Second United States Army

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Second United States Army


caption=Second United States Army shoulder sleeve insignia
dates=October 15, 1918 - April 15, 1919;
October 20, 1939 - January 1, 1966
country=United States
allegiance=
branch=Regular Army
type=Field Army
role=
size=
command_structure=
current_commander=
garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto="Second To None"
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=World War I
notable_commanders=William Simpson
Leonard T. Gerow
anniversaries=

Second United States Army was formed October 15 1918 during World War I. It functioned as a training and administrative headquarters until being inactivated 15 April 1919.

The Second United States Army was activated again and served as a training army for much of its existence until inactivation in 1966.

History

World War I

Second Army's task during the First World War was to hold the line a short distance east of the Moselle River in France following the end of the Saint-Mihiel offensive along the Western Front. The army was also tasked with reinforcing units from the active-in-combat soldiers of the U.S. First Army.

On 10 November, Second Army advanced on German positions, already in disorder and retreating. Word did not reach the units advancing until after eleven-hundred hours on 11 November, making it one of the last units to fight to the very conclusion of the war. On 15 April of the following year, Second Army was inactivated.

ubordinate Units

Along the line

*U.S. 33rd Division (Illinois National Guard)
*U.S. 28th Division (Pennsylvania National Guard)
*U.S. 7th Division (Regular Army)
*U.S. 92nd Division (United States Colored Troops)

In reserve

*U.S. 4th Division (Regular Army)
*U.S. 35th Division (Missouri and Kansas National Guard)
*one brigade, U.S. 88th Division (Minnesota and North Dakota National Guard)

World War II

Post-World War II

In November 1964, as an effort to reorganize military operations, the Department of the Army announced the closure of Fort Jay at Governors Island New York and the relocation of U.S.First Army to Fort Meade, Maryland. First and Second Armies would merge and Second Army subsequently inactivated. It had been proposed that First Army be inactivated, but its commander Lt. General Robert W. Porter, Jr. strongly protested the proposal and it was dropped. In the end, Second Army headquarters staff were retained and became the new staff for U.S. First Army. On January 1, 1966 at Fort Meade, Second Army was inactivated and its colors cased by commander, Lt. General William F. Train who then assumed command of U.S. First Army.

Past Commanders

References

cite book
last =Ray
first =Max
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =The History of the First United States Army From 1918 to 1980
publisher =First United States Army
date =1980
location =Fort Meade MD
pages =120, 124
url =
doi =
id =
isbn =

External links

* [http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/2ndarmy.htm Second Army Operations]
* [http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/ghq2arm.htm The Doughboy Center: Second Army]