Condensed History of the
83rd Infantry Division of World War II

''THE THUNDERBOLT"

BEGAN TRAINING
     Maneuvered in Tennessee, then marched and rode to Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky, In August, 1943 -  FURLOUGHS, then field training continued, some with artillery units - moved to Camp Shanks, New York, then sailed to England in April, 1944 - Division split for training in Northern Wales and English Midlands - left for Southern ports of England in June, 1944. 

LANDED ON OMAHA BEACH in NORMANDY, FRANCE, June 21-24
     Replaced 101st Airborne Division at front June 27 & 28 - first major attack, BAPTISM OF FIRE - July I 4: Hedgerows, swamps) heavy resistance and counter attacks by enemy panzer and parachute troops - HEAVY CASUALTIES, but continued to advance - huge air support, BOMBERS opened hedgerows and allowed Gen. Patton's' tanks out into the open.

BROKE OUT of NORMANDY into BRITTANY MISSION
     Capture port towns of St. Malo and Dinard - bitter street and house-to-house fighting in out-lying municipalities DINARD FELL early August followed by the FALL OF ST. MALO - total of 12,393prisoners taken during campaign - elements of, Division assisted a special task force in CAPTURING BREST.

DIVISION MOVED to LOIRE VALLEY
     to protect southern flank of 3rd Army a 200 mile area, the longest to be assigned any one division - (the Division was frequently transferred from one Army or one Corps to another during combat) - patrolled and trained replacements - an intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon contacted French Forces who reported enemy wanting to surrender - GERMAN GENERAL SURRENDERED to Lt Sam Magill - 329th Reg. platoon brought in 20,000 PRISONERS with equipment - much publicity received. 
(See "Awards and Decorations")

IN SEPTEMBER
     Moved to Duchy of Luxembourg - MISSION: destroy the enemy in the Remich area, patrol vigorously east to the line of the Moselle-Sauer Rivers, prevent the enemy from crossing the rivers - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED by latter part of October LUXEMBOURG LIBERATED - one or two battalions at a time moved back from front, for training in attacking fortified positions.

NEXT MISSION
     Relieve 4th Division and "HURTLE THE HURTGEN", a dense forest in
Aachen, cologne, Duren triangle where 4th Division was suffering heavy casualties, then seize west, bank of Roer River Division's FIRST CONTACT with enemy in his homeland met with heavy enemy mortar & artillery fire, &air attack along with frequent. infantry counter attacks forest heavily booby trapped & mined edge Of forest - after leaving forest, drove a deep salient into enemy positions west of ROFR RIVER at the village of Gurzenich despite enemy tank a n d assau I t gun coun te r attacks arid concentrated artillery drove enemy across Roer - By opened a. way through forest, for tanks of 5th Armored Division - attacked other towns west of Roer held by enemy despite heavy mortar & artillery fire & air attack, cleared west. bank of Roer of enemy.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
     Several units of Division crossed Roer and entered Duren o n December 18th, becoming CLOSEST AMERICANS TO BERLIN or) that. date - on same day, 453rd Anti-aircraft Battalion, attached to Division - shot down 29 enemy planes - Division "HURTLED THE HURTGEN" & "ROARED TO THE ROER" 

IN THE MEANTIME
     Enemy units in Belgium drove a wedge through allied lines and ARDENNES FOREST in a major offensive, later known as "THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE" initially, enemy had its first major success since fighting in Africa - Division rushed about 75 miles from Duren to vicinity of Rochefort to hit "Bulge" at its tip - after 3 days of shelling enemy withdrew from Rochefort & company previously marooned there found to have had only 7 men wounded - division aligned with 3rd Armored Division near center of northern edge of Bulge - several towns recaptured in snow-laden hills of Ardennes Forest - fought weather as much as enemy bitter cold & heavy snow took as large a toll in Allied casualties as enemy bullets & shells - despite chapped faces & frozen hands & feet, fought continuously in arctic- like climate of Ardennes Forest for 5 days & nights to pave the way for 3rd Armored Division to cut vital highway in area together with advance of 3rd Army from south, to set stage for final elimination of the Bulge - after 5 weeks of fighting in Ardennes, Division relieved & sent behind lines for rest and replacements during most of February.

JOINED BY 736TH TANK BATTALION
     which replaced the 774th in late February some Divison units assigned to join other corps units to attack targets east of Roer

FIRST DIVISION to reach the RHINE RIVER on March I

     Division, as a unit, given mission of capturing town of Neuss east of  river securing 3 Rhine bridges between Neuss & Dusseldorph - some Division units moved across flat open terrain opposed by enemy tanks & self propelled guns which they outflanked &. outmaneuvered - other units cleared several towns & together, with Air Corps assistance, reached Neuss - just 17 1/2 hours after Division committed as a unit, it-, lead unit, reached the RHINE becoming the first Allied troops, to do so - WORLD PUBLICITY followed - press reported: "CRACK TROOPS OF THE 83RD", "ACE SHOCK TROOPS OF THE 9TH ARMY" &. "ETO VETERANS FROM NORMANDY TO THE RHINE" - division then moved into Belgium &. Netherlands for training in river crossing tactics later moved back to Germany & crossed Rhine with 2nd Armored Divison on March 30th.

IN APRIL

     Division confiscated all captured vehicles and advanced 200 miles in 13 Days, settling a MILITARY ACTION RECORD news reports referred to Division a-, "MOVING LIKE A THUNDERBOLT ACROSS EUROPE", prompting Division to adopt "THUNDERBOLT" as a. nickname - heavy opposition at Barby, west of the ELBE RIVER - house-to-house fighting overcame opposition, crossed Elbe river on April13.

FIRST DIVISION TO REACH ELBE
     Creating BRIDGEHEAD EAST OF THE ELBE RIVER, 40 miles from BERLIN - PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT DIED and the Engineers constructed pontoon bridge across the river which was named the TRUMAN BRIDGE in honor of our new President.

ENEMY SLASHED AT DIVISION POSITION
     for several days & nights, but were driven back with severe losses - Division ordered to patrol east & contact Russians - RUSSIAN CONTACT ACCOMPLISHED & Russian troops moved into the much heralded Elbe bridgehead to make the FIRST LINK-UP IN FORCE WITH AMERICAN TROOPS - Division withdrew from bridgehead & active participation in World War II just 2 days before V-E Day.

GIVEN OCCUPATIONAL DUTIES
     in Northern Germany & Bavaria - then training ending with surrender of Japan - beginning in August 1945, Division split up and returned piecemeal with other units to the States.

3 DIVISION COMMENDATIONS received.

DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATIONS received by 7 units of Division - Division suffered 3,275 battle deaths, 11,060 wounded or injured in action, 177 captured & 501 missing in action - 25,923 replacements received by Division during Campaign - NORMANDY - BRITTANY - ARDENNES RHINELAND - CENTRAL EUROPE.

MEMBERS OF DIVISION LIVE  0N
     THE 83rd INFANTRY DIVISION ASSOCIATION of veterans was formed in 1947 and has met annually since then - it will celebrate its 52nd ANNIVERSARY in PEORIA, 11, Aug 19-22, 98. The 53rd ANNIVERSARY will be in Lexington, KY.

Page last revised 03/01/2015
James D. West 
www.IndianaMilitary.org
imo@indianamilitary.org