41st Infantry Division (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 41st Infantry Division


caption= 41st Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia
dates= 1917 - 1968
country= USA
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Army
type= Division
role= Infantry
size=
command_structure=
current_commander=
garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname= "Sunsetters" "Jungleers"
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=World War I
World War II
*Battle of Buna-Gona
*Salamaua-Lae campaign
*Operations Reckless and Persecution
*Battle of Biak
*Southern Philippines campaign
notable_commanders= Major General George A. White Major General Horace H. Fuller Major General Jens A. Doe
anniversaries=US Infantry
previous=40th Infantry Division
next=42nd Infantry Division

The 41st Infantry Division was composed of National Guard units from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, North Dakota and Washington that saw active service in WWI and WWII. It was one of the first divisions to see combat overseas in World War II. In 1965 it was reorganized as the 41st Infantry Brigade and in 1968 the division was officially deactivated.

World War I

The 41st was first activated for Army service in 1917-04-01 primarily from Guard units of the Northwestern United States and trained at Camp Green, North Carolina. On 1917-11-26 the first elements of the division embarked for Europe as part of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). Units of the 41st were aboard the "SS Tuscania" when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sunk off the coast of France.

In France, the 41st Division received a major disappointment. It was designated a replacement division and did not go to combat as a unit. The majority of its infantry personnel went to the 1st, 2nd, 32nd and 42nd Infantry Divisions where they served throughout the war. The 147th Field Artillery was attached to the 32nd Division and saw action at the Third Battle of the Aisne, the Meuse-Argonne and other areas. The 146th and 148th of the 66th Field Artillery Brigade were attached as corps artillery units and participated in the battles of Chateau Thierry, Aisne-Marne, St Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne.

World War II

Preparation

In 1921, the 41st Division was allocated to Pacific Northwest states. Its units returned to National Guard status but retained divisional organisation. Each state was instructed to form divisional units.

Major General George A. White was appointed to command of the division in 1929 and eventually led it into World War II. As the international situation worsened in the 1930s, the intensity and urgency of training in the 41st increased. In 1937, the 41st paired with the 3rd Division for Corps manoeuvres at Fort Lewis. In these manoeuvres, a "Blue Army" drawn from the 41st Division attempted a combat crossing of the Nisqually River, which was defended by a "Red Army" under the command of Brigadier General George Marshall, then the commander of the 5th Infantry Brigade at Vancouver Barracks. The 41st Division's mission was accomplished by a night crossing of the river.McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 1.]

The 41st Division's annual summer camp at Fort Lewis in June and July 1940 was extended from two weeks to three, and on 1940-09-16 with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's signing of the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, the 41st Division was inducted into Federal service for one year. By this time, a National Guard recruiting campaign had raised the strength of the division to 14,000 - still well short of its war establishment strength of 18,500.McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 3.] The difference was made up by 7,000 selective service men, the first of whom arrived in February 1941. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 5.]

The division was initially accommodated in a tented camp known as Camp Murray until the construction of new permanent accommodation nearby Fort Lewis could be completed. Delayed by strike action at sawmills in Washington and Oregon and by maritime workers, the project fell behind schedule, [Fine and Remington, "Construction in the United States", p. 217] and the entire division was not accommodated in the new barracks until April 1941. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 6.]

The 41st Division was grouped with the 3rd Division as part of IX Corps. In May 1941, the two divisions moved to the Hunter Liggett Military Reservation where June war games pitted them against Major General Joseph Stilwell's 7th Division and the 40th Division. Large scale manoeuvres continued in August on the Olympic Peninsula, with IX Corps defending Tacoma, Washington until the two divisions from California could arrive to assist. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", pp. 9-11.]

General White died on 1941-11-23 and was replaced by Brigadier General Horace H. Fuller, the former commander of the 3rd Division Artillery. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 12] Promoted to Major General on 1941-12-15, he would remain commander until June 1944. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 191.]

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the 41st Infantry Division was deployed to defend the coastline of Washington and Oregon against a possible Japanese landing. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 17] The 218th Field Artillery was at sea "en route" to the Philippines; it was turned back to San Francisco and eventually rejoined the division. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 19.]

The 41st Division was officially renamed the 41st Infantry Division on 1941-08-02. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 9] In January and February 1942, it was reorganised as a "triangular" division, losing the 161st Infantry, which eventually joined the 25th Infantry Division, and other units. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", pp. 19-21.]

