The 4th Armored Division was an
armored division
A division is a large military unit or Formation (military), formation, usually consisting of between 6,000 and 25,000 soldiers.
In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades; in turn, several divisions typically mak ...
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 earned distinction while spearheading
General Patton's Third Army in the
European theater of World War II
The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and ending with the ...
.
The 4th Armored Division, unlike most other U.S. armored divisions during World War II, did not officially adopt a nickname for the division during the war. However, their unofficial nickname
"Name Enough" came into use postwar; the division commander having said, "Fourth Armored Division was name enough"; "They shall be known by their deeds alone." The 4th was named the
"Breakthrough" division in 1954, but that name was eventually discontinued.
History
The 4th Armored Division was activated during
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 ...
on 15 April 1941 with 3,800 men (10,000 by the end of May 1941) from various other units, at
Pine Camp
Fort Drum is a U.S. Army military reservation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, on the northern border of New York, United States. The population of the CDP portion of the base was 12,955 at the 2010 census. It is home t ...
(Camp Drum, 1951;
Fort Drum
Fort Drum is a U.S. Army military reservation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, on the northern border of New York, United States. The population of the CDP portion of the base was 12,955 at the 2010 census. It is home t ...
, 1974),
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
* '' ...
under its first Commanding General, Brigadier General Henry W. Baird.
World War II
The division was organized as a full Armored Division in May and June 1942 under the command of
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
John Shirley Wood
Major General John Shirley Wood (January 11, 1888 – July 2, 1966) was a United States Army officer who served in World War I and World War II. He is most notable for training and commanding the 4th Armored Division, which spearheaded General G ...
. It left Pine Camp for
Camp Forrest
Camp Forrest, located in a wooded area east of the city of Tullahoma, Tennessee, was one of the U.S. Army's largest training bases during World War II. It was an active army post between 1941 and 1946.
History
The camp, named after Civil War cav ...
for the
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
maneuvers in the
Cumberland Mountains
The Cumberland Mountains are a mountain range in the southeastern section of the Appalachian Mountains. They are located in western Virginia, southwestern West Virginia, the eastern edges of Kentucky, and eastern middle Tennessee, including the ...
held in September and October. In mid-November, it was transferred to the
Camp Ibis
Camp Ibis was one of twelve divisional tent camps of the US Army Desert Training Center (DTC) which was established in early 1942 during World War II, originally to advance desert tank warfare and to train troops for desert combat. The DTC wa ...
Desert Training Center
The Desert Training Center (DTC), also known as California–Arizona Maneuver Area (CAMA), was a World War II training facility established in the Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert, largely in Southern California and Western Arizona in 1942.
It ...
(DTC) in the California-Arizona maneuver area and was the first Armored Division to occupy Camp Ibis near
Needles, California
Needles is a city in San Bernardino County, California, in the Mojave Desert region of Southern California. Situated on the western banks of the Colorado River, Needles is located near the Californian border with Arizona and Nevada. The city is a ...
in the
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in ...
, which was close to the Arizona and Nevada borders. On 3 June, the 4th AD arrived at
Camp Bowie
Camp Bowie is a United States National Guard training center located in west central Texas on the southern outskirts of Brownwood, Texas, Brownwood.
History
Camp Bowie, named in honor of the Texas patriot James Bowie, was a military training fac ...
, Texas, an armored training center located in central Texas near Brownwood, for more maneuvers until about December when it departed for
Camp Myles Standish
Camp Myles Standish was a U.S. Army camp located in Taunton, Massachusetts during World War II. It was the main staging area for the Boston Port of Embarkation, with about a million U.S. and Allied soldiers passing through the camp on their way ...
in
for winter training. On 29 December, the 4th AD departed Boston to conduct training in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in preparation for the
invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...
.
France
After training in England from January to July 1944, the 4th Armored Division landed at
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 ...
, on 11 July, over a month after the initial
Normandy landings
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 ...
, and first entered combat on 17 July; on 28 July, battle action as part of the
VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to:
* VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VIII Army Corps (German Confederation)
* VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...
exploitation force for
Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an Offensive (military), offensive launched by the United States First United States Army, First Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Invasion of Norman ...
, the 4th AD secured the
Coutances
Coutances () is a Communes of France, commune in the Manche Departments of France, department in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy in north-western France.
