[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 Portions of the information may be out of date.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.]
Pre-World War II
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Activated: After World War I as a National Guard Division in New Jersey and New York.
World War II
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Activated: 16 September 1940.
Overseas: 5 September 1944.
Campaigns: Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe.
Days of combat: 190.
Distinguished Unit Citations: 3.
Awards: MH-1; DSC-38; DSM-2; SS-464; LM-8; SM-6; BSM-2,647; AM-110.
Commanders: Maj. Gen. Clifford R. Powell (September 1940-August 1941),
Maj. Gen. James I. Muir (August 1941-August 1944),
Maj. Gen. Robert L. Spragins (August 1944-December 1944),
Maj. Gen. William F. Dean (January 1945-September 1945),
Brig. Gen. William A. Beiderlinden (1 November-14 November 1945),
Brig. Gen. Robert L. Dulaney (November 1945 to inactivation).
Returned to U.S.: 21 July 1945.
Inactivated: 30 November 1945.
Combat Chronicle
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The 44th Infantry Division landed in France via Cherbourg, 15 September 1944, and trained
for a month before entering combat, 18 October 1944, when it relieved the 79th Division in
the vicinity of Foret de Parroy, east of Luneville, France, to take part in the Seventh
Army drive to secure several passes in the Vosges Mountains. Within 6 days, the Division
was hit by a heavy German counterattack, 25-26 October. The attack was repulsed and the
44th continued its active defense. On 13 November 1944, it jumped off in an attack
northeast, forcing a passage through the Vosges Mountains east of Leintrey to
Dossenheim, took Avricourt, 17 November, and pushed on to liberate Strasbourg, along
with the 2nd French Armored Division. After regrouping, the Division returned to the
attack, taking Ratzwiller and entering the Ensemble de Bitche in the Maginot Line. Fort
Simserhof fell 19 December. Displacing to defensive positions east of Sarreguemines,
21-23 December, the 44th threw back three attempted crossings by the enemy of the
Blies River. An aggressive defense of the Sarreguemines area was continued throughout
February 1945 and most of March. Moving across the Rhine at Worms, 26 March, in the
wake of the
3rd Division, the 44th relieved the
3rd, 26-27 March, and crossed the
Neckar River to attack and capture Mannheim, 28-29 March. Shifting to the west
bank of the Main, the Division crossed that river at Grosse Auheim in early
April, and engaged in a 3-week training period. Attacking 18 April, after the
10th Armored Division, the
44th took Ehingen, 23 April, crossed the Danube, and
attacking southeast, took Fussen, Berg, and Wertach, in a drive on Imst. Pursuing
the disintegrating enemy through Fern Pass and into Inn Valley, the 44th set up its
CP at Imst, Austria, on 4 May. Landeck surrendered on the 5th. Meanwhile, the 19th
German Army had surrendered at Innsbruck, and the war was over for the 44th. After
a short period of occupation duty, the Division returned to the United States in
July 1945 for retraining prior to redeployment, but the end of the Pacific war
resulted in inactivation in November.
Assignments in the ETO
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30 August 1944: Ninth Army, 12th Army Group. // 5 September 1944: III Corps. //
10 October 1944: Ninth Army, 12th Army Group. // 14 October 1944: XV Corps, 6th
Army Group, for supply. // 17 October 1944: XV Corps, Seventh Army, 6th Army
Group. // 8 April 1945: Seventh Army, 6th Army Group. // 15 April 1945: XXI
Corps. // 17 April 1945: VI Corps.
General
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Slogan: Prepared in all things.
Shoulder patch: A blue-bordered orange circle containing two blue Arabic 4's, back to back.
Publications: History of the 44th Division; by Lt. Col. Edward Boherty, unit
historian; Albert Love Enterprises, Atlanta, Ga.; 1947.
• 44th Infantry Division Links
• 44th Infantry Division Components
• 44th Infantry Division Medal of Honor Recipients
• 44th Infantry Division Commanders
• 44th Infantry Division Videos
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