for me it’s got to be Kelly’s heroes, their paintball firing Sherman, and their pre hippy hippiness.
Paul
Didn’t know you were from Aix-la-Chapelle!
Nick,the 45th were a veteran unit that operated mainly in mountain fight(Sicily,Appenines and High Vosges).
In “7 days in January”,Zoepf admit the 45th had more experience in mountain warfare than his unit,the 6.SS-Gebrigs-Division “Nord” during Operation “Nordwind”.Tough guys from what I’ve read in the book.
Aachen, Aix-la-Chapelle, Aken…pick your favourite.
A belated thank you…
Do you have any info why? Were they considered especially ruthless or brutal towards captured Wehrmacht or the civilian population? Or were they just a bit more tenacious than the typical American infantry division?
Unfortunately the books don’t give away too much about the origin of the nickname. After all they’re supposed to pick that name by themselves. Demonstrating determination maybe…
5th Pioneer battalion, 5th Marine Division. (my grandfather’s unit, he was an Iwo Jima survivor)
If I had to say, I’d say the segergated unids that served, as well as asian unids. Most served in Italy as far as I know. (761 'black panthers in the West??). I’m not a library when it comes to U.S. unids.
Cheers,
Joppe
for me its
1.101st airborne
2.82nd airborne
3.1st div
4.8th airforce
5.pattons ghost corps
mine are
the 1st division
82nd airborne
the 4th division
Oh yes? So what exactly made the 101st Airborne, 8th Airforce and Pattons ghost corps fall out of your favourableness within the last month?
I’m already anxious to learn about you May’s favourites!
The 1st Division & the 101st airborne.
Five Three O Seventh leads the pack with me.
And then there is the Filthy Thirteen.
For ground pounders I like 'em.
For flyjockies… Zemke’s 49th and the Satan’s Angels (475th.)
And the Seaswabbies… CV-6, hands down.
I like those who went in harms way and did it often.
Deaf
The 29th Infantry Division and the 2nd Ranger Battalion.
albatrosdva, there is a book The Threadbare Buzzard, by Thomas M. Tomlinson, who started the war in the RAF then became a Marine after Pearl Harbor. He was a member of the first VMF 214. He is critical of “Pappy” Boyington and his “Black Sheep”, and of the US Navy’s treatment of Marine Aviators.
the 82nd airborne who freed my hometown with a spectaculare action called “Nijmegen crossing” here in this video from the movie " A bridge too far" and the hero Major Julian Cook of the 504 pir who led the attack :
here some pics from the 82nd at Nijmegen :
Third Battalion 504, H & I Companies were the first to cross the Waal River in small canvas/wood boats. First battalion crossed after 11 of the 26 boats returned. The German artillery was able to mow them down as they crossed. In spite of heavy casualties, the men of the 504 prevailed and captured their objective, the North end of the Bridges at Nijmegen. The picture below is a photocopy of a photograph of a mural painted in honor of those who participated in the crossing. (Jan Bos writes: The painting belongs to the Liberation Museum 1944 at Groesbeek and will be on display soon when the museum is going to expand. The smaller picture is part of a wall in the museum. The picture of the crossing is actual of painting that became a dustjacket for a book on the 82nd Airborne Division - sold out - no English translation.)
www.csupomona.eu
The 6th Ranger Battailon that, under the command of Liuteneant Colonel Henry Mucci, freed the Cabanatuan prison camp (Luzon Island, Philippines) on January 1945.
Mine is the 442nd RCT, Niesei (Americans of Japanese descent). These men served their country despite their relatives being interned by their own government. Also, their combat record was second to none. “Go for Broke” said it all!
“Navy Seabees”
In particular the 133rd Seabee Battalion, Iwo-jima 2/19/45
During the 26-day battle for Iwo Jima, elements of the 133rd NCB bulldozed debris on the beaches and made access roads. A vehicle maintenance group kept trucks, jeeps, tractors, and other equipment running. Surveyors and draftsmen were assigned intelligence tasks and kept daily maps and reports for the Marines.
The 133rd NCB suffered the highest total of any Seabee unit in history.
After Iwo Jima was declared secure, the 4th Marine Division returned to Maui, Hawaii, and the 133rd NCB, reduced by casualties to 75% of its full strength, remained on the island to help build B-29 airfields. The battalion worked two 12-hour shifts seven days a week and was subjected to occasional night air raid alerts, several attacks, and daytime sniper fire from enemy survivors still living in numerous tunnels and caves that remained intact after the battle.
The B-29 airfields on Iwo Jima saved the lives of more than 25,000 Army Air Corpsmen whose planes were so damaged from air raids over Japan that they never could have returned to their home bases on Guam and Tinian. This was some consolation for those of us who saw the sacrifices made by the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and their attached units.