Posted on 11/10/2014 12:11:02 PM PST by Retain Mike
The Army deployed 65 infantry divisions for the Second World War. Each was a small town with its own equivalents for community services plus eight categories of combat arms. Units such as artillery, engineering, and heavy weapons engaged the enemy directly. Yet of all categories, the foot soldier faced the greatest hazard with the least chance of reward. Except for the Purple Heart and the coveted Combat Infantryman’s Badge, recognition often eluded them because so few came through to testify to the valor of the many. The infantryman confronted the most dismal fate of all whose duty was uninterrupted by missions completed or a fixed deployment time. They were enveloped within the most chaotic, barbaric, and brittle existence against extraordinary enemies where victory often required actions pushing beyond prior limits for impossibility.
Omar Bradley said, “Previous combat had taught us that casualties are lumped primarily in the rifle platoons. For here are concentrated the handful of troops who must advance under enemy fire. It is upon them that the burden of war falls with greater risk and with less likelihood of survival than any other of the combat arms. An infantry division of WW II consisted of 81 rifle platoons, each with a combat strength of approximately 40 men. Altogether those 81 assault units comprised but 3,240 men in a division of 14,000…..Prior to invasion we had estimated that the infantry would incur 70 percent of the losses of our combat forces. By August we had boosted that figure to 83 percent on the basis of our experience in the Normandy hedgerows.”
Nearly a third of the 65 divisions in the Pacific and European theaters suffered 100% or more casualties. However, their regimental staffs saw frontline units obliterated three to six times over. To deal with this problem there were never enough infantrymen coming from the states. Replacement centers continually reassigned artillerymen, machine gunners, cooks, and clerks to infantry duties. The situation in Europe became so severe that rear area units in France and Great Britain were tasked to supply soldiers for retraining as infantrymen. Those suffering battle fatigue came off the line for a few days for clean uniforms, bathing, hot food, and sleep. However, scarcity compelled their repeated return until crippling wounds, mental breakage, death, or victory brought final relief.
For example the 4th and 29th Infantry landed on D-Day and suffered about 500% battle casualties in their rifle platoons during the eleven months until VE-Day. Added to these numbers were half again as many non-battle human wrecks debilitated by trench foot, frost bite, pneumonia, hernia, heart disease, malaria, arthritis, etc. and most never returned to duty. In the jungles of the Pacific non-combat losses exacted an even greater price. But somehow the infantry crossed Europe and the Pacific and always remained in the forefront of attacks.
Ernie Pyle said of them, “The worst experience of all is just the accumulated blur, and the hurting vagueness of being too long in the lines, the everlasting alertness, the noise and fear, the cell-by-cell exhaustion, the thinning of the surrounding ranks as day follows nameless day. And the constant march into the eternity of one’s own small quota of chances for survival. Those are the things that hurt and destroy. But they went back to them because they were good soldiers and they had a duty they could not define.”
Partial bibliography: A Soldier’s Story by Omar N. Bradley
Brave Men by Ernie Pyle (the quote named Tommy Clayton, but was generalized here because Ernie Pyle saw him as an example of the infantrymen he loved.)
Crusade in Europe by Dwight D. Eisenhower
The U.S. Infantryman in World War II by Robert S. Rush Foot Soldier by Roscoe C. Blunt, Jr.
Links for Listings of United States Divisions during WW II http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Army_divisions_during_World_War_II http://www.historyshots.com/usarmy/
Army Battle Casualties and Non-battle Deaths in World War II http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/ref/Casualties/index.html
3rd 'Marne' Infantry Division http://www.custermen.com/ItalyWW2/Units/Division3.htm
National 4th Infantry (IVY) Division Association http://www.4thinfantry.org/content/division-history
My motivation for this subject and what I have a hard time understanding still is the casualty rates in those divisions chosen repeatedly for initial assaults. For the divisions with the high casualty rates, wouldn’t they have to reconstitute and retrain the rifle platoons every thirty to ninety days? However, that seems to have been the case, because I trust my sources and I have checked my math.
I know the corps and army commanders had favorites for the initial attacks and used these divisions repeatedly. It seems other divisions were usually sent to less active sectors, entered combat later in time, or occupied a flank in an attack.
My uncle was in the first wave at Utah.
He died in the hedgerows approx. 18 days later.
I learned later that I served (allowing for conversion from regimental to brigade TO&E) 25 years later in the same battalion.
I went to visit him in 1983, where he still rests, in France.
Brutal 18 days. Must have been a nightmare.
RM-Thank You for writing/posting this.
x1stcav- Thank You for Your Service and please pass the same on to Your Family and Aunt if She is still with Us.
For those not familiar with the story, Pres. Reagan's remarks on the Rangers at Pointe du Hoc on the 40th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion are here.
I am sure your uncle appreciated your visit.
“Ernie Pyle said of them, “The worst experience of all is just the accumulated blur, and the hurting vagueness of being too long in the lines, the everlasting alertness, the noise and fear, the cell-by-cell exhaustion, the thinning of the surrounding ranks as day follows nameless day. And the constant march into the eternity of one’s own small quota of chances for survival. Those are the things that hurt and destroy. But they went back to them because they were good soldiers and they had a duty they could not define.”
What an incredible quote by an incredible writer.
.
I knew men who were with the Texas 36th, including guys who were at Monte Casino and the debacle at the Rapido River. They are gone now.
My Dad was in the Navy and at Iwo Jima.
My husband had the CIB, purple heart and silver star; service in Vietnam.
Ernie Pyle was the best.
I went with the Air Force.
Nearly a third of the 65 divisions in the Pacific and European theaters suffered 100% or more casualties.
When we watches the show Combat they had replacements every week and they died quickly, probably pretty close to the truth.
My great-uncle served in New Guinea as well — won the bronze star for putting his gun to the head of a Japanese soldier and forcing the Jap to help him drag some wounded American out of the line of fire. He’s lucky he didn’t grab one of the “suicide rather than capture” type Japs.
Were they wearing Red Shirts by any chance?
here are some 1945 thoughts on the replacement soldiers.
http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/replacement-soldiers-world-war-ii_pdf
“When we watches the show Combat they had replacements every week and they died quickly, probably pretty close to the truth.”
I was always amazed that Vic Morrow could hide behind a sapling and gun down an entire company of Germans who were shooting at him.
Here IS another areticle on replacement soldiers:
http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/WW2_36th_Division_of_Texas_during_World_War_Two_pdf
Interesting to hear about your great-uncle. Japanese prisoners were very dangerous, so our guys generally didn’t take them unless they were ordered to grab a few for intelligence purposes. It was a pitiless war on both sides. My Dad said that no matter how well you trained them, you couldn’t fully prepare American kids for the savagery of that kind of war.
Too bad he couldn't avoid a helicopter.
Too soon?
I had a friend in Toastmasters who was part of the occupation. They were in charge of some regular German soldiers for a project. Had the prisoners trained to bring them their guns (unloaded) when they saw a US officer so they (my friend) wouldn’t get in trouble.
Now the SS soldiers were a different story.
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