughest combat of the conflict. From 1957 until 1996, the division was the "backbone" of the United States Army's presence in the NATO alliance in West Germany.
The 3rd Infantry Division was the first conventional U.S. unit to cross the border into Iraq and enter Baghdad during the 2003 invasion. Its current organization includes four brigade combat teams, one aviation brigade, and support elements.
World War I
The 3rd Infantry Division was activated in November 1917 during World War I at Camp Greene, North Carolina. Eight months later, it saw combat for the first time in France. At midnight on 14 July 1918, the division earned lasting distinction. Engaged in the Aisne-Marne Offensive as a member of the American Expeditionary Force to Europe, the division was protecting Paris with a position on the banks of the Marne River. 3rd Division rushed to Ch?teau-Thierry amid retreating French troops and held the Germans back at the Marne River.
Casualties during the war were 3,177 killed in action with 12,940 wounded.
World War II
The division first saw action as a part of the Western Task Force in the invasion of North African, landing at Fedala on 8 November 1942, and captured half of French Morocco.
In late May, VI Corps broke out of the beachhead with the 3rd Division in the main thrust. Instead of defeating the Germans, Clark sent the division on to Rome. This had the misfortune of allowing the enemy forces, which would otherwise have been trapped, to escape. The division was then removed from the front line and went into training for the invasion of Southern France. On 15 August 1944, another D-Day, the division landed at St. Tropez, advanced up the Rhone Valley, through the Vosges Mountains, and reached the Rhine at Strasbourg, 26?27 November 1944. After maintaining defensive positions it took part in clearing the Colmar Pocket on 23 January, and on 15 March struck against Siegfried Line positions south of Zweibr?cken. The division advanced through the defenses and crossed the Rhine, 26 March 1945; then drove on to take Nuremberg in a fierce battle, capturing the city in block-by-block fighting, 17?20 April. The 3rd pushed on to take Augsburg and Munich, 27?30 April, and was in the vicinity of Salzburg when the war in Europe ended.
During the war, 4,922 were killed in action, and 18,766 wounded with a further 636 who died of wounds.
