The 90th Infantry Division ("Tough 'Ombres") was a unit of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

that served in

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 ...

. Its lineage is carried on by the 90th Sustainment Brigade.

World War I

*Activated: August 1917. *Overseas: June 1918. *Major Operations: St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne. *Casualties: Total-7,549 (KIA-1,091; WIA-6,458). *Commanders: Maj. Gen.

Henry T. Allen Major General Henry Tureman Allen (April 13, 1859 – August 29, 1930) was a senior United States Army officer known for exploring the Copper River in Alaska in 1885 along with the Tanana and Koyukuk rivers by transversing of wilderness. His tr ...

(25 August 1917), Brig. Gen. Joseph A. Gaston (23 November 1917), Brig. Gen. William Johnston Jr. (27 December 1917), Maj. Gen. Henry T. Allen (1 March 1918), Brig. Gen.

Joseph P. O'Neil Joseph Patrick O'Neil (December 27, 1863 – July 27, 1938) was a United States Army officer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He served in several conflicts, including World War I. Biography Joseph O'Neil was born in Brooklyn, New York, ...

(24 November 1918), Maj. Gen. Charles H. Martin (30 December 1918). *Returned to U.S. and inactivated: June 1919.

Order of battle

* Headquarters, 90th Division * 179th Infantry Brigade ** 357th Infantry Regiment ** 358th Infantry Regiment ** 344th Machine Gun Battalion * 180th Infantry Brigade ** 359th Infantry Regiment ** 360th Infantry Regiment ** 345th Machine Gun Battalion * 165th Field Artillery Brigade ** 343rd Field Artillery Regiment (75 mm) ** 344th Field Artillery Regiment (75 mm) ** 345th Field Artillery Regiment (155 mm) ** 315th Trench Mortar Battery * 343rd Machine Gun Battalion * 315th Engineer Regiment * 315th Medical Regiment * 315th Field Signal Battalion * Headquarters Troop, 90th Division * 315th Train Headquarters and Military Police ** 315th Ammunition Train ** 315th Supply Train ** 315th Engineer Train ** 315th Sanitary Train *** 357th, 358th, 359th, and 360th Ambulance Companies and Field Hospitals

Interwar period

The division was reconstituted in the

Organized Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 2020 ...

on 24 June 1921 and assigned to the state of Texas. The headquarters was organized on 8 August 1921.

World War II

*Ordered into active military service: 25 March 1942 at Camp Barkley, Texas. *Overseas: 23 March 1944. *Distinguished Unit Citations: 5. *Campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland,

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...

*Awards: MH-4 ; DSC-54 ; DSM-4 ; SS-1,418 ; LM-19; DFC-4 ; SM-55 ; BSM-6,140 ; AM-121. *Commanders: Maj. Gen. Henry Terrell Jr. (March 1942 – January 1944), Brig. Gen.

Jay W. MacKelvie Brigadier General Jay W. MacKelvie (September 23, 1890 – December 5, 1985) was a career United States Army officer. He was prominent during World War II for being relieved of his command of the 90th Infantry Division shortly after the Normandy ...

(5 April 1944), Maj. Gen. Eugene M. Landrum (13 June 1944), Maj. Gen. Raymond S. McLain (30 July 1944), Maj. Gen.

James A. Van Fleet General James Alward Van Fleet (March 19, 1892 – September 23, 1992) was a United States Army officer who saw service during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Van Fleet was a native of New Jersey, who was raised in Florida and gradu ...

(15 October 1944), Maj. Gen. Lowell W. Rooks (22 January 1945), Maj. Gen. Herbert L. Earnest (2 March 1945). *Assistant Division Commanders: Brig. Gen.

Charles W. Ryder Major General Charles Wolcott Ryder CB (January 16, 1892 – August 17, 1960) was a senior United States Army officer who served with distinction in both World War I and World War II. Early life and military career Born in Topeka, Kansas in m ...

(March − May 1942), Brig. Gen.

Alan W. Jones Major general (United States), Major General Alan Walter Jones (October 6, 1894 − January 22, 1969) was a career officer in the United States Army. He is best known for his command of the 106th Infantry Division (United States), 106th Infantry D ...

(1942−1943), Brig. Gen.

Samuel Tankersley Williams Lieutenant General Samuel Tankersley Williams (August 25, 1897 – April 26, 1984) was a senior United States Army officer. Williams became prominent in army history for being reduced in rank from brigadier general to colonel, and then resuscitati ...

(February 1943 − July 1944), Brig. Gen. William G. Weaver (July − November 1944), Brig. Gen.

Joseph M. Tully Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

*Artillery Commanders:

George D. Shea George D. Shea (January 11, 1894 – January 13, 1971) was a career officer in the United States Army. A veteran of World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, Shea attained the rank of major general, and was a recipient of the Army Distingui ...

