70th Infantry Division
"Trailblazers"
The division insignia consists of a white ax, a snowy mountain, and a green fir tree on a red background. The white ax is in recognition of the pioneers who travelled the Oregon Trial to the Willamette Valley, site of Camp Adair where the greater part of the division's training was accomplished' the snowy mountain represents Oregon's Mt. Hood; and the green fir tree finds its origin in the insignia of the 91st Division, from which the cadre of the 70th Division was drawn.
[page 217]
Command and Staff
Commanding General
- 10 December 1944 Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Herren
- 3 February 1945 Maj. Gen. Allison J. Barnett
Assistant Division Commander
- 3 February 1945 Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Herren
Division Artillery Commander
- 3 February 1945 Brig. Gen. P. P. Rodes
Chief of Staff
- 10 December 1944 Col. Leo H. Bessette
Assistant Chief of Staff, G-1
- 10 December 1944 Capt. Charles R. Smith
- 3 February 1945 Lt. Col. Elmer J. Willson
- 1 April 1945 Lt. Col. Duane M. Witt
Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2
- 10 December 1944 Maj. Robert G. Seely
- 3 February 1945 Lt. Col. Elias C. Townsend
- 12 February 1945 Maj. Robert G. Seely (Acting)
- 8 March 1945 Lt. Col. Elias C. Townsend
Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3
- 10 December 1944 Lt. Col. James L. Richardson
- 12 February 1945 Lt. Col. Elias C. Townsend (Acting)
- 8 March 1945 Lt. Col. James L. Richardson
- 16 April 1945 Col. James L. Richardson
Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4
- 10 December 1944 Capt. Joseph J. Schmidt
- 3 February 1945 Lt. Col. Daniel F. Munster
Adjutant General
- 10 December 1944 Lt. Col. Bernard V. Merrick
Commanding Officer, 274th Infantry
- 10 December 1944 Col. Samuel G. Conley
Commanding Officer, 275th Infantry
- 10 December 1944 Col. Charles S. Pettee
- 7 January 1945 Col. John H. McAleer
Commanding Officer, 276th Infantry
- 10 Dec ember 1944 Col. Albert C. Morgan
[page 218]
STATISTICS
Chronology
- Activated 15 June 1943
- Arrived in European Theater ofOperations 18 January 1945
- [Task Force HERRON arrived 10 December 1945; entire
- division arrived 18 January 1945]
- Arrived Continent 18 January 1945 (D+156)
- [Southern France D-Day is 15 August 1944]
- Entered Combat:
- First Elements 26 December 1944
- Entire Division 3 February 1945
- Days in Combat 83
Campaigns
- Rhineland
- Central Europe
Casualties (Tentative)
- Killed 605
- Wounded 2,674
- Missing 666
- Captured 21
- Battle Casualties 3,966
- Non-Battle Casualties 4,235
- Total Casualties 8,201
Percent of Table of Organization Strength 58.2
Individual Awards
- Distinguished Service Cross 10
- Legion of Merit 7
- Silver Star 185
- Soldier's Medal 9
- Bronze Star 886
- Air Medal 18
Prisoners of War Taken 8,694
COMPOSITION
- 274th Infantry
- 275th Infantry
- 276th Infantry
- 70th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)
- 270th Engineer Combat Battalion
- 370th Medical Battalion
70th Division Artillery
- 882d Field Artillery Battalion (105mm howitzer)
- 883d Field Artillery Battalion (105mm howitzer)
- 884th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm howitzer)
