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Seventy-one days
on roads and maneuvers afield.
On this trek the Army wrote a new meaning to the Philadelphia
catechism. Their catechism might have been:
Six days shall thou soldier and do all thou art able
to do.
On the seventh, police the bivouac and stay able.
January 1944
The 422nd
Infantry CO Col. Walter C. Phillips led the 106th Division's
trek, in a truck
convoy, from Fort Jackson, South Carolina to Fort Atterbury, Indiana on
20 January 1944. The 423rd Infantry CO Col. Charles C. Cavender led the
second convoy on 21 January 1944. And, the 424th Infantry CO Col. J. L.
Gibney led the third convoy on 22 January
1944.
The likely
assigned route for the motor truck convoy from South Carolina to
Tennessee, based on 1997 American Automobile Association
maps of South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee was:
US78/US378 from Fort Jackson rear Columbia, South
Carolina to
Columbia, South Carolina;
US78 from Columbia, South Carolina to Athens,
Georgia or US378 from
Columbia, South Carolina to US78 near Washington, Georgia and US78 to
Athens Georgia;
US78 from Athens, Georgia to Atlanta, Georgia;
US41 from Atlanta, Georgia to a secondary road
near Fort Oglethorpe,
Georgia;
A secondary road
from US41 to US27 then US27 to Fort Oglethorpe,
Georgia;
US27 from Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia to US41 in
Chattanooga, Tennessee;
US41 from
Chattanooga, Tennessee to the destination near Murfreesboro,
Tennessee
The first movement of each Infantry Regiment was to
an overnight
bivouac just outside Athens, Georgia. While at the
Athens bivouac the
men discussed the girls at the next bivouac a WAC
training center at
Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.
When each Regiment reached the second overnight
bivouac, at Fort
Oglethorpe, they found themselves restricted to
their bivouac area.
They were not
allowed to meet the girls.
Each Regiment
reached the Division assembly area in Rutherford County,
near
Murfreesboro, Tennessee by nightfall of the third day. The three‑day trek had covered 442 miles, give or take. The
total elapsed time
was five days.
The men found warm sunny weather in Tennessee. It
felt like
springtime, although it was still wintertime,
January. More than
20,000 men,
gathered in Tennessee for Second Army sponsored maneuvers,
reveled in the sun, for about a week, and
participated in map
exercises held in one of the maneuver area theatres
and watched a
field
demonstration illustrating execution of staff plans.
The first field problem began on 31 January with the
XII Corps Blue
Forces, including the 78th Infantry Division, the
106th Infantry
Division, one
tank battalion and two tank destroyer battalions with
Tactical Air Division support, assembled south of
Murfreesboro. The
Corps mission
was to advance north through Murfreesboro, in Rutherford
County and seize
the general line Greenwood-Bairds Mill-Gladeville, in
Wilson County, defended by the Red Force consisting
of the 26th
Infantry Division [reinforced], supported by Red
Tactical Air
Division. As the exercise began the winter weather
returned with cold
rain, sleet, and
snow.
The 106th Division advanced in three columns and
reached the XII Corps
objective by the afternoon on 1 February and
continued turning the Red
Force flank until the maneuver ended on 2 February.
February 1944
The Red Forces moved north to defend positions along
the Cumberland
River in Wilson County. The Blue Force mission was
to advance north
rapidly with the 106th Division, destroy the Red
Forces encountered,
and seize the Cumberland River between Lebanon-Beloat
Road-Old Lick
Branch in Wilson
County.
The 106th Division began the second exercise on 7
February accompanied
by the falling cold rain. The men continued the
advance to the river
and successfully completed the exercise on 9
February as the cold rain
continued to fall.
The
rain surrendered to cold days before the third problem began on 14
February. On 13 February the temperature went down to 13 degrees above
zero Fahrenheit.
By 14 February the line up had been changed. The
106th Infantry
Division [less CT 424], the 78th Infantry Division,
the 17th Airborne
Division and an armored group of three tank
battalions made up the XII
Corps Blue Forces that were concentrated west of
Lebanon in Wilson
County. The Blue Forces had a mission to advance
east, seize rail
facilities at Carthage Junction and destroy the Red
forces west of
Caney Fork in
Smith County.