(July 1942 – September 1943) *Returned to U.S.: 16 December 1945. *Inactivated: 27 December 1945 at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts.

Order of battle

* Headquarters, 90th Infantry Division * 357th Infantry Regiment * 358th Infantry Regiment * 359th Infantry Regiment * Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 90th Infantry Division Artillery ** 343rd Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) ** 344th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) ** 345th Field Artillery Battalion (155 mm) ** 915th Field Artillery Battalion (105 mm) * 315th Engineer Combat Battalion * 315th Medical Battalion * 90th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized) * Headquarters, Special Troops, 90th Infantry Division ** Headquarters Company, 90th Infantry Division ** 790th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company ** 90th Quartermaster Company ** 90th Signal Company ** Military Police Platoon ** Band * 90th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment

Combat chronicle

The 90th Infantry Division landed in England, 5 April 1944, and trained from 10 April to 4 June. Polish officer 1AD Normandy P011192

First elements of the division saw action 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 ...

, 6 June, on

Utah Beach Utah, commonly known as Utah Beach, was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), during World War II. The westernmost of the five code-named la ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

, the remainder entering combat 10 June, cutting across the Merderet River to take

Pont l'Abbe Pont, meaning "bridge" in French, may refer to: Places France * Pont, Côte-d'Or, in the Côte-d'Or ''département'' * Pont-Bellanger, in the Calvados ''département'' * Pont-d'Ouilly, in the Calvados ''département'' * Pont-Farcy, in the Calv ...

in heavy fighting. After defensive action along the river

Douve The Douve () or Ouve is a river, in length, which rises in the commune of Tollevast, near Cherbourg in the department of Manche. ''Ouve'' is considered its old name (''Unva'' in ancient texts): Ouve appears to have been misspelled over the course ...

, the division attacked to clear the Foret de Mont-Castre (Hill 122), clearing it by 11 July, in spite of fierce resistance. In this action the Division suffered 5000 killed, wounded, or captured, one of the highest casualty rates suffered in WW II. An attack on the island of

Saint-Germain-sur-Sèves Saint-Germain-sur-Sèves () is a Communes of France, commune in the Manche Departments of France, department in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy in north-western France. History Prior to Operation Cobra in World War II, it was an impedi ...

on 23 July failed so the 90th bypassed it and took Périers on 27 July. On 12 August, the division drove across the

Sarthe River The Sarthe () is a river in western France. Together with the river Mayenne it forms the river Maine, which is a tributary to the river Loire. Its source is in the Orne department, near Moulins-la-Marche. It flows generally southwest, through ...

, north and east of

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...

, and took part in the closing of the Falaise Gap, by reaching 1st Polish Armored Division in Chambois, 19 August. It then raced across France, through

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

, 6 September, to participate in the siege of

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...

, 14 September – 19 November, capturing

Maizières-lès-Metz Maizières-lès-Metz (, literally ''Maizières near Metz''; Lorrain: ''Mach'ire'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Anciently part of the Duchy of Lorraine, Maizières was within the Holy Roman Empi ...

, 30 October, and crossing the

Moselle River The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblen ...

at Kœnigsmacker, 9 November. Elements of the 90th Infantry assaulted and captured the German-held

Fort de Koenigsmacker The Fort de Koenigsmacker (Koenigsmaker, Königsmachern or Kœnigsmacker) is a fortification located to the northeast of Thionville in the Moselle department of France. It was built by Germany next to the town of the same name in the early 20th ...

9–12 November. On 6 December 1944, the division pushed across the

Saar River The Saar (; french: Sarre ) is a river in northeastern France and western Germany, and a right tributary of the Moselle. It rises in the Vosges mountains on the border of Alsace and Lorraine and flows northwards into the Moselle near Trier. It h ...

and established a bridgehead north of

Saarlautern Saarlouis (; french: link=no, Sarrelouis, ; formerly Sarre-Libre and Saarlautern) is a town in Saarland, Germany, capital of the district of Saarlouis (district), Saarlouis. In 2020, the town had a population of 34,409. Saarlouis, as the name imp ...

(present-day

Saarlouis Saarlouis (; french: link=no, Sarrelouis, ; formerly Sarre-Libre and Saarlautern) is a town in Saarland, Germany, capital of the district of Saarlouis. In 2020, the town had a population of 34,409. Saarlouis, as the name implies, is located on t ...

), 6–18 December, but with the outbreak of

Gerd von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (12 December 1875 – 24 February 1953) was a German field marshal in the '' Heer'' (Army) of Nazi Germany during World War II. Born into a Prussian family with a long military tradition, Rundstedt entered th ...

's (Army Group A) drive, the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...