- 725th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm howitzer)
Special Troops
- 770th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company
- 70th Quartermaster Company
- 570th Signal Company
- Military Police Platoon
- Headquarters Company
- Band
[page 219]
ATTACHMENTS
Antiaircraft Artillery
433d AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 12 Feb 45-20 Jul 45
Armored
- Co C, 753d Tk Bn 28 Dec 44-2 Jan 45
- Co B, 191st Tk Bn 29 Dec 44-1 Jan 45
- 3d Plt, 636th Tk Bn 29 Dec 44-1 Jan 45 [sic]
- Co A, 753d Tk Bn 29 Dec 44-2 Jan 45
- 781st Tk Bn (less Cos A and D) 3 Jan 45-16 Jan 45
- 714th Tk Bn (12th Armd Div) 12 Feb 45-17 Feb 45
- 749th Tk Bn (less Co A) 16 Feb 45-15 Mar 45
- Combat Command A, 12th Armd Div 2 Mar 45-8 Mar 45
- 740th Tk Bn 15 Mar 45-16 Mar 45
- 772d Tk Bn 22 Mar 45-24 Mar 45
Chemical
- Co C, 83d Cml Mort Bn 13 Jan 45-15 Feb 45
- 99th Cml Mort Bn (less Co A) 16 Feb 45-15 Mar 45
Engineer
2755th Engr Combat Bn 18 Jan 45-8 Feb 45
Field Artillery
- 69th Armd FA Bn 1 Jan 45-5 Jan 45
- 160th FA Bn (45th Div)(105mm how) 5 Jan 45-7 Jan 45
- 158th FA Bn (45th Div)(105mm how) 8 Jan 45-12 Jan 45
- 499th FA Bn 8 Jan 45-12 Jan 45
- 17th FA Obsn Bn 8 Jan 45-13 Jan 45
- 501st Armd FA Bn (14th Armd Div) 10 Jan 45-13 Jan 45
- 93d Armd FA Bn 13 Jan 45-8 Feb 45
- 69th Armd FA Bn 15 Jan 45-8 Feb 45
- 494th Armd FA Bn (12th Armd Div) 10 Feb 45-13 Feb 45
- 495th Armd FA Bn (12th Armd Div) 11 Feb 45-12 Feb 45
- 494th Armd FA Bn (12th Armd Div) 17 Feb 45-9 Mar 45
- 495th Armd FA Bn (12th Armd Div) 17 Feb 45-9 Mar 45
- 493d Armd FA Bn (12th Armd Div) 13 Mar 45-17 Mar 45
- 494th Armd FA Bn (12th Armd Div) 13 Mar 45-17 Mar 45
- 495th Armd FA Bn (12th Armd Div) 13 Mar 45-17 Mar 45
Tank Destroyer
- Co C, 822d TD Bn (SP) 8 Feb 45-19 Feb 45
- 648th TD Bn (T) 20 Feb 45-31 Mar 45
[page 220]
DETACHMENTS
Infantry
- 274th Inf 1 Jan 45-2 Jan 45 (to 79th Div)
- 2d Bn, 276th Inf 1 Jan 45-2 Jan 45 (to 79th Div)
- 275th Inf 1 Jan 45-8 Jan 45 (to 45th Div)
- 274th Inf 3 Jan 45-17 Jan 45 (to 45th Div)
- 2d Bn, 276th Inf 5 Jan 45-9 Jan 45 (to 79th Div)
- 2d Bn, 276th Inf 9 Jan 45-13 Jan 45 (to 45th Div)
- 274th Inf 17 Jan 45-22 Jan 45 (to 103d Div)
- 274th Inf 22 Jan 45-29 Jan 45 (to 45th Div)
- 274th Inf 29 Jan 45-8 Feb 45 (to 100th Div)
[page 221]
ASSIGNMENT AND ATTACHMENT TO HIGHER UNITS
DATE | CORPS | ARMY | ARMY GROUP | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Assigned | Attached | Assigned | Attached | ||
4Dec44 | ETOUSA/6th | ||||
20Dec44 | Seventh | 6th | |||
28Dec44 | VI | Seventh | 6th | ||
3Feb45 | XV | Seventh | 6th | ||
25Feb45 | XXI | Seventh | 6th | ||
22Mar45 | (-) | Seventh | 6th | ||
31Mar45 | (-) | 12th | |||
8Apr45 | Third | 12th |
Note: (-) Indicates relieved from assignment.
[page 222]
COMMAND POSTS
DATE | TOWN | REGION | COUNTRY |
---|---|---|---|
15Dec44 | Marseilles (vic.) (Delta Base CP #2) | Bouche-du-Rhone | France |
6Jan45 | Lutzelstein | Bas-Rhin | France |
10Jan45 | Reichshoffen | Bas-Rhin | France |
19Feb45 | St-Jean-Rohrbach | Moselle | France |
12Mar45 | Merlebach | Moselle | France |
28Mar45 | Otterburg | Pfalz | Germany |
2Apr45 | Bad Kreuznach | Rhineland | Germany |
23Apr45 | Frankfurt | Hessen | Germany |
[page 223]