My own role in the Road to the Rhine game was to provide Frank Chadwick with an accurate U.S. Army order of battle in France, Belgium, and Germany from the Fall of 1944 through the end of hostilities in May 1945. It thus became imperative that a master listing of all U.S. Army major unit entries be compiled; a task which was complicated by the absolute non- existence of some information on the topic in printed form.
This survey is printed here as a convenience to historical buffs who desire more details on the U.S. Army's role in the final drive across Europe. As one will quickly note, this list is complete back to D-Day and necessarily so, even though Road to the Rhine itself does not pick up until September 1944. This is simply because we had to know what was already ashore, as well as what future American reinforcements would be arriving. This is reflected in the following list as well.
In the interest of game simplicity, the multitude of separate U.S. airborne regiments was deleted, and only divisions used. This slack was partially resolved by possible employment of the 13th, a division which in actuality was not committed as a whole during the European operations.
This listing is limited to to those type units reflected in game play, although some of the separate regiments and groups which were excluded from the countermix are represented on this chart (as an aid to "purists").
The sources of this data came from the Army archives and documents stored in Suitland, Maryland. The original regimental and group records were searched in the case of non- divisional units. This author is currently compiling a U.S. Army order of battle for World War II, and if readers would be interested in more data like this, please let your interests be known!
U.S. Army Order of Battle
European Theater of Operations 1944-45
As applicable to the GDW game Road to the Rhine
| Infantry Division | Date of Arrival | Location of Arrival |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Infantry Division | 6 June 1944 | D-Day, Omaha Beach France |
| 2nd Infantry Division | 7 June 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 3rd Infantry Division | 15 August 1944 | St. Tropez, South France |
| 4th Infantry Division | 6 June 1944 | D-Day, Utah Beach France |
| 5th Infantry Division | 9 July 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 8th Infantry Division | 4 July 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 9th Infantry Division | 10 June 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 26th Infantry Division | 7 September 1944 | Cherbourg, France |
| 28th Infantry Division | 22 July 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 29th Infantry Division | 6 June 1944 | D-Day, Omaha Beach France |
| 30th Infantry Division | 15 June 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 35th Infantry Division | 7 July 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 36th Infantry Division | 15 August 1944 | Raphael-Frejus, South France |
| 42nd Infantry Division [1] | 9 December 1944 | Marseilles, South France |
| 44th Infantry Division | 15 September 1944 | Cherbourg, France |
| 45th Infantry Division [2] | 15 August 1944 | St. Maxime, South France |
| 63rd Infantry Division | 8 December 1944 | Marseilles, South France |
| 65th Infantry Division [3] | 21 January 1945 | Le Havre, France |
| 66th Infantry Division | 24 December 1944 | Cherbourg, France |
| 69th Infantry Division | 24 January 1945 | Le Havre, France |
| 70th Infantry Division [4] | 15 December 1944 | Marseilles, South France |
| 71st Infantry Division | 6 February 1945 | Le Havre, France |
| 75th Infantry Division | 13 December 1944 | Le Havre and Rouen, France |
| 76th Infantry Division | 12 January 1945 | Le Havre, France |
| 78th Infantry Division | 22 November 1944 | France |
| 79th Infantry Division | 14 June 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 80th Infantry Division | 3 August 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 83rd Infantry Division | 18 June 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 84th Infantry Division | 4 November 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 86th Infantry Division | 4 March 1945 | France |
| 87th Infantry Division | 3 December 1944 | France |
| 89th Infantry Division | 21 January 1945 | Le Havre, France |
| 90th Infantry Division | 6 June 1944 (elements) | D-Day, Utah Beach France |
| 94th Infantry Division | 8 September 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 95th Infantry Division | 5 September 1944 | France |
| 97th Infantry Division | 2 March 1945 | Le Havre, France |
| 99th Infantry Division | 3 November 1944 | Le Havre, France |
| 100th Infantry Division | 20 October 1944 | Marseilles, South France |
| 102nd Infantry Division | 23 September 1944 | Cherbourg, France |
| 103rd Infantry Division | 20 October 1944 | Marseilles, South France |
| 104th Infantry Division | 7 September 1944 | France |
| 106th Infantry Division | 6 December 1944 | France |
