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"Thunderbolt"
The mixture of insignia and distinctive colors of several arms incorporated in the Armored Force symbolize integrity and esprit. It is an interlocked ornament, found in Nordic monuments, composed of three torques: red for Artillery; blue for Infantry; and yellow for Cavalry. The symbols represent the characteristics of Armored Divisions: the tank track, mobility and armor protection; the cannon, fire power; and the red bolt of lightning, shock action.
[page 514]
See Also
A Brief History of the Thunderbolt Division11th Armored Division - Patton's Third Army Living HistoriansChapter 24-THE ARDENNES: BATTLE OF THE BULGE11th Armoured DivisionCOMMAND AND STAFF
Commanding General
| 5 Oct 44 | Brig. Gen. Charles S. Kilburn |
| 21 Mar 45 | Brig. Gen. Holmes E. Dager |
| 3 May 45 | Maj. Gen. Holmes E. Dager |
Artillery Commander
| 5 Oct 44 | Col. John G. Howard |
Chief of Staff
| 5 Oct 44 | Col. J. J. B. Williams |
| 17 Mar 45 | Col. Edgar T. Conley, Jr. |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-1
| 5 Oct 44 | Lt. Col. Ralph J. Olson |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-2
| 5 Oct 44 | Lt. Col. William R. Prince |
| 7 Jan 45 | Lt. Col. William M. Slayden |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-3
| 5 Oct 44 | Lt. Col. Paul A. chalmers |
| 7 Dec 44 | Lt. Col. George S. Downer, Jr. |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-4
| 5 Oct 44 | Maj. Johnnie B. Poole |
| 16 Nov 44 | Lt. Col. Johnnie B. Poole |
Assistant Chief of Staff G-5
| 19 Dec 44 | Maj. Howard W. Decker |
| 16 Feb 45 | Lt. Col. Howard W. Decker |
Adjutant General
| 5 Oct 44 | Lt. Col. Lillar P. Miller |
Commanding Officer, Combat Command A
| 5 Oct 44 | Brig. Gen. Willard A. Holbrook, Jr. |
Commanding Officer, Combat Command B
| 5 Oct 44 | Col. Wesley W. Yale |
Commanding Officer, Reserve Command
| 5 Oct 44 | Col. Virgil Bell |
[page 515]
STATISTICS
Chronology
- Activated 15 August 1942
- Arrived ETO 5 October 1944
- Arrived Continent (D+194) 17 December 1944
- Entered Combat 23 December 1944
- Days in Combat ..96
- Killed 614
- Wounded 2,562
- Missing 40
- Captured
- Battle Casualties 3,216
- Non-Battle Casualties 1,921
- Total Casualties 5,137
- Percent of T/O Strength 48.1
- Ardennes
- Rhineland
- Central Europe
Casualties (Tentative)
Campaigns
Individual Awards
- Distinguished Service Cross 1
- Legion of Merit 13
- Silver Star 275
- Soldiers Medal 2
- Bronze Star 2
- Air Medal 59
Prisoners of War Taken 76,229
COMPOSITION
- Headquarters Company
- Combat Command A
- Combat Command B
- Reserve Command
- 22d Tank Battalion
- 41st Tank Battalion
- 42d Tank Battalion
- 21st Armored Infantry Battalion
- 55th Armored Infantry Battalion
- 63d Armored Infantry Battalion
- 41st Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized)
- 56th Armored Engineer Battalion
- 151st Armored Signal Company
- 11th Armored Division Artillery
- 490th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
- 491st Armored Field Artillery Battalion
- 492d Armored Field Artillery Battalion
- 11th Armored Division Trains
- 133d Ordnance Maintenance Battalion
- 81st Armored Medical Battalion
- Military Police Platoon
- Band
[page 516]
ATTACHMENTS
Antiaircraft Artillery
| 575th AAA AW Bn (SP) | 23 Dec 44-24 May 45 |
Engineer
| 991st Engr Treadway Br Co (- 1 section) | 4 Mar 45-14 Mar 45 |
| 996th Engr Treadway Br Co | 28 Mar 45-1 Jun 45 |
Field Artillery
| Btry C, 174th FA Bn (155mm Gun) | 15 Feb 45-4 Mar 45 |
Infantry
| 355th CT (89th Div) | 16 Mar 45-21 Mar 45 |
| 914th FA Bn (89th Div) (105mm How) | 16 Mar 45-21 Mar 45 |
