The 27th Infantry Division was a unit of the Army National Guard in World War I and World War II. The division traces its history from the New York Division, formed originally in 1908. The 6th Division designation was changed to the 27th Division in July 1917.
History When the New York Division was organized in 1908, New York became the second state, after Pennsylvania, to structure its National Guard at such a high tactical level in peacetime.National Guard Education Foundation The New York Division was called to active duty during the Mexican border crisis of 1916. While on federal duty, it was redesignated as the 6th Division in June 1916. It was released from active duty in December 1916, only to be recalled for World War I service in July 1917. The 6th Division was reorganized and redesignated as the 27th Division on 1 October 1917.However, the Combat Chronicles give the date of the redesignation as the 27th as 20 July 1917.
World War I In World War I the 27th Division was commanded by Major General John F. O'Ryan.
Formation
Following the declaration of war on the Central Powers by the United States, the division was called into federal service on 15 July 1917, and hastily recruited New Yorkers to increase its numbers.
The division was one of only four divisions formed during the war from National Guard units entirely from a single state; the other divisions so formed were from Illinois (the 33rd Division), Ohio (the 37th Division), and Pennsylvania (the 28th Division). However, not all New Yorkers served in the 27th. Its initial strength was 991 officers and 27,114 enlisted men. The division's initial organization of three brigades with three infantry regiments each was carried over from the 6th Division
Prior to its departing to training, the division participated in a large send-off parade in New York City along 5th Avenue on 30 August 1917. The 7th Infantry Regiment was the first to leave for training on 11 September 1917, by train. The training was conducted at a purpose-built but temporary facility at Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, South Carolina. Nearby hotels such as the Cleveland Hotel became centers for social life. The camp also housed seven YMCA Huts and a Knights of Columbus Hall. While African-American servicemen stationed at Camp Wadsworth associated with the 27th, they were not permitted to enter the service organization clubs on base, which were segregated, until a black soldiers' club was built in early 1918.
In the spring of 1918, the division began its movement toward embarkation camps, and shipped out on 20 April 1918. The division's advance detachment left Hoboken on 2 May and arrived at Brest, France, 10 May 1918. Late in June the last units of the 27th Division had arrived safely overseas.
Western Front From the arrival of the first troops to the Western Front until 24 July, the division spent its time undertaking its final stages of training under British mentors in Picardy and Flanders. On 25 July, the 27th Division, excluding its artillery brigade and ammunition train, occupied the Dickebusch Lake and Scherpenberg sectors in Flanders.
In just over a month, this operation merged into the Ypres-Lys action, and then, from 19 August to 3 September, the 27th was on its own.
It was decided by Field Marshal Douglas Haig that the Fourth Army's Australian Corps would lead the Battle of St. Quentin Canal . However, due to the Corps depleted nature, which was a result of fighting almost continuously, it would be reinforced by the 27th and 30th divisions, which resulted in II Corps being temporarily reassigned under Australian command. This great Somme "push", which lasted from 24 September to 1 October, saw the 27th engaged in severe fighting along the Saint Quentin Canal Tunnel—one of the out-lying strong points of the Hindenburg Line. At the conclusion of the first phase of the battle, and following heavy losses, the 27th was placed into reserve for rest and recuperation. Six days later, the division was sent back into the line, moving steadily toward Busigny whilst chasing the retreating Germans. These operations were supported by Australian Artillery until 9 October, when British artillery units began supporting the division's operations. As a result of these offensives by the Australian, British and US forces, the Hindenburg's Main Line was penetrated.
The 52d Field Artillery Brigade and the 102nd Ammunition Train of the New York Division had not gone with the rest of the Twenty-seventh Division to the British front in Flanders. They had moved up on 28 October, to support the Seventy-Ninth Division in the Argonne.
Meanwhile, the Twenty-Seventh Division units which had seen heavy action in Flanders, had moved back to an area near the French seaport of Brest.
Major Operations: Meuse-Argonne (only the artillery), Ypres-Lys, Somme Offensive. Initially stationed in the East Poperinghe Line. Battle of Dickebusche Lake, Summer 1918 Battle of Vierstraat Ridge, Summer 1918 Struggled to break the German defensive Hindenburg Line, September 1918. Second battle of the Somme, 25 September 1918 Selle River, November 1918
The 27th did break the Hindenburg line during the Battle of the Somme and forced a German retreat from their defensive line and forced the Germans to a final confrontation. After a final confrontation with the retreating Germans at the Selle River the Armistice ended the fighting and the division was sent home in February 1919, to be mustered out several months later. The division had sustained a total of 8,334 (KIA: 1,442; WIA: 6,892) casualties when it was inactivated in April 1919.
