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Pre W.W.2 U.S. Infantry Division


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I understand the U.S. Army went from a "square" infantry division to a "triangle" organization prior and in early W.W.2. My questions are: 

1. From what I can gather, these "square" formations were the regular infantry that converted to the new organization just prior to the U.S. involvement?

2.. Did the National Guard divisions fight in their square organization?

3. What happened to the spare regiment after the triangularization of their division? From what I can gather, they became independent regiments?

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1 hour ago, Rick said:

I understand the U.S. Army went from a "square" infantry division to a "triangle" organization prior and in early W.W.2. My questions are: 

1. From what I can gather, these "square" formations were the regular infantry that converted to the new organization just prior to the U.S. involvement?

2.. Did the National Guard divisions fight in their square organization?

3. What happened to the spare regiment after the triangularization of their division? From what I can gather, they became independent regiments?

This one is for Rich and Richard Lindquist, but the spare regiments were used to create new divisions. I think only a few did became independent.

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5 hours ago, Rick said:

I understand the U.S. Army went from a "square" infantry division to a "triangle" organization prior and in early W.W.2. My questions are: 

1. From what I can gather, these "square" formations were the regular infantry that converted to the new organization just prior to the U.S. involvement?

2.. Did the National Guard divisions fight in their square organization?

3. What happened to the spare regiment after the triangularization of their division? From what I can gather, they became independent regiments?

1. Yes. The Regular Army brigade structure was eliminated between August 1939 and October 1940. The conversion of the National Guard divisions began in winter 1941 and spring 1942. The Organized Reserve divisions were converted as they were activated.

2. No.

3. Most were retained as separate regiments.

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3 hours ago, RichTO90 said:

1. Yes. The Regular Army brigade structure was eliminated between August 1939 and October 1940. The conversion of the National Guard divisions began in winter 1941 and spring 1942. The Organized Reserve divisions were converted as they were activated.

2. No.

3. Most were retained as separate regiments.

Thank you Rich. Wiki said "about 29" separate regiments were formed when changing from square to triangle.

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13 hours ago, LouieD said:

@Rick This is probably the best book in the subject:

Maneuver and Firepower: The Evolution of Divisions and Separate Brigades

https://history.army.mil/html/books/060/60-14-1/cmhPub_60-14-1.pdf

 

To Maneuver and Firepower will give the overview. If you're looking for details of each regiment/division, you can find much in Stanton's WWII Order of Battle.

For example, 26th Infantry Division inducted 16 Jan 41 as a square division with 51st Infantry Brigade (101st and 182nd Infantry Regiments) and 52nd  Infantry Brigade (104th and 181st Infantry Regiments). This is a change from the WWI composition of 101st, 102nd, 103rd, and 104th Infantry Regiments (Clay's Order of Battle Between the Wars may answer the change). 102nd and 104th remained with 26th  War. 182nd Infantry Regiment relieved from the 26th on 14 Jan 42, and deployed with TF 6814 and then assigned to Americal Division while overseas. 182nd Infantry Regiment relieved from 26th on 27 Jan 42 to become a separate regiment under Eastern Defense Command and XIII Corps until inactivated 8 Feb 44. 328th Infantry Regiment (part of 82nd Division in WWI) activated separately from that division 12 Feb 43, assigned to 26th to replace the 181st,  and served the rest of the war with the 26th until inactivated 29 Dec 45 (same date as 26th Infantry Division, and 101st and 104th Infantry Regiments)

 

 

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You have to scroll down a bit, but Clay's 4 volumes are free pdfs here

https://www.armyupress.army.mil/books/browse-books/units-and-organizations/

 

i checked on on 181st and 182nd vice 102nd and 103rd. Looked like the first two were Massachusetts National Guard units activated as pioneers in WWI, and then assigned to the 26th to keep the entire division in Massachusetts, replacing the Connecticut 102nd and Maine 103rd

 

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