The 44th Infantry Division was a division of the United States Army National Guard from October 1920 to November 1945, when it was inactivated after Federal Service during World War II. A second 44th Infantry Division existed in the Illinois Army National Guard from 1946 until October 1954, when that division was disbanded after federal service during the Korean War.
History Formation and interwar period Originally named the 44th Division, it was constituted on 19 October 1920 as a result of the National Defense Act of 1920's major expansion of the National Guard.Doubler, Michael D. "Civilian in Peace, Soldier in War: The Army National Guard, 1636–2000" (University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2003), p. 190.Wilson, John B., The Army Lineage Series: "Armies, Corps, Divisions and Separate Brigades" (US Army Center of Military History Washington, D.C, 1999) As originally conceived, the division was to consist of National Guard units from Delaware, New Jersey and New York, and was to form part of the Second Corps Area. However, only individual members of the division staff, and not any whole units, ended up being assigned to the state of Delaware. The 57th Infantry Brigade from the New Jersey National Guard and the 87th Infantry Brigade of the New York National Guard were incorporated and growth continued piecemeal as subordinate units were organized until 1940."Historical and Pictorial Review, National Guard of the State of New Jersey" (Baton Rouge, 1940) The shoulder sleeve insignia (unit patch) of the 44th Division was approved by the Secretary of War on 5 October 1921.Memorandum for the Adjutant General of the Army from the Assistant Chief of Staff, dated 5 OCT 21, Subject: "Shoulder Sleeve Insignia for the 44th Division", US Army Institute of Heraldry files, re: 44th Infantry Division, Fort Belvoir, VA. The division headquarters was organized and federally recognized on 26 March 1924.
The headquarters was relocated on 21 February 1925 to Newark, New Jersey, and back to Trenton on 5 October 1936. The designated mobilization training center for the 44th Division was Camp Dix, New Jersey. The division staff, composed of personnel from all three states, came together each summer to conduct joint training at the New Jersey National Guard camp at Sea Girt, also where the New Jersey elements conducted summer camp every year. The New York units held their training at Camp Smith, near Peekskill, New York. The division staff participated in the First Army command post exercise at Camp Dix in 1931 and 1934 and at Fort Devens in 1936 and 1937. The division was assembled for the first time in August 1935 when it participated in the First and Second Corps Area phase of the First Army Maneuvers at Pine Camp, New York. In 1939, the division again participated in the First Army Maneuvers, this time at Plattsburg, New York, as part of the provisional II Corps. The 44th Division's last major training event before induction was the First Army maneuver involving the provisional I, II, and III Corps near Canton, New York, in August 1940.
World War II WWII division organization Square division On 16 September February 1940, the 44th Division was inducted into federal service at home stations. It was one of four National Guard divisions to be inducted into federal service for a one-year period that day. The other divisions were the 30th Division, 41st Division and 45th Division. After being inducted into federal service the he 44th Division moved to Camp Dix in New Jersey, where it arrived on 23 September 1940. At the time the division still retained its World War I square organization and consisted of the following units.
44th Division, in Trenton (NJ)National Guard Register for 1939, pp. 52-53 44th Division Headquarters 57th Infantry Brigade, in Trenton (NJ) Headquarters and Headquarters Company 113th Infantry Regiment, in Newark (NJ) Headquarters and Headquarters Company 3× Infantry battalions each battalion consists of: 1× Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 3× Rifle companies, 1× Weapons Company Anti-Tank Company (M3 37mm Anti-Tank guns) Service Company 114th Infantry Regiment, in Camden (NJ) same organization as 113th Infantry Regiment 87th Infantry Brigade, in New York City (NY) Headquarters and Headquarters Company 71st Infantry Regiment, in New York City (NY) same organization as 113th Infantry Regiment 174th Infantry Regiment, in Buffalo (NY) same organization as 113th Infantry Regiment 69th Field Artillery Brigade, in Camden (NJ) Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 156th Field Artillery Regiment, in Newburgh (NY) Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 2× Light Field Artillery battalions Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 3× Howitzer batteries (M1897 75mm field guns), replaced by M2 105mm towed howitzers in 1941) Service Battery 157th Field Artillery Regiment, in Camden (NJ) Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 2× Medium Field Artillery battalions Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 3× Howitzer batteries (M1918 155mm towed howitzers, replaced by M1 155mm towed howitzers in 1941) Anti-Tank Battery (M1897 75mm anti-tank guns) Service Battery 165th Field Artillery Regiment, in Trenton (NJ) same organization as 157th Field Artillery Regiment 104th Engineer Regiment, in Teaneck (NJ) Headquarters and Headquarters and Service Company 2× Engineer battalions each battalion consists of: 1× Headquarters, 3× Engineer companies 119th Medical Regiment, in Trenton (NJ) Headquarters and Headquarters and Service Company Collecting Battalion battalion consists of: 1× Headquarters, 3× Collecting companies Ambulance Battalion battalion consists of: 1× Headquarters, 3× Ambulance companies Clearing Battalion battalion consists of: 1× Headquarters, 3× Clearing companies 119th Quartermaster Regiment, in Trenton (NJ) Headquarters and Headquarters Company 2× Truck battalions each battalion consists of: 1× Headquarters, 2× Truck companies Light Maintenance and Car Battalion battalion consists of: 1× Headquarters, 1× Light Maintenance Company, 1× Car Company Service Company Headquarters, Special Troops, in Orange (NJ) Headquarters Company, 44th Division, in Plainfield (NJ) 44th Signal Company, in Orange (NJ) 119th Ordnance Company, in Trenton (NJ) 44th Military Police Company, in Orange (NJ)
