The United States Army in World War Two

[dragoon500ly]

It's my understanding that a few battalions of 4.2" mortars were used in the early waves of most amphibious landings in the ETO and MTO. They were portable enough to be gotten to the beach on LCVP, and had the firepower and range to be effective while firing from just off the beach.

Having said that, I can come up with zero sources for this assertion at this moment....

The best source for the Normandy landings is "Spearheading D-Day, American Special Units in Normandy" from Histoire & Collections (THANK GAWD! For re-enactors!!!!)

"Much less space was needed to transport the 4.2-inch mortar units than a regular artillery battalion, so a chemical mortar battalion were assigned to the early waves. The mortars would be pulled ashore on small wheeled carts and would be able to be placed into action upon reaching dry land. On Omaha Beach, a major problem was that these powerful mortars needed a minimum range of 550 yards and in some places, the Germans were not pushed back that far until later in the day."

"The 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion was assigned to support the Omaha Beach landings, with A and C companies attached to the 16th Infantry Regiment and B and D companies to the 116th Infantry. The original plans called for the mortars to be landed with the 2nd waves. Due to the confusion on the beach, A and D companies were not landed unitl H+50, B company at H+90 and C company at H+9 hours."

"B Company was mis-landed on Beach Easy Green at about 0930 hours. The company managed to move inland through a uncleared minefield and set up their firing positions. It was not until 1700 hours that they were able to fire thier first fire mission of the day."

"Much of the 81st's equipment was lost during the landings and the troops had to man-carry the mortars and ammunition inland."

"The 87th Chemical Mortar Battalion was assigned to Utah Beach. A company was attached to the 1/8th Infantry, B company to the 2/8th Inf, C company to the 3/8th Inf and D company to the 3/22nd Inf. During the landing, two mortars and two jeeps were lost when an LCVP was sunk, but no personnel drowned."

"A and B companies were landed at H+5- and set up firing positions just behind the sand dunes. They quickly fired some 100 rounds before moving further inland 40 minutes later. C and D companies also landed and set up within the sand dunes, before firing some 40 additional rounds before moving inland."

Hope this helps!

[dragoon500ly]

Recoilless Rifles

For the United States Army, the recoilless rifle did not enter service until the last year of the war. Development of the recoilless rifle started in early 1943 when the Ordnance Department stated researching the recoilless principle. The first pilot model was ready for testing on July 27, 1943. The results of these initial tests led to several modifications and improvements to the prototype. In October of 1943, was designated as the oeRifle, Recoilless,
57mm, T15E1 and went into extensive trails at Aberdeen Proving Grounds that November.

The T15E1 had its trigger and sear enclosed in metal housings. Further testing resulted in the replacement of this method by a firing mechanism connected by wire cables, this variant was standardized as the M-18. The
57mm recoilless rifle was deemed a high priority weapon and was rushed into production.

The M-18 weighed 45 pounds and was just over five feet in length. It could be fired from the shoulder (from an attached monopod/bipod assemble) or from the M-1917A1 .30-caliber machine gun tripod. The M-26 sight was standardized for use with the M-18.

Due to a lack of suitable manufacturing facilities at the time, the first M-18s were built by the Canadian firm of Dominion Engineering Works.

The M-18 fired three basic types of ammunition; these were a HE round that weighed 5.3 pounds and had a range of 4,340 yards; a antitank round (HEAT) that weighed 5.64 pounds with a range of 4,300 yards; and a smoke round that weighed 5.66 pounds, with a range of 4,340 yards.

Due to the problems with the 2.36-inch bazookas lack of power in certain situations, a rush shipment of the first 50 M-18s was sent to the European Theater of Operations in March of 1945. The first units to receive the new weapon were the airborne divisions, who loved the light weight and capabilities of the new weapon.

On May 19,1945, a Tenth Army demonstration team arrived on Okinawa after the initial invasion, with two M-18s.

The M-18 recoilless rifle was often packed for parachute delivery in the M-10 Paracrate which contained an M-18 and 14 rounds of ammunition. The M-12 Paracrate was also dropped, which contained an M-1917A1 tripod and additional 14 rounds of ammunition.

A total of 951 57mm recoilless rifles were delivered by the time production stopped in the summer of 1945.

After World War II, the introduction of the 3.5-inch bazooka brought about the end of the M-18s service with the U.S. Army, by the early 1950s the
M-18 was declared Obsolete and was transferred to military aid programs.

