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2nd Brigade, 104th Division (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Brigade, 104th Division is an infantry
brigade
of the United States Army
. It is a training component of the United States Army Reserve
, and subordinate to the 104th Division based in Fort Lewis, Washington. It is primarily responsible for One Station Unit Training
, Basic Combat Training and Military Police
instruction.
At the outbreak of World War II
, the 104th Division began preparing to participate in the war in Europe. The division was ordered into active military service on 15 September 1942 and reorganized as the 104th Infantry Division at Camp Adair
, Oregon
. The 207th and 208th Brigades did not reactivate as part of an army-wide elimination of brigade commands within its divisions. The division was instead centered around three infantry regiments; the 413th Infantry Regiment, the 414th Infantry Regiment
, and the 415th Infantry Regiment. Also assigned to the division were the 385th, 386th, 387th and 929th Field Artillery
Battalions, as well as the 104th Signal
Company, the 804th Ordnance Company, the 104th Quartermaster
Company, the 104th Reconnaissance
Troop, the 329th Engineer
Battalion, the 329th Medical Battalion, and the 104th Counter Intelligence
Detachment. From that point it began training as a division in preparation for deployment to Europe. The division trained in the northwestern United States during the next two years, earning its name "Timberwolf Division" from its time in the area. The division was the first Army Division to train specifically for fighting in nighttime conditions.
took command of the division. He would command the division during most of its time in combat. The division was assigned to III Corps of the Ninth United States Army, Twelfth United States Army Group. The division then organized and assembled at Manche, France before heading into combat.
The division moved into defensive positions in the vicinity of Wuestwezel, Belgium on 23 October 1944. Three days later, it went on the offensive, taking Zundert
, gaining control of the Breda
-Roosendaal Road and overrunning Vaart Canal defenses. Leur and Etten
fell as the division advanced to the Mark River, arriving there by 31 October. A coordinated attack over the Mark River at Standaarduiten on 2 November established a bridgehead
and the rest of the division crossed the river. Zevenbergen
was captured and the Maas River was reached on 5 November. While the bulk of the division moved near Aachen
, Germany, elements remained to secure Moerdijk
until 7 November, when they were relieved. During this time, the division was reassigned to VII Corps of the First United States Army, also part of the Twelfth Army Group.
On 16 November, the division went on another offensive, taking Stolberg
and pushing on against heavy resistance. Eschweiler
fell on the 21st and the enemy was cleared from the area west of the Inde River, including Inden
by 2 December. Lucherberg was held against enemy counterattacks on 3 December, and all strongholds west of the Roer River were captured by the 23d. It took temporary command of the 60th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division. The 104th actively defended its sector near Duren
and Merken
from 15 December to 22 February. During that time it was reassigned to XIX Corps
of the Ninth United States Army. It then moved across the Roer taking Huchem-Stammeln, Birkesdorf, and North Duren. On 5 March, after heavy fighting, it entered Köln
. After defending the west bank of the Rhine River, the division crossed the river at Honnef on 22 March 1945, and attacked to the east of the Remagen
bridgehead. During this time, some of the division's assets fell under command of the 1st Infantry Division and the 3rd Armored Division. After a period of mopping up and consolidation, it participated in the trap of enemy troops in the Ruhr pocket
. The 104th repulsed heavy attacks near Medebach
and captured Paderborn
on 1 April 1945. After regrouping, it advanced to the east and crossed the Weser River
on the 8th, blocking enemy exits from the Harz Mountains. The division then crossed the Saale River and took Halle
in a bitter 5-day struggle from 15 to 19 April. The sector to the Mulde River was cleared by the 21st, and after vigorous patrolling, the Division contacted the Red Army
at Pretzsch
on 26 April. The division took temporary command of assets from the 69th Infantry Division in early May.
The division returned to the United States on 3 July 1945. Once back in states, it continued the process of demobilization
until 20 December of that year, when it was deactivated.
. It began taking on the responsibility of holding training programs for new soldiers of the US Army Reserve. In July 1948, the division held its first session of summer training. By the end of the training, it had turned out 300 new reservists. By 1952, the division was turning out 1,500 new reservists per training camp. The division was reorganized specifically as a training division in 1959. In 1961, the division was relocated to Vancouver Barracks, Washington.
In 1967, the division was reorganized around brigades, as part of an army wide initiative, the Reorganization Objective Army Division plan. The division's headquarters element was replaced with a larger and more versatile Headquarters and Headquarters Company
. Its former World War II formations became brigades. The division's former headquarters element became 1st Brigade, 104th Division, activated at Vancouver Barracks. The 929th Field Artillery Battalion became the 2nd Brigade, 104th Division activated at Pasco, Washington
. The 329th Engineer Battalion became the 3rd Brigade, 104th Division
at Fort Lawton
, Washington. The 804th Ordinance Battalion became the 4th Brigade, 104th Division
, also at Fort Lawton. At this time, the army began consolidating its training units across the country, and as a result, the 104th Division took on missions of One Station Unit Training
, Basic Combat Training, Advanced Individual Training, and Combat Support
training. 2nd Brigade took on basic combat training, a role it continues to this day
In the 1970s and 1980s, the brigade also took on One Station Unit Training and support for initial entry training. In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure
suggestions included the closure of the Vancouver Barracks, and the 2nd Brigade, 104th Division was subsequently relocated to Fort Lewis, Washington, though its duties remained the same.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. It is a training component of the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
, and subordinate to the 104th Division based in Fort Lewis, Washington. It is primarily responsible for One Station Unit Training
One Station Unit Training
One Station Unit Training, sometimes referred to as One Site Unit Training, is a term used by the United States Army to refer to a training program in which recruits remain with the same unit for both Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training . Immediately following Basic Training,...
