[Webmaster Note: The following division information is reproduced
from the public domain publication, The Army Almanac: A Book of
Facts Concerning the Army of the United States, U.S. Government Printing Office,
1950. Portions of the information may be out of date. Only minor formatting changes and
typographical corrections have been made.]
World War II
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Activated: 15 April 1941.
Overseas: 29 December 1943.
Campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe.
Days of combat: 230.
Distinguished Unit Citations: 1; to the entire Division.
Awards: MH-3; DSC-45; DSM-3; SS-757; LM-27; DFC-7; SM-12; BSM-3,918; AM-95.
Commanders: Maj. Gen. H. W. Baird (April 1941-May 1942),
Maj. Gen. J. S. Wood (May 1942-December 1944),
Maj. Gen. Hugh J. Gaffey (December 1944-March 1945),
Maj. Gen. W. M. Hoge (March-June 1945),
Brig. Gen. Bruce C. Clarke (June-July 1945),
Brig. Gen. W. Lyn Roberts (July-September 1945),
Maj. Gen. F. B. Prickett (September 1945 to inactivation).
Returned to U.S.: 25 April 1946.
Inactivated: 26 April 1946.
Combat Chronicle
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After training in England from January to July 1944, the 4th Armored Division landed at
Utah Beach 11 July 1944 and entered combat 17 July, driving to and securing the Coutances
area, 28 July, The Division then swung south to take Nantes, cutting off the Brittany
Peninsula, 12 August 1944. Turning east, it drove swiftly across France north of the
Loire, smashed across the Moselle 11-13 September, flanked Nancy and captured Luneville,
16 September. After maintaining a defensive line, Chambrey to Xanrey to Henamenil, from
27 September to 11 October, the Division rested briefly before returning to combat 9 November
with an attack in the vicinity of Viviers. The 4th cleared Bois de Serres, 12 November, advanced
through Dieuze and crossed the Saar, 21-22 November, to establish and expand bridgehead and took
Singling and Bining before being relieved 8 December. Two days after the Germans launched their
Ardennes offensive, the 4th Armored entered the fight (18 December 1944), racing northwest
into Belgium, covering 150 miles in 19 hours. The Division attacked the Germans at Bastogne,
helping to relieve the besieged
101st Airborne. Six
weeks later the Division jumped off from Luxembourg City in an eastward plunge that carried
it across the Moselle River at Treir, south and east to Worms, and across the Rhine, 24-25
March 1945. Advancing all night, the 4th crossed the Main River the next day, south of
Hanau, and continued to push on. Lauterbach fell 29 March, Creuzburg across the Werra
on 1 April, Gotha on the 4th, and by 12 April the Division was across the Saale River. Pursuit
of the enemy continued and by 6 May the Division had crossed into Czechoslovakia, established
a bridgehead across the Otara River at Strakonice, with forward elements at Pisek. After a
tour of occupational duty, the 4th returned to the United States for inactivation, some of
its elements, however, remaining as occupation forces after redesignation as
constabulary units.
Assignments in the ETO
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18 December 1943: Attached to First Army. // 22 January 1944: VIII Corps, but attached to
First Army. // 1 February 1944: VIII Corps, Third Army. // 9 March 1944: XX Corps. //
20 April 1944: XV Corps. // 15 July 1944: Third Army, but attached to the VIII Corps
of First Army. // 1 August 1944: VIII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group. //
13 August 1944: XII Corps. // 19 December 1944: III Corps. // 2 January 1945: VIII Corps. //
12 January 1945: XII Corps. // 4 April 1945: VIII Corps. // 9 April 1945: X Corps. //
17 April 1945: VIII Corps. // 22 April 1945: Third Army, but attached to VIII Corps,
First Army. // 30 April 1945: XII Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group.
General
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Shoulder patch: Same as 1st Armored, but with number "4" in upper portion of triangle.
• 4th Armored Division Links
• 4th Armored Division Components
• 4th Armored Division Medal of Honor Recipients
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• 4th Armored Division Videos
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