The VII Army Corps 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 ...

was one of the two principal

corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

of the

United States Army Europe United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) /Theater Army responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICO ...

during the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. Activated in 1918 for

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 ...

, it was reactivated for

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 ...

and again during the

. During both World War II and the Cold War it was subordinate to the Seventh Army, or

USAREUR United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) /Theater Army responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICO ...

and was headquartered at

Kelley Barracks Kelley Barracks (formerly ''Helenen-Kaserne'') is a U.S. military installation and headquarters of United States Africa Command, and is a part of US Army Garrison Stuttgart in Stuttgart-Möhringen in Germany. The post is administered by IMCOM- E ...

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

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 ...

, from 1951 until it was redeployed to the US after significant success in the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

in 1991, then inactivated in 1992.

World War I

VII Corps was organized at the end of

on 19 August 1918, at

Remiremont Remiremont (; german: Romberg or ) is a town and commune in the Vosges department, northeastern France, situated in southern Grand Est. The town has been an abbatial centre since the 7th century, is an economic crossroads of the Moselle and Mos ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and was inactivated on 11 July 1919. It was commanded by Major Generals

William M. Wright William Mason Wright (September 24, 1863 – August 16, 1943) was a career officer in the United States Army. He attained the rank of lieutenant general and was most notable for his service as a division and corps commander during World War I. E ...

Omar Bundy Major General Omar Bundy (June 17, 1861 – January 20, 1940) was a career United States Army officer who was a veteran of the American Indian Wars, Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, Pancho Villa Expedition, and World War I. A n ...

William G. Haan Major general (United States), Major General William George Haan (October 4, 1863 – October 26, 1924) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer. He commanded the 32nd Infantry Division (United States), 32nd Division during ...

, and

Henry Tureman 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 t ...

. It was composed of the 6th, 81st and 88th Divisions, and served in the

Vosges The Vosges ( , ; german: Vogesen ; Franconian and gsw, Vogese) are a range of low mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single ...

Sector.

Post-World War I

The U.S. VII Corps was reactivated as part of 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 ...

(OR) on 29 July 1921 and inactivated on 18 October 1927. It was allotted to the Seventh Corps Area and assigned to the Third Army. In accordance with General Order #2, HQ, Seventh Corps Area, the Corps Headquarters was activated on 9 January 1922 at the Old Customhouse, 3d and Olive Streets,

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, MO, with

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...

and OR personnel.

World War II

VII Corps was reactivated at

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 (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

25 November 1940 and participated in the

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 ...

staged as the US Army prepared for

. In late December 1941, VII Corps HQ was moved to San Jose,

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

as part of the

Western Defense Command Western Defense Command (WDC) was established on 17 March 1941 as the command formation of the United States Army responsible for coordinating the defense of the Pacific Coast region of the United States during World War II. A second major respo ...

and as it continued to train and prepare for deployment. Its first return to

continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...

took place 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 ...

in June 1944, as one of the two assault corps for the

U.S. First 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 Kore ...

during

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...

, targeting

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 ...

via

amphibious assault Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducted ...

. For Overlord, the 82nd and

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 ...

s were attached to VII Corps. After the

Battle 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 Norma ...

the airborne units were assigned to the newly created

XVIII Airborne Corps The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America ...

. Subsequently, VII Corps participated in many battles during the advance across France; this included taking 25,000 German prisoners during the Battle of the Mons Pocket in early September 1944. The corps subsequently took part in the invasion of Germany until the surrender of the

Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

in May 1945. The corps was inactivated in 1946.

Battle of Normandy

For the Normandy Operation, VII Corps was part of

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...

under the command of

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Bernard Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and t ...

and the

commanded by Lieutenant General

Courtney Hodges General Courtney Hicks Hodges (January 5, 1887 – January 16, 1966) was a decorated senior officer in the United States Army who commanded First U.S. Army in the Western European Campaign of World War II. Hodges was a notable "mustang" officer ...

. The Corps was commanded by Major General

J. Lawton Collins General (United States), General Joseph Lawton Collins (May 1, 1896 – September 12, 1987) was a senior United States Army officer. During World War II, he served in both the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, Pacific and European Theater of Operations, U ...