The success of the 57mm M-18 proved the validity of the basic design and work began on a larger and more powerful version. In March of 1944, the Ordnance Department began the design work on a 75mm recoilless rifle. The first pilot model was completed and started its test program in September of 1944.

The initial version was designated as the T21. As the testing program progressed, redesigns of the breech were made and this improved variant was standardized as the M-20.

Initial production of the M-20 started in March of 1945 by the Miller Printing Machine Company of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

The M-20 weighed 114.5 pounds and was 6 feet, 10 inches in length. The weight prevented the weapon from being fired from the shoulder and the M-20 was designed to be fired from the M-1917A1 tripod.

As with the M-18, the M-20 fired three types of ammunition; the HE round weighed 21.86 pounds and had a range of 7,000 yards; the antitank round (HEAT) weighed 20.54 pounds and had a range of 7,000 yards; the white phosphorus round weighed 22.61 pounds and had a range of 7,200 yards.

While the M-18 performed admirably, it was essentially used as a replacement for the bazooka. The M-20 represented what was considered to be a new class of weapon. Its accuracy and power was favorably commented on by the infantrymen who had the chance to use the weapon.

One officer of the First Allied Airborne Army in the ETO stated the following:

oeIts effective range for direct fire is the limit of visibility. The gun is as accurate as an M1 rifle and a tank can be hit in any desired spot.

The M-20s use was not limited to the ETO, as it was used with great effectiveness in the fighting on Okinawa. The same Tenth Army demonstration team deployed with two M-20s as well as two M-18s and used the weapons with great effectiveness. However, its limited numbers led the Ordnance Department to acknowledged that the recoilless rifle did not have any great impact on the outcome of the campaign.

The success of the recoilless rifles saw extensive plans for their deployment for the invasion of Japan.

A total of 1,238 M-20s were produced by the end of the war.

Unlike the M-18, the M-20 saw extensive in the United States Army until well after the Korean War.

[dragoon500ly]

Flame Throwers

The use of fire as a weapon dates back to antiquity, but the genesis of the modern portable flame thrower was with the Imperial German Army in the first decade of the twentieth century. The first use of the flame thrower was against French troops at Malencourt in World War One. While the weapon proved terrifying to the French troops, its impact was limited due to reliability problems. The French and British armies rushed to develop their own versions of the flame thrower to counter the German threat. By 1916, both Allied nations had fielded their own versions, but like the Germans, they proved to be unreliable, vulnerable and only useful at very short range.

The United States Army did not field any flame throwers during the First World War and only limited research and development was carried out on such weapons after the Armistice. The R&D program took place under the auspices of the Armys Chemical Warfare Service. Due to the unfavorable reputation of the weapon at the time, it was often joked that oethe Chemical Warfare Service has acquired the habit for a long time of not mentioning the flame thrower at all, unless questions were asked about it.

While the United States continued its lack of interest, other nations continued to develop flame throwers throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Tank-mount flame throwers were used by the Italians during the Abyssinian War (1935-1936) as well as German versions in the Spanish Civil War in 1937. During the opening days of World War Two, the Germans made use of flame throwers in Poland, Belgium and France.

The effective use of flame throwers as combat weapons was not lost on the U.S. Army and the Chemical Warfare Service was ordered on August 12, 1940 to accelerate its development of a flame thrower for the troops. Much of this developmental work was carried out at the Edgewood Arsenal, adjacent to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds.

The first experimental model was the E1 with the first few pilot models used for testing in the fall of 1940. The weapon had four basic components; a storage system for the fuel; a storage system for compressed gas to propel the fuel; a flame gun and an ignition system. The fuel supply consisted of five gallons of diesel oil, fuel oil or a blend of gasoline and oil. The gas system contained pressurized nitrogen. Both the fuel system and gas system were contained in a single vertical cylinder that held the fuel in one compartment and the gas in a second. A trigger mechanism released the fuel that was propelled by the gas and was ignited by an electrical spark supplied by a battery. The weapon weighed 70 pounds when fully loaded and had a rage from 14 to 21 yards.

Testing revealed that the E1 was cumbersome, heavy and unreliable. The engineers went back to work and the improved E1R1 was tested in March of 1941. The fuel and gas supplies were now in separate tanks as well as being fitted with improved values and a refined electrical system. It weighed 32 pounds empty and 57 pounds fully loaded.

