A Summary History of the 3rd Infantry Division

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"Rock of the Marne"
(Original article written 7-22-08 by Jim Broumley)

The 3rd Infantry Division is a mechanized infantry division of the United States Army based at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Nicknamed the "Rock of the Marne," the 3rd Infantry Division's current configuration consists of four Brigade Combat Teams (BCT), one Aviation Brigade, and various support elements. The unit has served the United States in World War I, World War II, Korea, the Cold War, and Iraq.

The 3rd Division was activated at Camp Greene, North Carolina in November of 1917 for service in the First World War. The 3rd Division was composed of the 4th, 7th, 30th, and 38th Infantry Regiments, the 10th, 18th, and 76th Field Artilleries, and the 6th Engineers, with a total of 28,000 men. The Division as a whole entered combat for the first time during WWI on July 14, 1918. During the German's last offensive of the war, the 3rd Division held their positions on the Marne River as units on either side of them withdrew. This action spoiled the German bid for Paris and earned the Division its nickname, the "Rock of the Marne." The Division's motto, "Nous Resterons Là" which is French for "We shall remain there," also comes from that action. During WWI, two members of the 3rd Division were awarded the Medal of Honor.

The 3rd Division was designated the 3rd Infantry Division in 1941. The Division first saw action on November 8, 1942, landing in French Morocco. The Rock of the Marne was in the vicinity of Salzburg, Austria when World War Two ended on May 6, 1945. During the war, the 3rd Infantry Division fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Germany, and Austria for a total of 531 consecutive days of combat. 3rd Infantry Division soldiers earned 36 Medals of Honor during WWII. At Anzio in the Italian Campaign, the Division fought off three German divisions. While there it suffered more than 900 casualties, the most in one day of any division in World War II. The most highly decorated soldier of the war, Lieutenant Audie Murphy, served with the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.

When North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, the 3rd Infantry Division was one of ten active divisions in the U.S. Army. The division arrived in Korea in September 1950 and joined operations in the Hamhung-Hungnam area. On November 23, 1950, China entered the war and the massive strength of the Chinese Army was felt all along the front. During the Korean War, the Division was known as the "Fire Brigade" for its rapid response to a crisis.

By 1951, elements of the 3rd ID helped recapture Seoul, the South Korean capital, and the Chinese were pushed back to the 38th Parallel. As the Chinese tried to recapture the capital, the brunt of the attack fell on the 3rd Infantry Division's sector and the Marne Division became the "Rock of Seoul." Again the Chinese were driven back to the 38th Parallel. The war ended when an Armistice was signed on July 27, 1953, and by October 1954 the division had returned to Ft. Benning, Georgia. During the Korean War, eleven more Medals of Honor were awarded to 3rd Infantry Division soldiers.

From 1958 to 1996, the 3rd Infantry Division was stationed in Germany as part of the main defense protecting Western Europe from the threat of attack by Warsaw Pact Nations headed by the Soviet Union. As part of the U.S. Army's VII Corps, the 3rd ID was stationed throughout various towns in Bavaria. The division remained on constant alert as the arms race continued. The Division was a key link in American Cold War strategy and their readiness throughout those years contributed greatly to the West's ultimate victory over Communism at the end of the Cold War in 1989.

On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and posed a threat to Saudi Arabia. Units of the Rock of the Marne Division deployed with VII Corps from Germany for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The 3rd Brigade, 3ID was attached to the 1st Armored Division in their race through Iraqi territory in the "100-hour war." By the time the Persian Gulf War was declared over on February 28, 1991, the 3rd Infantry Division had destroyed 105 enemy tanks, 70 enemy armored personnel carriers, 92 enemy trucks, 4 enemy artillery pieces and captured 836 prisoners.

During the 1990s the Army went through a downsizing to maintain a ten-division active force. As such, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated and re-flagged as the 3rd Infantry Division on February 15, 1996. The Division was consequently re-stationed from its bases in Germany to Fort Stewart, Fort Benning, and Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. The Division repeatedly demonstrated its deployability since then by maintaining a battalion, and later a brigade task force presence in Kuwait. It has also moved sizeable forces to Egypt, Bosnia, and Kosovo in partnership training and peacekeeping missions. Since Sept 11, 2001 units have been sent to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to support the War on Terrorism.

In January 2003, Soldiers in the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) were officially informed that they were headed for the Middle East to do their part in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The entire division was deployed to Kuwait in weeks. It was called on subsequently to spearhead Coalition forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom, fighting its way to Baghdad in early April, leading to the end of the Saddam Hussein regime. After combat, Soldiers from 3rd Inf. Div. shifted focus to support and stabilization operations in an effort to rebuild the war-ravaged country. The division returned to Ft. Stewart in August 2003.

The Marne Division was selected as the first division in the Army to be organized under the new modular system. Beginning in 2004, the 3rd Infantry Division began re-organizing. The division shifted from three maneuver brigades to four "units of action," which are essentially smaller formations, with one infantry, armor, cavalry, and artillery battalion in each brigade combat team (BCT). A Combat Aviation Brigade is also part of the Division structure. Each of these units of action engaged in several mock battles at the National Training Center (NTC) and Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), in preparation for a second deployment to Iraq.

The Third Infantry Division was the first division in the U.S. Army to serve a second tour in Iraq. In January 2005, the division returned to Iraq and led U.S. and coalition forces in Baghdad. The 1st and 3rd Brigades of the division supported the 42nd Division in Northern Iraq. The hard work created conditions for a secure Iraqi election and transfer of power to the first democratically elected national government in Iraq. The Division served with its coalition partners during Operation Iraqi Freedom III for a year before returning to Georgia in January 2006.

On November 17, 2006, the Army announced that the 3rd I.D. would be the first Army division to serve three tours in Iraq as part of the 2007 "troop surge." The Division Headquarters deployed from Fort Stewart in March of 2007. Task Force Marne was composed of more than 20,000 U.S. soldiers, more than 26,000 Iraqi army soldiers, and over 46,000 Iraqi police. Along with combat operations, Task Force Marne focused on rebuilding the local government, Iraqi security forces, and the economy. The 3rd Infantry Division Colors returned to Fort Stewart in June of 2008. The 1st and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams have also returned home, while the "dog-faced soldiers" of the 2nd and 4th BCTs, the Aviation Brigade, and the 3rd Sustainment Brigade are still in Iraq completing their 2007-2008 tours.

The 3rd Division was designated the 3rd Infantry Division in 1941. The Division first saw action on November 8, 1942, landing in French Morocco. The Rock of the Marne was in the vicinity of Salzburg, Austria when World War Two ended on May 6, 1945. During the war, the 3rd Infantry Division fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Germany, and Austria for a total of 531 consecutive days of combat. 3rd Infantry Division soldiers earned 36 Medals of Honor during WWII. At Anzio in the Italian Campaign, the Division fought off three German divisions. While there it suffered more than 900 casualties, the most in one day of any division in World War II. The most highly decorated soldier of the war, Lieutenant Audie Murphy, served with the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division.

When North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, the 3rd Infantry Division was one of ten active divisions in the U.S. Army. The division arrived in Korea in September 1950 and joined operations in the Hamhung-Hungnam area. On November 23, 1950, China entered the war and the massive strength of the Chinese Army was felt all along the front. During the Korean War, the Division was known as the "Fire Brigade" for its rapid response to a crisis.

By 1951, elements of the 3rd ID helped recapture Seoul, the South Korean capital, and the Chinese were pushed back to the 38th Parallel. As the Chinese tried to recapture the capital, the brunt of the attack fell on the 3rd Infantry Division's sector and the Marne Division became the "Rock of Seoul." Again the Chinese were driven back to the 38th Parallel. The war ended when an Armistice was signed on July 27, 1953 and by October 1954 the division had returned to Ft. Benning, Georgia. During the Korean War, eleven more Medals of Honor were awarded to 3rd Infantry Division soldiers.