. VII Corps led the initial assault of

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 First Army-led offensive as part of the breakout of the Normandy area. Its success is credited with changing the war in France from high-intensity infantry combat to rapid

maneuver warfare Maneuver warfare, or manoeuvre warfare, is a military strategy which seeks to shatter the enemy's overall cohesion and will to fight. Background Maneuver warfare, the use of initiative, originality and the unexpected, combined with a rut ...

Assigned Units and Commanders

4th Infantry Division, Major General Raymond O. Barton :: 8th Infantry Regiment Colonel

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 ...

:: 12th Infantry Regiment Colonel Russell P. Reeder (11 June) :::Lieutenant Colonel Hervey Tribolet :: 22nd Infantry Regiment Colonel Hervey A. Tribolet :::Colonel Robert T. Foster (26 June) * 9th Infantry Division patch

9th Infantry Division, Major General Manton S. Eddy :: 39th Infantry Regiment Colonel Harry A. "Paddy" Flint :: 47th Infantry Regiment Colonel George W. Smythe :: 60th Infantry Regiment Colonel Frederick J. de Rohan * 79th Infantry Division SSI

79th Infantry Division, Major General Ira T. Wyche ::313th Infantry Regiment Colonel Sterling A. Wood ::314th Infantry Regiment Colonel Warren A. Robinson ::315th Infantry Regiment Colonel Porter P. Wiggins :::Colonel Bernard B. McMahon (24 June) * 82 ABD SSI

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

, Major General

Matthew Ridgway General Matthew Bunker Ridgway (March 3, 1895 – July 26, 1993) was a senior officer in the United States Army, who served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (1952–1953) and the 19th Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1953–1955). Altho ...

505th Parachute Infantry Regiment The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (505th PIR), originally the 505th Infantry Regiment, is an airborne infantry regiment of the United States Army, one of four infantry regiments of the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army, with ...

Colonel William E. Ekman :: 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment Colonel George V. Millett, Jr. :::Colonel Edson D. Raff (15 June) :: 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment Colonel

Roy E. Lindquist Major General Roy Ernest Lindquist (February 18, 1907 – November 19, 1986) was a highly decorated senior United States Army officer. He saw service during World War II and is most noted for his leadership of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regimen ...

:: 325th Glider Infantry Regiment Colonel Harry L. Lewis *

90th Infantry Division 90th Division may refer to: ;Infantry * 90th Division (1st Formation)(People's Republic of China), 1949–1950 * 90th Division (2nd Formation)(People's Republic of China), 1950–1952 * 90th Light Infantry Division (Wehrmacht) * 90th Infantry Divi ...

, Brigadier General

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 ...

::357th Infantry Regiment Colonel Philip De Witt Ginder :::Colonel John W. Sheehy (13 June) :::Lieutenant Colonel Charles M. Schwab (15 June) :::Colonel George B. Barth (17 June) :: 358th Infantry Regiment Colonel James V. Thompson :::Colonel Richard C. Partridge (16 June) :: 359th Infantry Regiment Colonel Clark K. Fales * US 101st Airborne Division patch

, Major General Maxwell D. Taylor ::

501st Parachute Infantry Regiment The 501st Infantry Regiment, previously the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment and 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment, is an airborne forces regiment of the United States Army with a long history, having served in World War II and the Vietnam Wa ...

Colonel Howard R. Johnson :: 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment Colonel George V. H. Moseley, Jr. (WIA 6 June) :::Lieutenant Colonel John H. Michaelis (6 June) :: 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment Colonel

Robert Sink Robert Frederick Sink (April 3, 1905 – December 13, 1965) was a senior United States Army officer who fought during World War II and the Korean War, though he was most famous for his command of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the ...

:: 327th Glider Infantry Regiment Colonel George S. Wear ::::Colonel Joseph H. Harper (10 June) * US VII Corps SSI

4th Cavalry Group (Mechanized), Colonel Joseph M. Tully ::4th Cavalry Squadron Lieutenant Colonel E. C. Dunn ::24th Cavalry Squadron Lieutenant Colonel F. H. Gaston, Jr. * Armored Group DUI

6th Armored Group, Colonel Francis F. Fainter ::

70th Tank Battalion The 70th Armor Regiment is an armored (tank) unit of the United States Army. It was constituted as the 70th Tank Battalion in July 1940, an independent tank battalion intended to provide close support to infantry units. In this role, it saw acti ...