The Red opposing force consisted of the 26th
Infantry Division, CT 424
and a Tank Destroyer group of three battalions,
concentrated west of
Rome-Alexandria
in Smith and Dekalb Counties.
The Blue force moved out in the cold on 14 February
to perform the
initial part of the problem, securing the Liberty-Hames
Gap-Rome as a
line of
departure for the coordinated attack.
The
Blue force had accomplished the first part of the exercise by noon
on 14 February as the temperature rose. Late in that
afternoon, 15
February, an attack on the Red force was launched.
The 106th Infantry
regiments abreast. When the operation ended on 16
February the Blue
force was
approaching New Middleton in Smith County.
For the fourth
exercise, 21 to 24 February, the XII Corps [Blue] force
had the 106th Infantry Division, the 26th Infantry
Division and 15th
Armored Group of three tank battalions concentrated
north of Lebanon,
in Wilson County-Gordonsville, in Smith County. The
mission was to
break through
the Red force {78th Infantry Division, 17th Airborne
Division and Tank Destroyers between Vine and
Cottage Home, capture
the high ground
near Milton, in Rutherford County, then advance south
to capture Wartrace, in Bedford County, to prevent a
Red force
concentration.
The Blue force advanced slowly on 21 February, but
by evening on 22
February the 106th Infantry Division reinforced by
the 15th Armored
Group, had broken through a created gap in the Red
positions at
Milton. Early on 23 February a strong Blue attack
was launched which
by nightfall had
secured the first objective, the high ground south of
Milton, and enjoyed a warm 72 degree-day. The 106th
Infantry Division
continued the
attack successfully during the night to end the exercise
early on 24 February.
March 1944
The fifth
exercise, last of February-beginning of March, found the men
in the 106th
Infantry Division on the Blue force, with the XII Corps,
The 26th Infantry Division, and an armored group of
three tank
destroyer battalions. The Blue force, commanded by
Maj. Gen. Willard
S. Paul, was
concentrated east of Murfreesboro, in Rutherford County.
The mission was to drive any Red forces encountered
north of the
Cumberland River, establish a bridgehead north of
the Cumberland
River, and
advance to the north of Hartsville, in Trousdale county.
The Red force, commanded by Maj. Gen. Edwin P.
Parker Jr., included
the 78th Infantry Division, the 17th Airborne
Division, and a tank
destroyer group of two battalions, was concentrated
north of Lebanon‑Gordonsville, in
Wilson and Smith Counties.
During the first day the
motorized 106th Infantry Division moved into an assembly area at Bairds
Mills, south of Lebanon in Wilson County.
Early the next morning the 106th infantry Division
moved out in an
attack to seize the south bank of the Cumberland
River. The attack
moved slowly. The Blue force was delayed by blown
bridges and mines
along Spring
Creek, as well as by the Red enemy resistance. The 106th
Infantry Division in the Blue force crossed Spring
Creek and reached
the Cumberland River at Hunters Point and northwest
of Providence by
the close of the exercise. The 26th Infantry
Division in the Blue
force reached the Cumberland River in the vicinity
of Cedar Bluff by
the close of the
exercise.
Maj. Gen. Alan W. Jones commanded the Red Force
during the sixth
exercise, 7 to 9
March 1944. The CT 328 of the 26th Infantry Division,
the 106th Infantry Division and a tank destroyer
group of three
battalions was with the Red Force during the sixth
exercise. The Red
Force was
supported by TAD and Army Service Units.
The Red Force concentrated east of
Bellwood-Watertown, in Wilson
County, Tennessee had the mission to occupy,
organize, and defend a
position within the assigned sector along the
general line Rome
(inclusive)-Holmes Gap (inclusive) to protect the
north flank of the
Red Force.
The Blue Force
included the XII Corps (the 26th Infantry Division less
CT 328, 17th Airborne Division and an armored group
of two tank
battalions, commanded by Maj. Gen. Gilbert R. Cook,
was concentrated
west of Leesville. The Blue Force mission was to
capture the high
ground south of Carthage, in Smith County, and there
prepare to
operate to the southeast.
