7. obrněná divize [1942-1945]

7. armored division was created 1. march 1942 in the Camp Polk in Louisiana and in September 1943 through the reorganization. 13. June 1944 the division arrived in Scotland, and 13. August, i.e. in D+68 in France. Landed on the beaches of Utah and Omaha, where surged through Nogent-le-Rotrou to Chartres, which was released 18. August. From there the division continued to liberate Dreux. Paris walked around to the south and at Melun has exceeded 24. August the river Seine. Another městěm, that free, was Château-Thierry, from where it continued east to the Verdun in which arrived 31. August. The division here for a while stopped by and stocked up. 6. September went further east to the Moselle, which crossed the south from Metz for Dornotu. However, the strong concentration of the well fortified German units in the area Metz forced her to withdraw back across the river. Even his attempt to cross the river north of the city was not successful. Part of the division then helped 5. infantry division while trying to cross the Moselle at Novéant-sur-Moselle, which was still farther south than the Dornot. The attempt was successful, and so this way transported and rest of the division. 7. armored division then attempted to cross the river Seille at Sillegny, but was reflected. Similar figures obtained for 5. infantry division a little further north.

25. September the division was transferred to the scope of the american 9. army. Moved to the Benelux, where she was tasked to cover the right flank of the corridor open in the framework of the operation Market-Garden. The division should operate in the southeast Netherlands and cover so the operations of the allied units in the estuary of the Scheldt. 30. September the division attacked German positions near the town of Overloon. Ran into strong resistance and the attack fell apart and slowed down significantly to almost stuck. The division was 8. October moved to area Deurne-Weert and Overloonu it replaced the british 11. armored division. 7. armored division was subordinated to the british 2. army and was tasked to lead a deceptive punch, to relieve the British situation during the conquest of the Overloonu and Venla.

27. October held the majority of the division's defensive position on the line of the Nederweert-Meijel-Liesel, while part of carry out false swipe through Deurnský channel. The germans that day launched an attack led by two divisions to Meijel, where they surprised 87. riding reconnaissance eskadronu. The but came to the aid of the rest of the 7. armored division, together with other forces of the british VIII. corps, and the Germans were after three days, beaten back, and gradually pushed back. 8. November 1944 the division was transferred again under the american 9. army and moved , Maastricht, where carried out recruitments and training of new cadres. At the end of November then take position along the netherlands-German border. In December she was part of the units allocated to 84. infantry division, which operated on the banks of the Pipe in the area of Linnichu. The rest of the division was preparing to advance into Germany, when the battle raged in the Ardennes. The division was transferred under the american 1. army and reassigned to St. Vith, which was an important road and rail junction. The division here, along with parts 9. armored division, 28. infantry division and 106. infantry division, led a successful defensive battle, greatly slowed down the German attack and to 23. December has receded over the river Salm. Then moved to the town of Manhay, which at the end of the month free. Here then was replaced by 75. infantry division. After a short rest, the division returned to St. Vith that 23. January conquered.

In February 1945 the division returned to Germany. Combat command R was allocated to 78. infantry division, which helped in the fighting in the Hurtgen forest. The division will then gather in the Steckenbornu, where she waited until the end of the month before the water drops from spilling dams. A large part of the team was sent back to Belgium, where they helped the engineers with the repair and zpevňováním roads in the Ardennes. At the beginning of march 7. armored division participated in the procedure III. corps to the Rhine in Unkelbachu. Towards the end of march and beginning of April participated in the sortie of the bridgehead at Remagen, and the subsequent closure of the Rúrské pockets, including cast dam Edersee. After the division participated in the disposal units enclosed in this pocket. Subsequently, the division surged to the Baltic. In April, on the Elbe, joined with the Red army.

After the war the division was moved to the Desavy, because it was one of the armored divisions prepared for a victory parade in Berlin. Prefer to get 2. armored division and 7. armored division moved into the american zone. Subsequently, the division returned to the New York and 9. October 1945 it was deactivated.

Source:
Zaloga, Steven J.: US Armored Divisions. The European Theater of Operations, 1944-1945, Osprey Publishing Ltd., Oxford 2004
en.wikipedia.org

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Headquarters headquarters during the stay in the ETO

Source:
www.history.army.mil.