, withdrew to the west bank on 19 December, and went on the defensive until 5 January 1945, when it shifted to the scene of the

Ardennes The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...

struggle, having been relieved along the Saar River by the 94th Infantry Division. It drove across the

Our River The Our (; , ) is a river in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. It is a left-hand tributary of the river Sauer/Sûre. Its total length is . The source of the Our is in the High Fens in southeastern Belgium, near Manderfeld. It flows southwards, ...

, near

Oberhausen Oberhausen (, ) is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen ( ). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Rout ...

, 29 January, to establish and expand a bridgehead. On 19 February, the division smashed through

Siegfried Line The Siegfried Line, known in German as the ''Westwall'', was a German defensive line built during the 1930s (started 1936) opposite the French Maginot Line. It stretched more than ; from Kleve on the border with the Netherlands, along the west ...

fortifications to the Prüm River. Tough 'Ombres Memorial, Sonlez-101

After a short rest, the 90th continued across the Moselle River to take

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...

, 22 March, and crossed the rivers

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

, the

Main Main may refer to: Geography * Main River (disambiguation) **Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *"Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries ...

, and the

Werra The Werra (), a river in central Germany, is the right-bank headwater of the Weser. "Weser" is a synonym in an old dialect of German. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After the Werra joins the river Fulda in the t ...

in rapid succession. Pursuit continued to the

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

border, 18 April 1945, and into the

Sudetes The Sudetes ( ; pl, Sudety; german: Sudeten; cs, Krkonošsko-jesenická subprovincie), commonly known as the Sudeten Mountains, is a geomorphological subprovince in Central Europe, shared by Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. They consis ...

mountain range. The division was en route to

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

when they came upon the remaining 1500 emaciated prisoners left behind by the SS at

Flossenbürg concentration camp Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the SS Main Economic and Administrative Office. Unlike other concentration camps, it was located in a remote area, in the Fichtel Mountains of Bavaria, adjacent to the town of F ...

. Today, a memorial wall at the former camp honors the 90th as the liberators of

.Memorial Plaque honoring the 90th Infantry Division's liberation of Flossenburg
/ref> A week later, word came that the war in Europe ended on 8 May 1945. On that same day,

Erich Hartmann Erich Alfred Hartmann (19 April 1922 – 20 September 1993) was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful flying ace, fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. He flew 1,404 combat missions and participated in ...

, the highest-scoring

fighter ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

in history, along with a squadron of the elite ''

Jagdgeschwader 52 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 52 (JG 52) was a German World War II fighter ''Geschwader'' (wing) that exclusively used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 throughout the war. The unit originally formed near Munich in November 1938, then moved to a base near Stuttga ...

'' fighter wing (the highest-scoring fighter wing in history), surrendered to the 90th.

Casualties

*Total battle casualties: 19,200Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953) *Killed in action: 3,342 *Wounded in action: 14,386 *Missing in action: 287 *Prisoner of war: 1,185

Assignments in ETO

*5 March 1944: Third Army. *23 March 1944: Third Army, but attached to First Army. *27 March 1944: VII Corps. *19 June 1944: VIII Corps. *30 July 1944: Third Army, but attached to First Army. *1 August 1944: XV Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group. *17 August 1944: Third Army, 12th Army Group, but attached to V Corps, First Army. *25 August 1944: XV Corps, Third Army, 12th Army Group. *26 August 1944: XX Corps *6 January 1945: III Corps. *26 January 1945: VIII Corps. *12 March 1945: XII Corps.

General

*Nickname: Tough 'Ombres; during World War I, the division was called the Texas-Oklahoma Division, represented by the T and O on the shoulder patch. *Shoulder patch: A khaki-colored square on which is superimposed a red letter "T", the lower part of which bisects the letter "O", also in red.

Notable personnel

* Major General

Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. Major general (United States), Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr. (April 1, 1888 – September 12, 1969) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. Allen was a decorated W ...

served with this division as a battalion commander in 1918 and later served in World War II * James A. Baker Jr. *

William H. H. Morris Jr. Lieutenant General William Henry Harrison Morris Jr. (March 22, 1890 – March 30, 1971) was a senior United States Army officer who fought in both World War I and World War II. Early life and military career William Morris was born in the Oc ...

References

*''Combat Chronicles''
"90th Infantry Division"
– ''The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States''. U.S. Government Printing Office. – 1950. – pp. 510–592. Hosted at the

United States Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...

. *Wythe, George. ''A History of the 90th Division''. New York, N.Y.: 90th division Association, 1920.

External links

Tough 'Ombres! The Story of the 90th Infantry Division

Official Website of the Tough 'Ombres

Order of Battle 90Th ID
European Center of Military History
90th Infantry Division Preservation Group – Living History & Reenactment Articles

"Tough 'Ombres!", Company "B", 359th Regiment, 90th Infantry Division Living History & Reenactment
– Tough 'Ombres!
Raw Combat Footage of the 90th Infantry Division
– Combat Reels {{DEFAULTSORT:090 Infantry divisions of the United States Army Infantry Division, U.S. 090 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