242nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
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The 242nd Infantry Regiment was a formation 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 ...
. Organized as part of the 42nd Infantry Division 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 ...
, the regiment took part in fighting against the Germans and performed post-war occupation duty in Austria. The 242nd Infantry's most notable member was Vito R. Bertoldo, who received the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
for heroism in combat near
Hatten Hatten is a municipality in Oldenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated southeast of Oldenburg, on the North-West edge of the Wildeshausen Geest Nature Park. Activities Tourism endeavours emphasise the recreational and sporting opport ...
,
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 ...
, in January 1945.


Formation

In June 1943, the
United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...
issued orders reactivating the 42nd Infantry Division for service in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The division's task organization included the 222nd, 232nd, and 242nd Infantry Regiments. The cadre of experienced officers and noncommissioned officers around which the 242nd Infantry formed had recently returned from overseas service in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
and
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
, and assembled at
Fort Benning Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
and
Camp Maxey Camp Maxey is a Texas Army National Guard training facility that was originally built as a U.S. Army infantry-training camp during World War II. It was occupied from July 1942 to early 1946 in Lamar County, Texas. Its main entrance was located n ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
prior to relocating to
Camp Gruber Camp Gruber is an Oklahoma Army National Guard (OKARNG) training facility. It covers a total of . The base is named after Brigadier General Edmund L. Gruber, a noted artillery officer and the original composer of the U.S. Field Artillery March, ...
,
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
. The 242nd Infantry was activated at Camp Gruber on July 14, 1943. Recruits, draftees, and soldiers reassigned to the 242nd Infantry began arriving at Camp Gruber in August 1943. At the end of October, the 242nd Infantry Regiment reached 100 percent of its authorized strength. The regiment's first commander was Colonel Burns Beall. He was subsequently assigned as the division chief of staff, and was succeeded by Colonel Norman C. Caum in October 1944.


Task organization

The 242nd Infantry Regiment's World War II task organization included: *Regimental headquarters ::*Headquarters Company ::*Anti-Tank Company ::*Cannon Company ::*Service Company :::*Medical Detachment :*1st Battalion ::*Headquarters Company ::*Company A ::*Company B ::*Company C ::*Company D :*2nd Battalion ::*Headquarters Company ::*Company E ::*Company F ::*Company G ::*Company H :*3rd Battalion ::*Headquarters Company ::*Company I ::*Company K ::*Company L ::*Company M


Combat history

Following training at Camp Gruber and transport to Europe, the 42nd Infantry Division's three infantry regiments and a detachment of the division headquarters arrived at
Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
,
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 ...
, on December 8–9, 1944. These units were organized as Task Force Linden, under the command of
Henning Linden Brigadier General Henning Linden (September 3, 1892 – March 15, 1984) was a United States Army officer who served in World War II. He was notable for his role in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp while serving as assistant division ...
, the
brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
assigned as the 42nd Division's assistant division commander. As part of the Seventh Army's
VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to: France * VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army du ...
, Task Force Linden entered combat in the vicinity of
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
, relieving units of the 36th Infantry Division on December 24, 1944. While defending a 31-mile sector along the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
north and south of
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
in January 1945, Task Force Linden repulsed a number of enemy counterattacks at
Hatten Hatten is a municipality in Oldenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated southeast of Oldenburg, on the North-West edge of the Wildeshausen Geest Nature Park. Activities Tourism endeavours emphasise the recreational and sporting opport ...
and other locations during the German "
Operation Northwind Operation Northwind (german: Unternehmen Nordwind) was the last major German offensive of World War II on the Western Front. Northwind was launched to support the German Ardennes offensive campaign in the Battle of the Bulge, which by December ...
" offensive. At the headquarters of 1st Battalion, 242nd Infantry, Private First Class Vito R. Bertoldo waged a 48-hour defense of the battalion command post, for which he received the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
. In February 1945, the full 42nd Division entered combat and took up defensive positions near
Haguenau Haguenau (; Alsatian: or ; and historically in English: ''Hagenaw'') is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department of France, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It is second in size in the Bas-Rhin only to Strasbourg, some to the south. To the ...
in the Hardt Forest. On February 27, the division went on the offensive. It attacked through the Haardt forest, broke through the
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 ...
from March 15 to 21, and cleared
Dahn Dahn is a municipality in the Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Palatinate Forest, approximately 15 km southeast of Pirmasens, and 25 km west of Landau. It is part of the ''Verbandsgemeind ...
and
Busenberg Busenberg is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe a ...
, while units of Third Army created and expanded bridgeheads across the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
. The 42nd Division moved across the Rhine on March 31, captured
Wertheim am Main Wertheim (East Franconian: ''Wärde'') is a town in southwestern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg with a population of around 23,400. It is located on the confluence of the rivers Tauber and Main. Wertheim is best known for its land ...
on April 1, and captured
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 ...
on April 6, following four days of intense fighting. After hand-to-hand fighting from 9 to 12 April,
Schweinfurt Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultural and educational hub. The urban agg ...
fell. German forces in
Fürth Fürth (; East Franconian: ; yi, פיורדא, Fiurda) is a city in northern Bavaria, Germany, in the administrative division (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the t ...
, near
Nürnberg 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 ci ...
, put up fanatical resistance, but were defeated after combat on 18 and 19 April. On April 25, the 42nd Infantry Division captured
Donauwörth Donauwörth () is a town and the capital of the Donau-Ries district in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is said to have been founded by two fishermen where the rivers Danube (Donau) and Wörnitz meet. The city is part of the scenic route called "Roman ...
on the
Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
. On April 29, soldiers of the 222nd Infantry under Linden's command liberated approximately 30,000 prisoners at
Dachau concentration camp , , commandant = List of commandants , known for = , location = Upper Bavaria, Southern Germany , built by = Germany , operated by = ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) , original use = Political prison , construction ...
. The 42nd Division ended World War II on occupation duty in
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. While serving on occupation duty, the regiment’s 1st Battalion was awarded the
Presidential Unit Citation (United States) The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...
for their stand at Hatten in January 1945.The regiment was inactivated in January 1947.


Campaign participation credit

The 242nd Infantry Regiment's campaign participation credit included: *
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 ...
:*
Ardennes-Alsace 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 ...
:*
Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...
:*
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' ...


Post-World War II

In April 1975, the
New York Army National Guard The New York Army National Guard is a component of the New York National Guard and the Army National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the United States Army's available combat forces and approximat ...
's 142nd Tank Battalion was converted to Infantry and re-designated 1st Battalion, 242nd Infantry Regiment, a unit of New York's 42nd Division. This unit was inactivated in April 1984.


References


Sources


Books

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Internet

*{{cite web , url=http://dmna.ny.gov/arng/l-and-h/242.html , title=242nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion , website=dmna.ny.gov , publisher=New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs , location=Albany, NY , access-date=October 25, 2019 , ref={{sfnRef, "242nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion" 242