78th INFANTRY DIVISION

 

"Lightning Division"

The "Lightning" shoulder patch originated in World War I. The battles of the 78th Division were likened by the French to a bolt of lightning, leaving the field blood red. Thus the insignia became a single streak of lightning across a red field.

Motto: "Audaciter".

[page 248]

COMMAND AND STAFF

Commanding General

25 Oct 44 Maj. Gen. Edwin P. Parker, Jr.

Assistant Division Commander

25 Oct 44 Brig. Gen. John K. Rice

Artillery Commander

25 Oct 44 Brig. Gen. Frank Camm

Chief of Staff

25 Oct 44 Col. Joseph A. Nichols

Assistant Chief of Staff G-1

25 Oct 44 Lt. Col. Clyde H. Quillen

Assistant Chief of Staff G-2

25 Oct 44 Lt. Col. Robert C. Wilson, Jr.

Assistant Chief of Staff G-3

25 Oct 44 Lt. Col. Charles A. McKinney, Jr.

Assistant Chief of Staff G-4

25 Oct 44 Lt. Col. Donald E. Zealand
10 Mar 45 Maj. Melvin F. Skinner (Acting)
11 Mar 45 Maj. John L. Davids

Assistant Chief of Staff G-5

16 Dec 44 Maj. William K. Denaro (Acting)
18 Jan 45 Maj. William K. Denaro

Adjutant General

25 Oct 44 Lt. Col. Fred J. Martineay

Commanding Officer, 309th Infantry

25 Oct 44 Col. John G. Ondrick

Commanding Officer, 310th Infantry

25 Oct 44 Col. Earl J. Miner
17 Feb 45 Lt. Col. Thomas H. Hayes
1 Apr 45 Lt. Col. Harry Lutz

Commanding Officer, 311th Infantry

25 Oct 44 Col. Chester M. Willingham

[page 249]

STATISTICS

Chronology

Activated 15 August 1942
Arrived ETO 25 October 1944
Arrived Continent (D+169) 22 November 1944
Entered Combat--First Elements 11 December 1944
Entered Combat--Entire Division 13 December 1944
Days in Combat 125

Casualties (Tentative)

Killed 1,547
Wounded 5,958
Missing 371
Captured 14
Battle Casualties 7,890
Non-Battle Casualties 4,367
Total Casualties 12,257
Percent of T/O Strength 87.0

Campaigns

Rhineland

ArdennesCentral Europe

Individual Awards

Distinguished Service Cross 4
Legion of Merit 16
Silver Star 357
Soldiers Medal 13
Bronze Star 3,545
Air Medal 74

Prisoners of War Taken 62,930

COMPOSITION

309th Infantry

310th Infantry

311th Infantry

78th Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized)

303d Engineer Combat Battalion

303d Medical Battalion

78th Division Artillery

307th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

308th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

903d Field Artillery Battalion (105mm Howitzer)

309th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm Howitzer)

Special Troops

778th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company

78th Quartermaster Company

78th Signal Company

Military Police Platoon

Headquarters Company

Band

[page 250]

ATTACHMENTS

Antiaircraft Artillery

552d AAA AW Bn (Mbl) 20 Dec 44-still attached 9 May 45
1 plat, Btry D, 203d AAA AW Bn (SP) 10 Feb 45

Armored

709th Tk Bn (-) 10 Dec 44-25 Jan 45
CC R (5th Armd Div) 18 Dec 44-21 Dec 44
Co A, 10th Tk Bn (5th Armd Div) 19 Dec 44-20 Dec 44
Mort Plat, Hq Co, 736th Tk Bn 11 Jan 45-21 Jan 45
Assault Gun Plat, Hq Co, 726th Tk Bn 11 Jan 45-21 Jan 45
736th Tk Bn (-) 25 Jan 45-1 Feb 45
Mort Plat, Hq Co, 736th Tk Bn 25 Jan 45-3 Feb 45
Co D, 736th Tk Bn 25 Jan 45-3 Feb 45
CC A (5th Armd Div) 27 Jan 45-1 Feb 45
Sq B, Br 1st Fife & Forfar Yeo (Br 79th Armd Div) 27 Jan 45-2 Feb 45
Co A, 739th Tk Bn 27 Jan 45-6 Feb 45
Co B, 774th Tk Bn 3 Feb 45-8 Feb 45
CC R (7th Armd Div) 3 Feb 45-10 Feb 45
774th Tk Bn (- Co B) 3 Feb 45-24 Feb 45
1 plat, Co A, 738th Tk Bn 6 Feb 45-28 Feb 45
Co B, 774th Tk Bn 13 Feb 45-24 Apr 45
2 plats, 14th Tk Bn (9th Armd Div) 16 Feb 45-17 Mar 45

Cavalry

Tr A, 38th Cav Rcn Sq 18 Dec 44-7 Jan 45
102d Cav Gp 18 Dec 44-24 Jan 45
4th Cav Rcn Sq 21 mar 45-25 Mar 45
28th Rcn Tr (28th Div) 19 Apr 45-22 Apr 45

Chemical

Co A, 86th Cml Mort Bn 12 Dec 44-24 Dec 44
92d Cml Mort Bn (- Co C) 23 Dec 44-21 Jan 45
92d Cml Mort Bn (- Co C) 27 Jan 45-3 Feb 45
Cos A&C, 86th Cml Mort Bn 3 Feb 45-13 Feb 45
Co B, 90th Cml Mort Bn 11 Mar 45-16 Mar 45
Co B, 86th Cml Mort Bn 15 Mar 45-2 Apr 45
Cos A&B, 95th Cml Mort Bn 4 Apr 45-5 Apr 45

