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42d Infantry Division

"Rainbow Division"

In 1917 men were selected from various units of the national Guard of 26 states and the District of Columbia to form a truly representative division with a view towards "bringing the war home" to the people. It was numerically designated the 42d Division, and called the "Rainbow Division" by General Douglas MacArthur, then Colonel and newly appointed Chief of Staff of the Division, because "it spanned the nation like a rainbow." To further characterize the nickname, the adopted division insignia resembles a rainbow in bright, red, gold, and blue colors.

[page 162]

COMMAND AND STAFF

Commanding General

24 December 1944 Maj. Gen. Harry J. Collins

Assistant Division Commander

24 December 1944 Brig. Gen. Henning Linden

Artillery Commander

24 December 1944 Col. Giles R. Carpenter

Chief of Staff

24 December 1944 Col. Burns Beal
29 April 1945 Lt. Col. Robert G. Sherrard

Assistant Chief of Staff G-1

24 December 1944 Lt. Col. Roy N. Walker

Assistant Chief of Staff G-2

24 December 1944 Lt. Col. John C. F. Tillson, III
9 March 1945 Lt. Col Edwin Rusteberg

Assistant Chief of Staff G-3

24 December 1944 Lt. Col. Frederick W. Coleman
8 April 1945 Lt. Col Robert G. Sherrard
29 April 1945 Lt. Col. Frederick W. Coleman (Acting)
3 May 1945 Lt. Col. Frederick W. Coleman

Assistant Chief of Staff G-4

24 December 1944 Lt. Col. Robert G. Sherrard
8 March 1945 Maj. Donald Swihart

Assistant Chief of Staff G-5

3 February 1945 Maj. James F. X. O'Connell

Adjutant General

24 December 1944 Lt. Col. James D. Tanner

Commanding Officer, 222d Infantry

24 December 1944 Col. Henry J. Luongo
28 April 1945 Lt. Col. Lucien E. Bolduc

Commanding Officer, 232d Infantry

24 December 1944 Col. Alfred McNamee

Commanding Officer, 242d Infantry

24 December 1944 Col. Norman C. Caum
26 April 1945 Lt. Col. George S. Fricke
1 May 1945 Col. Burns Beall

[page 163]

STATISTICS

Chronology

Activated 14 July 1943
Arrived ETO 18 January 1945 [Three infantry regiments and detachment of division headquarters arrived ETO 9Dec44. Entered combat as Task Force Linden]
Arrived Continent (D+156) 18 January 1945
Entered Combat: First Elements 24 December 1944
Entered Combat: Entire Division 17 February 1945
Days in Combat 106

Casualties (Tentative)

Killed 333
Wounded 1,800
Missing 1,459
Captured 6
Battle Casualties 3,598
Non-Battle Casualties 2,351
Total Casualties 5,949
Percent of T/O Strength 42.2

Campaigns

Individual Awards

Distinguished Service Cross 1
Legion of Merit 3
Silver Star 185
Soldiers Medal 3
Bronze Star 515
Air Medal 15

Prisoners of War Taken 59,128

COMPOSITION

[page 164]

ATTACHMENTS

Antiaircraft Artillery

431st AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 16 Mar 45-27 Mar 45
431st AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 22 Apr 45-5 Jul 45

Armored

191st Tk Bn 17 Feb 45-4 Mar 45
Cos B & D, 48th Tk Bn (14th Armd Div) 4 Mar 45-12 Mar 45
48th Tk Bn (- Co D) (14th Armd Div) 12 Mar 45-25 Mar 45
749th Tk Bn 26 Mar 45-28 Mar 45
CC A (12th Armd Div) 7 Apr 45-14 Apr 45
27th Tk Bn (20th Armd Div) 24 Apr 45-28 Apr 45
27th Tk Bn (20th Armd Div) 30 Apr 45-10 May 45

Cavalry

117th Cav Rcn Sq 13 Mar 45-24 Mar 45

Chemical

83d Cml Mort Bn (- Cos A, B & C) 17 Feb 45-20 Feb 45
Co C, 83d Cml Mort Bn 17 Feb 45-4 Mar 45
Co A, 83d Cml Mort Bn 4 mar 45-25 Mar 45
168th Cml Co (SG) 23 Mar 45-24 Mar 45
1 plat, 168th Cml Co (SG) 23 Mar 45-14 May 45
163d Cml Co (SG) 3 Apr 45-9 Apr 45
99th Cml Mort Bn 3 Apr 45-19 Apr 45
Co A, 2d Cml Mort Bn 22 Apr 45-Still attached 23 Aug 45
2d Cml Mort Bn (-) 6 May 45-Still attached 23 Aug 45
Co B, 2d Cml Mort Bn 9 May 45-Still attached 23 Aug 45

