World War II – Order of Battle

By Shelby L. Stanton

The following is an official description of the 103d Division combat history “World War II – Order of Battle”

by Shelby L. Stanton:

Arrived at Marseilles 20 October 1944, relieved 3d Infantry Division at Chevry, France, 8-9 November 1944. Attacked toward St. Dié in Vosges Mountains 16 November 1944 and fought through strong opposition to clear

the hill mass below the town. Crossed the Meurthe River 20-24 November 1944 and took the evacuated

objective of St. Dié the next day with the 409th. The division then outflanked Steige Pass 22-23 November

and followed in the wake of the 14th Armored Division toward Sélestat, which it helped clear in house-to-house fighting 2-4 December.  The division crossed the Zintzel River at Griesbach 10 December 1944 as it fought the

Battle of Mertzwiller, overcame rearguard resistance at Climbach, and crossed the Lauter River into Germany

on 15 December 1944.

The division then relocated to the Sarreguemines area to defend against the Germans’ Ardennes counteroffensive, which never reached its sector. On 14 January 1945, the division moved to Reichshofen to take over the zone of

Task Force Herren (70th Infantry Division) along the Saar River, which was accomplished by 17 January 1945.

A limited attack at Sessenheim was repulsed on 19 January 1945, and in view of the German force concentration, withdrawn to the Moder River. A German attack on 22 January 1945 forced the division from Offwiller and

the next day the Division was pushed back past Rothbach. Further German attacks on Bischoltz and Mulhausen

were defeated 24-25 January 1945, and by 26 January 1945 the division had cleared Schillersdorf and restored

its lines. The division then took over the zone of the 101st Airborne Division on 5 February 1945.

The division went on the offensive 15 March 1945 and the next day took Zinswiller and Oberbronn and reached

the outskirts of Reichshoffen, which fell on 17 March 1945. The division fought the Battle for Reisdorf

19-21 March 1945. The division reached Klingenmuenster and mopped up west of the Rhine from

22 March 1945 until relieved by the 71st Division along the Rhine from Oppau south to Speyer 28-29 March 1945.

It then engaged in occupational duty until it returned to the front. The division started its offensive from Kirchheim

on 21 April 1945 as it followed the advance of the 10th Armored Division and cleared bypassed resistance.

By 23 April 1945, it had closed German escape routes southeast from Stuttgart and reached the Danube northeast

of Ulm on 25 April, which it crossed the next day. Continuing to follow the 10th Armored, the 411th took

Landsberg, the 410th reached the Lech River at Lechburg, and the 409th cleared Schongau on 28 April 1945.

The division began negotiations for the surrender of Innsbruck as the 411th moved to Brenner Pass and effected

the junction with Fifth Army forces from Italy. All hostilities ceased in the division’s sector on 5 May 1945 with

the surrender of German forces in southern Germany.