41st Infantry Division (United States)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 41st Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
 Shoulder sleeve insignia |
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| Active | 1917 - 1968 |
| Country | USA |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Division |
| Role | Infantry |
| Nickname | Sunsetters Jungleers |
| Engagements | World War I World War II Battle of Buna-Gona |
| U.S. Infantry Divisions | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 40th Infantry Division | 42nd Infantry Division |
The 41st Infantry Division was composed of National Guard units from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, North Dakota and Washington State that saw active service in WWI and WWII. It was the first division to see combat overseas in WWII and served the longest. In 1965 it was redesignated a Brigade and in 1968 the division was officially deactivated.
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[edit] Service history
The 41st was first activated for Army service in 1917-04-01 primarily from Guard units of the Northwestern United States. At the end of WWI its units returned to National Guard status but retained its divisional organization. In 1929 Major General George A. White took command of the division and led it during its reactivation for Federal service on 1940-09-16.
General White died on 1941-11-23 and was eventually replaced by Major General Horace H. Fuller who was the 41st commander until June of 1944. The division was deactivated from Federal service in 1945 and reactivated as a National Guard division in 1946.[1]
[edit] World War I
The 41st was formed and trained in 1917 at Camp Green, North Carolina. On 1917-11-26 the first elements of the division embarked from the US to Europe as part of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). Units of the 41st were aboard the SS Tuscania when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sunk off the coast of France.
In France, the 41st Division received a major disappointment. It was designated a replacement division and did not go to combat as a unit. The majority of its infantry personnel went to the 1st, 2nd, 32nd and 42nd Infantry Divisions where they served throughout the war. The 147th Field Artillery was attached to the 32nd Division and saw action at the Third Battle of the Aisne, the Meuse-Argonne and other areas. The 146th and 148th of the 66th Field Artillery Brigade were attached as corps artillery units and participated in the battles of Chateau Thierry, Aisne-Marne, St Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne.
[edit] World War II
In 1921, the designation of the 41st Division was allocated to Pacific Northwest states, and each state was instructed to form divisional units.
As the international situation worsened in the 1930s, the intensity and urgency of training in the 41st increased. In 1937, the 41st paired with the 3rd Division for Corps maneuvers at Fort Lewis.[1]
During the 14 months prior to the beginning of the World War II, the Division underwent intensive combat-type training and was equipped with the latest, most modern equipment available. By 1941-12-07, the 41st Division was ready. The 41st was the first United States division to deploy overseas to the South Pacific.
The 41st first stopped at Australia for even more training and then proceeded to New Guinea. This time, the 41st became the first American division to meet the Imperial Japanese Army, not in defense, but in an offensive operation. Places with the strange names of Buna, Gona, Sanananda, and Salamaua became battlegrounds in a war with an enemy during which no quarter was given or taken. The Division fought for 76 continuous days in combat against the Japanese at Salamaua. For 26 days only canned "C" rations were available. At the end of this campaign, Tokyo Rose, in her propaganda broadcasts, referred to the 41st as the Butcher Division.
Following the New Guinea campaign, the 41st returned to Australia for rest and re-equipping. In a few weeks, the 41st then made another thrust to the north. Hollandia and Aitape, coastal communities on New Guinea's eastern coast fell, along with the islands of Wakde and Biak. The road continued into the Philippines where more bitter fighting occurred at Palawan, Zamboanga, and the Sulu Archipelago.
After the fall of the Philippines, the Division began training for the attack on Japan itself, but surrender came first. The Division did move to Japan where it occupied the island of Honshu for a few months. Soon after, it was deactivated and the men returned home.
[edit] Post war
The 41st Infantry Division reformed in Oregon in 1946. It was reorganized in 1965 as the 41st Infantry Brigade. In 1968, the 41st Division was deactivated.
[edit] References
- The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950 reproduced at CMH.
