The 27th Infantry Division was a unit of the

Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The division traces its history from the New York Division, formed originally in 1908. The 6th Division designation was changed to the 27th Division in July 1917.

History

When the New York Division was organized in 1908,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

became the second state, after

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, to structure its National Guard at such a high tactical level in peacetime. The New York Division was called to active duty during the Mexican border crisis of 1916. While on federal duty, it was redesignated as the 6th Division in June 1916. It was released from active duty in December 1916, only to be recalled for World War I service in July 1917. The 6th Division was reorganized and redesignated as the 27th Division on 1 October 1917.

World War I

Formation

Following the declaration of war on the

Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...

by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, the division was called into federal service on 15 July 1917, and hastily recruited New Yorkers to increase its numbers. The division was one of only three divisions formed from units entirely from a single state's National Guard; the other two being Illinois and Pennsylvania. However, not all New Yorkers served in the 27th. Its initial strength was 991 officers and 27,114 enlisted men. The division's initial organization of three brigades with three infantry regiments each was carried over from the 6th Division Prior to its departing to training, the division participated in a large send-off parade in New York City along 5th Avenue on 30 August 1917. The 7th Infantry Regiment was the first to leave for training on 11 September 1917, by train. The training was conducted at a purpose-built temporary facility at

Camp Wadsworth Camp Wadsworth was a World War I-era training facility for the United States Army. Located near Spartanburg, South Carolina, the post was in operation from its opening in July 1917 until it was inactivated in March 1919, following the Armistice ...

Spartanburg, South Carolina Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat, seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest c ...

. Nearby hotels such as the Cleveland Hotel became centers for social life. The camp also housed seven YMCA Huts and a Knights of Columbus Hall. While the 27th had African-American service-men they were not permitted to enter the service organization clubs on base, which were segregated, until a black soldier's club was built in early 1918. In the spring of 1918, the division began its movement toward embarkation camps, and shipped out on 20 April 1918. The division's advance detachment left Hoboken on 2 May and arrived at Brest, France, 10 May 1918. Late in June the last units of the Twenty-Seventh Division had arrived safely overseas.

Western Front

From the arrival of the first troops to the Western Front until 24 July, the division spent its time undertaking its final stages of training under British mentors in

Picardy Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France. Hi ...

and

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...

. On 25 July, the 27th Division, excluding its artillery brigade and ammunition train, occupied the Dickebusch Lake and Scherpenberg sectors in Flanders. In just over a month, this operation merged into the Ypres-Lys action, and then, from 19 August to 3 September, the 27th was on its own. It was decided by

Field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

Douglas Haig Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, (; 19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the British Army. During the First World War, he commanded the British Expeditionar ...

that the Fourth Army's

Australian Corps The Australian Corps was a World War I army corps that contained all five Australian infantry divisions serving on the Western Front. It was the largest corps fielded by the British Empire in France. At its peak the Australian Corps numbered 1 ...

would lead the

Battle of St. Quentin Canal The Battle of St. Quentin Canal was a pivotal battle of World War I that began on 29 September 1918 and involved British, Australian and American forces operating as part of the British Fourth Army under the overall command of General Sir He ...

. However, due to the Corps depleted nature, which was a result of fighting almost continuously, it would be reinforced by the 27th and 30th divisions, which resulted in II Corps being temporarily reassigned under Australian command. This great Somme "push", which lasted from 24 September to 1 October, saw the 27th engaged in severe fighting along the Saint Quentin Canal Tunnel—one of the out-lying strong points of the

Hindenburg Line The Hindenburg Line (German: , Siegfried Position) was a German defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to Laffaux, near Soissons on the Aisne. In 191 ...

. At the conclusion of the first phase of the battle, and following heavy losses, the 27th was placed into reserve for rest and recuperation. Six days later, the division was sent back into the line, moving steadily toward Busigny whilst chasing the retreating Germans. These operations were supported by Australian Artillery until 9 October, when British artillery units began supporting the division's operations. As a result of these offensives by the Australian, British and US forces, the Hindenburg's Main Line was penetrated. The 52d Field Artillery Brigade and the 102nd Ammunition Train of the New York Division had not gone with the rest of the Twenty-seventh Division to the British front in Flanders. They had moved up on 28 October, to support the Seventy-Ninth Division in the Argonne. Meanwhile, the Twenty-Seventh Division units which had seen heavy action in Flanders, had moved back to an area near the French seaport of Brest. *Major Operations: Meuse-Argonne (only the artillery), Ypres-Lys,

Somme Offensive The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place be ...