In spite of its marked improvement, the E1R1 was still not a satisfactory weapon. Its range was still limited to between 15-20 yards and its time of use was only some 15-30 seconds. It was uncomfortable to carry and the values could not be easily reached by the operator. But the E1R1 was the only flame thrower in service by December, 1941. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, only 12 E1R1s were on hand.

The first recorded use of a E1R1 took place on December 8, 1942 at Buna Village, Papua. Its user had crawled through the underbrush to a spot some thirty feet from a Japanese emplacement. He fired his flame thrower only to watch a dribble of burning oil land some 15 feet in front of him. Twice more he tried to hit the emplacement, only to watch the flame fall to carry the full distance. Finally, a Japanese bullet glanced off the operators helmet, knocking him unconscious.

Hardly an auspicious beginning.

The Chemical Warfare Service continued to push development of a flame thrower and an improved E1R1 was standardized as the M-1 in August of 1941 with series production starting in March of 1942. By the end of year, the M-1 was appearing in the South Pacific. First combat use was on January 15, 1943 on Guadalcanal.

The M-1 was an improvement over the E1R1, but there were still a number of problems with the weapon. As one Chemical Warfare Service document explained:
oeOne example just received from the States, would function properly and spurt a jet of flame the customary fifteen yards, but its twin might eject a harmless stream of non-burning oil a distance of five yards. Batteries in the ignition circuit deteriorated rapidly in the hot, humid climate; inadequate waterproofing allowed moisture to corrode parts and to short-circuit the electrical system; minute rust holes in the tanks allowed compressed gas to escape and the pressure to drop. Chemical Maintenance Companies had their hands full inspecting, testing, repairing and servicing flame throwers to keep them in proper working order for the troops.

Needless to say, the GIs and Marines disliked and distrusted the M-1.

Work continued to increase the effective range of the flame thrower. The Chemical Warfare Service developed napalm as a thickening agent added to gasoline for use in incendiary bombs. Experimentation revealed that the use of a napalm-thickened gasoline mixture in a flame thrower greatly increased its range and lethality. As stated in a CWS report:
oeordinary gasoline broke into a spray after it left the nozzle of the flame gun and burned itself out in a billow of fire while thickened fuel flew through the air in a compact stream that would ricochet into portholes and stick to flat surfaces.

However, the new thickened fuel mixture would not work in the M-1. Engineers rushed a series of changes that would allow the M-1 to use the new mixture.

Most of these changes consisted of modifications to the fuel system, including the valves and pressure regulator. The flame gun was also modified to permit operation at the higher pressure required by the use of napalm. The waterproofing of the flame thrower was also improved.

The new weapon was standardized in late 1942 as the M-1A1. Externally, both the M-1 and M-1A1 were virtually identical, but the M-1A1 was a dramatic improvement with an effective range over three times greater than the M-1.

While there were still problems with the flame throwers electrical system, the M-1A1 was such an improvement that it was rushed into production with a run of some 14,000 units.

The first combat use of the M-1A1 took place in mid-1943. While generally successful, the problems with the ignition system plagued the weapon. Something better was needed.

M2-2 Flame Thrower
The Chemical Warfare Service continued its efforts to improve the flame thrower. Two improved versions were considered. The E2 featured a waterproofed electrical ignition system and lightweight aluminum tanks. The E3 had a streamlined flame gun, a better fitting backpack carrying system and a pyrotechnic cartridge type ignition system. This consisted of a plastic cylinder, much like a revolver, which held six patches of incendiary material. When the trigger on the front hand grip was pressed, a oematch-mixture-coated pin ignited one of the incendiary patches and the resulting shower of sparks ignited the fuel mixture. Six bursts could be fired before the cartridge had to be replaced. This type of ignition system had superior waterproofing and was more reliable, especially under typical jungle conditions.

Both models had very similar performance and both had an effective range with the thickened fuel mixture of about 60 yards. The engineers felt that the E3 would be a more rugged and reliable system and it was standardized in March of 1944 as the M2-2. The M2-2 weighed 70 pounds fully loaded and had a fuel capacity of four gallons. Some 24,500 M2-2s were built between 1944 and 1945.

The first combat use of the M2-2 was during the fighting on Guam in July of 1944. While the M2-2 was a definite improvement over the previous flame throwers, it still had drawbacks. It was too heavy when fully loaded, uncomfortable to carry for long distances and had a limited fuel capacity. Still it was a reliable weapon and saw service until well after the end of the war.

