76th INFANTRY DIVISION

 

"Onaway Division"

 

The division insignia is an escutcheon which has a red field and a blue chief, separated by an olive drab line; a three-pronged white device is superimposed on the blue chief. The white device was a medieval English heraldic symbol meaning "first son". In World War I the 76th was the first division of the National Army to be drawn from civilian ranks through the draft, hence the insignia and the description, "the first sons of the nation." The combined colors of the field, the device, and the chief are the national colors. "Onaway" is the alert cry of the Chippewa Indians, in whose hunting grounds the 76th Division trained.

 

[page 240]

 

COMMAND AND STAFF

 

Commanding General

21 Dec 44 Maj. Gen. William R. Schmidt

Assistant Division Commander

21 Dec 44 Brig. Gen. Francis A. Woolfley

Artillery Commander

21 Dec 44 Brig. Gen. Henry C. Evans

Chief of Staff

21 Dec 44 Col. William W. O'Connor

Assistant Chief of Staff G-1

21 Dec 44 Maj. Lawrence E. Walker, Jr.
16 Jan 45 Lt. Col. Lawrence E. Walker, Jr.

Assistant Chief of Staff G-2

21 Dec 44 Lt. Col. Alfred K. du Moulin

Assistant Chief of Staff G-3

21 Dec 44 Lt. Col. Meade J. Dugas

Assistant Chief of Staff G-4

21 Dec 44 Lt. Col. Roderick L. Carmichael, Jr.

Assistant Chief of Staff G-5

21 Dec 44 Maj. Harry R. Nelson

Adjutant General

21 Dec 44 Lt. Col. George E. Norton, Jr.

Commanding Officer, 304th Infantry

21 Dec 44 Col. Wallace A. Choguette

Commanding Officer, 385th Infantry

21 Dec 44 Col. Onto J. Bragan
14 Apr 45 Lt. Col. Peter W. Garland, Jr.

Commanding Officer, 417th Infantry

21 Dec 44 Col. George E. Bruner

 

[page 241]

 

STATISTICS

 

Chronology

Activated 15 June 1942
Arrived ETO 21 December 1944
Arrived Continent (D+225) 17 January 1945
Entered Combat 19 January 1945
Days in Combat 95

 

Casualties (Tentative)

Killed 667
Wounded 2,197
Missing 262
Captured  
Battle Casualties 3,126
Non-Battle Casualties 2,430
Total Casualties 5,556
Percent of T/O Strength 39.4

 

Campaigns

Rhineland

Ardennes

Central Europe

 

Individual Awards

Distinguished Service Cross 1o
Legion of Merit 2
Silver Star 128
Soldiers Medal 13
Bronze Star 1,108
Air Medal 34

 

Prisoners of War Taken

 

COMPOSITION

304th Infantry

385th Infantry

417th Infantry

76th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)

301st Engineer Combat Battalion

301st Medical Battalion

76th Division Artillery

302d Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

355th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

901st Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

364th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)

Special Troops

776th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company

76th Quartermaster Company

76th Signal Company

Military Police Platoon

Headquarters Company

Band

 

[page 242]

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

Antiaircraft Artillery

778th AAA AW Bn (SP) 21 Jan 45-9 May 45

Armored

3 tanks, Co C, 737th Tk Bn 11 Feb 45-13 Feb 45
702d Tk Bn (- Co C) 26 Feb 45-11 Mar 45
17th Armd Gp 3 Mar 45-9 Mar 45
Co C, 735th Tk Bn 28 Mar 45-2 Apr 45
707th Tk Bn 2 Apr 45-4 Apr 45
749th Tk Bn 4 Apr 45--9 Apr 45
Task Force LaGrew (6th Armd Div) 8 Apr 45-9 Apr 45

Cavalry

2d Cav Gp 4 Mar 45-14 Mar 45
2d Cav Rcn Sq 4 Mar 45-16 Mar 45

Chemical

Co D, 91st Cml Mort Bn 1 Feb 45-18 Feb 45
1 sec, 81st Cml Co (SG) 11 Feb 45-21 Feb 45
1 sec, 84th Cml Co (SG) 21 Feb 45-28 Feb 45
Co C, 91st Cml Mort Bn 22 Feb 45-11 Mar 45
Co C, 81st Cml Mort Bn 4 Apr 45-17 Apr 45
Co A, 93d Cml Mort Bn 18 Apr 45-20 Apr 45