| Armor Division | Date of Arrival | Location of Arrival |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Armored Division | 9 June 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 3rd Armored Division | 29 June 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 4th Armored Division | 11 July 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 5th Armored Division | 24 July 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 6th Armored Division | 18 July 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 7th Armored Division | 14 August 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 8th Armored Division | 5 January 1945 | Normandy, France |
| 9th Armored Division | 29 September 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 10th Armored Division | 23 September 1944 | Cherbourg, France |
| 11th Armored Division | 16 December 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 12th Armored Division | 11 November 1944 | Le Havre, France |
| 13th Armored Division | 29 January 1945 | Le Havre, France |
| 14th Armored Division | 29 October 1944 | Marseilles, South France |
| 16th Armored Division | 11 February 1945 | France |
| 20th Armored Division | 16 February 1945 | Le Havre, France |
| Airborne Division | Date of Arrival | Location of Arrival |
|---|---|---|
| 13th Airborne Division | 25 January 1945 | England |
| 17th Airborne Division | 25 August 1944 | England |
| 82nd Airborne Division | February 1944 | England |
| 101st Airborne Division | 15 September 1943 | England |
| Separate Regiment | Date of Arrival | Location of Arrival |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd Infantry Regiment [5] | 18 March 1945 | France |
| 29th Infantry Regiment [6] | 27 August 1944 | France |
| 65th Infantry Regiment [7] | 30 September 1944 | France |
| 118th Infantry Regiment | 15 December 1944 | France |
| 156th Infantry Regiment | 24 June 1944 | France |
| 159th Infantry Regiment | 18 March 1945 | France |
| 442nd Infantry Regiment | November 1944 (?) | France |
| 474th Infantry Regiment [8] | 6 January 1945 | France |
| Separate Brigade | Date of Arrival | Location of Arrival |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Special Service Force [9] | 15 August 1944 | Iles D'Hyeres |
| Mechanized Cavalry Group | Date of Arrival | Location of Arrival |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Mecz Cav Group | 19 July 1944 | France |
| 3rd Mecz Cav Group | 9 August 1944 | France |
| 4th Mecz Cav Group | 6 June 1944 | Normandy, France |
| 6th Mecz Cav Group | 9 July 1944 | France |
| 11th Mecz Cav Group | 26 November 1944 | France |
| 14th Mecz Cav Group | 27 September 1944 | France |
| 15th Mecz Cav Group | 5 July 1944 | France |
| 16th Mecz Cav Group | 27 February 1945 | France |
| 101st Mecz Cav Group | 31 January 1945 | France |
| 102nd Mecz Cav Group | 8 June 1944 | France |
| 106th Mecz Cav Group | 2 July 1944 | France |
| 113th Mecz Cav Group | 2 July 1944 | France |
| 115th Mecz Cav Group | 15 January 1945 | France |
Notes:
[1]. Initially served as Task Force Linden until remainder of division joined on 14
February 1945.
[2]. Initially served as Task Force Harris until remainder of division joined during the
period 14 January - 2 February 1945.
[3]. As the 66th Division was crossing the English Channel, a German torpedo
ripped into the transport, killing hundreds of men. Attached to the 12th Army Group Coastal
Sector, the 66th relieved the 94th Infantry Division in the BrittanyLoire area 29 December
1944. It was used to contain the enemy St. Nazaire and Lorient pockets until the end of the
war. Historically, it should not appear in the game as a consequence of its location in France.
[4]. Initially served as Task Force Herren until remainder of division joined on 18
January 1945.
[5]. Elements apparently served briefly during the Normandy invasion as well.
[6]. This is the regiment continuously mis-labeled the 24th Infantry Regiment in most
"Bulge" wargames to date. The 24th served solely in the Pacific.
[7]. Puerto Rico National Guard.
[8]. Elite regiment formed from the Canadian-American 1st Special Service Force
and the Norwegian -American 99th Infantry Battalion.
[9]. Disbanded 5 December 1944 and remainder integrated into the 474th Infantry
Regiment.
U.S. Army Divisional Regiments
Available for breakdown according to Rule 22A. Actual historical regimental designations for the infantry presented below.
Division Regiments
1st 16th 18th 26th
2nd 9th 23rd 38th
3rd 7th 15th 30th
4th 8th 12th 22nd
5th 2nd 10th 11th
8th 13th 28th 121st
9th 39th 47th 60th
26th 101st 104th 328th
28th 109th 110th 112th
29th 115th 116th 175th
30th 117th 119th 120th
35th 134th 137th 320th
36th 141st 142nd 143rd
42nd 222nd 232nd 242nd
44th 71st 114th 324th
45th 157th 179th 180th
63rd 253rd 254th 255th
65th 259th 260th 261st
66th 262nd 263rd 264th
69th 271st 272nd 273rd
70th 274th 275th 276th
71st 5th 14th 66th
75th 289th 290th 291st
76th 304th 385th 417th
78th 309th 310th 311th
79th 313th 314th 315th
80th 317th 318th 319th
83rd 329th 330th 331st
84th 333rd 334th 335th
86th 341st 342nd 343rd
87th 345th 346th 347th
89th 353rd 354th 355th
90th 357th 358th 359th
94th 301st 302nd 376th
95th 377th 378th 379th
97th 303rd 386th 387th
99th 393rd 394th 395th
100th 397th 398th 399th
102nd 405th 406th 407th
103rd 409th 410th 411th
104th 413th 414th 415th
106th 422nd 423rd 424th
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