In February 1942 the 41st Infantry Division was alerted for overseas movement. It handed over its coastal defence responsibilities to the 3rd Infantry Division and concentrated at Fort Lewis. First to depart was the 162nd Infantry, 641st Tank Destroyer Battalion, and 41st Reconnaissance Troop, which entrained later that month for Fort Dix. This group departed the Brooklyn Navy Yard on 3 March 1942 and sailed for the Pacific via the Panama Canal, reaching Melbourne on 9 April. A second group consisting of Division Headquarters, the 163rd Infantry, 41st Signal Company, 116th Engineer Battalion, 167th Field Artillery Battalion, 116th Medical Battalion, and 116th Quartermaster Battalion embarked from San Francisco on 19 March in a convoy that included the liner RMS "Queen Elizabeth". This convoy reached Australia before the first, on 6 April. Because Melbourne could not accommodate the "Queen Elizabeth", it unloaded at Sydney and the troops and cargo were moved to Melbourne by rail and smaller Dutch ships. That month the remainder of the division, including the 186th Infantry and 146th, 205th and 218th Field Artillery battalions entrained at Fort Lewis for San Francisco, from whence they sailed for Australia, arriving on 13 May. As each contingent arrived it moved to a camp near Seymour, Victoria, where training was conducted at the nearby Australian Army base at Puckapunyal. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", pp. 22-27.]

In July the division moved by rail to Rockhampton, Queensland. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 27.] The division had arrived in Australia with a reputation as "the top ranking National Guard division and one of the three top divisions in the whole Army", [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 6] a reason for its early shipment. [The 41st Infantry Division was only the fourth division to move overseas from the United States, after the 34th, Americal and 27th.] However, the 41st Infantry Division had never conducted manoeuvres with live ammunition and many men had not even fired their own weapons.Shortal, "Forged By Fire", p. 38.] A training inspection found:

Major General Robert L. Eichelberger, whose I Corps headquarters arrived in Rockhampton in August, ordered the division to commence training in jungle warfare.Shortal, "Forged By Fire", p. 39.] Each infantry battalion in turn was sent down to Toorbul, Queensland for training in amphibious warfare by the Australian Army. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 28.]

anananda

In December, General Douglas Macarthur decided to commit more American troops to the Battle of Buna-Gona. The 163rd Regimental Combat Team, under the command of Colonel Jens A. Doe, was alerted on 14 December 1942. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 33. About 3,800 strong this consisted of the 163rd Infantry; Company E, 116th Engineer Battalion; Company E 116th Medical Battalion; the 7th, 11th and 12th Portable Surgical Hospitals; and detachments of the 41st Signal Company, 41st Ordnance Company, 641st Tank Destroyer Battalion and 116th Quartermaster Company.] It arrived at Port Moresby on 27 December. The first elements, which included the 1st Battalion and regimental headquarters, flew over the Owen Stanley Range to Popondetta and Dobodura on 30 December, where they came under the command of Lieutenant General Edmund Herring's Advanced New Guinea Force. [Milner, "Victory in Papua", pp. 329-330] The 163rd Regimental Combat Team was attached to Major General George Alan Vasey's 7th Division and Doe assumed command of the Sanananda front from Brigadier Ivan Dougherty on 3 January 1943. [Milner, "Victory in Papua", p. 330] The front line consisted of a raised road with Japanese positions on relatively dry ground astride it, surrounded by jungle swamp. Roadblocks had been established behind the Japanese positions but they had not been budged; both sides resupplied their positions through the swamp. Vasey's plan was for the Americans to fix the Japanese in position while he attacked with Brigadier George Wootten's 18th Infantry Brigade, supported by M3 Stuart light tanks of the 2/6th Armoured Regiment and 25 pounders of the 2/1st Field Regiment. [Milner, "Victory in Papua", p. 332]

Doe, "eager to come to close grips with the Japanese", requested permission to launch an attack against the enemy Perimeters Q and R between his two roadblocks. Herring and Vasey thought that he was underestimating the enemy, but Vasey gave permission for the attack, provided that it would not jeopardise the main plan. [McCarthy, "South West Pacific Area - First Year", p. 513] The attack went ahead on the afternoon of 8 January 1943 but both attacking companies of the 1st Battalion, 163rd Infantry encountered heavy fire and were thrown back. First Lieutenant Harold R. Fisk became the first officer of the division to be killed in action. His body could not be immediately recovered. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. The roadblock position he had attacked from was named Fisk in his honour. [Milner, "Victory in Papua", p. 341]