History
Capital of the Unelli, a Gauls, Gaulish tribe, the town was given the n ...
area. The 4th AD then swung south to take
Nantes
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
, cutting off the
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
Peninsula, 12 August 1944. Turning east, it drove swiftly across France north of the
Loire
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
, smashed across the
Moselle
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 bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it jo ...
11–13 September, flanked
Nancy and captured
Lunéville
Lunéville ( ; German, obsolete: ''Lünstadt'' ) is a commune in the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle.
It is a subprefecture of the department and lies on the river Meurthe at its confluence with the Vezouze.
History
Lun ...
, 16 September. The 4th AD fought several German
panzergrenadier
''Panzergrenadier'' (), abbreviated as ''PzG'' (WWII) or ''PzGren'' (modern), meaning '' "Armour"-ed fighting vehicle "Grenadier"'', is a German term for mechanized infantry units of armoured forces who specialize in fighting from and in conjunc ...
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
s in the Lorraine area including the
SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 49 and
SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 51
SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 51 was a short-lived Waffen-SS unit formed in June 1944 from SS ''Kampfgruppen'' (Combat Group) 3. Although designated as panzergrenadier (mechanized infantry) the unit was only equipped with wheeled vehicles. The SS Ma ...
at this time,
defeating a larger German force through superior tactics and training.
After maintaining a defensive line,
Chambrey to
Xanrey
Xanrey is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
Population
See also
* Communes of the Moselle department
The following is a list of the 725 Communes of France, communes of the Moselle (department), Moselle ...
to
Hénaménil, from 27 September to 11 October, the 4th AD rested briefly before returning to combat 9 November with an attack in the vicinity of
Viviers. The 4th AD cleared
Bois de Serres, 12 November, advanced through
Dieuze
Dieuze (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
People
Dieuze was the birthplace of:
*Charles Hermite, mathematician
*Edmond François Valentin About, novelist, publicist and journalist
*Émile Friant, pain ...
and crossed 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 ...
, 21–22 November, to establish and expand bridgehead and took
Singling and
Bining, then
Baerendorf 24 November, before being relieved 8 December.
The 4th Armored Division received the following unit awards from France:
Croix de Guerre with Palm (27–29 July 1944), Croix de Guerre with Palm (12–29 September 1944), and
French Fourragere in the colors of the Croix de Guerre.
Battle of the Bulge
Two days after the Germans launched their
Ardennes Offensive
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...
, the 4th AD entered the fight (18 December 1944), racing northwest into
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, covering 150 miles in 19 hours.
[ The 4th AD, spearheading Patton's Third Army, attacked the Germans at ]Bastogne
Bastogne (; nl, Bastenaken, ; german: Bastnach/Bastenach; lb, Baaschtnech) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg in the Ardennes, Belgium.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Bastogne, ...
and, on 26 December, was the first unit ( Company C, 37th Tank Battalion led the 4th Armored Division column that relieved Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge) to break through at Bastogne and relieve the besieged 101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
. Six weeks later the 4th AD jumped off from Luxembourg City
Luxembourg ( lb, Lëtzebuerg; french: Luxembourg; german: Luxemburg), also known as Luxembourg City ( lb, Stad Lëtzebuerg, link=no or ; french: Ville de Luxembourg, link=no; german: Stadt Luxemburg, link=no or ), is the capital city of the Lu ...
in an eastward plunge that carried it across the Moselle River
The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becom ...
at Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
, south, and east to Worms Worms may refer to:
*Worm, an invertebrate animal with a tube-like body and no limbs
Places
*Worms, Germany, a city
**Worms (electoral district)
*Worms, Nebraska, U.S.
*Worms im Veltlintal, the German name for Bormio, Italy
Arts and entertainme ...
, and across the Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
, 24–25 March 1945. Advancing all night, the 4th AD crossed the Main River
Main rivers () are a statutory type of watercourse in England and Wales, usually larger streams and rivers, but also some smaller watercourses. A main river is designated by being marked as such on a main river map, and can include any structure o ...
the next day, south of Hanau, and continued to push on. Lauterbach fell 29 March, Creuzburg
Creuzburg is a town and a former municipality on the Werra river in the Wartburgkreis in Thuringia, Germany. Since December 2019, it is part of the town Amt Creuzburg.