From 1958 to 1996, the 3rd Infantry Division was stationed in Germany as part of the main defense protecting Western Europe from the threat of attack by Warsaw Pact Nations headed by the Soviet Union. As part of the U.S. Army's VII Corps, the 3rd ID was stationed throughout various towns in Bavaria. The division remained on constant alert as the arms race continued. The Division was a key link in American Cold War strategy and their readiness throughout those years contributed greatly to the West's ultimate victory over Communism at the end of the Cold War in 1989.

On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and posed a threat to Saudi Arabia. Units of the Rock of the Marne Division deployed with VII Corps from Germany for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The 3rd Brigade, 3ID was attached to the 1st Armored Division in their race through Iraqi territory in the "100-hour war." By the time the Persian Gulf War was declared over on February 28, 1991, the 3rd Infantry Division had destroyed 105 enemy tanks, 70 enemy armored personnel carriers, 92 enemy trucks, 4 enemy artillery pieces and captured 836 prisoners.

During the 1990s the Army went through a downsizing to maintain a ten-division active force. As such, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated and re-flagged as the 3rd Infantry Division on February 15, 1996. The Division was consequently re-stationed from its bases in Germany to Fort Stewart, Fort Benning, and Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia. The Division repeatedly demonstrated its deployability since then by maintaining a battalion, and later a brigade task force presence in Kuwait. It has also moved sizeable forces to Egypt, Bosnia, and Kosovo in partnership training and peacekeeping missions. Since Sept 11, 2001 units have been sent to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to support the War on Terrorism.

In January 2003, Soldiers in the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) were officially informed that they were headed for the Middle East to do their part in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The entire division was deployed to Kuwait in weeks. It was called on subsequently to spearhead Coalition forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom, fighting its way to Baghdad in early April, leading to the end of the Saddam Hussein regime. After combat, Soldiers from 3rd Inf. Div. shifted focus to support and stabilization operations to rebuild the war-ravaged country. The division returned to Ft. Stewart in August 2003.

The Marne Division was selected as the first division in the Army to be organized under the new modular system. Beginning in 2004, the 3rd Infantry Division began re-organizing. The division shifted from three maneuver brigades to four "units of action," which are essentially smaller formations, with one infantry, armor, cavalry, and artillery battalion in each brigade combat team (BCT). A Combat Aviation Brigade is also part of the Division structure. Each of these units of action engaged in several mock battles at the National Training Center (NTC) and Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), in preparation for a second deployment to Iraq.

The Third Infantry Division was the first division in the U.S. Army to serve a second tour in Iraq. In January 2005, the division returned to Iraq and led U.S. and coalition forces in Baghdad. The 1st and 3rd Brigades of the division supported the 42nd Division in Northern Iraq. The hard work created conditions for a secure Iraqi election and transfer of power to the first democratically elected national government in Iraq. The Division served with its coalition partners during Operation Iraqi Freedom III for a year before returning to Georgia in January 2006.

On November 17, 2006, the Army announced that the 3rd I.D. would be the first Army division to serve three tours in Iraq as part of the 2007 "troop surge." The Division Headquarters deployed from Fort Stewart in March of 2007. Task Force Marne was composed of more than 20,000 U.S. soldiers, more than 26,000 Iraqi army soldiers, and over 46,000 Iraqi police. Along with combat operations, Task Force Marne focused on rebuilding the local government, Iraqi security forces, and the economy. The 3rd Infantry Division Colors returned to Fort Stewart in June of 2008. The 1st and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams have also returned home, while the "dog-faced soldiers" of the 2nd and 4th BCTs, the Aviation Brigade, and the 3rd Sustainment Brigade are still in Iraq completing their 2007-2008 tours.

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A Summary History of the 9th Infantry Division

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"Old Reliables"
(Original Article written 7/5/2010 by Jim Broumley)

The 9th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army is nicknamed the "Old Reliables." It was created during World War I as the 9th Division but was never deployed overseas. The division proved to be an important asset during World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War.

During the pre-war buildup for World War II, the 9th Infantry Division was constituted on August 1, 1940, at Fort Bragg, NC. The Old Reliables were among the first U.S. troops to enter combat in WWII. Along with the 3rd Infantry and 2nd Armored Divisions, the 9th landed in North Africa on November 8, 1942. It pushed through Tunisia into Bizerte, which fell in May 1943. The 9th Infantry Division then entered the Sicily campaign with landings at Palermo in August. The Division took part in the capture of Randazzo and Messina.

After Sicily, the Old Reliables were sent to England to re-equip and train for the impending cross-channel invasion of France. The 9th Infantry Division landed on Utah Beach in Normandy on June 10, 1944 (D-day plus 4). The Division advanced to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula and assisted in the capture of the fortified French port city of Cherbourg. In July, the division participated in the breakthrough at St.-Lo and in August helped to close the Falaise Gap. The Old Reliables then swept across northern France. The 9th Infantry Division held defensive positions near the Roer River from December 1944 through January 1945, and then crossed the Rhine at Remagen Bridge on March 7, 1945, pushing into the German Harz Mountains. On April 21, 1945, the Division relieved the 3rd Armored Division along the Mulde River near Dessau and held that line until VE Day, (May 8, 1945).

During WWII, the Old Reliables spent 264 days in combat, participating in eight separate campaigns. The 9th Infantry Division lost 4,581 soldiers killed in combat, 16,961 wounded, 750 missing in action, and 868 captured. Their total battle and non-battle casualties represented more than 240 percent of their authorized strength. Along with this sacrifice, Old Reliable soldiers earned 4 Medals of Honor, 86 Distinguished Service Crosses, 1,789 Silver Stars, and 5,518 Bronze Stars.

Shortly after the war, the 9th Infantry Division was inactivated. Nevertheless, they were re-activated on July 15, 1947, at Fort Dix, NJ, serving some 15 years before being inactivated once more. On February 1, 1966, however, the Old Reliables were called on again. The Division was re-activated at Fort Riley, Kansas, and deployed to the III Corps Tactical Zone in Vietnam on December 16, 1966. During the Vietnam War, the 9th Infantry Division's units often served with the Mobile Riverine Force and other US Navy units that made up the Brown Water Navy. Its area of operations was in the rivers and canals of the Mekong Delta from 1967 to 1972.

The division swept through Dinh Tuong Province from January 6 to May 31, 1967, in Operation PALM BEACH, spending February and March with South Vietnamese forces combating the enemy in Long An Province. Meanwhile, Old Reliable's 2nd Brigade was selected to fulfill the concept of a Mobile Riverine Force (MRF) created in 1967 and integrated with Navy Task Force 117 at each level of its command. One of the unique units serving with the division was the experimental Armor Platoon (Air Cushion Vehicle) which used the specially designed hovercraft to patrol marshy terrain like the Plain of Reeds along the South Vietnamese/Cambodian border.

For the first time since the Civil War, when Union Army forces operated on the Mississippi, Cumberland, and other rivers, the U.S. Army was utilizing an amphibious force operating afloat. The force was a complete package, independent of fixed support embarked or in tow. The troops lived on barracks ships docked at the MRF anchorage. On tactical operations, Navy armored troop carrier boats, preceded by minesweeping craft and escorted by armored boats (monitors) transported the soldiers along the vast waterways in the Delta. The first element of the Mobile Riverine Force (2nd Brigade) arrived in Vietnam in January 1967 and after training in the Rung Sat swamps moved into a base near My Tho. This base was named Dong Tam, a 600-acre island created among inundated rice paddies by dredging earth from the bottom of the Mekong River. The MRF often operated with other specialized units such as Navy Seal teams, South Vietnamese Marines, units of the ARVN 7th Division, and River Assault Groups on reconnaissance blocking and pursuit operations.

During the Tet Offensive in 1968, the 9th Infantry Division engaged in bitter fighting in the Saigon area. After the battle, General Westmoreland stated that the Old Reliables and the Mobile Riverine Force saved the Delta region from falling to the North Vietnamese Army. In 1969, the division also operated throughout the IV Corps Tactical Zone. As part of the U.S. draw down in Vietnam, two brigades were brought home in August 1969. The 3rd Brigade stayed in Vietnam (and fought in Cambodia) until October 1970. Elements of the 9th Infantry Division had served 1,440 days in Vietnam.