, Basic Combat Training and Military Police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
instruction.
History
The 2nd Brigade traces its lineage to the 929th Field Artillery Battalion, which was originally assigned to the 104th Division.At the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the 104th Division began preparing to participate in the war in Europe. The division was ordered into active military service on 15 September 1942 and reorganized as the 104th Infantry Division at Camp Adair
Camp Adair
Camp Adair was a United States Army division training facility established north of Corvallis, Oregon, operating from 1942 to 1946. Part of the site is now contained within the E. E...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. The 207th and 208th Brigades did not reactivate as part of an army-wide elimination of brigade commands within its divisions. The division was instead centered around three infantry regiments; the 413th Infantry Regiment, the 414th Infantry Regiment
414th Infantry Regiment (United States)
- Night Fighters :The 1-414th Infantry Regiment is currently a Drill Sergeant Unit headquartered in Eugene, Oregon. Also known as the "Night Fighters" because the First Battalion 414th Infantry was well trained and an innovator in the newly implemented "night fighting" tactics of World War 2...
, and the 415th Infantry Regiment. Also assigned to the division were the 385th, 386th, 387th and 929th Field Artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
Battalions, as well as the 104th Signal
Military communications
Historically, the first military communications had the form of sending/receiving simple signals . Respectively, the first distinctive tactics of military communications were called Signals, while units specializing in those tactics received the Signal Corps name...
Company, the 804th Ordnance Company, the 104th Quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
Company, the 104th Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
Troop, the 329th Engineer
Combat engineering
A combat engineer, also called pioneer or sapper in many armies, is a soldier who performs a variety of construction and demolition tasks under combat conditions...
Battalion, the 329th Medical Battalion, and the 104th Counter Intelligence
Counter-intelligence
Counterintelligence or counter-intelligence refers to efforts made by intelligence organizations to prevent hostile or enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence against them. National intelligence programs, and, by extension, the overall defenses of...
Detachment. From that point it began training as a division in preparation for deployment to Europe. The division trained in the northwestern United States during the next two years, earning its name "Timberwolf Division" from its time in the area. The division was the first Army Division to train specifically for fighting in nighttime conditions.
Europe
The 104th Infantry Division sailed for Europe on 27 August 1944. It landed in France on 7 September 1944. In early October, Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen, Sr.Terry de la Mesa Allen, Sr.
Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen, Sr. was a division-level United States Army officer during World War II. Allen was a decorated World War I veteran who commanded the First Infantry Division in North Africa and Sicily during 1942-43...
took command of the division. He would command the division during most of its time in combat. The division was assigned to III Corps of the Ninth United States Army, Twelfth United States Army Group. The division then organized and assembled at Manche, France before heading into combat.
The division moved into defensive positions in the vicinity of Wuestwezel, Belgium on 23 October 1944. Three days later, it went on the offensive, taking Zundert
Zundert
Zundert is a municipality and a town in Noord Brabant, the Netherlands.Zundert lies about 10 metres above Dutch sea level , and is located 15 km south-west of the city of Breda, and 35 km north-east of Antwerp, Belgium...
, gaining control of the Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
-Roosendaal Road and overrunning Vaart Canal defenses. Leur and Etten
Etten
Etten may refer to:* Etten-Leur, the Netherlands* Etten , a village* Nick Etten , an American baseball player...
fell as the division advanced to the Mark River, arriving there by 31 October. A coordinated attack over the Mark River at Standaarduiten on 2 November established a bridgehead
Bridgehead
A bridgehead is a High Middle Ages military term, which antedating the invention of cannons was in the original meaning expressly a referent term to the military fortification that protects the end of a bridge...
and the rest of the division crossed the river. Zevenbergen
Zevenbergen
Zevenbergen is a Dutch city which is a part of the municipality of Moerdijk. Zevenbergen is located in the northwest of the province of Noord-Brabant near Breda.-History:...
was captured and the Maas River was reached on 5 November. While the bulk of the division moved near Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, Germany, elements remained to secure Moerdijk
Moerdijk
Moerdijk is a municipality and a town in the South of the Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant.- History :The municipality of Moerdijk was founded in 1997 following the merger of the municipalities of Fijnaart en Heijningen, Klundert, Standdaarbuiten, Willemstad and Zevenbergen. At that...
until 7 November, when they were relieved. During this time, the division was reassigned to VII Corps of the First United States Army, also part of the Twelfth Army Group.