Geography
Creuzburg is in the area known as the Muschelkalk. Three mountains ...
across 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 ...
on 1 April, Gotha
Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...
on 4 April – where the 4th AD liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp
Ohrdruf was a German forced labor and concentration camp located near Ohrdruf, south of Gotha, in Thuringia, Germany. It was part of the Buchenwald concentration camp network.
Operation
Created in November 1944 near the town of Ohrdruf, south ...
, the first Nazi camp liberated by U.S. troops. By 12 April the 4th AD was across the Saale River
The Saale (), also known as the Saxon Saale (german: Sächsische Saale) and Thuringian Saale (german: Thüringische Saale), is a river in Germany and a left-bank tributary of the Elbe. It is not to be confused with the smaller Franconian Saale, ...
. Pursuit of the enemy continued, and by 6 May the division had crossed into Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
and established a bridgehead across the Otava River
The Otava (German Wottawa) is a river in West and South Bohemia, Czech Republic. It is a left tributary of the Vltava river. It is long, and its basin area is about , of which in the Czech Republic. The river flows through several towns, includ ...
at Strakonice
Strakonice (; german: Strakonitz) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 22,000 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Strakonice is made up of town parts of Strakonice I and Strakonice II, and villages of Dražejov, ...
, with forwarding elements at Pisek. The 4th AD was reassigned to the XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to:
* 12th Army Corps (France)
* XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army
* XII ...
on 30 April 1945. The 4th AD received the following Letter of Commendation:[Lone Sentry](_blank)
/ref>
To: Maj. Gen. Hugh J. Gaffey
''The outstanding celerity of your movement and the unremitting, vicious and skillful manner in which you pushed the attack, terminating at the end of four days and nights of incessant battle in the relief of Bastogne, constitutes one of the finest chapters in the glorious history of the United States Army. You and the officers and men of your command are hereby commended for a superior performance.''
The 4th AD's second commander, Major General John Shirley Wood, (known as "P" Wood to his contemporaries, the "P" standing for "Professor", and "Tiger Jack" to his men) who took over the division officially on 18 June 1942, trained the 4th Armored Division for two years before he personally led it into combat in France, on 28 July 1944, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
*Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
*Distinguished Service Cross (U ...
. On 1 August, Gen. George Patton
George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...
's U.S. Third Army
The United States Army Central, formerly the Third United States Army, commonly referred to as the Third Army and as ARCENT, is a military formation of the United States Army which saw service in World War I and World War II, in the 1991 Gulf Wa ...
became operational and the 4th AD became the spearhead of the Third Army. The British military armor theorist and historian, Capt. Basil Henry Liddell Hart, once referred to General Wood as "the Rommel
Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...
of the American armored forces." Like Rommel, Wood commanded from the front, and preferred staying on the offensive, using speed and envelopment tactics to confuse the enemy. General Wood often utilized a light Piper Cub
The Piper J-3 Cub is an American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. The Cub is Pi ...
liaison aircraft flown by his personal pilot, Maj. Charles "Bazooka Charlie" Carpenter, to keep up with his rapidly moving division, sometimes personally carrying corps orders from headquarters directly to his advancing armored columns.
On 3 December 1944, General Wood was relieved as division commander. The division was then led by Major General Hugh Gaffey
Major General Hugh Joseph Gaffey (November 18, 1895 – June 16, 1946) was a senior United States Army officer. He was a career officer who served in both World War I and World War II.
Early life and military career
Born in Hartford, Connecticu ...
through the Battle of the Bulge until March 23, when Brigadier General William M. Hoge was awarded command. Major General Fay B. Prickett commanded during the occupation period. Major General Archibald R. Kennedy commanded the division after the war.
Among the most famous members of the 4th AD during World War II was Creighton Abrams
Creighton Williams Abrams Jr. (September 15, 1914 – September 4, 1974) was a United States Army general who commanded military operations in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1972, which saw United States troop strength in South Vietnam reduced ...
, who commanded the 37th Tank Battalion. Abrams later rose to command all U.S. forces in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
and served as U.S. Army Chief of Staff in the 1970s. The U.S. M-1 tank
The M1 Abrams is a List of main battle tanks by generation, third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern Armoured warfa ...
is named after him.