Field Artillery

69th Armd FA Bn 16 Feb 45-25 mar 45
969th FA Bn (155mm How) 2 Apr 45-21 Apr 45
693d FA Bn (105mm How) 20 Apr 45-29 Apr 45
414th Armd FA Bn (20th Armd Div) 24 Apr 45-28 Apr 45
283d FA Bn (105mm How) 1 May 45-5 May 45
250th FA Bn (105mm How) 2 May 45-5 May 45

Tank Destroyer

645th TD Bn (SP) (- Co A) 17 Feb 45-4 Mar 45
510th TD Bn 12 Mar 45-16 Mar 45
692d TD Bn (SP) 15 Mar 45-29 Mar 45
692d TD Bn (SP) 31 Mar 45-12 Jul 45

[page 165]

DETACHMENTS

(Attached to)

Cavalry

42d Rcn Tr 12th Armd Div 13 Apr 45-14 Apr 45

Infantry

3d Bn, 222d Inf 12th Armd Div 2 Apr 45-8 Apr 45
2d Bn, 242d Inf 12th Armd Div 6 Apr 45-10 Apr 45
Co G, 242d Inf 12th Armd Div 10 Apr 45-12 Apr 45
3d Bn, 242d Inf 12th Armd Div 12 Apr 45-14 Apr 45
Co L, 232d Inf XXI Corps 12 Apr 45-23 Apr 45
Cos A & C, 232d Inf XXI Corps 13 Apr 45-15 Apr 45
1st Bn, 222d Inf XV Corps 19 Apr 45-21 Apr 45
3d Bn, 232d Inf XV Corps 1 May 45-4 May 45

[page 166]

ASSIGNMENT AND ATTACHMENT TO HIGHER UNITS

DATE CORPS ARMY ARMY GROUP
Assigned Attached Assigned Attached
4 Dec 44       ETOUSA; 6th  
10 Dec 44   Seventh   6th  
15 Dec 44   Third   12th  
24 Dec 44 VI Seventh   6th  
25 Mar 45 XXI Seventh   6th  
19 Apr 45 XV Seventh   6th  

[page 167]

COMMAND POSTS

DATE TOWN REGION COUNTRY
24 Dec 44 *Strasbourg Bas-Rhin France
26 Dec 44 *Koenigshoffen Bas-Rhin France
6 Jan 45 *Hagenau Bas-Rhin France
24 Jan 45 *Hochfelden Bas-Rhin France
29 Jan 45 *Vic-sur-Seille Moselle France
6 Feb 45 **Vic-sur-Seille Moselle France
17 Feb 45 La Petite Pierre (Lutzelstein) Bas-Rhin France
15 Mar 45 Wimmenau Bas-Rhin France
18 Mar 45 Barenthal Bas-Rhin France
19 Mar 45 Phillipsbourg Bas-Rhin France
22 Mar 45 Obersteinbach Bas-Rhin France
25 Mar 45 Dahn Pfalz Germany
1 Apr 45 Klein Heubach Baden Germany
4 Apr 45 Remlingen Bavaria Germany
6 Apr 45 Wurzburg Bavaria Germany
10 Apr 45 Kurnach Bavaria Germany
11 Apr 45 Stettbach Bavaria Germany
16 Apr 45 Scheinfeld Bavaria Germany
17 Apr 45 Neustadt Bavaria Germany
18 Apr 45 Langenzenn Bavaria Germany
20 Apr 45 Burgfarrnbach Bavaria Germany
22 Apr 45 Veitsaurach Bavaria Germany
23 Apr 45 Winsbach Bavaria Germany
24 Apr 45 Gunzenhausen Bavaria Germany
25 Apr 45 Wemding Bavaria Germany
26 Apr 45 Buchdorf Bavaria Germany
28 Apr 45 Rain Bavaria Germany
29 Apr 45 Unter Barr Bavaria Germany
30 Apr 45 Rossbach Bavaria Germany
1 May 45 Ober Menzing Bavaria Germany
2 May 45 Munich Bavaria Germany
3 May 45 Pfammern Bavaria Germany
4 May 45 Asling Bavaria Germany
5 May 45 Obing Bavaria Germany
6 May 45 Palling Bavaria Germany

* Task Force Linden (composed of three regiments and detachment of Division Headquarters of 42d Infantry Division became operational prior to arrival in European Theater of Operations of entire division).

** Command Post of entire division. Task Force Linden dissolved this date.

[pages 168-169]

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