The first part of Vasey's plan involved the blocking of the Killerton Trail to prevent the Japanese from using it as an escape route, and to provide a jumping off point for a later advance by the 18th Infantry Brigade. The 2nd Battalion, 163rd Infantry, under Major Walter R. Rankin, set set out early on 9 January 1943. Company G, covering the flank of the advance, was strongly engaged by Japanese heavy machine gun, mortar, and rifle fire. The remainder of the battalion established themselves astride the trail in a new position which was named Rankin after the battalion commander. The attack had cost four dead and six wounded. More casualties would be taken holding the position over the next few day. [Milner, "Victory in Papua", p. 342]

On 10 January, a patrol from the 163rd Infantry discovered that the Japanese had unaccountably evacuated Perimeter Q. This was occupied at once by Company A, which sent out tree snipers and patrols to harass the enemy and feel out the contour of the Perimeter R, which was now open to attack from all sides. The Japanese had left behind a considerable quantity of material, including a water-cooled .50 calibre machine gun. The Japanese had evidently been very hungry and there was evidence of cannibalism. [Milner, "Victory in Papua", p. 343]

With the roadblock established, the 18th Infantry Brigade launched the main attack against Perimeter P on 12 January. Vasey's plan of attack was based on the assumption that the Japanese defenders had no antitank guns. This proved to be incorrect, and three Stuart tanks were hit by fire from a concealed Type 1 37 mm Anti-Tank Gun. ["South West Pacific Area - First Year", pp. 515-516] Although the 2/9th and 2/12th Infantry Battalions killed some Japanese and gained some ground, the Japanese position remained intact. The attack had cost 18th Infantry Brigade 34 killed, 66 wounded and 51 missing. [Milner, "Victory in Papua", p. 345]

The Australian commanders were now demoralised. Wootten reported that to continue the attack under the existing conditions could only lead to heavy casualties. Vasey directed him to continue aggressive patrolling. [Horner, "General Vasey's War", pp. 232-233] They had completely misread the situation. On 14 January, a patrol from the 163rd Infantry captured a very sick Japanese soldier. Taken to 7th Division headquarters for interrogation, the man revealed that the Japanese commander, Lieutenant Colonel Tsukamoto Hatsuo had ordered all able bodied men to evacuate Perimeter P, leaving the sick and wounded to hold it to the last. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 38] Vasey ordered an immediate attack. Supported by a troop of the 2/1st Field Regiment and their own mortars, Rankin's 2nd Battalion reduced the three small enemy perimeters to the south of their position and advanced to meet the Australians on the Killerton Track. By early afternoon the Australians and Americans had also joined hands on the Sanananda Road as well. Some 152 Japanese were killed and six captured. [Milner, "Victory in Papua", p. 348]

On 15 January, a platoon of A Company managed to get inside Perimeter R undetected. The rest of the company followed, taking the Japanese defenders by surprise. Company C joined in the attack from the Fisk while Company B attacked from the west. Bunker after bunker fell to small groups attacking with rifles, grenades and submachine guns but the Japanese resistance was desperate and the entire position was not taken until the next day. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 39]

The Australians carried out a wide envelopment, reaching the sea on 16 January, but the 163rd Infantry remained confronted by Perimeters S, T, and U, although these were not immediately located. A first attack succeeded in establishing a new position called AD. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 39] On 19 January an attack supported by 250 25 pounder and 750 M1 Mortar rounds faltered after a Japanese mortar round killed Company I's commander, Captain Duncan V. Dupree and its First Sergeant, James W. Boland. [Milner, "Victory in Papua", p. 361] In his situation report, under "American troops", Vasey wrote "Heb. 13:8" ("Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and for ever.") [Horner, "General Vasey's War", p. 234] But the next day, Companies A and K managed to fight their way into Perimeter T. This softened resistance from Perimeter S, and Companies B and C were then able to capture it. Some 525 Japanese dead were counted after the attack. Finally, on 22 January, Companies I and L were able to capture Perimeter U, counting another 69 Japanese dead. [McCartney, "The Jungleers", p. 40]

In just three weeks of fighting in January 1943, the 163rd Infantry lost 85 killed, 16 other deaths, 238 wounded and 584 sick, a total of 923 casualties. ["Papuan Campaign", p. 82.]

alamaua

Aitape

Following the New Guinea campaign, the 41st returned to Australia for rest and re-equipping. In a few weeks, the 41st then made another thrust to the north. Hollandia and Aitape, coastal communities on New Guinea's eastern coast fell,

Wakde

Biak

Biak.