Immediately before the induction of the 44th Division into federal service, the 44th Tank Company was disbanded and its personnel was assigned to other units of the 44th Division Special Troops. After the division's initial train-up period, the 44th Division participated in the First Army Carolina Maneuvers near Wadesboro, North Carolina, in October–November 1941. The division was en route to New Jersey on 7 December 1941, returning to Fort Dix when news was heard of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. A regimental combat team, based on the 113th Infantry Regiment, was immediately detached from the division and attached to the Eastern Defense Command to provide ground forces for the defense of the East Coast from New York to Philadelphia. Shortly afterwards, the remainder of the division moved to Camp Claiborne in Louisiana.Stanton, Shelby L. Order of Battle: U.S. Army, World War II, Galahad Books, New York, 1991
Triangular division On 16 February 1942, as a part of an Army-wide reorganization of National Guard divisions, the 44th Division was reorganized as a triangular division. The division's two brigade headquarters were disbanded in favor of a structure containing three separate regimental commands reporting directly to the division headquarters, as well as four field artillery battalions under a division artillery headquarters, with the engineer, medical, and quartermaster regiments also reduced to battalions. The 102nd Infantry Regiment had already sailed to Bora Bora in French Polynesia on 19 January 1942. On 19 February 1942, the regiment was officially relieved from assignment to 44th Division and assigned to the General Headquarters Reserve. With the reorganization the division was renamed 44th Infantry Division. Afterwards the 44th Infantry Division was composed of the following units:
44th Infantry Division 44th Infantry Division Headquarters 44th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (Mechanized) (M3 scout cars and then M8 Greyhound armored cars) 71st Infantry Regiment Headquarters and Headquarters Company 3× Infantry battalions each battalion consists of: 1× Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3× Rifle companies, 1× Heavy Weapons Company Cannon Company (T12 Gun Motor Carriages and T19 Howitzer Motor Carriages, later replaced by either M3 105mm towed howitzers or M7 Priest self propelled howitzers) Anti-Tank Company (M3 37mm anti-tank guns, which were replaced by 1944 with M1 57mm anti-tank guns) Service Company 114th Infantry Regiment (relieved from assignment to the division on 27 January 1943) same organization as 71st Infantry Regiment 114th Infantry Regiment same organization as 71st Infantry Regiment 324th Infantry Regiment (assigned to division on 1 February 1943) same organization as 71st Infantry Regiment 44th Infantry Division Artillery Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 156th Field Artillery Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 3× Batteries (M2 105mm towed howitzers) Service Battery 157th Field Artillery Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 3× Batteries (M1 155mm towed howitzers) Service Battery 217th Field Artillery Battalion same organization as 156th Field Artillery Battalion 220th Field Artillery Battalion same organization as 156th Field Artillery Battalion Headquarters Special Troops Headquarters Company, 44th Infantry Division 44th Signal Company 44th Quartermaster Company 744th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company 119th Military Police Platoon 44th Infantry Division Band (attached) 44th Quartermaster Battalion (Between September and November 1942 Quartermaster battalions were disbanded and their platoons used to form a Quartermaster Company and an Ordnance Company, which were both assigned to Headquarters Special Troops) Headquarters and Headquarters Company (includes a service platoon and a maintenance platoon) Truck Company 63rd Engineer Combat Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters and Service Company 3× Engineer combat companies 119th Medical Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment 3× Collecting companies Clearing Company
The division was then sent to Fort Lewis, Washington, where it participated in defense of the West Coast under the Western Defense Command for the remainder of 1942. In February 1943, the 44th Infantry Division, much reduced through the loss of personnel and units entered a period of rebuilding and training. After completing the "D-Series", division-level training, the 44th was sent to participate in the multi-division Fourth Army #6 Louisiana Maneuvers, 7 February-3 April 1944.Moenk, "A History of Large-Scale Army Maneuvers in the United States, 1935–1964", (Fort Monroe, VA, 1969). The division then moved to Camp Phillips, Kansas, for its final pre-deployment preparations.Combat History 44th Infantry Division 1944–1945, (New Orleans, 1946), p. 48. The division moved by railroad to Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts, arriving on 24–27 August 1944;Journal, HQ 44th INF DIV Arty, Entry for 23 Aug 44, Record Group 407, Entry 427, Box 10806, File344-ART-0.7, National Archives II, College Park, MD 20740-0001. departing the United States via the Boston Port of Embarkation on 5 September 1944.
Combat chronicle