6 History during WW II

After training in IrelandThe island of Ireland ire in Irish, Airlann in Ulster Scots) is the third-largest island in Europe. It lies on the west side of the Irish Sea, close to the island of Great Britain. It is composed of the Republic of Ireland in the south and Northern Irelan and WalesFor alternate meanings, see Wales (disambiguation Wales ( Welsh: Cymru pronounced /"k@mrI/ SAMPA, km IPA, 'Kumree' approximate pronunciation) is one of the four nations comprising the United Kingdom (the other three being England, Scotland and Northern Ir from October 1943 to June 1944, the 2d Infantry Division crossed the channel to land on Omaha BeachOmaha Beach was the Allied codename for one of the principal landing points during the Normandy landings on June 6 1944. The beach is about 3. 5 miles long, from Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes to Vierville-sur-Mer. To the west of the beach, the American 29th on DIn military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. By far the most well-known D-Day is June 6, 1944—the day on which the Battle of Normandy began—commencing the American and British plus 1, June 7, 1944, near St. Laurent-sur-Mer . Attacking across the Aure River , the Division liberated Trevieres, 10 June, and proceeded to assault and secure Hill 192, the key enemy strongpoint on the road to St. Lo. With the hill taken 11 July 1944, the Division went on the defensive until 26 July. Exploiting the St. Lo break-through, the 2d Division advanced across the VireVire is a commune and a canton of the departement of Calvados, in the Basse-Normandie region, in France. It is also the seat of this canton. Geography Thecity is located near the Vire river. Administration Vire amalgamated two communes in 19 year timeline to take Tinchebray 15 August 1944. The Division then moved west to join the battle for BrestBrest (population 155,000) is a city in Brittany, north-west France, in the departement of Finistere (29). Located on the western tip of the Brittany peninsula, the city is an important port and naval base. The military harbor was fortified by Vauban ( 16, the heavily defended fortress surrendering 18 September 1944 after a 39-day contest. The Division took a brief rest 19-26 September before moving to defensive positions at St. Vith. The German Ardennes offensive in mid-December forced the Division to withdraw to defensive positions near Elsenborn , where the German drive was halted. In February 1945 the Division attacked, recapturing lost ground, and seized Gemund, 4 March. Reaching the Rhine 9 March, the 2d advanced south to take Breisig , 10-11 March, and to guard the Remagen bridge, 12-20 March. The Division crossed the Rhine 21 March and advanced to Hadamar and Limburg, relieving elements of the 9th Armored Division, 28 March. Advancing rapidly in the wake of the 9th Armored, the 2d Division crossed the Weser at Veckerhagen , 6-7 April, captured. Göttingen 8 April, established a bridgehead across the Saale, 14 April, seizing Merseburg on the 15th. On the 18th the Division took Leipzig, mopped up in the area, and outposted the Mulde River ; elements which had crossed the river were withdrawn 24 April. Relieved on the Mulde, the 2d moved 200 miles, 1-3 May, to positions along the German-Czech border near Schonsee and Waldmunchen , and attacked in the general direction of Pilsen, reaching that city as the war in Europe ended.

7 External links

• "From D+1 to 105: The Story of the 2nd Infantry Division" (WWII unit history booklet)

Infantry divisions of the United States World War II divisions of the United States

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