| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
The 1st Armored Division —nicknamed the Old Ironsides— is an armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Wiesbaden, Germany. It was the first armored division of the U.S. Army to see battle.
This division is part of the U.S. V Corps (technically), or is directly subordinate to the 7th US Army, USAREUR (in certain cases). As of July 2004 its command personnel include:
Commander: Brigadier General Martin E. Dempsey
Chief of Staff: Colonel Jackson L. Flake
Command Sergeant Major: Command Sergeant Major Michael Bush
"Old Ironsides", the nickname of this division, was thought up by its first commander, Major General Bruce R. Magruder , after he saw a picture of the USS Constitution, which was also called "Old Ironsides". The large 1 at the top represents the numerical designation of the division, and the insignia is used as a basis for most other sub-unit insignias.
This unit's first major battle was in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of Northwest Africa. It became the first American armored division to see combat in World War II. It cut through vicious Vichy French resistance, and eventually led the assault on Erwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( November 15, 1891 October 14, 1944) was one of the most distinguished German Field Marshals and commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps in World War II. He is also known by his nickname The Desert Fox Wustenfuchs . Early life's tank units. After long months of fighting, the battle was won by the Allies.
After the fall of SicilySicily Sicilia in Italian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. 1 million inhabitants. Towns and Cities Sicily's principal cities include the regional capital Palermo, together with t, this unit, under the US Fifth Army, invaded mainland ItalyThis article covers the invasion of mainland Italy by the World War II Allies in September 1943 during the Italian Campaign. Strategic Decision Following the defeat of the Axis Powers in North Africa, there was disagreement between the Allies as to what t. It took part in the attack on the infamous Winter LineThe Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. It ran across Italy from just north of where the Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennin in NovemberNovember is also the letter N in the NATO phonetic alphabet. November is the eleventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 30 days. From the Latin novem for " nine". It was originally the ninth month of the year in the early Roman calendar, w 19431943 is the common year starting on Friday. Events January January 4 End of term for Culbert Olson, 29th Governor of California. He is succeeded by Earl Warren. January 11 The United States and United Kingdom give up territorial rights in China. January 1. It then flanked the AxisAxis has several uses: In mathematics, an axis is a straight line around which a geometric figure can be rotated. An axis of symmetry is a line with respect to which a body can be symmetrical. The term is also applied for the axis of a graph; the horizont armies in the landgings at Anzio, and participated in the liberation of Rome on June 4, 1944. The division continued in combat in the Po Valley until the German forces surrendered on May 2, 1945. In June, the Division moved to Germany as part of the occupation forces. April 1946 saw the Division return to the United States for deactivation.
The Korean War saw the US forces being built up again. As part of that buildup, the 1st Armored Division was reactivated on 7 March 1951 at Fort Hood. It was the first US Army unit to receive the new M48 Patton tank. After a number of years in Texas, the division was moved to Fort Polk , Louisiana, in 1956.
The division was deployed to Texas, Florida, and Georgia, in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis. During the six week deployment, it received a visit from President John F. Kennedy. A few units fought in the Vietnam War, and were returned to the division after the war. The 3rd Brigade deployed to Chicago to restore order, after Martin Luther King's marches. At that time, the division was based in Fort Hood, Texas.
As the Vietnam War wound down, there was a fundamental reorganisation of the Army. As part of this reorganisation, the 1st Armored Division was moved to Germany in 1971. It replaced the 4th Armored Division there. The Division remained in Germany for the next twenty years, as part of the American forces committed to NATO.
In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. US Army units were despatched to protect Saudi Arabia. Later in the fall, President Bush made the decision to deploy American heavy forces on a massive scale to eject the Iraqis from Kuwait. The lead unit for this deployment was the VII Corps from Germany. 1st Armored Division was one of four American heavy divisions assigned to VII Corps in theater. In the ground attack of the Gulf War, the Division led the VII Corps' flank attack on the Iraqis. It had the duty of destroying the elite Iraqi Republican Guard units. In 89 hours, the division moved 250 kilometers, destroyed 768 vehicles, and captured 1,064 prisoners of war, at the cost of 4 dead. It returned to Germany on May 8, 1991. It celebrated with a visit from the Vice President.
In 1995, the division deployed to the Balkans, in Operation Joint Endeavor , as the command element of Task Force Eagle , a powerful, multinational unit. It returned in late 1996 to Germany. In 1999, the unit was once again deployed, this time to Kosovo, for Operation Allied Force, and Operation Joint Guardian .
Afterwards, the unit trained heavily in Germany, with realistic opfor exercises. Some units were deployed into Iraq and other countries in the Middle East for the global War on Terrorism.
The division did not take part in the fighting in Iraq. It was part of the first wave of occupation reinforcements after the main fighting in the campaign was over, in Bagdad. The division was sheduled to return home on march-april 2004, but she had to fight during the spring against Moqtada Al Sadr, mostly in Nadjaf.
Armored divisions of the United States World War II divisions of the United States