After Vietnam, the 9th Infantry Division was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington for the remainder of the Cold War. Beginning in the mid-1980s, the division served as the high-technology test-bed for the army. This led to the division testing the concept of "motorized infantry," designed to fill the gap between light infantry and heavy mechanized forces. The idea was to create lighter, mobile units capable of rapid deployment with far fewer aircraft than a heavier mechanized unit. Motorized infantry doctrine concentrated on effectiveness in desert warfare.

The Division eventually fielded two brigades of motorized infantry in battalions designated either "motorized" or "attack." Motorized units fielded the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV or "humvees") and attack units drove Fast Attack Vehicles (FAV), which were essentially dune buggies (later designated the "Desert Patrol Vehicle"). The FAVs were prone to rollover and offered the crew little protection from enemy fire. They were eventually all replaced by versions of the Humvee.

The Old Reliables was one of the divisions identified for inactivation at the end of the Cold War. Although their special training and equipment made them a logical asset to deploy to the Gulf War, they did not deploy to the Middle East. Since the 9th Infantry Division was already in the process of inactivation, during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the division provided soldiers and equipment to fill out deploying units from other divisions and trained National Guard and Army Reserve units deploying to the Persian Gulf.

The existing 3rd Brigade of the 9th Infantry Division did not inactivate and was reflagged as the 199th Light Infantry Brigade and assigned directly to I Corps. By December of 1991, all of the units of the 9th Infantry Division had cased their colors. This ended over 50 years of service to the country, earning the Division's nickname: The Old Reliables.

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A Summary History of the 5th Infantry Division

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"The Red Devils"
(Original Article Written 6-2-10)

The 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) has the nicknames of "Red Devils" or the "Red Diamond" for the simple design of their shoulder sleeve insignia. The 5th I.D., currently inactive, is a regular army division that saw service in WWI, WWII, Vietnam, and Operation Just Cause in Panama.

As part of the United States Army's buildup for World War I, the Fifth Division was activated on December 11, 1917, at Camp Logan, near Houston, Texas. The Division's organization called for four infantry regiments. However, only the headquarters and a few units were at Camp Logan. The Division's remaining units were training at locations spread over the Eastern and Southern United States. The 5th Division did not assemble as a unit until their arrival in France was completed on May 1, 1918.

It was during WWI that the 5th Infantry Division adopted their shoulder patch, the red diamond, and their nom de guerre. German soldiers during the St. Mihiel campaign called the American soldiers "Die rote teufel," which means "red devils."

The Red Diamonds were the eighth division to arrive in France. On arrival, the 5th Division conducted intensive training under the tutelage of French instructors. By the end of May the 5th Division was declared ready for combat and placed at the disposal of the French to reinforce the French Seventh Army in the Anould Sector in the Vosges Mountains in Alsace. Here they occupied trenches with French troops and suffered the Division's first casualties on the night of June 14, 1918.

On July 14, the Red Diamond was removed from the line and took over the St. Die Sector, relieving French troops. The 5th Division immediately initiated aggressive patrolling. The Division's artillery relished the opportunity to fire on live targets. As a result, "No Man's Land" became "Our Land." The 5th Division's machine gunners even brought down the first enemy airplane from ground fire.

By Armistice Day, the 5th Division had advanced further east than any other Allied division. In World War I, the 5th Division participated in the following campaigns: Alsace 1918, Lorraine 1918, Saint Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne. Since its first introduction into the trenches in June 1918, the Red Diamond had been in the line for 103 days. The 5th Division captured 2,367 German soldiers. The Red Devils sustained 9,981 casualties, 1,098 of those were killed in action. Decorations for valor were awarded to 351 Red Devils.

After the Armistice on November 11, 1918, the 5th Division was one of ten American divisions that served as occupation troops. Beginning November 27, the Red Diamond was stationed in Luxembourg and southeastern Belgium where it guarded the line of communications for Allied troops in Germany. During the summer of 1919, the Red Devils returned to the United States. The 5th Division was inactivated on October 4, 1921, at Camp Jackson, South Carolina.

With the American concern over the start of World War II in Europe, the 5th Infantry Division was once again activated on October 16, 1939, at Fort McClellan, Alabama. This time the Red Diamond was formed as a "triangular" division with the 2nd, 10th, and 11th Infantry Regiments for an authorized strength of approximately 15,000.

After periods of intensive training, the Red Diamond settled in their permanent post at Fort Custer, Michigan in September 1940. By April of 1941, the 5th Infantry Division had received their first batch of draftees, approximately 5,000, that brought the Division up to authorized strength. In September 1941, units of the Red Diamond began deployment to Iceland. The remainder of the Division had arrived by May 1942. While in Iceland, the Red Devils performed arduous and monotonous duties of operating observation posts, unloading boats, and building roads and buildings, all while still maintaining training schedules.

In August 1943, the 5th Infantry Division moved from Iceland to Tidworth Barracks, England. Then in October, the Red Devils moved to Northern Ireland to continue training for the invasion of France. The Red Diamond landed in Normandy at Utah Sugar Red Beach, in the St. Mere Eglise area, on July 9, 1944. It was assigned to the V Corps, First Army, and relieved the 1st Infantry Division in the Coumont area. The division launched its first attack on Vidouville on July 26, 1944. From August 3, 1944, the 5th Infantry Division served in the XII and XX Corps, in Patton's Third Army until the end of hostilities on May 7, 1945.

The 5th Division, from its landing in Normandy on July 9, 1944, to the last Division Headquarters in Vilshofen, Germany, traveled 2049 miles and engaged in all five of the ETO's major campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. The Red Diamond had spent 300 days in combat, where they suffered battle casualties of 2,659 killed in action, 9,153 wounded, 1,050 missing in action, and 101 captured. Red Devils recognized for valor included the Medal of Honor (to Private Harold A. Garmen, a medic), 34 Distinguished Service Crosses, 602 Silver Stars, 10 Soldiers Medals, and 2,066 Bronze Stars.

The Red Diamond Division was inactivated on September 20, 1946, at Camp Campbell Kentucky. However, this was not the end of the Red Diamond's history. The 5th Infantry Division would be activated and inactivated many times in the future. The Red Devils were part of NATO forces in Germany in the mid-1950s as part of the United States' Cold War defense of Europe. On March 25, 1968, the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) was alerted for deployment to Vietnam.

To make the Red Devil's 1st Brigade combat effective as a separate maneuver unit, there were several new assignments and attachments. In addition to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized); the following units were assigned: 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry Regiment; 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment (Mechanized); 1st Battalion, 77th Armor; A Troop, 4th Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment; 5th Battalion, 4th Artillery; 75th Support Battalion; A Company, 7th Engineers; 298th Signal Company; 517th Military Intelligence Detachment; 86th Chemical Detachment; 48th Public Information Detachment; 407th Radio Research Detachment; and the 43rd Scout Dog Platoon. On February 24, 1969, the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mech) was assigned operational control of the 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry. Charlie Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th Air Cavalry was placed under the operational control of the Red Devil Brigade in the summer of 1970. At peak strength, the brigade had over 6,000 personnel assigned and was one of the most potent fighting forces in the Republic of Vietnam.

Initially the Red Diamond Brigade conducted a 13-week training and familiarization program to adjust the brigade's personnel to situations in Vietnam. The emphasis was on independent small unit tactics and rapid response to alerts. In June 1968, the brigade began the long and difficult overseas movement. The advance party arrived in Quang Tri base on July 2, 1968. The remainder of the Brigade had closed on Quang Tri by July 22, and three maneuver battalions were located at separate base camps outside Quang Tri base proper.

A Company, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor was the first unit of the Red Diamond Brigade to be tactically committed. On August 12, 1968, the unit moved north to Con Thien to support the 1st Marine Regiment for ten days against North Vietnamese Army units attempting to infiltrate through the demilitarized zone. A Company made five contacts, was credited with 80 killed, and set the standard for the Brigade.