During the first day the Red covering force withdrew
under pressure,
but the outpost line remained intact. Throughout the
day and evening,
barriers
including mined and mustardized demolitions were executed by
Red Force engineers, and units on the battle
position continued
organization of
the ground.
By 1400 of the second day the 422nd Infantry
Regiment had withdrawn
from outpost and was assembled as a force reserve
near New Middleton.
The 422nd
Infantry Regiment had suffered a thirty-two percent loss to
casualties.
At about the same time on the second day a Blue
Force attack against
the Median Line of Resistance [MLR] two miles north
of Commerce was
repulsed by the
424th Infantry Regiment, but pressure in that vicinity
continued. The
Blue Force launched a coordinated attack on the Red
Force at 0900 on the third day aimed at penetrating
the Blue Force
line near Grant to seize the XII Corps objective.
At about noon, The Blue Force infantry, supported by
tanks, attacked
in the sector of the 423rd Infantry Regiment. The
Red Force Tank
Destroyer units and Infantry Anti-Tank weapons
destroyed most of the
tanks. The 422nd Infantry Regiment, the Blue Force
reserves,
counterattacked at 1315 and at the termination of
the exercise Grant
was still held by the Red Force. In its sector, the
424th Infantry
Regiment committed its reserve battalion and halted
the Blue Force
advance.
The rain continued on into March when it rained
seventeen more days.
Mud was
everywhere in the bivouac area, on the roads, on clothing, and
on bedding. Men slogged from place to place and
kicked the grass,
weeds and clay off of their wet boots!
The seventh exercise [13 to 17 March] began in a
snowstorm that
changed to rain and sleet. Frost filmed the soft
mud. The storm ended
with thunder, lightning and a continued downpour of
rain.
Maj. Gen. Alan W. Jones commanded the Red Force in
the exercise. The
Red Force included the 106th Infantry Division, an
attached tank
destroyer group of three battalions, and tactical
air support.
Concentrated
north of the Cumberland River, east of Gallatin in Sumner
County, the Red Force had the mission to defend the
river line from
Lock 4 to Lock 7.
Note: Lock 4 and Lock 7 were inundated when the
Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA)
built the Kentucky Dam. Thus sites of the exercise may
not be shown on maps made in the last half of the
20th Century.
Against the Red
Forces were committed the XII Corps' Blue Forces,
17th Airborne,
the 26th Infantry Division, the 78th Infantry Division,
and an armored group of two tank battalions. The
Blue Force
concentrated
mainly north of Murfreesboro, in Rutherford County,
Tennessee had been assigned as a mission to advance
north, force
crossings of the Cumberland River between Locks 4
and 7, and capture
Westmoreland in
Sumner County, Tennessee.
On the 13th of March the 106th Infantry Division
covering force,
consisting of two reinforced rifle companies,
assisted by mock
demolitions executed by the engineers, inflicted a
considerable Red
Force delay south of the river. But the covering
force was cut off by
the late afternoon as the Blue force overwhelmed and
surrounded them.
By nightfall the Blue forces were on the southern
bank of the
Cumberland River
all along the line.
The next two
days, the 14th and 15th of March, were spent in Blue Force
preparations to cross the river while the 106th
Infantry Division
Artillery and Red Tactical Air Division impeded
their movements by
heavy concentrations of artillery shelling, bombing,
strafing and
gassing. Red Force patrols crossed the river and
obtained a lot of
vital
information about the Blue Force activities.
Early on the 16th of March the Blue Force made a
river crossing in
assault boats, gained a toehold, built up its
strength and advanced
northward. A succession of counter attacks by the
Red Force 106th
Infantry Division held the main Blue force south of
the Gallatin‑Hartsville
highway. The exercise closed on the 17th of March with the
106th Division
clinging to a line generally north of the Gallatin‑Hartsville
highway. But the Blue force had penetrated the line to the
vicinity of
Rogana on the west flank.
The Red force had carried out a delaying action to
the best of its
ability against overwhelming Blue forces. The Red
forces had had a
dress rehearsal for battle. But, the rehearsal had
been in the open
where they had the liberty of mobility in action,
and no defensive
trench-line
cordon to induce false confidence.