Interwar period In 1921, pursuant to the National Defense Act of 1920, the division was reconstituted in the National Guard, allotted to the state of New York in the Second Corps Area, and assigned to the II Corps. The division headquarters was reorganized and federally recognized at New York City on 23 December 1921.
The 53rd Infantry Brigade initially consisted of the 105th and 106th Infantry Regiments. On 1 September 1940, the first iteration of the 106th Infantry Regiment was converted into the 186th Field Artillery Regiment and 101st Military Police Battalion. The 10th Infantry (New York), formerly part of the separate 93rd Infantry Brigade (the headquarters of which was converted into the 71st Field Artillery Brigade on 1 September 1940), was assigned to the 53rd Brigade in its place. It was later redesignated the 106th Infantry, although it was lineally unrelated to the first unit bearing that designation. The 54th Infantry Brigade initially consisted of the 107th and 108th Infantry Regiments. On 1 August 1940, the 107th Infantry was converted into the 207th Coast Artillery Regiment, and the 165th Infantry, formerly part of the 93rd Infantry Brigade, was assigned in its place as of 20 June 1940.
The designated mobilization point and annual training center for the “Empire” Division was Camp Smith, near Peekskill, New York. The mobilization point was changed in 1939 to Camp Foster, Florida. The division, less the 52nd Field Artillery Brigade, conducted annual training most years at Camp Smith, from 1922 to 1939, while the 52nd Field Artillery Brigade trained most years at Pine Camp, New York, so that its batteries could conduct live-fire training at the artillery ranges located there. Generally, the division staff conducted command post exercises and staff training concurrent with the annual training camps. In 1929, the division staff participated in the Second Corps Area command post exercise from 7–29 July at Camp Dix, New Jersey, and in the First Army command post exercises in July 1931 and July 1934 also held at Camp Dix.
In summer 1935, the division participated in the Second Corps Area phase of the First Army maneuvers at Pine Camp. During that maneuver, the 27th Division operated as part of the provisional II Corps against the provisional I Corps. The “Empire” Division also participated in the First Army Maneuvers in the summers of 1939 and 1940 held at Plattsburg and Canton, New York, respectively. In both maneuvers, the 27th Division again operated as part of the provisional II Corps against the provisional I Corps. The division was inducted into active federal service at home stations on 15 October 1940, relieved from the II Corps, and assigned to the VII Corps. Instead of Camp Foster, however, the Empire Division was ordered to move to Fort McClellan, Alabama, where it arrived on 25 October 1940. After the division’s initial train-up period, it participated in the Carolina Maneuvers in October–November 1941.
World War II WWII division organization Square division On 15 October 1940, the 27th Division was inducted into federal service at home stations and then assembled at Fort McClellan in Alabama. At the time the division still retained its World War I square organization and consisted of the following units.
27th Division 27th Division Headquarters 53rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company 105th Infantry Regiment 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 106th Infantry Regiment same organization as 105th Infantry Regiment 54th Infantry Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company 108th Infantry Regiment same organization as 105th Infantry Regiment 165th Infantry Regiment same organization as 105th Infantry Regiment 52nd Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 104th Field Artillery Regiment 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 105th Field Artillery Regiment same organization as 104th Field Artillery Regiment 106th Field Artillery Regiment 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 102nd Engineer Regiment Headquarters and Headquarters and Service Company 2× Engineer battalions each battalion consists of: 1× Headquarters, 3× Engineer companies 102nd Medical Regiment 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 102nd Quartermaster Regiment 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 Headquarters Company, 27th Division 27th Signal Company 102nd Ordnance Company 27th Military Police Company
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the division was one of the first stateside divisions to be assigned defensive duties. On 14 December 1941, the 27th Division departed Fort McClellan for California to establish blocking positions against a seaborne invasion of the United States' southwestern coast. In spring 1942 the division was sent to Hawaii, arriving on 21 May 1942, to defend the outer islands from amphibious attack.
Triangular division