WWII Composition
The division was composed of the following units:
* Headquarters
* Headquarters Company
* Combat Command A
* Combat Command B
* Combat Command Reserve
* 8th Tank Battalion
* 35th Tank Battalion
* 37th Tank Battalion
* 10th Armored Infantry Battalion
* 51st Armored Infantry Battalion
* 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion
* Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 4th Armored Division Artillery
** 22nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion
** 66th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
** 94th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
* 25th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized)
* 24th Armored Engineer Battalion
* 144th Armored Signal Company
* 4th Armored Division Train Headquarters and Headquarters Company
** 126th Ordnance Maintenance Battalion
** 4th Armored Medical Battalion
** Military Police Platoon
** Band
Post-war
After a tour of occupation duty in Germany, the 4th AD returned to the United States for inactivation. Most of its elements, however, remained as occupation forces in Germany after redesignation as the First Constabulary Brigade. In 1949, it was redesignated the 4th Armored Division and inactivated on 20 May 1949.
The 4th AD was reactivated on 15 June 1954 at Fort Hood
Fort Hood is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. Named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarters ...
in Killeen, Texas
Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 153,095, making it the 19th-most populous city in Texas and the largest of the three principal cities of Bell County. It is the principal city ...
with the name 4th Armored "Breakthrough" Division ("Breakthrough" was discontinued some years afterwards) and was deployed to West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
in 1957 with headquarters at Cooke Barracks in Göppingen
Göppingen ( Swabian: ''Geppenge'' or ''Gebbenga'') is a town in southern Germany, part of the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg. It is the capital of the district Göppingen. Göppingen is home to the toy company Märklin, and it is the b ...
. The division appears to have been part of VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to:
* VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I
* VII ...
for most of this period.
On 30 June 1958, Combat Command "A" was at Wiley Barracks, New Ulm, It comprised 2d Medium Tank Battalion (MTB), 66th Armor (Leipheim); 2d Armored Rifle Battalion (ARB), 41st Infantry (Neu Ulm); and 2d Armored Rifle Battalion, 51st Infantry. Combat Command "B" was at Ferris Barracks, Erlangen
Erlangen (; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Erlang'', Bavarian language, Bavarian: ''Erlanga'') is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative d ...
, comprising the 1st MTB, 35th Armor (Ferris Barracks); 2d MTB, 67th Armor (Fürth); 2d ARB, 50th Infantry (Ferris Barracks); and 2d Reconnaissance Squadron, 15th Cavalry. Combat Command "C" was at McKee Barracks, Crailsheim
Crailsheim is a town in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Incorporated in 1338, it lies east of Schwäbisch Hall and southwest of Ansbach in the Schwäbisch Hall district. The city's main attractions include two Evangelical churches, a ...
. It comprised 1st MTB, 37th Armor (McKee Barracks) and 1st ARB, 54th Infantry.
The 4th AD remained in Germany until final inactivation in May 1971, when it was redesignated the 1st Armored Division.
In popular culture
In Harold Coyle
Harold William "H.W." Coyle (born February 16, 1952) is an American writer and author of historical and speculative fiction and of war novels including '' Team Yankee'', a ''New York Times'' bestseller. He graduated from the Virginia Military In ...
's 1993 techno-thriller
A techno-thriller or technothriller is a hybrid genre drawing from science fiction, Thriller (genre), thrillers, spy fiction, action (fiction), action, and War novel, war novels. They include a disproportionate amount (relative to other genres) o ...
"The Ten Thousand", the 4th Armored Division forms part of the US Army Tenth Corps, and much of the novel's action is depicted from the point of view of members of the division.
List of Commanding Generals during the Cold War
*Maj-Gen Andrew P. O'Meara
Andrew Pick O'Meara (March 23, 1907 – September 30, 2005) was a United States Army four-star general who served as Commander-in-Chief, United States Southern Command from 1961 to 1965, and Commander-in-Chief, United States Army Europe/Commander, ...
(1 Aug 1957 – 13 Feb 1959)
*Maj-Gen James B. Quill (14 Feb 1959 – 1 Apr 1960)
*Maj-Gen John K. Waters (2 Apr 1960 – 27 Aug 1961)
*Maj-Gen James H. Polk
James Hilliard Polk (December 13, 1911 – February 18, 1992) was a United States Army four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Army Europe from 1967 to 1971. He was one of the last senior commanders in the army to have s ...
