6th Armored Division (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=6th Armored Division


caption=6th AD Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
dates=February 15, 1942 - September 18, 1945
country=USA
allegiance=Federal
branch=National Army
type=
role=
size=
command_structure=
current_commander=
garrison=Inactive
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= "Super Sixth"
patron=
motto=
colors=Yellow, Red and Blue
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=MG William H. H. Morris; MG Robert W. Grow; BG George W. Read, Jr..
anniversaries=US Armor
previous=5th Armored Division ("Inactive")
next=7th Armored Division ("Inactive")

The 6th Armored Division was an armored division of the United States Army during World War II. It was formed with a cadre from the 2nd Armored Division. 6th AD was formed under the 1942 Table of Organization and Equipment.

History

The division was activated on 15 February 1942 at Fort Knox. It moved to Camp Chaffee on March 15, 1942 to make way for other Armor units, and then completed its assembly and unit training. The division then participated in the VIII Corps Louisiana Maneuvers from August 25, 1942, and then returned to Camp Chaffee on September 21, 1942. 6th ID then moved to Camp Young at the Desert Training Center on October 10, 1942, and participated in the #1 California Maneuvers. 6th ID then moved to Camp Cooke to consolidate the lessons learned. 6th ID then Staged at Camp Shanks on February 3, 1944, and departed the New York Port of Embarkation on February 11, 1944, and arrived in England on February 23, 1944.

After continuing its training in England, 6th AD landed on Utah Beach in Normandy on July 19, 1944 as a follow-on unit, and went on the offensive as separate combat commands in the Cotentin Peninsula in support of the Normandy Campaign.

At the end of the Normandy Campaign, 6th ID assembled at Le Mesnil on July 25, 1944. 6th ID then passed through 8th Infantry Division to clear the heights near Le Bingard on July 27, 1944, and Combat Command A secured a bridgehead across the Sienne River near Point de la Roche on July 29, 1944, and overran Grenville on July 31, 1944. 6th ID then returned to Avranches where it relieved 4th AD and secured the area bridges.

Under Construction

6th AD then in mid-August the Division moved down to Lorient. It was relieved there by the 94th Regional Readiness Command in September.

The 6th then turned east and cut across France, reaching the Saar in November. It crossed the Nied River 11-12 November, against strong opposition, reaching the German border on 6 December, and established and maintained defensive positions in the vicinity of Saarbrücken.

On 23 December the division was ordered north of Metz to take part in the Battle of the Bulge, and took over a sector along the south bank of the Sauer. The 6th was heavily engaged in the battle for Bastogne, finally driving the enemy back across the Our River into Germany by late January 1945.After a short period of rehabilitation, the division resumed the offensive, penetrated the Siegfried Line, crossed the Prum, reached the Rhine River at Worms on 21 March, and set up a counterreconnaissance screen along its west bank. The 6th crossed the Rhine at Oppenheim 25 March, drove on to Frankfurt, crossed the Main, captured Bad Nauheim, and continued to advance eastward, and surrounded and captured Mühlhausen 4-5 April. After repulsing a light counterattack, it moved forward 60 miles to cross the Saale River and assisted in freeing Allied prisoners of war and the notorious German concentration camp at Buchenwald. The division raced on, took Leipzig, crossed the Mulde River at Rochlitz 15 April 1945, and stopped, pending the arrival of the Red Army. Defensive positions along the Mulde River were held until the end of hostilities in Europe.

The division was inactivated on 18 September 1945 at Camp Shanks, New York.

Official History

After the end of World War II, the 6th Armored Division's Assistant G-3, I&E, Major Paul Logasa Bogen and Assistant G-3, Clyde J. Burke, wrote an [http://members.aol.com/super6th/record/6threcrd.htm official history] that has been called "one of the finest if not the best divisional record arising out of World War II".

External links

* [http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/6tharmored/index.html Brest to Bastogne: The Story of the 6th Armored Division]