[Targan]

The M2-2 Flame Thrower... [snip] was standardized in March of 1944 as the M2-2. The M2-2 weighed 70 pounds fully loaded and had a fuel capacity of four gallons. Some 24,500 M2-2s were built between 1944 and 1945.

The first combat use of the M2-2 was during the fighting on Guam in July of 1944. While the M2-2 was a definite improvement over the previous flame throwers, it still had drawbacks. It was too heavy when fully loaded, uncomfortable to carry for long distances and had a limited fuel capacity. Still it was a reliable weapon and saw service until well after the end of the war.

The US must have provided at least a few to Allied forces in the Pacific because I have seen movie footage of the Battle of Balikpapan in Borneo in 1945 (the Australian 7th Division, with US, UK and Dutch support), the last great Australian amphibious assault of WWII, and there is really clear footage of Australian troops using what looks very much to me as the M2-2 as you've described it. From the range of the flame streams it's clear whatever weapon it is is filled with napalm.

[dragoon500ly]

The US must have provided at least a few to Allied forces in the Pacific because I have seen movie footage of the Battle of Balikpapan in Borneo in 1945 (the Australian 7th Division, with US, UK and Dutch support), the last great Australian amphibious assault of WWII, and there is really clear footage of Australian troops using what looks very much to me as the M2-2 as you've described it. From the range of the flame streams it's clear whatever weapon it is is filled with napalm.

Should have said the first U.S. combat use was on Guam.

Numbers of the M2-2 were supplied via Lend-Lease to the British (for testing only) as well as the Free French, Russians and the Australians. As to the exact numbers, I've never been able to track down anything saything that a specific number were provided, and the reference works I've accessed as well as the offical records all claim that these were for evaluation only. I was not aware of any combat use by the Australians, any chance that you can provide any further details

[Targan]

I was not aware of any combat use by the Australians, any chance that you can provide any further details

Apologies, I don't have any solid information at all really.

The footage I saw was in a compilation of black and white British newsreel footage in a film called Balikpapan that screened on free to air TV here in Australia on Anzac Day last year. I had a copy saved on my PS3 (which I use for recording TV) but I deleted it after re-watching it recently.

A quick internet search has turned up the following (none of it from the TV film I recorded):

There's US newsreel combat footage of a flamethrower being used at Balikpapan at 1m 16s in this video: Allied troops invade - World War II - Australian 7th Division, Douglas-MacArthur . In that footage you can't see who's holding the flamethrower but given that the land combat forces involved were almost exclusively Australian, it's likely that it was an Aussie soldier.

The website https://archive.org/ won't let me link directly to the video, but at 11m 18s of the video July 1945 newsreel: from the Potsdam Conference to the 914mm "Little David" mortar (it includes US newsreel footage filmed at Balikpapan) you can see clearly that it's an Aussie soldier firing a flamethrower. Is it an M2-2

[dragoon500ly]

The website https://archive.org/ won't let me link directly to the video, but at 11m 18s of the video July 1945 newsreel: from the Potsdam Conference to the 914mm "Little David" mortar (it includes US newsreel footage filmed at Balikpapan) you can see clearly that it's an Aussie soldier firing a flamethrower. Is it an M2-2

I'm stuck at work so I can't download much of anything on the computer, but the easy way to tell the difference is that the M-1 flame gun looks like a wand with a lever at the end, the M2-2 has a forward and aft pistol grip on its gun, the nozzle is also a tapered cone.

If you are a fan of classic Hollywood movies, the flame thrower most commonly uses is the M2-2, the only film that I've seen with a M-1 is "Saving Private Ryan".

[dragoon500ly]

The Armored Divisions

Unit Nickname Campaigns
1st Armored Division 'Old Ironsides' Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; North
Apennines; Po Valley
2nd Armored Division 'Hell on Wheels' Algeria-French Morocco; Sicily; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland;
Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
3rd Armored Division 'Spearhead' Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
4th Armored Division Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
5th Armored Division 'Victory' Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
6th Armored Division 'Super Sixth' Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
7th Armored Division 'Lucky Seventh' Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
8th Armored Division 'Tornado' Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
9th Armored Division 'Phantom' Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
10th Armored Division 'Tiger' Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
11th Armored Division 'Thunderbolt' Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
12th Armored Division 'Hellcat' Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace;Central Europe
13th Armored Division 'Black Cat' Rhineland; Central Europe
14th Armored Division 'Liberator' Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
16th Armored Division Central Europe
20th Armored Division Central Europe