Lieutenant Colonel John C. Welborn :: 746th Tank Battalion Lieutenant Colonel C. G. Hupfer

Cold War

From reactivation in 1950 and throughout the

, the corps guarded part of

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

's front with the

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republic ...

. Headquartered in

it was one of the two main US combat formations in Germany along with

V Corps 5th Corps, Fifth Corps, or V Corps may refer to: France * 5th Army Corps (France) * V Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * V Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Ar ...

, which was headquartered in

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

at Abrams Building. As finally envisaged in the General Defense Plan circa 1989, the

1st Canadian Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ''1re Division du Canada'' ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short ...

with its main headquarters at

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Toro ...

, would have been assigned to the Commander,

Central Army Group Headquarters Allied Force Command Heidelberg (HQ FC Heidelberg) was a formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) responsible for providing deployable joint staff elements (DJSE) in support of NATO operations worldwide. It was hea ...

's tactical reserve, fighting alongside either the German II Corps or VII Corps.

Structure 1989

At the end of the Cold War in 1989 VII Corps consisted of the following units: * US VII Corps SSI

VII Corps,

** 1st Armored Division,

Ansbach Ansbach (; ; East Franconian: ''Anschba'') is a city in the German state of Bavaria. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the river Fränkische Rezat, a ...

** 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized),

Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Gear ...

, Kansas ( Operation Reforger unit) *** 1st Infantry Division (Forward),

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 ...

, West Germany ** 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized),

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg is ...

** VII Corps Artillery,

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...

*** 17th Field Artillery Brigade,

*** 72nd Field Artillery Brigade, Wertheim *** 210th Field Artillery Brigade,

Herzogenaurach Herzogenaurach (; vmf, Herziaura) is a town in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in Bavaria, Germany. It is best known for being the home of the major international sporting goods companies Adidas and Puma, as well as the large car parts m ...

** 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment,

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

** 11th Aviation Brigade, Illesheim ** 7th Engineer Brigade,

Kornwestheim Kornwestheim ( Swabian: ) is a town in the district of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated about north of Stuttgart, and south of Ludwigsburg. History Origins and Development Kornwestheim can look back at a history ...

** 14th Military Police Brigade, Kornwestheim ** 93rd Signal Brigade (Corps), Ludwigsburg ** 207th Military Intelligence Brigade, Ludwigsburg ** 2nd Corps Support Command, Nellingen auf den Fildern ** 602nd Air Support Operations Group, USAF

Gulf War

After

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...

's troops invaded

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

in 1990, the corps was deployed to

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

as part of the second major wave of deployments of American forces. Its presence took US forces in theatre from a force capable of defending Saudi Arabia to a force capable of ejecting

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

i troops from Kuwait. Kelley Barracks armor

In the

, VII Corps was probably the most powerful formation of its type ever to take to the battlefield. Normally, a corps commands three divisions when at full strength, along with other units such as artillery of various types, corps-level engineers and support units. However, VII Corps had far more firepower under its command. It consisted of 1,487 tanks, 1,384 infantry fighting vehicles, 568 artillery pieces, 132 MLRS, 8 missile launchers, and 242 attack helicopters. It had a total troop strength of 146,321 troops. Its principal full strength fighting formations were the

1st Armored Division (United States) The 1st Armored Division, nicknamed "Old Ironsides," is a combined arms division of the United States Army. The division is part of III Armored Corps and operates out of Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U ...

, the

3rd Armored Division (United States) The 3rd Armored Division (also known as "Spearhead", 3rd Armored, and 3AD) was an armored division of the United States Army. Unofficially nicknamed the "Third Herd," the division was first activated in 1941 and was active in the European Theat ...

and the

1st Infantry Division (United States) The 1st Infantry Division is a combined arms division of the United States Army, and is the oldest continuously serving division in the Regular Army. It has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917 during World War I. It was offi ...