. *Initially stationed in the East Poperinghe Line. **Battle of Dickebusche Lake, Summer 1918 **

Battle of Vierstraat Ridge A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, Summer 1918 **Struggled to break the German defensive Hindenburg Line, September 1918. **

Second battle of the Somme The Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought during the First World War on the Western Front from late August to early September, in the basin of the River Somme. It was part of a series of successful counter-offensives in response to th ...

, 25 September 1918 **Selle River, November 1918 The 27th did break the Hindenburg line during the Battle of the Somme and forced a German retreat from their defensive line and forced the Germans to a final confrontation. After a final confrontation with the retreating Germans at the Selle River the Armistice ended the fighting and the division was sent home in February 1919, to be mustered out several months later. The division had sustained a total of 8,334 (

KIA Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...

: 1,442; WIA: 6,892) casualties when it was inactivated in April 1919.

World War II

On 15 October 1940, the division was called into federal service, and sent to

Fort McClellan Fort McClellan, originally Camp McClellan, is a decommissioned United States Army post located adjacent to the city of Anniston, Alabama. During World War II, it was one of the largest U.S. Army installations, training an estimated half-million tr ...

, Alabama, for training. It was the first division to be deployed in the continental United States, and participated in the 1941

Louisiana Maneuvers The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of major U.S. Army exercises held in 1941 in northern and west-central Louisiana, an area bounded by the Sabine River to the west, the Calcasieu River to the east, and by the city of Shreveport to the nort ...

. Following the

Battle of Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, ju ...

, on 14 December 1941, the division was sent to southern California. The first stateside division to be deployed in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the 27th Division departed

14 December 1941 for California to establish blocking positions against an anticipated seaborne invasion of the United States southwestern coast. They were further transferred into the Pacific Theater of Operations and arrived in Hawaii, 21 May 1942, to defend the outer islands from amphibious attack. The 165th Infantry (the once and future 69th Infantry) and 3rd Battalion, 105th Infantry first saw action against the enemy during the attack and capture of Makin Atoll in the

Gilbert Islands The Gilbert Islands ( gil, Tungaru;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this n ...

, 21–24 November 1943. The 1st and 3rd

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

s of the 106th Regiment participated in the attack on Eniwetok Atoll, 19–26 February 1944, returning to

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

in March. During this mission, the 2nd Battalion, 106th Infantry landed unopposed on

Majuro Majuro (; Marshallese: ' ) is the capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. It is also a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district of the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain of the Marshall Islands. The ato ...

Island, 1 February, and completed its seizure, 3 February. The division began preparations for the Marianas operations, 15 March. On

D-day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

plus 1, 16 June 1944, elements landed at night on Saipan to support the

Second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...

and Fourth Marine Divisions. A beachhead was established and Aslito Airfield captured, 18 June. Fighting continued throughout June. Marine General

Holland Smith Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith, KCB (April 20, 1882 – January 12, 1967) was a general in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the "father" of modern U.S. amphibious warfare. His nickname, "Howl ...

, unsatisfied with the performance of the 27th Division, relieved its commander, Army General Ralph C. Smith., which led to angry recrimination from senior Army commanders, including Army Chief of Staff

George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Chief of Staff of the US Army under Pre ...

. During a pitched battle, 7 July, Japanese overran elements of the division in a banzai attack, but organized resistance was crushed the next day. During the months of July and August, the 27th cleaned out isolated pockets in the mountains and cliffs of

Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...

. Beginning in the middle of August, the division moved to the

New Hebrides New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (french: link=no, Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, "Condominium of the New Hebrides") and named after the Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the island group ...

for rest and rehabilitation. On 25 March 1945, the 27th sailed from

Espiritu Santo Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. Geography The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region o ...

