69th INFANTRY DIVISION
"Fighting 69th"
The division insignia is a red block "6" and a blue block "9" which interlock. It has no heraldic significance.
[page 210]
COMMAND AND STAFF
Commanding General
| 13 December 1944 | Maj. Gen. Emil F. Rheinhardt |
Assistant Division Commander
| 13 December 1944 | Col. Lloyd H. Gibbons |
Artillery Commander
| 13 December 1944 | Brig. Gen. Robert V. Maraist |
Chief of Staff
| 13 December 1944 | Col. Charles P. Lynch |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-1
| 13 December 1944 | Lt. Col. Edward J. Leary |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-2
| 13 December 1944 | Maj. Maxwell Snead |
| 1 March 1945 | Lt. Col. Maxwell Snead |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-3
| 13 December 1944 | Lt. Col. Richard C. Conran |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-4
| 13 December 1944 | Lt. Col. Gordon D. Ingraham |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-5
| 1 March 1945 | Maj. Claude E. Post |
Adjutant General
| 13 December 1944 | Lt. Col. Harold Pengelly |
Commanding Officer, 271st Infantry
| 13 December 1944 | Col. Henry B. Margeson |
Commanding Officer, 272d Infantry
| 13 December 1944 | Col. Walter D. Buie |
Commanding Officer, 273d Infantry
| 13 December 1944 | Col. Charles M. Adams, Jr. |
[page 211]
STATISTICS
Chronology
| Activated | 15 May 1943 |
| Arrived ETO | 13 December 1944 |
| Arrived Continent (D+234) | 26 January 1945 |
| Entered Combat | 11 February 1945 |
| Days in Combat | 65 |
Casualties (Tentative)
| Killed | 309 |
| Wounded | 1,191 |
| Missing | 55 |
| Captured | 1 |
| Battle Casualties | 1,556 |
| Non-Battle Casualties | 1,791 |
| Total Casualties | 3,347 |
| Percent of T/O Strength | 23.8 |
Campaigns
Rhineland
Central Europe
Individual Awards
| Distinguished Service Cross | 1 |
| Legion of Merit | 1 |
| Silver Star | 90 |
| Soldiers Medal | 7 |
| Bronze Star | 1,847 |
| Air Medal | 30 |
Prisoners of War Taken
COMPOSITION
271st Infantry
272d Infantry
273d Infantry
69th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
269th Engineer Combat Battalion
369th Medical Battalion
69th Division Artillery
879th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
880th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
881st Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)
724th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)
Special Troops
769th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
69th Quartermaster Company
569th Signal Company
Military Police Platoon
Headquarters Company
Band
[page 212]
ATTACHMENTS
Antiaircraft Artillery
| 461st AAA AW Bn (Mbl) | 11 Mar 45-30 Jun 45 |
Armored
| Co A, 777th Tk Bn | 6 Mar 45-8 Mar 45 |
| 777th Tk Bn | 29 Mar 45-15 Jun 45 |
Chemical
| Co A, 86th Cml Mort Bn | 7 Apr 45-28 Apr 45 |
Field Artillery
| 955th FA Bn (155mm How) | 29 Mar 45-28 Apr 45 |
| 953d FA Bn (155mm How) | 14 Apr 45-19 Apr 45 |
| Btry A, 978th FA Bn (155mm Gun) | 17 Apr 45-19 Apr 45 |
| Btry B, 997th FA Bn (8" How) | 17 Apr 45-19 Apr 45 |
| 186th FA Bn (155mm How) | 20 Apr 45-30 Apr 45 |
| Btry B, 997th FA Bn (8" How) | 23 Apr 45-25 Apr 45 |
| Btry A, 978th FA Bn (155mm Gun) | 24 Apr 45-25 Apr 45 |
Tank Destroyer
| 661st TD Bn (SP) | 7 Feb 45-16 Jun 45 |
[page 213]
DETACHMENTS
(Attached to)
Cavalry
| 69th Rcn Tr | V Corps | 31 Mar 45-5 Apr 45 |
Engineer
| Co B, 269th Engr C Bn | V Corps | 26 Mar 45-28 Mar 45 |
| 269th Engr C Bn | 20th Engr Gp | 31 mar 45-3 Apr 45 |
Field Artillery
| 724th FA Bn | 406th FA Gp | 16 Mar 45-28 Mar 45 |
| 880th FA Bn | 406th FA Gp | 22 Mar 45-28 Mar 45 |
| 881st FA Bn | 406th FA Gp | 22 Mar 45-28 Mar 45 |
| 879th FA Bn | V Corps | 26 Mar 45-28 Mar 45 |
Infantry
| 273d Inf | V Corps | 16 Mar 45-25 Mar 45 |
| 3d Bn, 271st Inf | First Army | 23 Mar 45-28 Mar 45 |
| 3d Bn, 272d Inf | First Army | 23 Mar 45-28 Mar 45 |
| 1st Bn, 273d Inf | V Corps | 26 Mar 45-28 Mar 45 |
| 2d Bn, 273d Inf | 9th Armd Div | 9 Apr 45-18 Apr 45 |
| 3d Bn, 273d Inf | 9th Armd Div | 9 Apr 45-20 Apr 45 |
| 271st CT | 2d Div | 18 Apr 45-19 Apr 45 |
| …879th FA Bn | 2d Div | 18 Apr 45-19 Apr 45 |
| …1 plat, Co A, 269th Engr C Bn | 2d Div | 18 Apr 45-19 Apr 45 |
| 272d Inf | 104th Div | 1 May 45-6 May 45 |
[pages 213-214]
ASSIGNMENT AND ATTACHMENT TO HIGHER UNITS
| DATE | CORPS | ARMY | ARMY GROUP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assigned | Attached | Assigned | Attached | ||
| 25 Nov 44 | UK Base | ETOUSA | |||
| 18 Jan 45 | (-) | 12th | |||
| 7 Feb 45 | Fifteenth | 12th | |||
| 7 Feb 45 | V | First | 12th | ||
| 28 Apr 45 | VII | First | 12th | ||
(-) Indicates relieved from assignment.
[page 215]
COMMAND POSTS
| DATE | TOWN | REGION | COUNTRY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Dec 44 | Winchester | Hampshire | England |
| 21 Jan 45 | Forges-les-Eaux | Seine-Inferieure | France |
| 4 Feb 45 | Liesse | Aisne | France |
| 12 Feb 45 | Murringen | Liege | Belgium |
| 8 Mar 45 | Schmidtheim | Rhineland | Germany |
| 25 Mar 45 | Bad Neuenahr | Rhineland | Germany |
| 28 Mar 45 | Bad Ems | Hessen-Nassau | Germany |
| 30 Mar 45 | Elz | Hessen-Nassau | Germany |
| 31 Mar 45 | Weilburg | Hessen-Nassau | Germany |
| 2 Apr 45 | Naumburg | Kurhessen | Germany |
| 6 Apr 45 | Kassel | Kurhessen | Germany |
| 9 Apr 45 | Witzenhausen | Kurhessen | Germany |
| 10 Apr 45 | Heiligenstadt | Thuringia | Germany |
| 10 Apr 45 | Dingelstadt | Thuringia | Germany |
| 11 Apr 45 | Schlotheim | Thuringia | Germany |
| 11 Apr 45 | Kolleda | Thuringia | Germany |
| 13 Apr 45 | Naumburg | Halle-Merseburg | Germany |
| 16 Apr 45 | Pegau | Halle-Merseburg | Germany |
| 18 Apr 45 | Leipzig | Saxony | Germany |
| 18 Apr 45 | Naunhof | Saxony | Germany |
[page 216]