The Red Devils continued to operate in an area known as "Leatherneck Square," assisting the 3rd Marine Division deny access to the south through the DMZ. During April and May 1969, the Red Diamond Brigade attempted to deny the enemy access to the rice harvest. To accomplish this, the Brigade provided security for the friendly populace as they harvested their crops and patrolled at night to inhibit the movement of North Vietnamese tax collectors. The Red Diamonds showed that mechanized forces could be effective, even though they operated in terrain that was not optimal for armored forces.

In August 1969, the Red Devils assumed full responsibility for "Leatherneck Square." For six weeks, constant activity kept all units of the Brigade busy in this area. On October 22, the Brigade was removed from the operational control of the 3rd Marine Division and placed directly under the commanding general of XXIV Corps. In conjunction with the 1st ARVN (South Vietnamese) Division, the Brigade now had sole responsibility for the defense of Quang Tri and Dong Ha combat bases.

In January 1971, the reinforced 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division, initiated Operation Lam Son 719. The Brigade opened the QL9 Road from Dong Ha to the Laotian border; at the same time, engineers constructed access roads from the Rock Pile through the Punch Bowl to Khe Sanh. Following this, a 20,000-man ARVN Task Force moved to the Laotian border. The Red Diamond Brigade's missions were to secure QL9 as a supply route and provide mobile defense for the huge forward support area of Vandergrift and Khe Sanh. For 69 days of increasingly confused and bitter fighting, the Red Devils prevented the enemy from making a successful offensive move against any of these vital links in the ARVN offensive. A body count of 400 North Vietnamese was made, and the primary mission to keep the logistical support channels operational at all times was accomplished. When the last of the logistical units had withdrawn, the Red Diamond resumed its search and cordon patrols and rice denial efforts in eastern Quang Tri Province.

In June, the Red Devils received stand-down orders with stateside redeployment to commence on July 1, 1971. Brigade activities were limited to base security in anticipation of a North Vietnamese Army effort to achieve a propaganda victory over the departing unit. The Brigade colors departed Quang Tri on August 8, 1971, after a ceremony the previous day in which several Vietnamese decorations were awarded to the Brigade and to Brigade personnel. The Red Devils returned to Fort Carson, leaving the defense of Quang Tri in the hands of the ARVN 1st Division, a unit that they had largely trained. On August 22, 1971, the Brigade colors were cased at Fort Carson, Colorado. The Red Diamond was inactive once again.

The 5th Mechanized Infantry Division was re-activated and reorganized at Fort Polk, LA in 1976. From 1989 through 1992, the division was attached to III Corps and shared its Cold War mission of reinforcing Allied Forces in Central Europe. According to the Army doctrine of the time, the division was organized with two active brigades and "rounded out" by a brigade from the Army National Guard. In 1989, after months of deteriorating relations between the governments of the United States and that of Dictator Manuel Noriega of Panama, the situation became critical with the killing of a Marine officer and the harassment of American personnel by the Noreiga forces. When it came time for U.S. President George H.W. Bush to stop Noriega's repressive regime, the Red Diamond was standing in the wings and ready to be called.

A part of the division had been deployed in the Panama City area in May 1989 to secure American facilities. The following September these troops were replaced by "Task Force Regulars." This task force consisted of the 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized), and supporting elements. Task Force Regulars was assigned the mission of the assault of "la Comandcia," the headquarters of Noriega's Panama Defense Forces (PDF). Augmenting the 4/6 Infantry were Company A, 7th Engineers, elements of 5th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery, 5th Support Battalion (Forward), Company C, 508th Airborne Infantry Regiment, four M551 Sheridans from the 82nd Airborne Division, four Marine light armored vehicles (LAVs) and two platoons of military police from Fort Benning, GA. Operation Just Cause, the invasion of Panama, opened in the first hours of December 20, 1989. Task Force Regulars returned to their home station, Fort Polk, Louisiana, in late January. The returning Red Diamond veterans of Operation Just Cause were honored with a division review and awards ceremony on February 9, 1990.

The last inactivation of the Red Diamond was on November 24, 1992, exactly 75 years from the date of its first order to activate, November 24, 1917. Through the efforts of the unit soldiers, the Red Devils, the 5th Infantry Division earned its motto: "We Will."

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A Summary History of the 3rd Armored Division

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"Spearhead"
(Original article written 7/10/08 by Jim Broumley)

The 3d Armored Division is a heavy mechanized division of the United States Army that served in World War Two, the Cold War defense of Western Europe, and the Persian Gulf War. The 3rd Armor Division was reduced to zero strength in 1992, but not inactivated.

The Third Armored Division was activated on April 15, 1941, at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, and by June had moved to Camp Polk to begin training. The 3rd AD arrived in England on September 15, 1943, and conducted training in the Liverpool and Bristol Areas. By June 29th the first elements of the 3rd Armored Division entered combat in the Normandy area of France. The Spearhead Division was assigned to First Army for the duration of its WWII European service.

The 3d Armored Division entered combat as a whole on June 29, 1944, taking part in the hedgerow fighting. The Division broke out at Marigny and with the 1st Infantry Division swung south in an exploitation of the St. Lo break-through. In August 1944, the Division participated in the heavy fighting involved in closing the Falaise Gap, pocketing the German Seventh Army. Six days later, on August 25, 1944, the Spearhead Division had cut across the Seine River and was streaking through Meaux, Soissons, Laon, Mons, Namur, and Liege. The 3rd Armored Division breached the Siegfried Line with the capture of Rotgen, on September 12, 1944, and continued a slow advance against heavy resistance to the vicinity of Langerwehe.

At the start of the Battle of the Bulge, the 3rd Armor was shifted to Houffalize, Belgium, where it severed a vital highway leading to St. Vith, and in January 1945, participated in the reduction of the German salient west of Houffalize. After a brief rest, the Division returned to the front, crossed the Roer River into Duren, broke out of the Duren bridgehead, and drove on to capture Koln, Germany on March 6, 1945.

The Division began a thrust into the Rhineland of Germany on February 7, 1945. On March 31, 1945, the commander of the division, Major General Maurice Rose, famed as one of few commanding generals to frequent the front lines during combat, rounded a corner in his jeep and came face to face with a German tank. As he withdrew his pistol to surrender, the young German tank commander, apparently misunderstanding Rose's intentions, shot and killed the general.

The Division took Paderborn, assisted in mopping up the Ruhr pocket, crossed the Saale River, and after overcoming stiff resistance took Dessau. On April 11, 1945, the 3rd Armored discovered the Dora-Mittelbau concentration camp. The Division was first to arrive on the scene, reporting back to headquarters that it had uncovered a large concentration camp near the town of Nordhausen. Requesting help from the 104th Infantry Division, the 3rd A.D. immediately began transporting some 250 ill and starving prisoners to nearby hospital facilities.

As the war drew to a close in May of 1945, the 3d Armored Division consolidated near Dessau. The 3rd Armor performed occupation duty near Langen until it was inactivated on November 10, 1945. During the war, the 3d Armored Division participated in 231 days of combat. They had lost more tanks in combat than any other U.S. division. The Division's casualties included a total of 2,540 killed, 7,331 wounded, 95 missing, and 139 captured. Total battle and non-battle casualties came to 16,122.

With the Cold War starting to heat up, the 3rd Armored Division was reactivated on July 15, 1947, at Fort Knox, Kentucky as a training unit. In 1955 it was reorganized for combat and the next year shipped out to Germany once again. In the event of war in Europe, the 3d Armored Division's primary mission, along with other V Corps units, was to defend the well-known Fulda Gap between East and West Germany against numerically superior Warsaw Pact forces. At the peak of East/West tensions during the 1980s, as many as nineteen Soviet and East German divisions faced off against V Corps units in West Germany.

To prepare their defenses against an invasion, the Division's units frequently conducted field training at Hohenfels, Wildflecken, and Grafenwöhr training areas. The 3d Armored Division would also frequently take to the German countryside for training maneuvers, including what became an annually staged war game, REFORGER, which simulated an invasion of Western Europe by Warsaw Pact forces.