, arriving at Okinawa, 9 April 1945. The Division participated in the XXIV Corps general attack, 19 April 1945, securing a dominating ridge line south of Machinato and Kakazu. Machinato Airfield was captured, 28 April, after a severe struggle. On 1 May, the division was relieved by the 1st Marine Division and attached to the Island Command for garrison duty. Tori Shima was seized, 12 May, without opposition. The 27th attacked from the south end of

Ishikawa Isthmus Ishikawa may refer to: Concepts *Ishikawa diagram, cause-and-effect diagram, developed by Kaoru Ishikawa Places * Ishikawa Prefecture, a prefecture in the Chūbu region on Honshū island, Japan *Ishikawa District, Ishikawa, a former district in ...

to sweep the northern sector of

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

. The enemy fought bitterly on Onnatake Hill from 23 May until 2 June, before losing the strong point. After a mopping-up period, the division left Okinawa, 7 September 1945, moved to Japan and occupied Niigata and

Fukushima Prefecture Fukushima Prefecture (; ja, 福島県, Fukushima-ken, ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,810,286 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miya ...

s. As a result of the Second World War, the division sustained a total of 6,533 casualties, of those were 1,512 killed in action, 4,980 wounded in action, 40 missing in action, and one prisoner of war.Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953) * Overseas: 10 March 1942. * Campaigns: Divisional elements participated in various campaigns in the Pacific Theater: *

Distinguished Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...

s: 2. * Awards: MH: 3;

DSC DSC may refer to: Academia * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dalton State Col ...

: 21;

DSM DSM or dsm may refer to: Science and technology * Deep space maneuver * Design structure matrix or dependency structure matrix, a representation of a system or project * Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ** DSM-5, the fifth ed ...

: 2 ;

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

: 412; LM: 15; SM: 13; BSM: 986; AM: 9. * Returned to U.S.: 15 December 1945 * Inactivated: 31 December 1945

Postwar

The division was reformed as a National Guard formation on 21 April 1947. The division was reconstituted along the lines of its wartime structure with limited reorganizations. In February 1955 the 27th Division became the 27th Armored Division, retaining many of its former units. The division was reorganized in 1968 as the 27th Armored Brigade, a unit of the 50th Armored Division. The 27th Armored Brigade was reorganized as an infantry brigade in 1975 and aligned with the 42nd Infantry Division. In 1985 the 27th Infantry Brigade was activated as part of the

New York Army National Guard The New York Army National Guard is a component of the New York National Guard and the Army National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the United States Army's available combat forces and approximat ...

, and assigned as the "roundout" brigade of the Army's

10th Mountain Division The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the US military to re ...

. The 27th Brigade was later reorganized as the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and reestablished use of the 27th Infantry Division's NYD shoulder sleeve insignia. The 27th Infantry Brigade carries on the lineage and history of the 27th Infantry Division.

Order of battle

Chain of command deployed, WWI

* Fourth Army, British Expeditionary Force ** II Corps, American Expeditionary Force

Organization Jul – Nov 1917

*Division Headquarters **1st Brigade *** 7th Infantry ***12th Infantry ***14th Infantry **2d Brigade ***1st Infantry *** 23d Infantry ***71st Infantry **3d Brigade *** 2d Infantry *** 3d Infantry ***74th Infantry **Brigade Field Artillery ***1st Field Artillery ***2d Field Artillery ***3d Field Artillery ***1st Cavalry ***Squadron A and Machine Gun Troop ***22d Engineers ***1st Battalion, Signal Corps **Trains ***Military Police 1919 History of 102nd M.P. ***Ammunition Train ***Supply Train ***Engineer Train **Sanitary Train ***Headquarters Ambulance Companies ****1st Ambulance Company ****2d Ambulance Company ****3d Ambulance Company ****4th Ambulance Company ***Headquarters Field Hospital ****1st Field Hospital ****2d Field Hospital ****3d Field Hospital ****4th Field Hospital

Organization from Nov 1917

Initially 3 brigades consisting of 3 infantry regiments each, for a total of nine regiments. Reorganized into 2 brigades of 2 infantry regiments each. * Headquarters, 27th Division * 53rd Infantry Brigade ** 105th Infantry Regiment ** 106th Infantry Regiment ** 105th Machine Gun Battalion *54th Infantry Brigade ** 107th Infantry Regiment ** 108th Infantry Regiment ** 106th Machine Gun Battalion * 52nd Field Artillery Brigade ** 104th Field Artillery Regiment (75 mm) ** 105th Field Artillery Regiment (75 mm) ** 106th Field Artillery Regiment (155 mm) ** 102nd Trench Mortar Battery * 104th Machine Gun Battalion * 102nd Engineer Regiment * 102nd Field Signal Battalion * Headquarters Troop, 27th Division * 102nd Train Headquarters and Military Police ** 102nd Ammunition Train ** 102nd Supply Train ** 102nd Engineer Train ** 102nd Sanitary Train *** 105th, 106th, 107th, and 108th Ambulance Companies and Field Hospitals The artillery elements were reassigned upon arrival in France, and did not see service with the 27th Division during combat.

