Post by floydragsdale on Aug 18, 2010 11:54:43 GMT -5
The Division was, at this time, half full, or half empty.
The D day invasion at Normandy France and the break through of the hedge row fighting there took a heavy toll of causalities in American Infantry Divisions. Replacements were sorely needed for those Infantry outfits.
At U.S. Army bases in the States, shipping lists, that Summer, were posted on bulletin boards. Men whose names were on these lists would be filling the ranks of depleted Divisions in France.
A shipping list was posted on a bulletin board, in Camp Shelby where I had been training with the 65th Division for the past 10 months, in 1943 and 44. My name was on that list. Our destination to another outfit was Camp Atterbury, Indiana and the 106th Infantry Division that had lost thousands of men who were sent to France as replacements for those depleted outfits.
At Camp Atterberry, the next four weeks were hectic ones for all concerned. The 106th was half full, or half empty, depending how a person wanted to look at it.
It was the month of September 1944. We had about 42 days to get acquainted with our fellow soldiers and get used to new weapons; then zero them in on the target range.
Last on the schedule, if there was one, we had to train (maneuver) as a Division, then go overseas.
To sum things up, in mid summer 1944, the 106th Division was half full. There would be six weeks to get it to full strength, train the men as squads, platoons, as a company, unit and a Division. G.I.'s would need to become acquainted with new weapons and new responsibilities.
Less than two months after going overseas men of the 106th Division were introduced to the art of warfare faster that any other Division in the U.S. Army.
The history of the Division wasn't anticipated by the Army Brass; that's just the way it was.
The U.S. Army T.O.( Table of Organization), at that time, required an Infantry Division to cover five miles of front lines. Men of the 106th were spread out over a twenty-seven mile salient just inside the German border. Under those conditions, it was a miracle that the 424th Regiment survived the B.O.B.
Based on these facts, 106th Division men have every reason to be proud of their outfit and needn't apologize to anyone for anything, especially their combat record.
I recall the day when we hiked forty five miles, on an empty stomach; some of those miles were through mine fields, to escape being surrounded by the Germans. Part of the time our movements were directed by hand signals. The word was, "Be QUIET, move quietly, no talking, no coughing, or sneezing. We are 50 yards from the German lines." It was another time that foggy, misty weather was our ally. Somehow, we got through the day without losing a man.
Floyd,
424th Regiment
The D day invasion at Normandy France and the break through of the hedge row fighting there took a heavy toll of causalities in American Infantry Divisions. Replacements were sorely needed for those Infantry outfits.
At U.S. Army bases in the States, shipping lists, that Summer, were posted on bulletin boards. Men whose names were on these lists would be filling the ranks of depleted Divisions in France.
A shipping list was posted on a bulletin board, in Camp Shelby where I had been training with the 65th Division for the past 10 months, in 1943 and 44. My name was on that list. Our destination to another outfit was Camp Atterbury, Indiana and the 106th Infantry Division that had lost thousands of men who were sent to France as replacements for those depleted outfits.
At Camp Atterberry, the next four weeks were hectic ones for all concerned. The 106th was half full, or half empty, depending how a person wanted to look at it.
It was the month of September 1944. We had about 42 days to get acquainted with our fellow soldiers and get used to new weapons; then zero them in on the target range.
Last on the schedule, if there was one, we had to train (maneuver) as a Division, then go overseas.
To sum things up, in mid summer 1944, the 106th Division was half full. There would be six weeks to get it to full strength, train the men as squads, platoons, as a company, unit and a Division. G.I.'s would need to become acquainted with new weapons and new responsibilities.
Less than two months after going overseas men of the 106th Division were introduced to the art of warfare faster that any other Division in the U.S. Army.
The history of the Division wasn't anticipated by the Army Brass; that's just the way it was.
The U.S. Army T.O.( Table of Organization), at that time, required an Infantry Division to cover five miles of front lines. Men of the 106th were spread out over a twenty-seven mile salient just inside the German border. Under those conditions, it was a miracle that the 424th Regiment survived the B.O.B.
Based on these facts, 106th Division men have every reason to be proud of their outfit and needn't apologize to anyone for anything, especially their combat record.
I recall the day when we hiked forty five miles, on an empty stomach; some of those miles were through mine fields, to escape being surrounded by the Germans. Part of the time our movements were directed by hand signals. The word was, "Be QUIET, move quietly, no talking, no coughing, or sneezing. We are 50 yards from the German lines." It was another time that foggy, misty weather was our ally. Somehow, we got through the day without losing a man.
Floyd,
424th Regiment