The most famous soldier in the 3rd Armored Division during the 1950s was Elvis Presley, assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Armor Regiment, Combat Command C at Ray Barracks in Friedberg. After his time in service, Elvis made the movie G.I. Blues, in which he portrays a 3rd Armored Division tank crewman with a singing career. Former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell also served in the 3d Armored Division and went on to command V Corps in Germany.

By 1990, the Iron Curtain over Eastern Europe collapsed, East and West Germany would soon be reunited, and the Soviet Army was being withdrawn back to the Soviet Union. With these events, the Cold War came to a peaceful conclusion, freeing U.S. army units in Europe for other deployments.

In November of 1990, VII Corps departed West Germany for Saudi Arabia to take part in Operation DESERT SHIELD and, later, in Operation DESERT STORM. Because the 3rd Armored Division was more advanced in its modernization process, and well-equipped with Abrams Tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, they deployed with VII Corps to Southwest Asia.

On February 23, 1991, the 3d Armored Division crossed the Line of Departure into Iraq with the 1st Armored Division on their left and the 2nd Armored Cavalry on their right. The Iraqi Army was surprised by the VII Corps end run into Iraq. Most of the enemy forces were focused on defending the Kuwait border with Saudi Arabia. By the fourth day of the war, the Spearhead had advanced over 50 miles into Iraq and defeated all enemy forces they encountered, including divisions of the Iraqi Republican Guard. In the 100-hour Gulf War, 3AD destroyed hundreds of Iraqi tanks and vehicles, and captured more than 2,400 Iraqi prisoners, with 15 division troops killed between December 1990 and late February 1991.

Following Operation Desert Storm and the liberation of Kuwait, the Spearhead Division returned to Germany. Camp Doha emerged as the focal point for the U.S. Armed Forces in Kuwait. The threat of future aggression necessitated the presence of U.S. forces to maintain security and stability in the Gulf region. U.S. military forces began rotating into Kuwait to provide security assistance, conduct training exercises, and perform necessary contingency planning. Among the first U.S. Army units deployed to Camp Doha after the Persian Gulf War were the 3d Armored Division, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, and the 8th Infantry Division.

On January 17, 1992, the 3rd Armored Division officially ceased operations in Germany, with a ceremony in Frankfurt at Division Headquarters, Drake Kaserne. The division colors were then returned to the United States, with the 3d AD still officially active, since Army Regulations state that Divisional "Casing of Colors" cannot occur on foreign soil. Official retirement took place at Fort Knox, on October 17, 1992. At that time, the 3rd Armored Division was removed from the official force structure of the U.S. Army.

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A Summary History of the 44th Medical Brigade

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"Ready, Reliable, and Relevant"
(Original Article written 5-17-08)

The job of the 44th Medical Brigade, now the 44th Medical Command, is to organize, train, deploy, command, and control their subordinate medical units to provide corps-level combat medical, and community health support, across all levels of conflict and in a peacetime garrison environment. The 44th Medical Command is currently stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Fort Bragg subordinate units include the HHC 44th MEDCOM, the 28th Combat Support Hospital, the 261st Medical Battalion (Multifunctional), the 51st MED (VS), The 248th MED (VS) and the 257th MED (DS). The 44th Medical Command also controls the 86th Combat Support Hospital at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, the 14th Combat Support Hospital at Ft. Benning, Georgia, the 6th Medical Logistics Management Center (MLMC) at Ft. Detrick, Maryland, and the 1st Area Medical Laboratory (AML) and the 9th AML at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.

The 44th Medical Brigade was formed on 30 December 1965 and was activated on 1 January 1966 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the home of the Army Medical Branch. The Brigade deployed to Vietnam, where it participated in 12 of the 17 campaigns, including Counteroffensive, Counteroffensive Phases II through VII, Tet Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970, and the Sanctuary Counteroffensive.

In March 1970, the 44th Medical Brigade Headquarters was merged with the United States Army, Vietnam Surgeon's Office to form the Medical Command, Vietnam (Provisional). The 44th Medical Brigade's colors were returned to the United States in December of 1970. During the Brigade's service in Vietnam, it was awarded two Meritorious Unit Commendation Streamers. The streamers are embroidered "Vietnam 1969-1970" by the government of the Republic of Vietnam.

On March 19, 1973, the 44th Medical Brigade was inactivated at Fort Meade, Maryland. The Brigade was reactivated on September 21, 1974, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. On July 16, 1993, the 44th Medical Brigade became a separate major subordinate command reporting directly to the XVIII Airborne Corps with a general officer commanding.

Since moving to Ft. Bragg, elements of the 44th Medical Brigade have participated in Operation URGENT FURY in Grenada (October 1983), Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama (December 1989), Operations DESERT SHIELD (August 1990), and DESERT STORM (February 1991) in Saudi Arabia, and Operation UPHOLD DEMOCRACY in Haiti (September 1994). The Brigade has also participated in humanitarian relief missions. Of note are the hurricane relief efforts in the United States, including those following Hurricanes Andrew (1992), Katrina (2005), and Rita (2005).

The Brigade was converted to a Medical Command on 16 October 2001 and became a multi-component unit. While at Fort Bragg the 44th Medical Brigade had become an airborne unit, but as part of its conversion the 44th Medical Command lost this designation. Elements of the 44th Medical Brigade have deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the Global War on Terrorism. During 2006 the 14th Combat Support Hospital deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The 28th Combat Support Hospital and the 86th Combat Support Hospital have both deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 04-06. These two units served as the "Baghdad ER," which was highlighted by the 86th CSH in the HBO documentary of the same name.

The 44th Medical Command transferred their responsibilities as the commanding medical unit in Multinational Corps-Iraq to the 30th Medical Brigade from Heidelberg, Germany on October 18, 2005. During their tour, the 44th Medical Command conducted more than 400 brain surgeries, nearly 7,000 general surgery procedures, 6,000 orthopedic procedures, and close to 1,500 subspecialty surgical procedures.

The 44th MEDCOM's stated mission is to "Organize, resource, train, sustain, deploy, command, control, and support assigned and attached healthcare capabilities to provide flexible, responsive and effective health service support and force health protection to supported forces conducting joint and simultaneous full spectrum operations." The professionals who are assigned to this command perform this mission superbly, proving their motto, that they are "Ready, Relevant, and Reliable."

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A Summary History of the 4th Infantry Division

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"The Ivy Division"
(Article written 9/3/08 by Jim Broumley)

The 4th Infantry Division, whose motto is "Steadfast and Loyal," is a heavy mechanized division in the United States Regular Army. The 4th ID has a storied history from WWI, WWII, Vietnam, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Arguably the most modernized division in the army, the 4ID is currently organized with four Brigade Combat Teams (BCT), a fires brigade, an aviation brigade, and various supporting units. Currently home-based at Fort Hood, Texas, the "Ivy Division" is in the process of re-stationing to Fort Carson, Colorado, around unit deployments to Iraq.

The 4th Infantry Division is nicknamed the "Ivy Division." This comes from the design of the shoulder sleeve insignia which has four green ivy leaves joined at the stem and opening at the four corners. The word "Ivy" is a play on the Roman numeral four, IV. Ivy leaves are symbolic of tenacity and fidelity, the basis of the Division's motto, "Steadfast and Loyal." The Division's second nickname, "Iron Horse," has been recently adopted to indicate the speed and power of the division.

The 4th Division was formed at Camp Greene, North Carolina on December 10, 1917, for service in World War One. The 4th Infantry Division went into action in the Aisne-Marne campaign in July 1918, at which time its units were piecemealed and attached to several French infantry divisions. Almost a month later, the Division was reunited for the final days of the campaign. During the next four months, the 4th I.D. saw action on the front lines and as reserves. Suffering over 11,500 casualties in the final drive for the Allied victory, the 4th Infantry Division was the only division to serve in both the French and British sectors of the front.

By the end of WWI, 2,611 Ivy Division soldiers were killed in action and 9,895 others were wounded. The 4th Division remained in Europe for occupation duty until returning to the United States on July 31, 1919. The 4th Division was inactivated at Camp Lewis, Washington on September 21, 1921.