Palawan

The road continued into the Philippines where more bitter fighting occurred at Palawan,

Zamboanga

Zamboanga, and the Sulu Archipelago.

Occupation of Japan

After the fall of the Philippines, the division began training for the attack on Japan itself, but surrender came first. The division did move to Japan where it occupied the island of Honshu for a few months. The 41st Infantry Division was deactivated at Kure-Hiro, Japan on 1945-12-31.

Post war

The 41st Infantry Division was reformed in Oregon in 1946. In 1965 it was reorganised as the 41st Infantry Brigade. The 41st Infantry Division was deactivated in 1968.

The 41st Infantry Division holds annual reunions for it's WWII veterans. In 2008 the reunion was held in Washington, D.C. The veterans had the opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemetery and hold a special wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Many of the veterans also had the opportunity to visit the WWII memorial for the first time. Several were accompanied by family (including spouses, children, grandchildren, and in a couple of cases, great grandchildren). The Jungeleer is the publication of the 41st Infantry and is available to all former members of this Division.

World War II Casualties

* 743 Killed in Action
* 3,504 Wounded in Action
* 217 Died of Wounds [Stanton, "World War II Order of Battle", p. 127]

Commanders

World War I

* Major General Hunter Liggett (18 September 1917)
* Brigadier General Henry Jervey (20 September 1917)
* Brigadier General G. LeR. Irwin (12 December 1917)
* Major General Hunter Liggett (20 December 1917)
* Brigadier General LeR. Irwin (18 January 1918)
* Brigadier General Richard Coulter, Jr. (23 January 1918)
* Brigadier General. Robert Alexander (14 February 1918)
* Brigadier General Edward Vollrath (3 August 1918)
* Brigadier General W. S. Scott (19 August 1918)
* Major General J. E. McMahon (21 October 1918)
* Brigadier General Edward Vollrath (24 October 1918)
* Brigadier General Eli G. Cole, USMC (29 October 1918)
* Brigadier General Edward Vollrath (27 December 1918)
* Major General Peter E. Traub (29 December 1918)

World War II

* Major General George A. White (3 January 1930)
* Brigadier General Carlos A. Pennington (23 November 1941)
* Major General Horace H. Fuller (2 December 1941)
* Major General Jens A. Doe (18 June 1944)

Notes

ee also

References

*"The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the Army of the United States" U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950 reproduced at [http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/lineage/cc/cc.htm CMH] .

*citation
last = Fine
first = Lenore
last2 = Remington
first2 = Jesse A.
authorlink =
title = The Corps of Engineers: Construction in the United States
publisher = United States Army Center of Military History
date = 1972
location = Washington, D.C.
isbn =

* cite book
last = Horner
first = David
authorlink = David Horner
title = General Vasey's War
publisher = Melbourne University Press
date = 1992
location = Melbourne
isbn = 0 522 84462 6

* Cite web
last = McCarthy
first = Dudley
url = http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/chapter.asp?volume=21
title = South-West Pacific Area - First Year
work = Australia in the War of 1939-45
year = 1959

*cite book
last = McCartney
first = Wiliam F.
authorlink =
title = The Jungleers: A History of the 41st Infantry Division
publisher = Infantry Journal Press
date = 1948
location = Washington, D.C.
isbn = 1432588176

*cite book
last = Milner
first = Samuel
date = 1957,
title= Victory in Papua
publisher = United States Army Center of Military History
date = 1972
location = Washington, D.C.
isbn =

*cite book
last = Shortal
first = John Francis
authorlink =
title = Forged by Fire: Robert L. Eichelberger and the Pacific War
publisher = University of South Carolina Press
date = 1987
location = Columbia, South Carolina
isbn = 0-87249-521-3

*cite book
last = Stanton
first = Shelby L.
authorlink =
title = Order of Battle U. S. Army, World War II
publisher = Presidio Press
date = 1984
location = Novato, California
isbn = 0-89141-195-X