- 20th Armored Division (United States)
Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 20th Armored Division
caption=Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 20th Armored Division
dates= 1943-1946
country= United States
allegiance=
branch= U.S. Army
type= Armored division
role=
size=
command_structure=
garrison=
equipment=
current_commander=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
notable_commanders=Orlando Ward
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_2=
nickname="Armoraiders"
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=World War II
*Central Europe
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=US Armor
previous=16th Armored Division ("Inactive")
next=49th Armored Division ("Inactive")The 20th Armored Division was anarmored division of theUnited States Army inWorld War II . It was activated on15 March 1943 atCamp Campbell inKentucky . The Division has no real nickname although it did associate itself with the nickname "Armoraiders" while in training at Camp Campbell. (Nickname information taken from the18 March 1944 issue of the Camp Campbell Newspaper, "Retreat to Taps".)History
The 20th Armored Division arrived at
Le Havre ,France ,February 18 ,1945 . On its arrival, SHAEF discovered that the division required an unprecedented amount of additional training before being ready for combat. It was sent toBuchy for a month of training before being deemed acceptable for combat duty. It then moved through,Belgium toLangendernbach ,Germany ,10 April . After giving serious thought to breaking up the new division to provide replacements for the veteran armored divisions under his 12th U.S. Army Group, GeneralOmar N. Bradley , sent the unit toMarktbreit , where the division was attached to the III Corps;20 April . Three days later, it was detached and reassigned to the XV Corps, Seventh Army, atWürzburg , Germany.Elements of the division first saw action as
Task Force Campbell when a false surrender by the enemy resulted in fighting in the town of Dorf,April 25 . The division assembled nearDeiningen and reconnoitered for routes to theDanube . The Danube was crossed,April 28 , the 20th meeting sporadic, light resistance. Elements seized the bridge over thePaar river atSchrobenhausen and secured crossings over the Ilm River. The only element of the 20th to participate in a serious engagement was the 27th Tank Battalion. The 27th Tank was attached to the veteran 42nd Infantry Division during its attack onMunich , April 29-30. The rest of the 20th had been ordered off the roads leading into Munich onApril 28 to allow the 42nd and 45th Infantry Divisions to attack Munich.(Order of Battle, ETO, 1945; Seventh U.S. Army: Report of Operations in France and Germany, 1944-1945.) The division crossed theInn River at Wasserburg on3 May , enteredTraunstein ,May 4 , and was moving towardSalzburg when it received word that hostilities would cease in Europe. The division is credited with only eight days in combat. The division returned to the U.S. in August, and was inactivatedApril 2 ,1946 atCamp Hood inTexas ."
Peanuts " creatorCharles Schulz rose to the rank of sergeant while a member of the division.
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