The Magnificent Infantry of WW II

See Bibliography | May 29, 2021 | Self

[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 within 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.

These civilians become warriors confronted the most dismal fate of all, and whose duty was uninterrupted by missions completed or a fixed deployment time. The infantryman was enveloped within a most deranged, barbaric, and brittle existence against a resolute enemy where victory often required actions pushing beyond prior limits for impossibility. Except for the Purple Heart and the coveted Combat Infantryman’s Badge, recognition often eluded these common men become citizen soldiers, because so few came through to testify to the valor of the many.

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, though large numbers were transferred from Army Service Forces and Army Air Forces to Army Ground Forces. Replacement centers overseas 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, arthritis, etc. Many never returned to duty. In the jungles of the Pacific, non-combat losses often exacted a 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 Total casualties greater than 34,000

National 4th Infantry (IVY) Division Association http://www.4thinfantry.org/content/division-history Total casualties of 34,000

29th Infantry Division http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/29th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)

45th Infantry Division http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/45th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)

Remembering the Thunderbirds – Oklahoma’s 45th Infantry Division http://www.baptistmessenger.com/remembering-the-thunderbirds-oklahomas-45th-infantry-division/ Total casualties of 62,640 When Gen. George S. Patton described the 45th Infantry Division, he said it was “one of the finest, if not the finest infantry division in this history of modern warfare.”

Churchill, Ike, & The "Epic Human Tragedy" Of The First Wave At Omaha https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-06/churchill-ike-epic-human-tragedy-first-wave-omaha

A D-Day Survivor Story https://biggeekdad.com/2019/05/a-d-day-survivor-story/

The Green Books [US Army In World War II Series] are online, and accessible: https://history.army.mil/html/bookshelves/collect/usaww2.html

[tet68]

Review of Men Against Fire By S.L.A. Marshall

https://calhoun.nps.edu/bitstream/handle/10945/63763/Review_Men_Against_Fire.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

[TalBlack]

Yeah, that Marshal fella looks like he could be the guy who’s analysis I read about. I see that the author at your link had a hard time believing the low figure Marshal set. The Japs and Germans were frightfully tough fighters. I don’t see how you beat them with so few firing.

[VTenigma]

BFL

[VTenigma]

BFL

[353FMG]

I stand corrected.

[Gay State Conservative]

THE GREATEST GENERATION

[redcatcherb412]

God loves the infantry.

You've got to believe that in some instances when caught in the open with nothing between you and the bullets but a single layer of uniform shirt. What is missing from the picture is the thousands of small chunks of metal flying around the guys pinned in that huge flat field with no cover. Whether its a flat sandy beach, a large farmers mowed field, the desert sands. That feeling the Infantryman has when it seems the world is trying to kill him as he's out in the open like a fly on a white tablecloth is, Dear God get me outta this in one piece. When the firing dies down all they can think of is 'God must love me today'

[jmacusa]

I’ve seen that picture a number of times. What an honor to be a student of that Marine.

What’s interesting about that photo is I believe the Marine firing his carbine is holding it to his left shoulder instead of the right shoulder.

[jmacusa]

There were three American infantry divisions that landed on D-Day. The 29th, “The Blue And Gray’’, the 4th, “The Ivy Division’’ and the 1st. Infantry Division, “The Big Red One’’.

[Redleg Duke]

Growing up in Wisconsin in the ‘50s, I had the honor to be around vets from both WWI and WWII. They were good men, who never bragged or moaned about their experiences. If they had PTSD (Called Shell Shock, then) they kept it to themselves and were contributing members of society.

They showed us the way, but of course, too many of us were too smart to learn.

[redcatcherb412]

the Marine firing his carbine is holding it to his left shoulder

Plenty of southpaws in the military. They just learned to lean the helmet a touch so that ejected brass banked off the helmet curve instead of their forehead.

[rxh4n1]

Lots of artillery. Ours was the best in the world.