[dragoon500ly]

The Cavalry Divisions

Unit Nickname Campaigns

1st Cavalry Division 'First Team' New Guinea; Bismarck Archipelago; Leyte; Luzon
2nd Cavalry Division (Colored) European Theater (without inscription)

[dragoon500ly]

The Infantry Divisions: The Regular Army

Unit Nickname Campaigns
1st Infantry Division 'Big Red One'
Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
2nd Infantry Division 'Indianhead'
Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
3rd Infantry Division 'Rock of the Marne'
Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Southern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
4th Infantry Division 'Ivy'
Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
5th Infantry Division 'Red Diamond'
Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
6th Infantry Division 'Sightseeing Sixth'
New Guinea; Luzon
6th Airborne Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
7th Infantry Division 'Bayonet'
Aleutian Islands; Eastern Mandates; Leyte; Ryukyus
8th Infantry Division 'Pathfinder'
Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland, Central Europe
9th Infantry Division 'Varsity'
Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Normandy; Northern France;
Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
9th Airborne Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
10th Mountain Division 'Mountaineers'
North Apennines; Po Valley
11th Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
11th Airborne Division 'Angels'
New Guinea; Luzon
12th Infantry Division 'The Plymouth Division'
American Theater
13th Airborne Division
Central Europe
14th Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
15th Airborne Division
Planned for activation , but canceled due to manning problems
17th Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
17th Airborne Division 'Golden Talon'
Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
18th Airborne Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
19th Infantry Division
American Theater
21st Airborne Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
22nd Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
24th Infantry Division 'Victory'
Central Pacific; New Guinea; Leyte; Southern Philippines; Luzon
25th Infantry Division 'Tropical Lightning'
Central Pacific; Northern Solomons; Guadalcanal; Luzon
Americal Division
Guadalcanal; Northern Solomons; Leyte; Southern Philippines
Philippine Division
Philippine Islands

[dragoon500ly]

The Infantry Divisions: The National Guard

26th Infantry Division 'Yankee'
Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
27th Infantry Division 'New York'
Central Pacific; Western Pacific; Ryukyus
28th Infantry Division 'Keystone'
Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
29th Infantry Division 'Blue & Grey'
Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe
30th Infantry Division 'Old Hickory'
Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
31st Infantry Division 'Dixie'
New Guinea; Southern Philippines
32nd Infantry Division 'Red Arrow'
New Guinea; Southern Philippines; Luzon
33rd Infantry Division 'Prairie'
New Guinea; Luzon
34th Infantry Division 'Red Bull'
Tunisia; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; North Apennines; Po Valley
35th Infantry Division 'Sante Fe'
Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
36th Infantry Division 'Texas'
Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Southern France; Rhineland; Ardennes- Alsace; Central Europe
37th Infantry Division 'Buckeye'
Northern Solomons; Luzon
38th Infantry Division 'Cyclone'
New Guinea; Southern Philippines; Luzon
39th Infantry Division 'Delta'
American Theater
40th Infantry Division 'Grizzly'
Bismarck Archipelago; Southern Philippines; Luzon
41st Infantry Division 'Sunset'
New Guinea; Luzon; Southern Philippines
42nd Infantry Division 'Rainbow'
Rhineland; Central Europe
43rd Infantry Division 'Winged Victory'
Guadalcanal; Northern Solomons; New Guinea; Luzon
44th Infantry Division
Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe
45th Infantry Division 'Thunderbird'
Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Southern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe

[dragoon500ly]

