The following is a list of U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps divisions of World War II. The United States began the war with only a handful of active divisions: five infantry and one cavalry. By the end of the war, the nation had fielded nearly one hundred. The number of divisions fielded by the United States Army in relation to the population and industrial capacity of the country and in comparison to the number of divisions fielded by various other Allied and Axis countries, has been called "the 90-Division Gamble". Due to the US Army's method of employment combined with events of the war, the United States did not suffer the destruction of any of its division-size units during the conflict, except for the Philippine Division in 1942.
Some divisions were "constituted" (placed on the rolls of the Army and contemplated for organization) but never activated, and "phantom" units were also "raised" on paper during the war to confuse the Germans.
United States Army Divisions
The 82nd Airborne Division was originally the 82nd Infantry Division of the Organized Reserve, and after being ordered into active military service on 25 March 1942, was converted to an airborne division on 15 August 1942. The 101st Infantry Division was disbanded in the Organized Reserve on 15 August 1942, and was concurrently reconstituted and activated as an airborne division on the same date.
The 15th Airborne Division was constituted, but never activated. It was dropped from the mobilization program in 1943.
Airborne Divisions Airborne Divisions Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Name Headquarters organized Ordered into active military service or activated Entered Combat Days in Combat Commanding General Campaigns 11th Airborne Division 25 February 1943 18 November 1944 204 Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Swing New Guinea Southern Philippines Luzon 13th Airborne Division 13 August 1943 No combat - Maj. Gen. Elbridge G. Chapman - 17th Airborne Division 15 April 1943 25 December 1944 45 Maj. Gen. William M. Miley Ardennes-Alsace Rhineland Central Europe 82nd Airborne Division 23 September 1921 25 March 1942 9 July 1943 422 Maj. Gen. Matthew B. RidgwayMaj. Gen. James M. Gavin Sicily Naples-Foggia Normandy Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 101st Airborne Division 10 September 1921 15 August 1942 6 June 1944 214 Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. TaylorBrig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffeMaj. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor Normandy Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe
Armored Divisions
The 19th Armored Division was constituted, but never activated. It was dropped from the mobilization program in 1943.
Armored Divisions Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Name Activated Entered Combat Days in Combat Commanding General Campaigns 1st Armored Division 15 July 1940 8 November 1942 360 Maj. Gen. Orlando WardMaj. Gen. Ernest N. HarmonMaj. Gen. Vernon E. Prichard Algeria-French Morocco Tunisia Naples-Foggia Anzio Rome-Arno North Apennines Po Valley 2nd Armored Division 15 July 1940 8 November 1942 443 Maj. Gen. Hugh J. GaffeyMaj. Gen. Edward H. BrooksMaj. Gen. Ernest N. HarmonMaj. Gen. Isaac D. White Algeria-French Morocco Sicily Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 3rd Armored Division 15 April 1941 9 July 1944 231 Maj. Gen. Leroy H. WatsonMaj. Gen. Maurice Rose(KIA)Brig. Gen. Doyle O. Hickey Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 4th Armored Division 15 April 1941 28 July 1944 230 Maj. Gen. John S. WoodMaj. Gen. Hugh J. GaffeyCol. Walter A. BigbyBrig. Gen. Holmes E. DagerMaj. Gen. Hugh J. GaffeyMaj. Gen. William M. Hoge Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 5th Armored Division 10 October 1941 2 August 1944 161 Maj. Gen. Lunsford E. Oliver Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 6th Armored Division 15 February 1942 28 July 1944 272 Maj. Gen. Robert W. GrowBrig. Gen. George W. Read Jr. Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 7th Armored Division 1 March 1942 14 August 1944 172 Maj. Gen. Lindsay M. SilvesterMaj. Gen. Robert W. Hasbrouck Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 8th Armored Division 1 April 1942 23 February 1945 63 Maj. Gen. John M. Devine Ardennes-Alsace Rhineland Central Europe 9th Armored Division 15 July 1942 16 December 1944 91 Maj. Gen. John W. Leonard Ardennes-Alsace Rhineland Central Europe 10th Armored Division 15 July 1942 1 November 1944 124 Maj. Gen. William H. H. Morris Jr. Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 11th Armored Division 15 August 1942 23 December 1944 96 Brig. Gen. Charles S. KilburnMaj. Gen. Holmes E. Dager Ardennes-Alsace Rhineland Central Europe 12th Armored Division 15 September 1942 7 December 1944 102 Maj. Gen. Roderick R. Allen Rhineland Central Europe 13th Armored Division 15 October 1942 10 April 1945 16 Maj. Gen. John B. WoganMaj. Gen. John Millikin Rhineland Central Europe 14th Armored Division 15 November 1942 20 November 1944 167 Maj. Gen. Albert C. Smith Rhineland Central Europe 16th Armored Division 15 July 1943 5 May 1945 3 Brig. Gen. John L. Pierce Central Europe 20th Armored Division 15 March 1943 24 April 1945 8 Maj. Gen. Orlando Ward Central Europe
Cavalry Divisions Cavalry Divisions Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Name Activated Entered Combat Days in Combat Commanding General Campaigns 1st Cavalry Division 31 August 1921 29 February 1944 521 Maj. Gen. Verne D. MudgeBrig. Gen. Hugh F. T. Hoffman Maj. Gen. William C. Chase New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago Leyte Luzon 2nd Cavalry Division 1 April 194125 February 1943 as segregated division No combat - Brig. Gen. Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr.Brig. Gen. John MillikinBrig. Gen. John B. CoulterMaj. Gen. Harry H. Johnson 1st inactivation: 15 July 19422nd inactivation: 10 May 1944
Infantry Divisions 1st to 25th
Infantry divisions were initially titled with their numerical designation and "division" (e.g., "1st Division"). In August 1941, the War Department issued a statement that divisions' names were to represent their major arm of service (i.e., armored, cavalry, or infantry) to avoid confusion as several divisions of different arms now shared the same number. Some divisions issued general orders introducing "infantry" as an official part of their names, but this change was not added to the table of organization of the infantry division, which technically controlled its naming conventions, until 1 August 1942.