. The 2nd Armored Division (Forward) was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division as its third maneuver brigade. In addition, the corps had the

2nd Cavalry Regiment (United States) The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, also known as the 2nd Dragoons, is an active Stryker infantry and cavalry regiment of the United States Army. The Second Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army Europe and Africa, with its garrison at ...

to act as a scouting and screening force, and two further heavy divisions, the

1st Cavalry Division (United States) The 1st Cavalry Division ("First Team") is a Armored brigade combat team, combined arms division (military), division and is one of the most decorated combat divisions of the United States Army. It is based at Fort Hood, Texas. It was formed ...

and the

1st Armoured Division (United Kingdom) The 1st Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army. The division was formed as the Mobile Division on 24 November 1937, after several years of debate on such a formation. It was then renamed, in April 1939, as the 1st Armou ...

, as well as the 11th Aviation Group. Although both 1st Cavalry Division and 1st Armoured Division had only two maneuver brigades, they were still immensely powerful formations in their own right. VII Corps was originally deployed to provide an offensive option if needed. In the 100-hour war they were given a mission: To destroy the Iraqi Republican Guard's heavy divisions. That meant that the 1st Infantry Division had to make a forced entry to make room for the British attack on the right wing and to secure the main forces advance on the left. That attack force was led by the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and

Task Force 1-41 Infantry Task Force 1-41 Infantry was a U.S. Army heavy battalion task force which took part in the Gulf War of January – March 1991. It was also known as Task Force Iron. Task Force 1-41 Infantry was the first coalition force to breach the Saudi Arab ...

followed by the other two brigades of the 1st Infantry Division. The 1st Armored Division would head north to engage the Iraqi Republican Guard in the Battle of Medina Ridge. The 3rd Armored Division would protect the flank of the 1st Infantry Division. That gave VII Corps commander General Frederick M. Franks, Jr. a three division strike force to confront several Iraqi Armored Divisions. After the corps had turned 90 degrees east according to FRAGPLAN 7 and after the Cavalry Regiment had fought the single sided

Battle of 73 Easting The Battle of 73 Easting was fought on 26 February 1991, during the Gulf War, between Coalition armored forces ( US VII Corps and UK 1st Armoured Division) and Iraqi armored forces (Republican Guard and Tawakalna Division). It was named for a ...

the three Divisions (plus the British on the right wing) fought one of the most one-sided battles in the history of the U.S. Army. VII Corps cut a swath through Iraqi forces. It advanced with

U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for Rapid deployment force, rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is ...

on its left wing and

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

forces on its right wing. Led by

it pulverized all Iraqi forces that tried to stand and fight and destroyed a good proportion of the

Iraqi Republican Guard Iraqi or Iraqis (in plural) means from Iraq, a country in the Middle East, and may refer to: * Iraqi people or Iraqis, people from Iraq or of Iraqi descent * A citizen of Iraq, see demographics of Iraq * Iraqi or Araghi ( fa, عراقی), someone o ...

divisions. This confrontation was known as the

Battle of Norfolk The Battle of Norfolk was a tank battle fought on February 27, 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, between armored forces of the United States and United Kingdom, and those of the Iraqi Republican Guard in the Muthanna Province of southern Iraq. ...

. VII Corps' attack destroyed several divisions including the Medina and the Tawakalna Republican Guards division along with support units. It also destroyed most of the Iraqi VII Corps that had guarded the frontline as well as other units. The

was studied as a textbook armored battle within the US armored units. The cost in lives was 36 US and UK dead; trifling in terms of expected casualties for the war the two armies had trained for against the Soviets. 'Virtually every manoeuvre battalion in the 1st and 3rd Armored Divisions, 1st Inf Div (M), and 2 ACR received the

Valorous Unit Award The Valorous Unit Award (VUA) is the second highest United States Army unit decoration which may be bestowed upon an Army unit after the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC). The VUA is awarded by the United States Army to units of the United State ...

