106th Infantry Division (United States)
| 106th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
|
|
| Active | 15 March 1943 – 2 October 1945 1 May 1948 – 12 October 1950 |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Allegiance | Army of the United States |
| Branch |
 United States Army
|
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Puerto Rico (1946–50) |
| Nickname(s) | Golden Lion |
| Engagements | |
| Battle honours | Distinguished Unit Citation: Ardennes-Alsace Campaign |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
MG Alan W. Jones (March 1943) BG Herbert T. Perrin (December 1944) MG Donald A. Stroh (February 1945) |
The 106th Infantry Division was a division of the United States Army formed for service during World War II. Two of its three regiments were overrun and surrounded in the initial days of the Battle of the Bulge, and they were forced to surrender to German forces on 19 December 1944. The division was never officially added to the troop list following the war, despite having been almost completely organized in Puerto Rico by 1948; subsequently, the War Department determined the division was not needed and inactivated the division headquarters in 1950.
The 106th Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Company was constituted on paper on 5 May 1942, five months after the United States entered World War II. It was actually activated on 15 March 1943 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, with a cadre from the 80th Infantry Division. Following Basic and Advanced Infantry Training, the Division moved on 28 March 1944 to Tennessee to participate in the Second Army #5 Maneuvers.
The 106th Infantry Division relieved the 2nd Infantry Division in the Schnee Eifel on 11 December 1944, with its 424th Infantry Regiment was sent to Winterspelt. Prior to the battle, according to the US Army Service Manual, one division should be responsible for no more than 5 miles (8.0 km) of front. On the eve of the battle, the 106th was covering a front of almost 26 miles (42 km).
In the Ardennes-Alsace Campaign, the Germans attacked the 106th on 16 December 1944. The division's 422nd and 423rd Infantry Regiments were encircled and cut off by a junction of enemy forces in the vicinity of Schonberg. They regrouped for a counterattack, but were blocked by the enemy. The two regiments surrendered on 19 December. The Germans gained 6,000 prisoners in one of the largest mass surrenders in American military history. Nearly 50% of the division's strength was brushed aside in the first days of the Battle of the Bulge.
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