8. obrněná divize [1942-1945]

8. armored division was activated 1. April 1942 in kentuckém Fort Knox and its task was training cadres for the creation of new divisions. The division next to that initially provided security of gold reserves just in Fort Knox. However, even in 1942, the division was moved to the louisanského Camp Polk, where to prepare the staff for the 9. to 14. armored division and subsequently prepared for its own combat deployment. From February to April 1944 participated in the large Louisanských maneuvers and then from her was převeleno larger amount of members to the divisions mounted on the front. After the division has conducted training of recruits. At the end of October 1944 he moved to new york Camp Kilmer and at the beginning of November, then boarded the vessel and sailed to Britain. In the second half of the month has arrived in Southampton, from where she moved to Tidworthu, where it has undergone further training. In France the division arrived 5. January 1945 and gathered in the area of Bacqueville. From there the division went through France to the Pont-à-Mousson, where she was to participate in stopping the German pressure in Strasbourg. But before she arrived, the Germans stopped. Combat command And in the second half of January 1945 participated in the sortie 3. army against moselsko-sárskému salient, specifically to support the attack 94. infantry division in the direction of Nennig, Berg and Sinz.

The division then shifted to the Dutch Simpelveldu, where until mid-February again devoted to training. 19. February has shifted to Roermondu and led a deceptive attack, which pushed the enemy to the north of the Heidského forest and river Tubes. 27. February, the river crossed and headed to the Rhine through the Tetelrath, Oberkruchten and Lintfort. 26. march 8. armored crossed the Rhine and attacked Dorsten, which in heavy fighting cleared. Subsequently overcame the river Lippe and engaged in the battles of Rúrskou pocket, during which the occupied Neuhaus and cleared the area of the town of soest. Then moved to Wolfenbüttel, and then further on to Blankenberg. The last combat event of the division was the liquidation of the places of the enemy resistance in the Harz countryside. The end of the war and the start of peace division spent in Pilsen. In September and October of 1945, followed by a transfer via Reims to Le Havre, from whence it was transported to the USA. The division was deactivated 13. November in the Camp Patrick Henry in Virginia.



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