. In addition, 'six of the ten VII Corps manoeuvre brigade headquarters that saw substantial combat against the Republican Guard received the VUA in contravention of the spirit, if not the letter, of AR672-5-1's guidance that ' ly on rare occasions will a unit larger than a battalion qualify for award of the VUA.' During the Gulf War VII Corps destroyed nearly 1,350 Iraqi tanks, 1,224 armored troop carriers, 285 artillery pieces, 105 air defense systems, 1,229 trucks, and lost nearly 36 armored vehicles. They suffered a total of 47 dead and 192 wounded.

VII Corps

LTG Frederick M. Franks, Jr. :: 1st Armored Division ::MG Ronald H. Griffith ::: 3rd Infantry Division SSI (1918-2015)

3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division (Mech) – Acting 1st Brigade ::::4th BN,

66th Armor Regiment The 66th Armor Regiment is the oldest armored unit in the United States Army, tracing its lineage to the 301st Tank Battalion which served with distinction soon after it was formed in the First World War; the 301st trained at Camp Meade, Maryl ...

::::1st BN, 7th Infantry Regiment (Mech) ::::4th BN, 7th Infantry Regiment (Mech) ::::2nd BN, 41st Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) :::2nd Brigade ::::1st BN, 35th Armor Regiment ::::2nd BN,

70th Armor Regiment The 70th Armor Regiment is an armored (tank) unit of the United States Army. It was constituted as the 70th Tank Battalion in July 1940, an independent tank battalion intended to provide close support to infantry units. In this role, it saw acti ...

::::4th BN,

::::6th BN,

6th Infantry Regiment The 6th Infantry Regiment ("Regulars") was formed 11 January 1812. Zachary Taylor, later the twelfth President of the United States, was a commander of the unit. The motto, "Regulars, By God!" derives from the Battle of Chippawa, in which Brit ...

(Mech) ::::2nd BN, 1st Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) :::3rd Brigade ::::3rd BN, 35th Armor Regiment ::::1st BN, 37th Armor Regiment ::::7th BN, 6th Infantry Regiment (Mech) ::::3rd BN, 1st Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) :: 3rd Armored Division ::MG

Paul E. Funk Paul Edward Funk (born March 10, 1940) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as Commanding General, III Corps (United States), III Corps from 1993 to 1995. He was previously Commanding General, United States Army Armor ...

:::1st Brigade ::::4th BN, 32nd Armor Regiment ::::4th BN, 34th Armor Regiment ::::3rd BN, 5th Cavalry Regiment (Mech) ::::5th BN, 5th Cavalry Regiment (Mech) ::::3rd BN, 1st Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) :::2nd Brigade ::::4th BN, 18th Infantry Regiment (Mech) ::::3rd BN, 8th Cavalry Regiment (Armor) ::::4th BN, 8th Cavalry Regiment (Armor) ::::4th BN, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) :::3rd Brigade ::::5th BN, 18th Infantry Regiment (Mech) ::::2nd BN, 67th Armor Regiment ::::4th BN, 67th Armor Regiment ::::2nd BN, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) :: US 1st Infantry Division SSI

1st Infantry Division (Mech) ::MG Thomas Rhame ::: 1st Brigade ::::5th BN, 16th Infantry Regiment (Mech) ::::1st BN, 34th Armor Regiment ::::2nd BN, 34th Armor Regiment ::::1st Bn, 5th Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) ::: 2nd Brigade ::::2nd BN, 16th Infantry Regiment (Mech) ::::3rd BN, 37th Armor Regiment ::::4th BN, 37th Armor Regiment ::::4th Bn, 5th Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) ::: 3rd Brigade, 2nd Armored Division – Acting 3rd Brigade ::::1st BN, 41st Infantry Regiment (Mech) ::::2nd BN, 66th Armor Regiment ::::3rd BN, 66th Armor Regiment ::::4th Bn, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) :: 1st (UK) Armoured Division ::Maj Gen

Rupert Smith General Sir Rupert Anthony Smith, (born 13 December 1943) is a retired British Army officer and author of '' The Utility of Force''. He was a senior commander during the Gulf War, for which he was recognised with the award of the Distinguished ...

:::

4th Armoured Brigade :::

Brig. Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thou ...