The Infantry Divisions: The National Army

46th Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
48th Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
50th Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
55th Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
59th Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
61st Infantry Division
Planned for activation , but canceled due to manning problems
62nd Infantry Division
Planned for activation , but canceled due to manning problems
63rd Infantry Division 'Blood & Fire'
Rhineland; Central Europe
65th Infantry Division 'Battle Axe'
Rhineland; Central Europe
66th Infantry Division 'Panther'
Northern France
67th Infantry Division
Planned for activation , but canceled due to manning problems
68th Infantry Division
Planned for activation , but canceled due to manning problems
69th Infantry Division 'Fighting 69th'
Rhineland; Central Europe
70th Infantry Division 'Trailblazer'
Rhineland; Central Europe
71st Infantry Division 'Red Circle'
Rhineland; Central Europe
72nd Infantry Division
Planned for activation , but canceled due to manning problems
73rd Infantry Division
Planned for activation , but canceled due to manning problems
74th Infantry Division
Planned for activation , but canceled due to manning problems
75th Infantry Division
Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
76th Infantry Division 'Onaway'
Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
77th Infantry Division 'Statue of Liberty'
Western Pacific; Leyte; Ryukyus
78th Infantry Division 'Lightning '
Rhineland; Ardennes; Alsace; Central Europe
79th Infantry Division 'Cross of Lorraine'
Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
80th Infantry Division 'Blue Ridge'
Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
81st Infantry Division 'Wildcats'
Western Pacific; Leyte
82nd Airborne Division 'All American'
Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Normandy; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
83rd Infantry Division 'Thunderbolt'
Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
84th Infantry Division 'Railsplitters'
Rhineland; Ardennes; Alsace; Central Europe
85th Infantry Division 'Custer'
Rome-Arno; North Apennines; Po Valley
86th Infantry Division 'Black Hawk'
Central Europe
87th Infantry Division 'Golden Acorn'
Rhineland; Ardennes; Alsace; Central Europe
88th Infantry Division 'Blue Devils'
Rome-Arno; North Apennines; Po Valley
89th Infantry Division 'Rolling W'
Rhineland; Central Europe
90th Infantry Division 'Tough Ombres'
Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
91st Infantry Division 'Pine Tree'
Rome-Arno; North Apennines; Po Valley
92nd Infantry Division (Colored) 'Buffalo'
North Apennines; Po Valley
93rd Infantry Division (Colored) 'Bloody Hand'
Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; New Guinea
94th Infantry Division 'Neuf Quatres
Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
95th Infantry Division 'Victory'
Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
96th Infantry Division 'Deadeye'
Leyte; Ryukyus
97th Infantry Division 'Trident'
Central Europe
98th Infantry Division 'Iroquois'
Pacific Theater (without inscription)
99th Infantry Division 'Checkerboard'
Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
100th Infantry Division 'Century'
Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
101st Airborne Division 'Screaming Eagles'
Normandy; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
102nd Infantry Division 'Ozerk'
Rhineland; Central Europe
103rd Infantry Division 'Cactus'
Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
104th Infantry Division 'Timberwolves'
Northern France; Rhineland; Central Europe
105th Infantry Division
Planned for activation , but canceled due to manning problems
106th Infantry Division 'Golden Lion'
Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe
107th Infantry Division
Planned for activation , but canceled due to manning problems
108th Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
119th Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
130th Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
135th Airborne Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
141st Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit
157th Infantry Division
Operation Fortitude deception unit

[Adm.Lee]

FWIW, I am reading "Marshall and his generals" by Stephen Taaffe this week. It's focused on corps, field army, army group, and theater commanders, and how they were selected and promoted. A lot of names have cropped up that one rarely hears, if ever-- generals who never got the chance to leave the States, or who shipped out with commands but were shouldered aside for someone with more experience.

There's a bit more on the rivalry between Eisenhower and Devers (the latter was able to outmaneuver the former in several instances, which may have rankled Ike).
The system generally would be Marshall sending a list of candidates to the theater commanders when a new HQ was needed, and the men on the spot would select from a list. Sometimes, the chief of staff would indicate his preference, which the commanders might or might not accept.

It's sometimes fascinating to think of the might-have-beens, such as Stilwell or Eichelberger going to North Africa instead of China or the Pacific.
-- Clark going to France instead of sticking it out in Italy,
-- Eisenhower going to Washington as Army chief of staff and Marshall taking the ETO for Overlord.
-- Three generals (Collins, Patch, and Corlett) who had made amphibious landings in the Pacific, taking key roles for D-Day. (Alternately, the Navy bringing Terrible Turner to run Neptune!)

On the whole, I think we can agree that the US Army picked pretty well, most of the higher formation commanders did good work.

[dragoon500ly]

Marshall always wanted the SHAEF job over Ike, so I can see Ike switching over to Chief-of-Staff, by IRL, Marshall was much more useful to FDR/Truman.

Can you picture MacArthur as SHAEF

With Clark taking his place in the Pacific

[dragoon500ly]

Artillery of the u.s. Army in world war two

Prepared to be confused.

The U.S. Army entered World War Two with a mixture of obsolescent World War One pieces as well as a small but growing number of new production equipment. Ill try to explain the major differences where I can. I will not, at this time, go into a detailed description of construction.

Enjoy!