Fighting 69th Infantry Division Overseas Assignments,

Organization Structure And Attached Units

The 69th Infantry Division became a member of The Europe Theater of Operation United States Army (ETOUSA), November 25, 1944, while enroute to England. Its first assignment was to the 12th Army Group, Jan 18, 1945. On February 7, 1945, it was assigned to the Fifteenth Army, then to the First Army as a member of the V Corps on the same date. On April 28, 1945, it became a member of the VII Corps in the First Army.

The Division' first Command Post was established December 13, 1944, in Winchester, England (Hampshire). Its last reported fighting Command Post was in Naunhof, Germany (Saxony), April 18, 1945.

The Army's structure of an Infantry Division was 14,253 men commanded by a Major General.

Under the Division were three (3) Infantry Regiments of 3,254 men each, commanded by a Colonel. The remaining troops were support units including, 69th Division Artillery Headquarters and Headquarters Company(114), Division Artillery Medical Detachment(57), Service Battery(77), 3 Light Field Artillery Battalions (497) each, The 879th FA Bn, The 880th FA Bn and The 881st FA Bn, the 724th Medium F A Bn (518), the 369th Medical Battalion(465 detached to units in the Division)), the 269th Combat Engineer Battalion (666), Engineer Medical Section(20), 69th Division Headquarters(149), Division Headquarters Company(110), 569th Signal Company ((226), 769th Ordnance Light Maintenance Company(149), 69th Quartermaster Company(193), 69th Military Police Platoon(73), 69th Reconnaissance Troop Mechanized(155), 69th Division Band (58) and the Division Medical Detachment(57).

The "Units" Link displays the insignias of units including the infantry regiments numbered below and certain attached units.

The Infantry Regiments(3,254) of The 69th Infantry Division were numbered 271st Infantry Regiment, 272nd Infantry Regiment and 273rd Infantry Regiment. These Regiments were divided into Battalions and support units. The support units were Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Company(108), Service Company(115), Cannon Company(118), Anti Tank Company(165), Medical Detachment(135) which furnished a Medical section (34) to each Battalion, Regimental Chaplains and IPW Team were attached.

In each Regiment, there were three Battalions commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. The Battalions in each Regiment were numbered, 1st Battallion, 2nd Battalion and 3rd Battalion These Battalions had 871 men in units called a Company. The Company was commanded by a Captain.

Except for The Battalion Headquarters which each Battalion, had using the number as name, such as Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Battalion (126), there were four other Companys in the Battallion. These Companys were A, B, C, (Rifle Companys of 193 men each) and D (Heavy Weapons Company of 166 men) in the 1st Battalion; E, F, G, (Rifle Companys ) and H (Heavy Weapons Company) in the 2nd Battallion; I, K, L, (Rifle Companys) and M (Heavy Weapons Company) in the 3rd Battalion. There was no J Company.

Each Rifle Company had a Company Headquarters Section, 3 Rifle Platoons and a Weapons Platoon. The Platoons were divided into Squads. A Squad was 12 men or thereabouts.

This Battalion, Company, Platoon and Squad structure prevailed generally in all of The Division's units except The Artillery. In the Artillery, the Company sized unit was called a Battery.

The 69th Infantry Division was one of eight Infantry Divisions assigned African-American soldiers to be amongst its combat soldiers. These men were in so-called "Fifth Platoons". Usually, there were three "Fifth Platoons" assigned to a Division. One in each Infantry Regiment. In the case of the 69th Division, four "Fifth Platoons" were assigned to the 271st, 272nd and 273rd Infantry Regiments as follows: Co K 271st Inf; Co F and K 272nd Inf; Co G 273rd Inf. It is estimated aproximately 148 African-American soldiers served in these four "Fifth Platoons".

At various tmes the following Units were attached to and under the Command of The 69th Infanty Division:

661st T.D. Bn

461st AAA AW Bn (Mbl)

Co A, 777th Tk Bn

777th Tnk Bn

Co A, 86 Cml Mort Bn

955th FA Bn (155mm How)

953rd FA Bn (155mm How)

Btry A, 978th FA Bn (155mm Gun)

Btry B, 997th FA Bn (8"How)

186th FA Bn (155mm How)

Btry B, 997th FA Bn (8"How)