The 4th Infantry Division was reactivated on June 1, 1940, at Fort Benning, Georgia as part of the U.S. Army buildup before the country entered into World War II. From June of 1940 until late in 1943, the 4th Infantry Division served as an experimental division for the Army, testing new equipment and tactics. Finally, after years of training, the Ivy Division moved to England in January of 1944 to prepare for Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings in Normandy.

The amphibious invasion of Europe began on June 6, 1944. The Division's 8th Infantry Regiment was the first Allied ground unit to assault German forces on the Normandy Beaches. The remainder of the Division quickly followed, landing on Utah Beach. For 26 days the Division pushed inland, reaching the Port of Cherbourg and sustaining over 5,000 casualties. Breaking out of the Beachhead and expanding operations well into France, the Division was given the honor of being the first Allied unit to participate in the liberation of Paris. The Ivy Division quickly moved on through northern France reaching Belgium and the border of Germany by September 1944. In November, the 4th Infantry Division moved into the Hurtgen Forest and fought what was to be its fiercest battle. The 4th Infantry Division held its ground during the Battle of the Bulge; crossed the Rhine, then the Danube, and finally ceased its advance at the Isar River in southern Germany.

When the 4th Infantry Division's WWII combat operations ended on May 2, 1945, 4,097 soldiers had been killed in action, 17,371 were wounded, and 757 would later die from their wounds. The Division returned to the United States in July 1945 and was stationed at Camp Butner, North Carolina, preparing for deployment to the Pacific. However, the Japanese surrendered before the 4th ID was deployed. After the war ended the 4ID was inactivated on March 5, 1946. The Division was reactivated as a training division at Fort Ord, California on July 15, 1947.

On October 1, 1950, the 4th Infantry Division was re-designated as a combat division, training at Fort Benning, Georgia. In May 1951 it deployed to Germany as the first of four U.S. divisions committed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during the early years of the Cold War. The division headquarters was located in Frankfurt, West Germany. After a five-year tour in Germany, the division redeployed to Fort Lewis, Washington in May of 1956. The 66th Armor Regiment and 4th Signal Company of the 4th Infantry Division served in the Korean War.

The 4th Infantry Division deployed from Fort Lewis to Camp Holloway, Pleiku, Vietnam on September 25, 1966, and served more than four years, returning to Fort Carson, Colorado on December 8, 1970. Two brigades operated in the Central Highlands/II Corps Zone, but its 3rd Brigade, including the division's armor battalion, was sent to Tay Ninh Province northwest of Saigon to take part in Operation Attleboro (September to November 1966), and later Operation Junction City (February to May 1967), both in War Zone C.

Throughout its service in Vietnam, the Ivy Division conducted combat operations in the western Central Highlands along the border between Cambodia and Vietnam. The 4th Infantry Division experienced intense combat against NVA regular forces in the mountains surrounding Kontum in the autumn of 1967. The division's 3rd Brigade was withdrawn from Vietnam in April 1970 and deactivated at Fort Lewis. In May the remainder of the division conducted cross-border operations during the Cambodian Incursion. The Ivy Division returned from Vietnam in December and was rejoined in Fort Carson by its former 3rd Brigade from Hawaii, where it had re-deployed as part of the withdrawal of the 25th Infantry Division. One battalion remained in Vietnam as a separate organization until January 1972. During the four and a half years of combat operations during the Vietnam War, 2,531 Ivy Division soldiers were killed in action and another 15,229 were wounded.

After Vietnam, the Division settled at Fort Carson, Colorado where it reorganized as a mechanized infantry division and remained at Carson for 25 years. It was during the Division's time at Fort Carson that it had the unofficial nickname of the "Ironhorse" Division. The 4th Infantry Division moved its colors to Fort Hood, Texas in December 1995 to become the Army's first Digitized Division under the Force XXI program. In this program the Division was thoroughly involved in the training, testing, and evaluation of 72 initiatives to include the Division's Capstone Exercise (DCX I) held at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California in April 2001 and culminating in the DCX II held at Fort Hood in October 2001.

Division elements have supported rotations to Bosnia and Kuwait as well as providing a Task Force to fight forest fires in Idaho in 2000. 4ID Soldiers supported the Winter Olympics in Utah. Since November 2001, the Division's mission was the Division Ready Brigade-prepared to deploy at a moment's notice to anywhere in the world.

The 4th Infantry Division was alerted for the Iraq War on January 19, 2003. The Division's mission was to lead an advance from Turkey into Northern Iraq. Unfortunately, the Turkish government did not give their permission for U.S. Forces to use Turkey to attack Iraq, and the Ivy Division had to reroute to the war through Kuwait. Arriving after the invasion had started, the 4th Infantry Division entered Iraq as follow-on forces in April of 2003. The 4th ID was deployed in the northern area of the Sunni Triangle near Tikrit. The Ivy Division became a major part of occupation forces during the post-war period.

In Operation Red Dawn, conducted on December 2003, the Iron Horse Division in coordination with a special unit captured the top High Value Target of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. Hussein was located about 10 miles south of Tikrit, cowering in a "spider hole." His capture has been described by news media as the number-one news story of 2003. The Division returned to the United States by April of 2004 with a most successful completion of their tour as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom I. Sadly, 81 Iron Horse soldiers gave their lives in OIF 1.

The 4th Infantry Division's second deployment to Iraq began in the fall of 2005. The Division headquarters replaced the 3rd Infantry Division, which had been directing security operations as the headquarters for Multi-National Division - Baghdad. The 4th ID assumed responsibility on January 7, 2006, for four provinces in central and southern Iraq: Baghdad, Karbala, An-Najaf, and Babil. On January 7, 2006, MND-Baghdad also assumed responsibility for training Iraqi security forces and conducting security operations in the four provinces. The 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division was assigned to conduct security operations under the command of Task Force Band of Brothers, led initially by the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). During this deployment, 229 soldiers were killed in action.

Today, the 4th Infantry Division is the most lethal, modern, and deployable heavy division in the world; it is prepared to conduct full-spectrum combat operations. The Iron Horse has earned twenty-one campaign streamers with sixteen 4th Infantry Division Soldiers presented the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Ivy Division began its third deployment to Iraq in late 2007 and is scheduled to return to the U.S. in 2009. The Division will continue its move to Fort Carson upon their return. The soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division continue to serve their country and live up to their unit's motto of "Steadfast and Loyal."

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History of U.S. Navy Submarines

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A Brief History of U.S. Navy Submarines

An Ohio-class submarine transits
the Suez Canal, Nov. 5, 2023.
U.S. Navy Photograph: 231105-N-BT677-2022.JPG

The term "submarine," as an adjective, simply means under the sea. But as a noun, a submarine invokes the mental image of a boat that can wreak havoc during wartime through its stealth and power. Although they are large craft that are crewed by over 150 submariners, a submarine is always referred to as a "boat." That's because during their development the name of the craft was shortened from the adjective "submarine boat" to create the noun "submarine." There are 75 boats either commissioned, in reserve, or under construction, making the submarine the most prolific war-fighting craft in the United States Navy.

The idea of a craft that could sneak up on enemy ships from under the water has been around since the time of Alexander the Great (332 B.C.). Leonardo da Vinci had his submarine concept as well (late 1400s). The first submersible vessel that apparently worked, and there are drawings of it, was constructed in 1620 by Dutchman Cornelius Drebbel in the employ of King James I of England. However, the first military submarine built in the United States was during the American Revolution. The first American submarine was appropriately named the Turtle, designed by Yale University student David Bushnell in 1775.

The Turtle was an acorn-shaped submersible propelled by employing a hand-cranked screw. The idea was that the craft would maneuver and attach itself to the underside of a warship, where then the operator could drill a hole in the bottom of the target and attach a bomb. The bomb was on a clock fuse that would give the submersible time to get away. Sergeant Ezra Lee of the Continental Army climbed into the Turtle on the night of September 6, 1776, intent on attacking His Majesty's Ship Eagle then anchored off Boston. Unfortunately, Lee couldn't get the bomb attached to the Eagle, eventually giving up and moving off, pursued by a rowboat full of British sailors. Lee was able to set off his bomb to dissuade his pursuers. There were no casualties on either side and there were no more attempts on record of submarine warfare during the Revolution.

