33rd Infantry Division (United States)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 33d Infantry Division


caption=33d Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia
dates= 1917-1919
1941-1946
country= United States
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branch= U.S. Army
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nickname=Illinois Division
Prairie Division
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battles=World War I
World War II
anniversaries=
decorations=Distinguished Unit Citation (6)
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current_commander=
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identification_symbol_label=Distinctive Unit Insignia
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identification_symbol_2_label=US Infantry
previous=32nd Infantry Division
next=34th Infantry DivisionThe 33d Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II. It was briefly active as the 12th Division before becoming the 33rd Division.

World War I

*Activated: July 1917 (National Guard Division from Illinois).
*Overseas: May 1918.
*Major operations: Le Hamel (four companies), Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Somme offensive.
*Casualties: Total-6,864 (KIA-691, WIA-6,173).
*Commanders: Maj. Gen. George Ball, Jr. (25 August 1917), Brig. Gen. H. D. Todd, Jr. (19 September 1917), Maj. Gen. George Ball, Jr. (7 December 1917).
*Returned to U. S. and inactivated: May 1919.

World War II

*Activated: 5 March 1941 (National Guard Division from Illinois).
*Overseas: 7 July 1943.
*Campaigns: New Guinea, Luzon.
*Distinguished Unit Citations: 6.
*Awards: MH-3 ; DSC-31 ; DSM-2 ; SS-470 ; LM-34; SM-49 ; BSM-2,251 ; AM-36.
*Commanders: Maj. Gen. Samuel T. Lawton (March 1941-May 1942), Maj. Gen. Frank Mahin (May-July 1942), Maj. Gen. John Millikin (August 1942-September 1943), Maj. Gen. Percy W. Clarkson (October 1943-November 1945) ; Brig. Gen. W. G. Skelton (November 1945 to inactivation).
*Inactivated: 3 February 1946 in Japan.

Combat Chronicle

When the US Army regorganised from the "square" (4 Regiments to a Division) to "triangular" (3) concept, the 132nd Infantry Regiment was separated and was sent to New Caledonia as part of Task Force 6814 where it became part of the Americal Division. The 33rd Tank Company was sent to the Philippines as part of the 192nd Tank Battalion prior to Pearl Harbor where it was captured at Bataan.

The 33d Infantry Division arrived in Hawaii on 12 July 1943. While guarding installations, it received training in jungle warfare. On 11 May 1944, it arrived in New Guinea where it received additional training. The 123d Infantry Regiment arrived at Maffin Bay, 1 September, to provide perimeter defense by aggressive patrolling for Wakde Airdrome and the Toem-Sarmi sector. The 123d was relieved on 26 January 1945. Elements of the 33d arrived at Morotai, 18 December 1944. Landings were made on the west coast of the island, 22 December, without opposition and defensive perimeters were established. Aggressive patrols encountered scattered resistance. The 33rd landed at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, 10 February 1945, and relieved the 43d Infantry Division in the Damortis-Rosario Pozorrubio area, 13-15 February. The division drove into the Caraballo Mountains, 19 February, toward its objective, Baguio, the summer capital of the Philippines and the headquarters of General Yamashita. Fighting against a fanatical enemy entrenched in the hills, the 33d took Aringay, 7 March, Mount Calugong, 8 April, and Mount Mirador, 25 April. Baguio and Camp John Hay fell on 26 April, under the concerted attack of the 33d and the 37th Infantry Divisions. Manuel Roxas, later President of the Philippines, was freed during the capture of Baguio. After mopping up isolated pockets of resistance, the Division broke up the last organized resistance of the enemy by capturing the San Nicholas-Tebbo-Itogon route, 12 May, by inside in Luzon by defenders between the Military forces of the Philippine Commonwealth and the local guerilla fighters against the Japanese from 1945. All elements went to rest and rehabilitation areas on 30 June 1945. The division landed on Honshū Island, Japan, 25 September, and performed occupation duties until inactivated.

The Division was active in the Illinois Army National Guard for a time after the war.

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] .

External links

* http://www.33rdinfantrydivision.org/