Christopher Hammerbeck :::: 14th/20th King's Hussars & squadron of Life Guards (

Challenger 1 The FV4030/4 Challenger 1 is a British main battle tank (MBT) used by the British Army from 1983 to 2001, when it was superseded by the Challenger 2. It is also currently used by the Royal Jordanian Army as its main battle tank, after heavy m ...

) ::::1st Bn,

Royal Scots The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland. The regimen ...

(

Warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...

) ::::3rd Bn,

Royal Regiment of Fusiliers The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (often referred to as the Royal Fusiliers or, simply, the Fusiliers) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division. Currently, the regiment has two battalions: the 1st battalion, part o ...

(Warrior) ::::2nd Field Regiment RA ( 155SP) :::: 23 Engineer Regiment ( AVRE) :::

7th Armoured Brigade 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, s ...

:::Brig.

Patrick Cordingley Major General Patrick Anthony John Cordingley, (born 6 October 1944) is a retired British Army officer who commanded the 2nd Division from 1995 to 1996. Military career Cordingley was educated at Sherborne School and the Royal Military Acade ...

::::

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. The regiment, through the Royal Scots Greys, is the oldest surviving Cavalry Regiment of the Line in the British ...

& troops of 17th/21st Lancers (Challenger) ::::

Queen's Royal Irish Hussars The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, abbreviated as QRIH, was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed from the amalgamation of the 4th Queen's Own Hussars and the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958. The regiment saw active service against ...

(Challenger) ::::1st Bn,

Staffordshire Regiment The Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales') (or simply "Staffords" for short) was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The regiment was formed in 1959 by the amalgamation of the South Staffordshire Reg ...

(Warrior) :::: 40th Field Regiment RA (155SP) :::: 21 Engineer Regiment ( AVRE) :::Divisional Armoured Reconnaissance unit :::: 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers & squadron

Queen's Dragoon Guards 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (QDG) is a regiment in the Royal Armoured Corps of the British Army. Nicknamed The Welsh Cavalry, the regiment recruits from Wales and the bordering English counties of Cheshire, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, and ...

(

Scimitar A scimitar ( or ) is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, ''scimitar'' does not refer to one specific sword type, but an assortment of different ...

Spartan Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta refe ...

/ Striker) :::Divisional Artillery Group :::: 32nd Heavy Regiment RA ( 203SP) :::: 39th Heavy Regiment RA (

MLRS A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a voll ...

) :::: 26th Field Regiment RA (155SP) :::: 12th Air Defence Regiment RA (

Rapier A rapier () or is a type of sword with a slender and sharply-pointed two-edged blade that was popular in Western Europe, both for civilian use (dueling and self-defense) and as a military side arm, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Impor ...

) :: 1st Cavalry Division(-) Missing 3rd Brigade ::MG John H. Tilelli, Jr. ::: 1st Brigade ::::3rd BN, 32nd Armor Regiment ::::2nd BN,

8th Cavalry Regiment The 8th Cavalry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army formed in 1866 during the American Indian Wars. The 8th Cavalry continued to serve under a number of designations, fighting in every other major U.S. conflict since, except Worl ...

(Armor) ::::2nd BN,

5th Cavalry Regiment The 5th Cavalry Regiment ("Black Knights") is a historical unit of the United States Army that began its service on August 3, 1861, when an act of Congress enacted "that the two regiments of dragoons, the regiment of mounted riflemen, and the t ...

(Mech) ::::1st BN,

82nd Field Artillery Regiment 82nd Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army. The regiment has been involved with American conflicts dating back to then US involvement in the Mexican Civil War and more recently with the War on Terrorism ...

(155SP) ::: 2nd Brigade ::::1st BN, 32nd Armor Regiment ::::1st BN, 5th Cavalry Regiment (Mech) ::::1st BN, 8th Cavalry Regiment (Armor) ::::3rd BN, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) VII Corps Desert Storm

Corps assets

: 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment : US Army 11th Aviation Command SSI