The 1st through 25th Infantry Divisions, excepting the 10th Mountain Division, were raised in the Regular Army or the Army of the United States prior to American involvement in World War II. Because of funding cuts, in September 1921, the 4th through 9th Infantry Divisions were mostly inactivated. Within a few years, the headquarters of the 1st and 3rd Infantry Divisions "almost ceased to exist. Only the division commander and a few staff officers remained to carry out minimal division administrative functions, and neither division exercised true command functions over their units." The 2nd Infantry Division remained the most functional stateside division, as it was concentrated entirely at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. By the mid-1920s, most of the divisions' inactive units were staffed with Organized Reserve officers as "Regular Army Inactive" units.
The Hawaiian Division, "which was the closest thing to a full-strength division in the interwar American Army." was split on 1 October 1941 to create the 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions. The 24th Infantry Division headquarters inherited the lineage of the Hawaiian Division's headquarters, while the 25th Infantry Division was raised in the Army of the United States.
The 10th Mountain Division was raised in the Army of the United States in 1943.
Infantry Divisions Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Name Activated Entered Combat Days in Combat Commanding General Campaigns 1st Infantry Division 17 May 1917 8 November 1942 443 Maj. Gen. Terry de la Mesa Allen Sr.Maj. Gen. Clarence R. HuebnerMaj. Gen. Clift Andrus Algeria-French Morocco Tunisia Sicily Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 2nd Infantry Division 26 October 1917 12 June 1944 303 Maj. Gen. Walter M. Robertson Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 3rd Infantry Division 12 November 1917 8 November 1942 536 Maj. Gen. Jonathan W. AndersonMaj. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott Jr.Maj. Gen. John W. O'Daniel Algeria-French Morocco Sicily Naples-Foggia Anzio Rome-Arno Southern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 4th Infantry Division 10 December 1917 3 June 1940 6 June 1944 299 Maj. Gen. Raymond O. BartonMaj. Gen. Harold R. BullBrig. Gen. James A. Van FleetMaj. Gen. Harold W. Blakeley Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 5th Infantry Division 11 December 1917 2 October 1939 16 July 1944 270 Maj. Gen. Stafford LeRoy IrwinMaj. Gen. Albert E. Brown Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 6th Infantry Division November 1917 12 October 1939 14 June 1944 306 Maj. Gen. Franklin C. SibertMaj. Gen. Edwin D. Patrick(KIA)Maj. Gen. Charles E. Hurdis New Guinea Luzon 7th Infantry Division 6 December 1917 1 July 1940 11 May 1943 208 Maj. Gen. Eugene M. LandrumMaj. Gen. Archibald V. ArnoldMaj. Gen. Charles H. Corlett Aleutian Islands Eastern Mandates Leyte Ryukyus 8th Infantry Division January 1918 1 July 1940 8 July 1944 266 Maj. Gen. William C. McMahonMaj. Gen. Donald A. StrohMaj. Gen. William G. WeaverMaj. Gen. Bryant E. Moore Normandy Northern France Rhineland Central Europe 9th Infantry Division 18 July 1918 1 August 1940 8 November 1942 304 Maj. Gen. Manton S. EddyMaj. Gen. Louis A. Craig Algeria-French Morocco Tunisia Sicily Normandy Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace Central Europe 10th Mountain Division 15 July 1943 8 January 1945 114 Maj. Gen. George P. Hays North Apennines Po Valley 11th Infantry Division 19181941 (phantom in WWII) Did not see combat – – – 24th Infantry Division 25 February 1921 (as Hawaiian Division) 1 October 1941 (as 24th Infantry Division) 7 December 1941 (22 April 1944 was the first offensive action of the division) 210 Maj. Gen. Frederick A. IrvingMaj. Gen. Roscoe B. Woodruff Central Pacific New Guinea Leyte Luzon Southern Philippines 25th Infantry Division 1 October 1941 7 December 1941 (10 January 1943 was the first offensive action of the Division) 165 (consecutive days; exact unknown) Maj. Gen. J. Lawton CollinsMaj. Gen. Charles L. Mullins Jr. Central Pacific Guadalcanal Northern Solomons Luzon
26th to 45th
The 26th through 45th Divisions, with the exception of the 39th and 42nd Divisions, were raised in the National Guard during and after World War I. In postwar mobilization plans, the 26th through 45th Divisions, less two, were allotted to the National Guard. The 30th, 31st, and 39th Divisions had been organized in what would become the states of the Fourth Corps Area; the designations of the 30th and 39th Divisions were originally selected, with the 31st Division being deleted. In 1923, the adjutants general of the states concerned successfully requested that the War Department change the designation of the 39th Division to the 31st Division and adjust allotments of units accordingly. The 42nd Division was the second division deleted from the mobilization program as it had contained units from twenty-six states and the District of Columbia, although it would be reconstituted during the war as a division in the Army of the United States.
Infantry Divisions Shoulder Sleeve Insignia Name(National Guard units from) Headquarters organized Ordered into federal service Entered Combat Days in Combat Commanding General Campaigns 26th Infantry Division(Massachusetts) 21 March 1923 16 January 1941 12 October 1944 210 Maj. Gen. Willard S. Paul Northern France Rhineland Ardennes-Alsace