Organization, WWII

* Headquarters, 27th Infantry Division * 105th Infantry Regiment * 106th Infantry Regiment, * 165th Infantry Regiment * Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 27th Infantry Division Artillery United States World War II Infantry Division 1942 Structure

United States World War II Infantry Division 1942 Structure

** 104th Field Artillery Battalion ** 105th Field Artillery Battalion ** 106th Field Artillery Battalion ** 249th Field Artillery Battalion * 102nd Engineer Combat Battalion * 102nd Medical Battalion * 27th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized) * Headquarters, Special Troops, 27th Infantry Division ** Headquarters Company, 27th Infantry Division ** 727th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company ** 27th Quartermaster Company ** 27th Signal Company ** Military Police Platoon ** Band * 27th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment

Organization, 1948 to 1954

*Division Headquarters & Headquarters Co. *Infantry: 105th Infantry Regiment, 108th Infantry Regiment, 174th Infantry Regiment. *Artillery: DIVARTY, 156th Field Artillery Battalion, 170th Field Artillery Battalion, 249th Field Artillery Battalion, 127th AAA Battalion (from 106th AAA, from 7th AAA, from 106th of WW2). *Combat support: 127th Tank Battalion, 152nd Engineer Battalion, 27th Recon Troop, 27th Signal Company *Combat service support: 27th Military Police Company, 727th Ordnance Company, 27th Quartermaster Company, 134th Medical Battalion, 27th Replacement Company.

Commanders

World War I

*Maj. Gen.

John F. O'Ryan John Francis O'Ryan (August 21, 1874 - January 29, 1961) was a Manhattan, New York City attorney, politician, government official and military officer. He served as commander of the 27th Division during World War I. He later served as a member ...

(16 July 1917); *Brig. Gen. Charles L. Phillips (19 September 1917); *Maj. Gen. J. F. O'Ryan (6 December 1917); *Brig. Gen. C. L. Phillips (23 December 1917); *Maj. Gen. J. F. O'Ryan (29 December 1917); *Brig. Gen. C. L. Phillips (22 February 1918); *Maj. Gen. J. F. O'Ryan (1 March 1918); *Brig. Gen. Palmer E. Pierce (16 June 1918); *Maj. Gen. J. F. O'Ryan (18 June 1918); *Brig. Gen. Palmer E. Pierce (14 November 1918); *Maj. Gen. J. F. O'Ryan (23 November 1918)

World War II

*Maj. Gen.

William N. Haskell Lieutenant General William Nafew Haskell Jr. (13 August 1878, in Albany, New York – 13 August 1952, in Greenwich, Connecticut) was a U.S. military officer. He was a 1901 graduate of the United States Military Academy. After graduation from Wes ...

(October 1940 – October 1941) * Brig. Gen. Ralph McT. Pennell (November 1941 – October 1942) * Maj. Gen.

Ralph C. Smith Major General Ralph Corbett Smith (November 27, 1893 – January 21, 1998) was a senior officer of the United States Army. After receiving early training as a pilot from Orville Wright he served Brigadier General John J. Pershing's army aga ...

(November 1942 – May 1944) * Maj. Gen. George W. Griner Jr. (June 1944 – December 1945)

References

Bibliography

External links

Pictorial History of the 27th Division, United States Army, 1940–1941
– New York State Military Museum on New York Heritage Digital Collections

{{DEFAULTSORT:027 027th Infantry Division, U.S. Infantry Division, U.S. 027th Divisions of the United States Army National Guard United States Army divisions of World War I Infantry divisions of the United States Army in World War II Military units and formations established in 1917 Military units and formations disestablished in 1967

History

World War I

Formation

Western Front

World War II

Postwar

Order of battle

Chain of command deployed, WWI

Organization Jul – Nov 1917

Organization from Nov 1917

Organization, WWII

Organization, 1948 to 1954

Commanders

World War I

World War II

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links