11th Aviation Brigade :: 2nd Squadron 6th Cavalry :: 6th Squadron 6th Cavalry :7th Engineer Brigade :: 109th Engineer Group SD ARNG – Supported VII Corp ::: 9th Engineer Battalion (CBT)(MECH) :::527th Engineer Battalion (CBT HVY) LA ARNG :: 176th Engineer Group VA ARNG – Supported 1st Inf Div :::19th Engineer Battalion (Corps CBT) :::54th Engineer Battalion (CBT)(MECH) :::82nd Engineer Battalion (CBT)(MECH) :::92nd Engineer Battalion (CBT HVY) :::565th Engineer Battalion :::649th Engineer Battalion (TOPO) :: 926th Engineer Group USAR – Supported 1st Arm Div ::: 249th Engineer Battalion (CBT HVY) :::317th Engineer Battalion (CBT)(MECH) :::588th Engineer Battalion (CORPS CBT) : USA - 42 FAB

42nd Field Artillery Brigade – Supported 1st Inf Div, 3rd Armd Div ::3rd BN, 20th Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) ::1st BN, 27th Field Artillery Regiment (MLRS) ::2nd BN,

29th Field Artillery Regiment The 29th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army, first constituted in 1918 in the National Army (USA). History The Regiment's Battery G was one of the last two combat units to serve in the Vietnam War. ...

(155SP) : 75th Field Artillery Brigade – Supported 1st Inf Div, 1st Armd Div ::1st BN, 17th Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) ::5th BN, 18th Field Artillery Regiment (203SP) ::1st BN, 158th Field Artillery Regiment (MLRS) OK ARNG : 142FABdeSSI

142nd Field Artillery Brigade AR ARNG – Supported 1st Inf Div, 1st UK Armd Div ::1st BN,

142nd Field Artillery Regiment The 142nd Field Artillery Regiment ("Second Arkansas") is a United States Army field artillery regiment currently represented in the Arkansas Army National Guard by the 1st Battalion, 142nd Field Artillery, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansa ...

(203SP) AR ARNG ::2nd BN, 142nd Field Artillery Regiment (203SP) AR ARNG : 210th Field Artillery Brigade – Supported 2nd ACR, 1st Inf Div ::3rd BN, 17th Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) ::6th BN, 41st Field Artillery Regiment (155SP) ::C Btry, 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery (MLRS) :2nd Corps Support Command ::7th Corps Support Group ::: 6th Transportation Battalion :::71st Maintenance Battalion :::87th Maintenance Battalion :::213th Support Battalion :: 16th Corps Support Group :::4th Transportation Battalion :::101st Ordinance Battalion ::: 13th Support Battalion :::300th Service & Support Battalion ::30th Corps Support Group NC ARNG :::136th Quartermaster Battalion :::690th Maintenance Battalion :: 43rd Corps Support Group ::: 68th Transportation Battalion :::169th Maintenance Battalion :::544th Maintenance Battalion :::553rd Service & Support Battalion ::159th Corps Support Group USAR :::286th Supply & Service Battalion ME ARNG :: 332nd Medical Brigade USAR :::127th Medical Group AL ARNG ::::31st Combat Support Hospital ::::128th Combat Support Hospital ::::377th Combat Support Hospital USAR ::::403rd Combat Support Hospital USAR :::341st Medical Group USAR ::::159th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital LA ARNG ::::475th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital KY ARNG ::::807th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital USAR ::::912th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital USAR ::::345th Combat Support Hospital USAR – Converted to a MASH in January :::Task Forces Evac (Provisional) ::::12th Evacuation Hospital ::::13th Evacuation Hospital WI ARNG ::::148th Evacuation Hospital AR ARNG ::::312th Evacuation Hospital USAR ::::410th Evacuation Hospital USAR : 14MPBdeSSI

14th Military Police Brigade ::93rd Military Police Battalion ::95th Military Police Battalion ::118th Military Police Battalion RI ARNG ::372nd Military Police Battalion DC ARNG :: 793rd Military Police Battalion : 93d SIG BDE SSI

93rd Signal Brigade : 207th Military Intelligence Brigade ::2nd Military Intelligence Battalion ::307th Military Intelligence Battalion ::511th Military Intelligence Battalion

Redeployment and inactivation

After the fighting was over, most VII Corps units were redeployed directly to the United States for reassignment or inactivation. VII Corps HQ returned to Germany and was disbanded as part of the post-Cold War American defense spending cuts. Some VII Corps units remained in Germany and were reassigned to

. A farewell ceremony was held in downtown

at Schlossplatz, where the VII Corps colors were retired on 18 March 1992. The official inactivation was held at Fort McPherson, Ga., in April 1992.

