U.S. 13th Armored Division
Encyclopedia
The 13th Armored Division was an armored division
of the United States Army
in World War II
.
The 13th Armored, known as the Black Cats, landed at Le Havre
, France, 29 January 1945. After performing occupation duties, the Division moved to Homberg
near Kassel
to prepare for combat under the Third Army, 5 April. At Altenkirchen
, it was attached to the XVIII Corps and prepared for the Ruhr Pocket
operation. The attack jumped off at Honnef, 10 April. After crossing the Sieg River at Siegburg
, the 13th pushed north to Bergisch-Gladbach, then toward Duisburg
and Mettmann
by 18 April.
Shifting south to Eschenau
, the Division prepared for Bavarian operations. Starting from Parsberg
, 26 April, the 13th crossed the Regen river
, then the Danube
at Matting and secured the area near Dunzling. On the 28th, elements closed in at Plattling
and crossed the Isar River. Moderate to heavy resistance was met during this drive through southern Germany. The Division smashed into Braunau am Inn
, Austria, 2 May, and the command post was set up in the house where Hitler was born. A bridgehead across the Inn was established at Marktl
, but the river was not crossed as orders came to reassemble north of Inn
, 2 May.
Preparations were made for further advances when the war in Europe ended. The 13th remained in Germany until 25 June and left Le Havre, France, for home, 14 July 1945.
The division moved to Camp Cook, California after returning to the United States. It was training in amphibious operations at the time of the Japanese surrender. The men were aware that it was an open secret that they were likely to participate in the invasion of Japan. It was inactivated on 15 November 1945.
The division was reactivated in 1947, reflagged from the 19th Armored Division, which had been 'placed on rolls,' but not actually activated, during World War II
. The 19th Armored Division was eventually activated just after the war, and allotted to the Sixth Army area of the Organized Reserves (specifically California, Oregon, and Arizona). In 1947, the 19th Armored Division was reflagged as the 13th Armored Division at California's request. In 1952, the division was reflagged as the 63rd Infantry Division in Los Angeles, California, and thus the 13th Armored Division was finally inactivated.
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History
The division was activated on 15 October 1942 at Camp Beale, California, East of Marysville.The 13th Armored, known as the Black Cats, landed at Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, France, 29 January 1945. After performing occupation duties, the Division moved to Homberg
Homberg
-In Germany:*Homberg , administrative seat of Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, Hesse*Homberg , in the district of Vogelsbergkreis, Hesse*Homberg, Westerwaldkreis, in the district of Westerwaldkreis, Rhineland-Palatinate...
near Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
to prepare for combat under the Third Army, 5 April. At Altenkirchen
Altenkirchen
Altenkirchen is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, capital of the district of Altenkirchen. It is located approx. 40 km east of Bonn and 40 km north of Koblenz. Altenkirchen is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Altenkirchen.-References:...
, it was attached to the XVIII Corps and prepared for the Ruhr Pocket
Ruhr Pocket
The Ruhr Pocket was a battle of encirclement that took place in late March and early April 1945, near the end of World War II, in the Ruhr Area of Germany. For all intents and purposes, it marked the end of major organized resistance on Nazi Germany's Western Front, as more than 300,000 troops were...
operation. The attack jumped off at Honnef, 10 April. After crossing the Sieg River at Siegburg
Siegburg
--122.148.78.228 05:06, 14 November 2011 Siegburg is a city in the district of Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...
, the 13th pushed north to Bergisch-Gladbach, then toward Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
and Mettmann
Mettmann
Mettmann is a Rhenish town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Mettmann, Germany's most densely populated rural district...
by 18 April.
Shifting south to Eschenau
Eschenau
Eschenau is a town in the district of Lilienfeld in the Austrian state of Lower Austria....
, the Division prepared for Bavarian operations. Starting from Parsberg
Parsberg
Parsberg is a municipality in the district of Neumarkt in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 23 km southeast of Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, and 33 km northwest of Regensburg, directly on Autobahn 3, which is the main route from Nuremberg to Regensburg Parsberg is a municipality in the...
, 26 April, the 13th crossed the Regen river
Regen River
The Regen is a river in Bavaria, Germany, and a left tributary of the Danube, at Regensburg, Germany. The source of its main headstream, the Großer Regen , is located in the Bohemian Forest on the territory of the Czech Republic, near Železná Ruda. The river crosses the border after a few...
, then the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
at Matting and secured the area near Dunzling. On the 28th, elements closed in at Plattling
Plattling
Plattling is a town in the district of Deggendorf, in Bavaria, Germany.During World War II, a subcamp of Flossenburg concentration camp was located here...
and crossed the Isar River. Moderate to heavy resistance was met during this drive through southern Germany. The Division smashed into Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn is a town in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria , the north-western state of Austria. It lies about 90 km west of Linz and about 60 km north of Salzburg, on the border with the German state of Bavaria. The population in 2001 was 16,372...
, Austria, 2 May, and the command post was set up in the house where Hitler was born. A bridgehead across the Inn was established at Marktl
Marktl am Inn
Marktl, or often unofficially called Marktl am Inn , is a village and historic market municipality in the state of Bavaria, Germany, near the Austrian border, in the Altötting district of Upper Bavaria. The most notable neighbouring town is Altötting...
, but the river was not crossed as orders came to reassemble north of Inn
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
, 2 May.
Preparations were made for further advances when the war in Europe ended. The 13th remained in Germany until 25 June and left Le Havre, France, for home, 14 July 1945.
The division moved to Camp Cook, California after returning to the United States. It was training in amphibious operations at the time of the Japanese surrender. The men were aware that it was an open secret that they were likely to participate in the invasion of Japan. It was inactivated on 15 November 1945.
The division was reactivated in 1947, reflagged from the 19th Armored Division, which had been 'placed on rolls,' but not actually activated, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The 19th Armored Division was eventually activated just after the war, and allotted to the Sixth Army area of the Organized Reserves (specifically California, Oregon, and Arizona). In 1947, the 19th Armored Division was reflagged as the 13th Armored Division at California's request. In 1952, the division was reflagged as the 63rd Infantry Division in Los Angeles, California, and thus the 13th Armored Division was finally inactivated.