| Co C, 314th Engr C Bn (89th Div) | 16 Mar 45-21 Mar 45 |
| 261st CT (65th Div) | 28 Mar 45-29 Mar 45 |
| 328th CT (26th Div) | 3 May 45-6 May 45 |
Tank Destroyer
| 602d TD Bn (SP) | 29 Dec 44-27 Jan 45 |
| 811th TD Bn (SP) | 27 Jan 45-4 Feb 45 |
| 602d TD Bn (SP) | 4 Feb 45-24 Feb 45 |
| 705th TD Bn (SP) | 24 Feb 45-5 Jul 45 |
[page 517]
DETACHMENTS
(Attached to)
Armored
| 2 plats, Co A, 22d Tk Bn | 87th Div | 9 Jan 45 |
| CC A | 87th Div | 24 Feb 45-4 Mar 45 |
| 42d Tk Bn | 87th Div | 24 Feb 45-4 Mar 45 |
| 63d Armd Inf Bn | 87th Div | 24 Feb 45-4 Mar 45 |
| 490th Armd FA Bn | 87th Div | 24 Feb 45-4 Mar 45 |
| 41st Cav Rcn Sq (- Tr B) | 87th Div | 24 Feb 45-4 Mar 45 |
| Co A, 56th Armd Engr Bn | 87th Div | 24 Feb 45-4 Mar 45 |
Cavalry
| 41st Cav Rcn Sq | 6th Armd Div | 12 Feb 45-21 Feb 45 |
[page 517]
ASSIGNMENT AND ATTACHMENT TO HIGHER UNITS
| DATE | CORPS | ARMY | ARMY GROUP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assigned | Attached | Assigned | Attached | ||
| 26 Sep 44 | Ninth | ETOUSA | |||
| 2 Oct 44 | III | ||||
| 5 Oct 44 | III | UK Base | |||
| 11 Oct 44 | (-) | UK Base | |||
| 13 Dec 44 | (-) | 12th | |||
| 19 Dec 44 | Ninth | 12th | |||
| 20 Dec 44 | First | 12th | |||
| 23 Dec 44 | VIII | Third | 12th | ||
| 31 Dec 44 | XII | Third | 12th | ||
| 15 Jan 45 | VIII | Third | 12th | ||
| 12 Mar 45 | XX | Third | 12th | ||
| 16 Mar 45 | XII | Third | 12th | ||
| 24 Mar 45 | XX | Third | 12th | ||
| 1 Apr 45 | XII | Third | 12th | ||
(-) indicates relieved from assignment
[page 518]
COMMAND POSTS
| DATE | TOWN | REGION | COUNTRY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Oct 44 | Warminster (vic.; Knock Camp) | Wiltshire | England |
| 3 Dec 44 | Horst | Limburg | Netherlands |
| 18 Dec 44 | Ell | Limburg | Netherlands |
| 26 Dec 44 | Guignicourt-ser-Vence | Ardennes | France |
| 30 Dec 44 | Longlier | Luxembourg | Belgium |
| 3 Jan 45 | Vaux-les-Rosiers | Luxembourg | Belgium |
| 13 Jan 45 | Sibret | Luxembourg | Belgium |
| 14 Jan 45 | Hemroulle | ||
| 20 Jan 45 | Bastogne | Luxembourg | Belgium |
| 6 Feb 45 | Wilwerdingen | -- | Luxembourg |
| 13 Feb 45 | Ell | Limburg | Netherlands |
| 16 Feb 45 | Wilwerdingen | -- | Luxembourg |
| 18 Feb 45 | Tilburg | North Brabant | Netherlands |
| 20 Feb 45 | Boxtel | North Brabant | Netherlands |
| 5 Mar 45 | Herscheid | Rhineland | Germany |
| 8 Mar 45 | Budesheim | Rhineland | Germany |
| 12 Mar 45 | Neidermendig | Rhineland | Germany |
| 21 Mar 45 | Winnweiler | Pfalz | Germany |
| 31 Mar 45 | Langenselbold | Hessen-Nassau | Germany |
| 1 Apr 45 | Grainfeld | Hessen | Germany |
| 2 Apr 45 | Silges | Hessen-Nassau | Germany |
| 3 Apr 45 | Unterweid | Thuringia | Germany |
| 4 Apr 45 | Steinbach-Hallenberg | Thuringia | Germany |
| 6 Apr 45 | Zellmellis | Thuringia | Germany |
| 9 Apr 45 | Themar | Thuringia | Germany |
| 11 Apr 45 | Schnackershausen | Thuringia | Germany |
| 14 Apr 45 | Mainleus | Bavaria | Germany |
| 19 Apr 45 | Bayreuth | Bavaria | Germany |
| 20 Apr 45 | Oberbibrach | Bavaria | Germany |
| 21 Apr 45 | Grafenwohr | Bavaria | Germany |
| 23 Apr 45 | Schnaittenbach | Bavaria | Germany |
| 24 Apr 45 | Stamsreid | Bavaria | Germany |
| 25 Apr 45 | Patersdorf | Bavaria | Germany |
| 26 Apr 45 | Schonberg | Bavaria | Germany |
| 2 May 45 | Wegscheid | Bavaria | Germany |
| 3 May 45 | Rohrbach | Ober Oesterreich | Austria |
| 4 May 45 | Neufelden | Ober Oesterreich | Austria |
| 5 May 45 | Ober Neukirchen | Ober Oesterreich | Austria |
| 6 May 45 | Kirchschlag | Ober Oesterreich | Austria |
[pages 519 (through 3 Apr 45)-520]
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