Back to "Our History"

A CHRONOLOGY OF THE 11TH ARMORED DIVISION
Compiled by Pat Kearney, Jr.

• Constituted as a unit of the United States Army on June 23, 1942.

• Activated at Camp (now Fort) Polk, Louisiana on August 15, 1942.  

• Commenced training in October of 1942.

• Began training period at Texas-Louisiana Maneuver Area on June 24, 1943.

• Transferred to Camp Barkeley, Texas for additional training on September 5, 1943.

• Moved to Camp Ibis, California and began training period at Nevada-Califomia-Arizona Maneuver Area on October 29, 1943.

• Stationed at Camp Cooke (now VAFB), California on February 11, 1944.

• Departed for Port of Embarkation, New York on September 10, 1944.

• Staged at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on September 16, 1944.

• Departed from New York on September 29, 1944.

• Arrived in Southampton, England and moved to Allied Staging Area on Salisbury Plain for additional training on October 12, 1944.

• Embarked from Southampton for Cherbourg, France on December 15, 1944.

• Headed south to contain enemy at St. Nazaire/Lorient on December 17, 1944.

• Ordered to turn north towards Reims, to march to the Meuse River and to defend a 30-mile sector from Givet to Sedan on December 20, 1944.

• Arrived at combat zone after 500-mile break-neck march on December 23, 1944.

• Entered Belgium and advanced north to Neufchateau on December 29, 1944.

• Attacked northeast from Neufchateau toward Houffalize and defended the highway to Bastogne against strong enemy opposition on December 30, 1944.

• Attacked Chenogne and Acul on December 31, 1944.

• Attacked Rechrival and captured Senonchamps on January 1-2, 1945.

• Attacked north and enveloped Bertogne on January 13, 1945.

• Pushed toward Velleroux on January 15, 1945.

• Made historic juncture with the First Army at Houffalize on January 16, 1945.

• Assumed responsibility for the Hardigny-Bourcy line on January 18, 1945.

• Began advancing in the wake of German withdrawals on January 20, 1945.

• Crossed into Luxembourg near Hachiville on January 22, 1945.

• Crossed into Germany on February 5, 1945 and cracked Siegfeid Line that month.

• Crossed the Prum River on March 4, 1945 and the Kyll River on March 7, 1945.

• Swept east to the Rhine River on March 9, 1945.

• Swung southward to clear the Saar-Moselle-Rhine pocket, crossed the Moselle River at Bullay, and captured the Worms airport on March 21, 1945.

• Crossed the Rhine Rive at Oppenheim on March 28, 1945.

• Took Hanau and Fulda, thundered toward the Thuringian Forest, and reached Oberhof on April 3, 1945.

• Captured Coburg on April 10, 1945 and Bayreuth on April 14, 1945.

• Crossed the Regen River and overran Grafenau and Freyung on Apri1 24, 1945.

• Crossed into Austria on April 26, 1945.

• Entered Linz and liberated the Mauthausen Concentration Camp on May 5, 1945.

• Made contact with the Red Army at Amstettin on May 8, 1945.