In 1800, American inventor Robert Fulton designed, built, and tested his submarine the Nautilus. Fulton's boat would maneuver under its victim towing a floating mine which would explode using a contact fuse when the mine hit its target. Fulton tested Nautilus in France (the U.S. Navy was in its infancy and not in the market for any new technology) and the preliminary testing proved successful. Unfortunately, neither the French nor the British (at war with each other at the time) were impressed enough to buy Fulton's idea and incorporate submarines into their navies. Fulton returned to the United States in 1804 to work on his steamboat for which he is best remembered.

Although the technology was worked on in other countries, nothing much was done with submarines in the United States until the Civil War. Evidence leads us to believe that up to twenty working submarines were built by both sides during the war. Most were not documented or were lost before making it to combat. The most noteworthy from the period are the Union's USS Alligator and the Confederacy's CSS Hunley. The Alligator was designed by French engineer Brutus de Villeroi and was first launched on May 1, 1862. The Alligator was the first working submarine in the United States Navy and the largest built during the Civil War at 47 feet. It included innovations like compressed and filtered air for its crew of twelve. The boat was propelled by a hand-cranked propeller. The Alligator's weapon system was two limpet mines that could be attached magnetically to the hull of the target ship. Unfortunately, Alligator was lost in a storm off Cape Hatteras on April 1, 1863, while being towed to Charleston for its first combat deployment.

The Confederate submersible H. L. Hunley was named for the boat's designer and financier. The Hunley was 39.5 feet long and carried a crew of eight. The Confederate submarine also propelled itself with a hand-cranked propeller, but the weapon system was a spar torpedo. The spar torpedo was basically a spear with a bomb attached. The idea was that the Hunley would ram its victim, attaching the mine to the hull of the ship. The Hunley would then disconnect the spar and withdraw, detonating the mine once it was clear. The sub had sunk in testing twice before, so one might imagine that on the night of February 17, 1864, when Hunley launched into Charleston Harbor intent on attacking the Union steam corvette USS Housatonic, observers didn't have their hopes up. However, the Hunley was successful in sinking its intended victim and signaled back to shore a successful mission. Unfortunately, on the way back to base the submarine sank, cause unknown, drowning all eight of her crew.

The Hunley's sinking of the Housatonic marks the first successful attack by a submarine on a surface warship. The location of the innovative submarine remained unknown until 1990. The ship was raised in 2000. Remains of the crew were recovered and laid to rest on April 17, 2004, at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina. Over ten thousand people attended the ceremony, where the sailors were buried with full military honors.

After the American Civil War, inventors in other countries made great strides in submarine technologies. Some benchmarks included developing new hull designs, creating air pressure systems, powering with steam engines, and the invention of the torpedo tube. However, in the United States, the next major advancement in the development of submarines did not come until 1881. In that year Irish-American inventor John Philip Holland launched a submarine in New York that he designed and named the Fenian Ram. It was named such for his financial backers, the Fenian Brotherhood, an organization bent on Irish independence from Great Britain, who hoped to use Holland's submarine to sink British warships. The Fenian Ram's cutting-edge technology for the first time used horizontal planes and forward motion to "fly" the submarine to its submerged depth. Due to disputes over payments made to Holland, the frustrated Irish group stole the Fenian Ram and another submarine prototype, the Holland III, in 1883 and took the boats to New Haven, Connecticut. Unfortunately for the Fenian Brotherhood, none of their loyal members knew hope to operate the boats and John Holland wasn't helping. The boats gathered rust for thirty years and eventually, the submarines became museum pieces.

USS Holland, the first commissioned sub.
View of starboard bow, on ways, c.1900
National Archives: 512954

That would be the end of John Holland as well, except that his work came to the attention of the United States Navy who tasked Holland for a new boat. The Holland VI was launched on May 17, 1897 at Crescent Shipyard in Elizabeth, New Jersey. On April 11, 1900, the Navy bought the Holland VI and renamed it the USS Holland, SS-1, making it the United States Navy's first commissioned submarine. The Holland used an internal combustion engine (later changed from gasoline to diesel) for surface operations and an electric motor for running submerged. The Holland also boasted a new hull shape for easier movement through the water and self-propelled torpedoes fired from tubes that were reloadable from inside the boat.

The USS Holland was so well received that John Holland was able to sell seven of his boat designs to the U.S. Navy and, ironically, a few to the British Navy as well. John Holland's company, the Holland Torpedo Boat Company, would later be renamed the Electric Boat Company. Electric Boat was acquired by General Dynamics in 1952 and is still a principal builder of American submarines today.

The First World War brought rapid advancements to submarine technology, particularly the universal adaption of the diesel engine and radio communications that allowed the boats to be directed from shore. The German's Unterseeboot, or U-boat, dominated during World War I. Within a month of the beginning of WWI in 1914, U-boats were sinking British warships in the North Atlantic. The Germans' adoption of unrestricted submarine warfare against all types of shipping is generally cited as the main reason for the United States' entry into WWI. The threat posed by the U-boat during the war gave birth to anti-submarine warfare (ASW). This included the development of technologies such as sonar and depth charge. As a latecomer to the fight, American submarines did not have a high level of participation. In a navy dominated by a battleship mentality, submarines were used mainly in a defensive role for convoys. However, forward-thinking officers in the United States Navy took note of German accomplishments in undersea warfare.

Between wars submarine technology continued to progress. The Germans were not allowed to have submarines under the Treaty of Versailles. When Adolf Hitler rose to power he made up for lost time and started to bring back the U-boat fleet in direct violation of the treaty. By the time World War II started in 1939, Germany had incorporated many advanced technologies like sonar, radar, and magnetic fuses on their torpedoes. The United States entered the Second World War with the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. The analysis of the Pearl Harbor attack and the appointment of progressive thinking Chester Nimitz as CINCPAC signaled a new era in naval technology that focused on the aircraft carrier and the submarine. In 1909 Nimitz had commanded the United States' second commissioned submarine, the USS Plunger (SS-2). Admiral Nimitz chose to send a message to the battleship elements of the navy by taking command of the Pacific Fleet on the deck of the submarine USS Grayling (SS-209).

George Bush being rescued by the
submarine USS Finback after being
shot down while on a bombing run
on the Island of Chi Chi Jima. 9/2/1944 
National Archives: 186382

The American submarine fleet at the beginning of the war consisted of 111 boats. During the war a total of 314 boats would see service, 260 of these in the Pacific. These submarines commissioned during the war were from the Gato, Balao, and Tench classes. The "silent service" was slow to get started, having at first to deal with the Mark 14 torpedo's faulty depth gauge and unreliable fuse which took eighteen months to correct. However, by the end of WWII, American submarines had sunk 1,560 enemy ships for a total of 5.3 million tons. That represents fifty-five percent of the total tonnage sunk during the war. Warships that fell to American submarines included 8 aircraft carriers, a battleship, three heavy cruisers, and over 200 other types. United States submariners denied Japan the raw materials it needed to conduct the war by sinking over half of all enemy merchant shipping. Additionally, U.S. submarines participated in a duty that became known as the "lifeboat league," which was picking up downed Allied pilots. By war's end over 500 aircrew men would owe their lives to the actions of submarines, including future President George H.W. Bush. The cost of this success was high. The United States lost 52 submarines and 3,505 submariners during World War II, the highest percentage of killed in action (KIA) of any branch of service in the American military.

The close of WWII brought about an almost immediate entry into the Cold War between the Western powers, led by the United States, and Russia leading the satellite nations of the Soviet Union (and to some extent Communist China). For the next forty-five years, the Super Powers engaged in an arms race, part of which was played out with a cat-and-mouse game at sea. Submarine and ASW technologies made great strides during the Cold War.

