Figure 1.--Thus of course was what the War was all about, the liberation of captive people. The little boy of course had no idea what was going on or the terrible plans the Germans were developing for France and the French people after they won the War. The 2nd Infantry Division entered the War on D-Day plus 1 on Omaha Beach after arguably the most important battle of the War. Here a member of the Division holds a French child in Normandy probably near Trévières (June 10, 1944). The GI is believed to be U.S. Army Pfc. Jesse De Vore. He was killed in action a few days later as the Division went into action and is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.

Many of the American units deployed to Britain in 1942, participated in the Torch Offensive in North Africa. The units thar followed in Britain were to be used for the cross-Channel invasion. The 2nd Division began arriving (October 1943). They trained in Northern Ireland and Wales. They entered the War at Omaha Beach on D-Day plus 1 (June 7). By that time the beach after a terrible fight was secure but still in a jumble of the detritus of war. The Division began the war in Normandy as part of the American First Army, but made several transitions during the European campaign. When the War ended it was in Czechoslovakia. The Division landed near on Omaha Beach near St. Laurent-sur-Mer. After organizing and basic preparation, they attacked across the Aure River in a critical effort to enlarge the bridgehead (June 10). They suceeded in liberating Trévières. Next was a fight for Hill 192. This was a heavily fortuied German strong point commanding the road to Saint-Lô. Utlumately this would be where the American breakout from Normandy would occur. Taking Hill 192 would require a major effort. Commanding General Walter M. Robertson devoted 3 weeks to the preparations as the Allies built up their forces and supplies in the Brdgehead. Col. Ralph Wise Zwicker and the 38th Infantry Regiment supported by the 9th and the 23rd began the battle for Hill 192 (July 11). It commenced at 5:45am with an intense artillery bombardment, a World War I-style rolling barrage. Some 25,000 rounds of HE/WP fired by weight artillery battalions hit the Germans on the hill. The Germans in Normandy had many advantages such as the Hedgerows, excellent infantry weaoins, and superior tanks. The American artillery wa a match more the Germans, but the americans had more of it and a much greater suply of shells. The 38th IR took the Hill from the shattered German defenders. The 2nd ID then set up defensive positions for 2 weeks. As the American Operation Cobra smashed a hole in the Germans defenses at st. Lo, the 2nd ID was part of the coiled spring that exploitatrd the breakout. The 2nd ID advanced across the Vire River to take Tinhebray at the base of the Normandy Peninsula (August 15). Rather than participate in the drive northast across France, the 2nd ID was ordered The division then raced toward west Brest on the Atlantic coast. The Allies badly needed a port. The Germans as part of the Atantic Wall defense, however, had heavily defended all the ports. And as a major port supporting German U-Boats, the German defenses in Brest were very strong. It took 39 days to take Brest, by which time the battle for France was over and the badly needed port destroyed. The Army Air Forces used bunker busting bombs to help take Brest. The 2nd ID was given a rest (September 19-26). The 2nd ID was then moved nort to Belgium and given a position in what was considered a quite sector -- the Ardennes September 29). The gods of war had thus placed the Dicision in the ee of the storm--St Vith. The 2nd ID advanced into the Reich (October 3). They were ordered to seize the important Roer River dams (December 11). The German Ardennes offensive launched a few days radially later changed plans (December 16). The 2nd ID was forced fall back and take up defesive positions on the northern shoulder of the Bulge. And from Elsenborn Ridge they sucessfully held back the advancing Germans. The 2nd ID went over on the offensive again (February 1945). They recaptured the ground they had lost and took Gemund in the Rhineland (March 4). They reached the Rhine (March 9) and moving south along the Rhine seized Breisig (March 10–11). Their major task then became to guard the Remagen bridge until the Rhine crossings had commensed (March 12–20). The Rhine had been expected to be a major barrier. Potentially it wa, but by this point of the War the Germans were so weakened that the Rhine Crossings were a non-event. Lacking air civer and having virtually no petrol, the Germany Army was by ths point essentially inmobile. The 2nd ID crossed the Rhine (March 21). The Division after the crossing moved forward to Hadamar and Limburg an der Lahn. Here they relieved elements of the 9th Armored Division which was aind of spearhead (March 28). They continued to move rapidly in the wake of the 9th Armored, the 2nd ID crossed the Weser at Veckerhagen (April 6–7). By this point Gen. Eisenhowe had decided to leave Berlin to the Soviets. American units were thus directed south to cut off southern Germany and the Alps. Eisenhower and SHAEF took very seriously runors of a NAZI Alpine redoubt. German resistance except for isolated pockets by ths time was collapsing. The 2nd ID captured Göttingen (April 8) and secired a bridgehead across the Saale (April14) and seized Merseburg (April 15). Next came Leipzig (April 18). They engaged in mopped up activities and outposted the Mulde River. Some units crossed re river, but were withdrawn (April 24). They were relieved on the Mulde and ordered southeast. They drove 200 miles against minimal resistance to the Czech frontier -- Schonsee and Waldmünchen (May 1-3). Here they relieved the 97th and 99th IDs. They crossed over to Czechoslovakia still helded by the Germans (May 4). This was the Sudetenland where Hitlervhad begun his conquests. They droven toward Pilsen where the Division ended their war in VE-Day. The 2nd ID was working with the Polish Holy Cross Mountains Brigade at the time. The 2nd ID since Normandy lost 3,031 men killed in action, 12,785 wounded in action, and 457 died of cobat wounds. The 2nd ID because it was designated for the Paciic was quickly returned to the United states, reaching New York (July 20). They were noved by train to Camp Swift at Bastrop, Texas (July 22). Here they began training for the planned invasion of Japan, but Japan surrendered while the reaing was still underway.

Created: 10:38 PM 7/15/2015
Last updated: 10:38 PM 7/15/2015