Commanders during the Cold War and Gulf War

* Maj. Gen.

Withers A. Burress Lieutenant General Withers Alexander Burress (November 24, 1894 – June 13, 1977) was United States Army officer who was a graduate and commandant of the Virginia Military Institute as well as a combat commander in World War I and World War II. ...

- June 1951 - December 1952 * Maj. Gen. James M. Gavin - December 1952 - March 1954 * Lt. Gen. Henry I. Hodes - March 1954 - February 1955 * Lt. Gen.

George H. Decker George Henry Decker (February 16, 1902 – February 6, 1980) was a general in the United States Army, who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1960 to 1962. Early life Decker was born in Catskill, New York, and attended Lafay ...

- February 1955 - May 1956 * Maj. Gen. Halley G. Maddox - June - July 1956 * Lt. Gen. John F. Uncles - August 1956 - August 1958 * Lt. Gen. Gordon B. Rogers - September 1958 - October 1959 * Lt. Gen.

Guy S. Meloy Jr. General Guy Stanley Meloy Jr. (September 4, 1903 – December 14, 1968) was a U.S. Army general, World War II and Korean War veteran, and served as commander of all U.S. forces in Korea during the Cold War. Early life and education Meloy was ...

- October 1959 - January 1961 * Lt. Gen. John C. Oakes - January 1961 - April 1962 * Lt. Gen. C. H. Bonesteel III - April 1962 - August 1963 * Lt. Gen. Louis W. Truman - September 1963 - July 1965 * Lt. Gen. Frank T. Mildren - July 1965 - May 1968 * Lt. Gen. Donald V. Bennett - June 1968 - September 1969 * Lt. Gen. George G. O'Connor - October 1969 - February 1971 * Lt. Gen. Fillmore K. Mearns - February 1971- March 1973 * Lt. Gen.

George S. Blanchard George Samuel Blanchard (April 3, 1920 – May 3, 2006) was a United States Army four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Army Europe/Commander, Central Army Group from 1975 to 1979. Early life Blanchard was born on April ...

- March 1973 - June 1975 * Lt. Gen. Frederick J. Kroesen - July 1975 - October 1976 * Lt. Gen. David E. Ott - October 1976 - October 1978 * Lt. Gen. Julius W. Becton, Jr. - October 1978 - June 1981 * Lt. Gen.

William J. Livsey William James "Lipp" Livsey (June 8, 1931 – June 18, 2016) was a United States Army general who served as the Commander in Chief of United Nations Command/Commander in Chief, ROK/U.S. Combined Forces Command/Commander, United States Forces Korea ...

- June 1981 - July 1983 * Lt. Gen. John R. Galvin - July 1983 - February 1985 * Lt. Gen. Andrew P. Chambers - February 1985 - July 1987 * Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Watts - July 1987 - August 1989 * Lt. Gen. Frederick M. Franks Jr. - August 1989 - June 1991 * Lt. Gen. Michael Spiglemire - August 1991 - 1992 (Inactivation)

References

* * *Casey, Melanie (13 July 2004), "From Helenen Kaserne to Kelley Barracks", Stuttgart Citizen (Stuttgart, Germany): P 10 * * * * Draft Report The Battle of 73 Easting, 26 February 1991, a historical introduction to a simulation. Krause, Col Michael, US Army Center of Military History, 2 May 1991. * *{{cite book , first1=James M. , last1=Gavin , title=On To Berlin , publisher = Viking Press/Penguin Books Canada Limited , location = New York, NY , year = 1978 , isbn = 0-670-52517-0

External links

GlobalSecurity.org: VII Corps

* ttp://www.xixcorps.nl/Mission_Accomplished_Story_of_the_VII_Corps.htm World War II operations history of VII Corps
History site for VII Corps

Military units and formations established in 1918 07 07 Military units and formations of the United States in the Cold War 1918 establishments in the United States Military units and formations disestablished in 1992