Thanks to the efforts of Captain Hyman G. Rickover, newly appointed as head of the office of Director, Naval Reactors, submarines were the first U.S. vessels to be equipped with nuclear propulsion. The first nuclear-powered submarine was the USS Nautilus (SSN-571), launched on January 17, 1955. Before nuclear power, submarines were limited in their submerged time due to the need for fresh air to run their diesel engines. Now the nuclear sub could stay submerged practically indefinitely. Also, deployments were no longer limited by the need to refuel. The only resupply needed was food. The nuclear submarine could (and would) stay submerged at sea for months at a time. To prove it, in 1957 Nautilus became the first submarine to transit from the Pacific to the Atlantic under the Arctic ice cap.

The first launch of a guided missile from a submarine occurred in July 1953 from the USS Tunny (SSG-282). The Tunney had seen long service in WWII and was modified to fire the Regulus missile. She served in this capacity for another 12 years. The first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, or "boomer," designed for the specific mission of nuclear deterrence came into service with the USS George Washington (SSBN-598) in 1959. The five boats in the George Washington class served the country well into the 1980s.

The 1960s saw rapid advances in boomers and the missiles they fired. The George Washington, Ethan Allen, Lafayette, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin classes of Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines comprised the "41 for Freedom." This term refers to the 41 boats in these five classes that the United States Navy was limited to (along with 656 submarine-launched ballistic missiles) by the 1972 Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT I) Treaty. The missiles also evolved through the Polaris, Poseidon, and finally Trident missile classes. The sum of the "41 for Freedom" boats served into the new century until replaced by the Ohio class of boomers, able to fire the Tomahawk cruise missile along with the Trident.

The Ohio class of nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarines began with the launch of the USS Ohio (SSGN-726) launched on April 7, 1979. Originally designated SSBN-726, the Ohio is one of four boats in the class that were converted to a guided missile submarine and given the SSGN designation. These boats are capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles with either conventional or nuclear warheads, plus Harpoon missiles that are fired through their torpedo tubes. The other 14 boats in the class are FBMs, which are each armed with up to 24 Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles. These boats, part of the United States nuclear deterrence arsenal, are also known as "Trident" submarines. Those 14 boats carry approximately half of the country's active strategic nuclear warhead capability.

With the advent of ballistic missile boats, submarines evolved into two types, the boomers and the attack submarines. Today's attack boat mission is essentially the same as that of their WWII predecessors: to hunt and destroy enemy ships and submarines. An additional task, added during the Cold War, was to keep up with and provide a radar/sonar screen around an aircraft carrier task force. In the latter half of the 1960s, plans were made for a nuclear-powered boat that was both fast and quiet. The new design became the Los Angeles-class attack submarine. The class started with the launch of the USS Los Angeles (SSN-688) on April 6, 1974. Since then, there have been 62 Los Angeles class fast attack submarines commissioned (19 have already been retired), making the Los Angeles class the most numerous nuclear-powered submarine in the world. Today, all Los Angeles class submarines are capable of firing the Tomahawk cruise missile along with their complement of approximately 25 torpedo tube-launched weapons.

The intended successor to the Los Angeles class was the Seawolf class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines, ordered near the end of the Cold War in 1989. The Seawolf class boats are larger, faster, and quieter than the Los Angeles class boats, but expensive. The projected cost of the first 12 boats in the class was $33.6 billion. With the budget constraints brought on by the end of the Cold War, the originally planned class of 29 boats was reduced to only 3 in service. They are the USS Seawolf (SSN-21) launched on June 24, 1995, the USS Connecticut (SSN-22) launched on September 1, 1997, and the USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) launched on May 13, 2004. All three call Naval Base Kitsap, Washington their home port.

The Virginia class of attack submarines was intended to be a smaller, cheaper version of the Seawolf class ($1.8 billion per boat versus $2.8 billion). The class began with the launch of the USS Virginia (SSN-774) launched on August 16, 2004. Cost saving is accomplished through "off the shelf" electronic packages and new techniques in construction. There are eight boats commissioned and in service out of the proposed 30-boat class.

The mission of United States Navy submarines are peacetime engagement, surveillance and intelligence, special operations, precision strikes, battlegroup operations, and control of the seas. The American navy currently has 71 submarines in service, 18 of these are boomers and 53 are attack boats of different classes. See the table below for the names and homeports of these submarines. (This article was originally written in 2012. Visit this Wikipedia page for an up-to-date list of U.S. Navy Submarines.)

Ohio-class Ballistic Missile Submarines:
USS Ohio SSGN-726	Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (Bangor)
USS Michigan SSGN-727	Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (Bangor)
USS Florida SSGN-728	Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia
USS Georgia SSGN-729	Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia
USS Henry M. Jackson SSBN-730 (formerly the USS Rhode Island)	Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (Bangor)
USS Alabama SSBN-731	Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (Bangor)
USS Alaska SSBN-732	Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia
USS Nevada SSBN-733	Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (Bangor)
USS Tennessee SSBN-734	Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia
USS Pennsylvania SSBN-735	Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia
USS West Virginia SSBN-736	Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia
USS Kentucky SSBN-737	Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (Bangor)
USS Maryland SSBN-738	Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia
USS Nebraska SSBN-739	Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (Bangor)
USS Rhode Island SSBN-740	Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia
USS Maine SSBN-741	Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (Bangor)
USS Wyoming SSBN-742	Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia
USS Louisiana SSBN-743	Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (Bangor)
Los Angeles-class Fast Attack Submarines
USS Dallas SSN-700	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS Providence SSN-719	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS Pittsburgh SSN-720	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS San Juan SSN-751	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS Miami SSN-755	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS Alexandria SSN-757	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS Annapolis SSN-760	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS Springfield SSN-761	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS Hartford SSN-768	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS Toledo SSN-769	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS Norfolk SSN-714	Naval Submarine Base, Norfolk, Virginia
USS Newport News SSN-750	Naval Submarine Base, Norfolk, Virginia
USS Albany SSN-753	Naval Submarine Base, Norfolk, Virginia
USS Scranton SSN-756	Naval Submarine Base, Norfolk, Virginia
USS Boise SSN-764	Naval Submarine Base, Norfolk, Virginia
USS Montpelier SSN-765	Naval Submarine Base, Norfolk, Virginia
USS Helena SSN-725	Naval Submarine Base, Norfolk, Virginia
USS Bremerton SSN-698	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Jacksonville SSN-699	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS La Jolla SSN-701	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Olympia SSN-717	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Chicago SSN-721	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Key West SSN-722	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Louisville SSN-724	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Pasadena SSN-752	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Columbus SSN-762	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Santa Fe SSN-763	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Charlotte SSN-766	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Tucson SSN-770	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Columbia SSN-771	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Greeneville SSN-772	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Cheyenne SSN-773	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Albuquerque SSN-706	Naval Submarine Base, San Diego, California
USS Topeka SSN-754	Naval Submarine Base, San Diego, California
USS Asheville SSN-758	Naval Submarine Base, San Diego, California
USS Jefferson City SSN-759	Naval Submarine Base, San Diego, California
USS Hampton SSN-767	Naval Submarine Base, San Diego, California
USS San Francisco SSN-711	Naval Submarine Base, San Diego, California
USS Houston SSN-713	Naval Forces Marianas, Apra Harbor, Guam
USS Buffalo SSN-715	Naval Forces Marianas, Apra Harbor, Guam
USS Oklahoma City SSN-723	Naval Forces Marianas, Apra Harbor, Guam
Seawolf-class Fast Attack Submarines:
USS Seawolf SSN-21	Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (Bangor)
USS Connecticut SSN-22	Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (Bangor)
USS Jimmy Carter SSN-23	Naval Base Kitsap, Washington (Bangor)
Virginia-class Fast Attack Submarines:
USS Virginia SSN-774	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS Texas SSN-775	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS Hawaii SSN-776	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS North Carolina SSN-777	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
USS New Hampshire SSN-778	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS New Mexico SSN-779	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS Missouri SSN-780	Naval Submarine Base, Groton, Connecticut
USS California SSN-781	Naval Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut
USS Mississippi SSN-782	Naval Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

For further reading

Clancy, Tom, Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside A Nuclear Warship, with John Gresham (New York: Berkley, 1993)

Polomar, Norman and K.J. Moore, Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines, 1945-2001 (Washington D.C.: Potomac Books Inc., 2005)

 View the Index of Military Histories