Engineer

Co C, 1255th Engr C Bn 26 Jan 45-1 Feb 45

Field Artillery

1 sec, 558th FA Bn (155mm Gun) 12 Feb 45-22 Feb 45
776th FA Bn (155mm How) 23 Apr 45-27 Apr 45

Infantry

318th Inf (80th Div) 1 Mar 45-3 Mar 45
319th Inf (80th Div) 8 Mar 45-9 Mar 45

Tank Destroyer

Co A, 691st TD Bn (T) 26 Jan 45-9 Feb 45
691st TD Bn (T) (- Co A) 26 Jan 45-22 Feb 45
2d Plat, Co B, 808th TD Bn (SP) 9 Feb 45-3 Apr 45
Co B (- 2 plats), 808th TD Bn (SP) 11 Feb 45-3 Apr 45
1st Plat, Co B, 808th TD Bn (SP) 16 Feb 45-3 Apr 45
808th TD Bn (SP) (- Co B already atchd) 22 Feb 45-3 Apr 45
691st TD Bn (T) 2 Apr 45-9 May 45

 

[page 243]

 

DETACHMENTS

(Attached to)

 

Infantry

417th CT 5th Div 3 Feb 45-11 Feb 45
417th CT 10th Armd Div 4 Mar 45-12 Mar 45
3d Bn, 385th Inf 87th Div 26 Mar 45-27 Mar 45
Co K, 304th Inf 6th Cav Gp 27 Mar 45-31 Mar 45
Co L, 304th Inf 6th Cav Gp 27 Mar 45-31 Mar 45
3d Bn, 304th Inf 6th Armd Div 7 Apr 45-8 Apr 45

 

[page 244]

 

ASSIGNMENT AND ATTACHMENT TO HIGHER UNITS

 

DATE CORPS ARMY ARMY GROUP
Assigned Attached Assigned Attached
10 Dec 44     UK Base ETOUSA  
9 Jan 45     (-) 12th  
14 Jan 45   Fifteenth   12th  
19 Jan 45 VIII Third   12th  
25 Jan 45 XII Third   12th  
3 Apr 45 XX Third   12th  
8 Apr 45 VIII Third   12th  
22 Apr 45 VIII First   12th  
11 May 45 VIII Ninth   12th  

 

[page 245]

 

COMMAND POSTS

 

DATE TOWN REGION COUNTRY
21 Dec 44 Bournemouth Hampshire England
14 Jan 45 Limesy Seine-Inferieure France
19 Jan 45 Beine Marne France
20 Jan 45 Champlon Luxembourg Belgium
26 Jan 45 Junglinster   Luxembourg
4 Feb 45 Rodenbourg   Luxembourg
6 Feb 45 Bech   Luxembourg
24 Feb 45 Weilerbach Station   Luxembourg
28 Feb 45 Holsthum (vic East) Rhineland Germany
1 Mar 45 Niederweis Rhineland Germany
5 Mar 45 Sulm Rhineland Germany
8 Mar 45 Speicher Rhineland Germany
10 Mar 45 Neiderkail Rhineland Germany
12 Mar 45 Wittlich Rhineland Germany
20 Mar 45 Pfalzfeld Rhineland Germany
28 Mar 45 Nastatten Hessen-Nassau Germany
30 Mar 45 Idstein Hessen-Nassau Germany
3 Apr 45 Homberg Hessen-Nassau Germany
4 Apr 45 Rohrenfurth Hessen-Nassau Germany
6 Apr 45 Laudenbach Hessen-Nassau Germany
8 Apr 45 Eschwege Hessen-Nassau Germany
9 Apr 45 Langensalza Thuringia Germany
10 Apr 45 Dollstadt Thuringia Germany
12 Apr 45 Buttelstedt Thuringia Germany
13 Apr 45 Hollsteitz Saxony Germany
15 Apr 45 Gorma Thuringia Germany
16 Apr 45 Wiederau Saxony Germany
18 Apr 45 Burgstadt Saxony Germany
24 Apr 45 Limbach Saxony Germany

 

[pages 246 (through 9 Apr 45)-247]