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Dated: Jan 19, 2005
WW2 History of the

        45th 'Thunderbird' Infantry Division

      This page is under construction.

Based on booklet entitled:

 
    
  
                                                                                                                        
General History and Info 
on 
45th Infantry Division

   The 45th Division was in combat for __ consecutive days.   

Operations Since WW2
         Korean War - earned 10 battle stars and 11 MOH

        Operation Iraqi Freedom - 2003   Lead forces on attack into Baghdad.
 

 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
           
 .....
           . 

Organization of Division - Units + Summary of Awards & Casualties -  CLICK TO GO
Glossary  - CLICK TO GO

Color Legend:
         Allied Units  (Only highlight units other than the 88th Division)
        German Units
        Bold (black)   Important dates, towns or leaders.
        {My comments}  in Blue Brackets.

Abbreviations:
          M.  - Monte or Mount.  M. Adone for Monte Adone.
          S.  - San or Saint.     S. Pietro for San Pietro.
Command and Organization:
 

____History

 
THE STORY OF THE 45th INFANTRY DIVISION 

."

~~~~~ End of Text ~~~~~

Organization of the 45th Infantry Division in WW2:

Commanders:
      Major-Gen
      Major-Gen

Units:
       Infantry Regiment
      Infantry Regiment
      Infantry Regiment
      Field Artillery Battalion
      Field Artillery Battalion
      Field Artillery Battalion
      Field Artillery Battalion
   Support Units:
          Engineering Battalion
          Medical Company
          Quartermaster Company
    Attached Units:


180th Infantry Regiment's Motto ~ TANAP-NANAIYKIA-ALTHAIYAHA (Ready in Peace and War)         
 
GLOSSARY of MILITARY TERMS & ACRONYMNS
               Air OP - Airborne observer for artillery, see OP
               Art. or Arty. - Artillery
               Bn, Btn - Battalion, 3 Battalions in an Infantry Regiment, consisting of 4 companies each.
                           - Support units assigned to a division were usually battalion size.
               Barrage - a concentration of artillery fire power
               biv. area - Bivouac area or a rest camp
               CP - Command Post, a building or tent where command staff ran the battle
               Co - Company.  An infantry rifle company consisted of 187 men. 12 companies in a Regiment.
               Cubs- light observation aircraft used as airborne artillery observers.
               GRS - Grave Registration Servce.   Private Brown was in this unit that retrieved and buried the dead.
               flak - An anti-aircraft weapon that fired a shell that exploded in air.
               KP - Kitchen Patrol
               K - Rations - Pre-packaged meals
               KIA - Killed In Action
               Krauts - American slang for German soldier
               Non-Coms - Non-commissioned officers or sergeants
               PX - Post Exchange, a store on an army base
               OP - Observation Post - position from where forward observer identified targets
               SP - Self-propelled artillery.
               Ser. Co. - Service Company, a support unit of a Regiment
Other Reference Books:
                      TO BE ADDED LATER

Reference Material:
                      TO BE ADDED LATER
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Other unit histories located on my website:

   85th "Custer" Division  and associated 310th Combat Engineer Battalion

   88th "Blue Devil" Division &  91st "Powder River" Division  &  1st Armored Division

  3rd "Marne" Division  &  36th "Texas" Division &  442nd Regimental Combat Team

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For more on US 5th Army and the German X & XIV Armies, go to  Allied Units & Organizations.