During the eighth and final exercise (20 to 23
March), the 106th
Infantry Division was in the Blue Force with the XII
Corps (the 26th
Infantry Division, the 78th Infantry Division less
CT 311 and an
armored group of two tank battalions). The Blue
force, commanded by
Maj. Gen. Terrell, was concentrated around
Westmoreland in Sumner
County. The Blues had as their mission to advance
south, force
crossings of the Cumberland River between Lock 4 and
Wilburn Creek,
and capture the high ground north of the general
line Gladeville‑Watertown in Wilson County.
The Red Force,
commanded by Maj. Gen. William M. Miley, ranks included
the 17th
Airborne Division, CT 311 of the 78th Infantry Division, and
a tank Destroyer
group of three battalions concentrated around Lebanon
in Wilson County. The Red Force mission was to
defend the Cumberland
River
On the 20th of March the Blue Force advanced with
three Infantry
Divisions abreast. The Blue Force met no resistance
and very few
demolition and gas delays. The Blue Force secured
the north bank of
the Cumberland River at most points along the front
by 1020 hours.
Strong combat patrols crossed the river by boat and
ferry during the
evening of the 21st and early morning on the 22nd.
The strong river
current made the boat and ferry cross8ing extremely
difficult, and
several boats
were lost.
All foot elements of the 422nd Infantry Regiment and
424th Infantry
Regiment had crossed the river by 1845 of the 22nd.
The 1st and 3rd
Battalions of the 424th Infantry Regiment met strong
resistance four
miles south of
Hunters Point where they ran out of ammunition and were
captured. The 2nd Battalion withdrew. The 422nd
Infantry Regiment
advanced against light resistance. At midnight the
422nd Infantry
Regiment was ordered to withdraw to the area
Dixon-Centerville to
protect Averitts Ferry. Red units passed in the rear
of the 422nd
23rd of March, the rest of the Blue Force was
withdrawn to positions
to protect
bridge sites.
With eight
exercises behind them the 106th Infantry Division concluded
the 1944 Tennessee Maneuvers. They had participated
in the exercises
under particularly trying weather conditions. Now
the Division was a
trained combat
team in theory. During the maneuver exercises personnel
had been transferred to/from the division in about
the numbers that
could be
expected during combat conditions.
On 1 February there were 912 officers and 12,556
enlisted men in the
division. During
February 232 enlisted men arrived and 94 enlisted men
were transferred
out. There was a turnover of officers too.
On 1 March there were 707 officers and 12,950
enlisted men in the
division. And, during the month 1,157 men were
transferred from the
Army Specialized Training Program into the Division.
Of the 871 men
that were
transferred out of the Division, almost 700 were sent to the
replacement pool at Fort Meade, Maryland. The others
went to service
command units
and officer candidate schools.
Now it was time to complete the trek to Indiana, the
maneuver
exercises were over.
On 27 March the first of three truck convoys left
the Tennessee area
to take the
106th Infantry Division to Camp Atterbury, Indiana.
The single route
north can be followed approximately, on 1997 American
Automobile Association maps, through Tennessee,
Kentucky and Indiana.
The route can not be traced with certainty because
records of the
route have not
been found and signs are hard to read from the backside
so the men on
the trek did not note details about the route.
Because the men had been up and down highway US 231
many times it can
be guessed that
took US 231 north to US 31E near Bransford, Tennessee.
Then each of the three convoys turned right on US
31E to US 31W at
Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Each convoy rolled north on
US 31W to Fort
Knox, Kentucky and an overnight bivouac 129.5 miles
from the starting
point.
Each convoy left Fort Knox, Kentucky after an
overnight stay at the
famous fort. They took US 31W north to the Ohio
River in Louisville,
Kentucky. In
Louisville US 31W joins US 31E, so the convoy rolled over
a US 31 bridge across the Ohio River. They completed
a 110.2 beeline
along US 31 to cantonments at Camp Atterbury,
Indiana on 31 March
1944.
During the 71 days almost 700 miles had been covered
during five days
in the convoy journeys. One can guess that they
traveled another five
hundred miles to/from the maneuver exercises. And
slogged about five
hundred miles over the Tennessee hills. Maybe they
kicked five hundred
pounds of mud, grass and weeds off of soaked boots.
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Page last revised
09/15/2016