Engineer

Co A, 146th Engr C Bn 19 Dec 44-21 Dec 44
3d Plat, Co A, 112th Engr C Bn 19 Dec 44-21 Dec 44

Field Artillery

987th FA Bn (- Btrys A&C) (155mm Gun) 12 Dec 44-19 Dec 44
62d Armd FA Bn 13 Dec 44-17 Dec 44
95th Armd FA Bn (5th Armd Div) 15 Dec 44-17 Dec 44
62d Armd FA Bn 24 Dec 44-24 Jan 45
47th Armd FA Bn 27 Jan 45-1 Feb 45
71st Armd FA Bn (5th Armd Div) 27 Jan 45-1 Feb 45
Btry A, 258th FA Bn (155mm Gun) 27 Jan 45-5 Feb 45
Btry C, 987th FA Bn (155mm Gun) 3 Feb 45-14 Feb 45
76th FA Bn (105mm How) 9 Mar 45-17 Apr 45
26th FA Bn (105mm How) (9th Div) 11 Mar 45-16 Mar 45
18th FA Gp 3 Apr 45-17 Apr 45
…254th FA Bn (155mm How) 3 Apr 45-9 Apr 45

Infantry

2d Ranger Inf Bn 16 Dec 44-8 Jan 45
Co A, 47th Armd Inf Bn (5th Armd Div) 19 Dec 44-21 Dec 44
23d Armd Inf Bn (7th Armd Div) 3 Feb 45-10 Feb 45
517th Prcht CT (Non-Div) 4 Feb 45-7 Feb 45
38th CT (2d Div) 8 Mar 45
…38th FA Bn (105mm How) (2d Div) 8 Mar 45
…Co C, 2d Engr C Bn (2d Div) 8 Mar 45
39th Inf (9th Div) 11 Mar 45-16 Mar 45
60th Armd Inf Bn (9th Armd Div) 12 Mar 45-17 Mar 45
303d CT (97th Div) 3 Apr 45-6 Apr 45
387th Inf (97th Div) 4 Apr 45-6 Apr 45
386th CT (97th Div) 5 Apr 45-6 Apr 45
112th Inf (28th Div) 19 Apr 45-25 Apr 45

Tank Destroyer

817th TD Bn (T) 1 Dec 44-6 Dec 44
893d TD Bn (SP) (- Co C) 11 Dec 44- still attached 9 May 45
628th TD Bn (SP) (-) 19 Dec 44-23 Dec 44
Co C, 893d TD Bn (SP) 19 Dec 44-still attached 9 May 45
Co B, 814th TD Bn (SP) 10 Feb 45

[pages 251-252]

DETACHMENTS

(Attached to)

Infantry

311th Inf 8th Div 10 Dec 44-23 Dec 44
1st Bn, 311th Inf 9th Div 8 Feb 45-10 Feb 45
309th Inf 9th Div 8 Feb 45-12 Feb 45
3d Bn, 310th Inf 9th Armd Div 1 Mar 45-8 Mar 45
1st Bn, 310th Inf 9th Armd Div 1 Mar 45-12 Mar 45
2d Bn, 310th Inf 9th Armd Div 5 Mar 45-8 Mar 45
309th CT 9th Armd Div 8 Mar 45-11 Mar 45
311th CT 9th Armd Div 8 Mar 45-11 Mar 45
310th CT (- 1st Bn) 9th Armd Div 10 Mar 45-14 Mar 45

[pages 252-253]

ASSIGNMENT AND ATTACHMENT TO HIGHER UNITS

DATE CORPS ARMY ARMY GROUP
Assigned Attached Assigned Attached
7 Oct 44     UK Base ETOUSA  
9 Nov 44   Ninth   12th  
28 Nov 44 XIX Ninth   12th  
5 Dec 44 V First   12th  
18 Dec 44 VII First   12th  
20 Dec 44 VII First   12th Br 21st
22 Dec 44 XIX Ninth   12th Br 21st
2 Feb 45 V First   12th (-)
3 Feb 45 XVIII Abn First   12th  
12 Feb 45 III First   12th  
16 Mar 45 VII First   12th  
2 Apr 45 XVIII Abn First   12th  
19 Apr 45 (-) First   12th  

[page 254]

COMMAND POSTS

DATE TOWN REGION COUNTRY
26 Oct 44 Bournemouth Hampshire England
22 Nov 44 Yvetot Seine-Inferieure France
28 Nov 44 S'Heeren-Elderen Limbourg Belgium
7 Dec 44 Rotgen Rhineland Germany
8 Feb 45 Lammersdorf Rhineland Germany
1 Mar 45 Schmidt Rhineland Germany
3 Mar 45 Hausen Rhineland Germany
4 Mar 45 Wollersheim Rhineland Germany
6 Mar 45 Durscheven Rhineland Germany
7 Mar 45 Flammersheim Rhineland Germany
10 Mar 45 Erpel Rhineland Germany
15 Mar 45 Rheinbreitbach Rhineland Germany
20 Mar 45 Konigswinter Rhineland Germany
22 Mar 45 Holtorf Rhineland Germany
29 Mar 45 Oberpleis Rhineland Germany
5 Apr 45 Eichelhardt Rhineland Germany
8 Apr 45 Wissen Rhineland Germany
9 Apr 45 Morsbach Rhineland Germany
11 Apr 45 Denklingen Rhineland Germany
12 Apr 45 Gummersbach Rhineland Germany
14 Apr 45 Berghausen Rhineland Germany
15 Apr 45 Wermelskirchen Rhineland Germany
16 Apr 45 Rensdorf Rhineland Germany
18 Apr 45 Dillenburg Hessen-Nassau Germany

[pages 255 (through 15 Apr 45)-256]