(28 Aug 1961 – 30 Nov 1962)
*Maj-Gen John F. Franklin Jr. (1 Dec 1962 – 31 May 1964)
*Maj-Gen Alexander D. Surles Jr. (1 Jun 1964 – 17 Dec 1965)
*Maj-Gen James W. Sutherland
James William Sutherland (1918–1987) was a United States Army Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General, who served as commander of XXIV Corps (United States), XXIV Corps during the Vietnam War.
Early life and education
Sutherland ...
(18 Dec 1965 – 23 May 1967)
*Maj-Gen Edward C.D. Scherrer (24 May 1967 – 2 Dec 1968)
*Maj-Gen Stephen W. Downey, Jr. (3 Dec 1968 – 4 Feb 1970)
*Maj-Gen William W. Cobb (5 Feb 1970 – 10 May 1971)
WWII names
;American
* The Rolling 4th
* Flying 4th
* Phantom 4th
* Ghost Division
* Fire Alarm Division
; German
* American Elite Fourth Armored Division
* Roosevelt's Butchers (by Nazi propagandists)
WWII statistics
;Casualties[Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953)]
*Total battle casualties: 6,212
*Killed in action: 1,143
*Wounded in action: 4,551
*Missing in action: 65
*Prisoners of war: 453
; Medal of Honor recipients
*James H. Fields
James H. Fields (June 26, 1920 – June 17, 1970) was a United States Army Captain (United States O-3), captain and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration for valor—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in France during ...
*James R. Hendrix
James Richard Hendrix (August 20, 1925 – November 14, 2002) was a United States Army master sergeant and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration for valor—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in Belgium during Wo ...
*Joseph J. Sadowski
Joseph John Sadowski (December 8, 1917 – September 14, 1944) was a United States Army sergeant and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration for valor—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in France during World War II. ...
;Unit awards
The 4th Armored Division was the first U.S. Armored Division to be awarded the Presidential Unit Citation:
* Presidential Unit Citation (Army), World War II (ARDENNES, 22 December 1944 – 27 March 1945; WD GO 54, 1945)
* French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II (NORMANDY, 27–30 July 1944; DA GO 43, 1950)
*French Croix de Guerre with Palm, World War II (MOSELLE RIVER, 12–29, September 1944; DA GO 43, 1950)
*French Fourragere (Croix de Guerre colors), World War II (DA GO 43, 1950)
;Assignments
#First United States Army
First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Korea ...
: 18 December 1943
#VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to:
* VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VIII Army Corps (German Confederation)
* VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...
: 22 January 1944
# XX Corps: 9 March 1944
#XV Corps 15th Corps, Fifteenth Corps, or XV Corps may refer to:
*XV Corps (British India)
* XV Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I
* 15th Army Corps (Russian Empire), a unit in World War I
*XV Royal Bav ...
: 20 April 1944
#VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to:
* VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VIII Army Corps (German Confederation)
* VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...
: 15 July 1944
#XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to:
* 12th Army Corps (France)
* XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army
* XII ...
: 13 August 1944
#III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to:
France
* 3rd Army Corps (France)
* III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...
: 19 December 1944
#VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to:
* VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VIII Army Corps (German Confederation)
* VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...
: 2 January 1945
#XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to:
* 12th Army Corps (France)
* XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army
* XII ...
: 12 January 1945
#VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to:
* VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VIII Army Corps (German Confederation)
* VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...
: 4 April 1945
#X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to:
France
* 10th Army Corps (France)
* X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
Germany
* X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army
* ...
: 9 April 1945
#VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to:
* VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars
* VIII Army Corps (German Confederation)
* VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...
: 17 April 1945
See also
* Divisions of the United States Army
This list of United States Army divisions is divided into three eras: 1911–1917, 1917–1941, and 1941–present. These eras represent the major evolutions of army division structure (there have been several minor changes during these times). T ...
References
External links
4th Armored Division official record
*
Daily chronology of the Fourth Armored Division
{{Army Divisions (United States)
04th Armored Division, U.S.
Armored Division, U.S. 04th
Military units and formations established in 1941
Military units and formations disestablished in 1971
Buchenwald concentration camp