On 16 November, the division went on another offensive, taking Stolberg
Stolberg
- Towns in Germany :* Stolberg, Saxony-Anhalt in the district of Sangerhausen in Saxony-Anhalt, seat of the counts of Stolberg* Stolberg in the district of Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia, part of the Duchy of Jülich until 1794, awarded to Prussia in 1815* Stollberg, in the Erzgebirgskreis in the...
and pushing on against heavy resistance. Eschweiler
Eschweiler
Eschweiler is a municipality in the district of Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany on the river Inde, near the German-Belgian-Dutch frontier, and about 15 km east of Aachen and 50 km west of Cologne.- History :...
fell on the 21st and the enemy was cleared from the area west of the Inde River, including Inden
Inden
Inden is a municipality in the district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the river Inde, approx. 10 km north-west of Düren. In the area around Inden lignite is extracted in open-pit mines. Several hundreds of inhabitants have been resettled in the 1990s and...
by 2 December. Lucherberg was held against enemy counterattacks on 3 December, and all strongholds west of the Roer River were captured by the 23d. It took temporary command of the 60th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division. The 104th actively defended its sector near Duren
Düren
Düren is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, capital of Düren district. It is located between Aachen and Cologne on the river Rur.-Roman era:Celts inhabited Düren's area before the Romans. They called their small settlement Durum . After the Celts other Germanic tribes settled this area...
and Merken
Merkén
Merkén is a Chilean and Mapuche hot and aromatic seasoning made from dried and smoked Cacho de Cabra pepper together with salt, cumin, and coriander seeds....
from 15 December to 22 February. During that time it was reassigned to XIX Corps
XIX Corps (United States)
XIX Corps started as the III Armored Corps at Camp Polk, Louisiana on 20 August 1942 under the command of Major General Willis D. Crittenberger....
of the Ninth United States Army. It then moved across the Roer taking Huchem-Stammeln, Birkesdorf, and North Duren. On 5 March, after heavy fighting, it entered Köln
KOLN
KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
. After defending the west bank of the Rhine River, the division crossed the river at Honnef on 22 March 1945, and attacked to the east of the Remagen
Remagen
Remagen is a town in Germany in Rhineland-Palatinate, in the district of Ahrweiler. It is about a one hour drive from Cologne , just south of Bonn, the former West German capital. It is situated on the River Rhine. There is a ferry across the Rhine from Remagen every 10–15 minutes in the summer...
bridgehead. During this time, some of the division's assets fell under command of the 1st Infantry Division and the 3rd Armored Division. After a period of mopping up and consolidation, it participated in the trap of enemy troops in the Ruhr pocket
Ruhr Pocket
The Ruhr Pocket was a battle of encirclement that took place in late March and early April 1945, near the end of World War II, in the Ruhr Area of Germany. For all intents and purposes, it marked the end of major organized resistance on Nazi Germany's Western Front, as more than 300,000 troops were...
. The 104th repulsed heavy attacks near Medebach
Medebach
Medebach is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Medebach is situated approx. 15 km east of Winterberg, 17 km south-west of Korbach and 45 km north of Marburg.- Neighbouring municipalities:...
and captured Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
on 1 April 1945. After regrouping, it advanced to the east and crossed the Weser River
Weser River
The Weser is a river in north-western Germany. Formed at Hann. Münden by the Fulda and Werra, it flows through Lower Saxony, then reaching the historic port city of Bremen before emptying into the North Sea 50 km further north at Bremerhaven, which is also a seaport...
on the 8th, blocking enemy exits from the Harz Mountains. The division then crossed the Saale River and took Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
in a bitter 5-day struggle from 15 to 19 April. The sector to the Mulde River was cleared by the 21st, and after vigorous patrolling, the Division contacted the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
at Pretzsch
Pretzsch
Pretzsch may refer to:* Pretzsch, Burgenlandkreis, a community in the Burgenlandkreis in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany* Pretzsch, Wittenberg, a community in the Wittenberg district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany...
on 26 April. The division took temporary command of assets from the 69th Infantry Division in early May.
The division returned to the United States on 3 July 1945. Once back in states, it continued the process of demobilization
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
until 20 December of that year, when it was deactivated.
Training Division
The division was reactivated on 1 December 1946 in the organized reserves in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. It began taking on the responsibility of holding training programs for new soldiers of the US Army Reserve. In July 1948, the division held its first session of summer training. By the end of the training, it had turned out 300 new reservists. By 1952, the division was turning out 1,500 new reservists per training camp. The division was reorganized specifically as a training division in 1959. In 1961, the division was relocated to Vancouver Barracks, Washington.
In 1967, the division was reorganized around brigades, as part of an army wide initiative, the Reorganization Objective Army Division plan. The division's headquarters element was replaced with a larger and more versatile Headquarters and Headquarters Company
Headquarters and Headquarters Company
In United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalion level and higher. In identifying a specific headquarters unit, it is usually referred to by its abbreviation as an HHC...
. Its former World War II formations became brigades. The division's former headquarters element became 1st Brigade, 104th Division, activated at Vancouver Barracks. The 929th Field Artillery Battalion became the 2nd Brigade, 104th Division activated at Pasco, Washington
Pasco, Washington
Pasco is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Washington, United States.Pasco is one of three cities that make up the Tri-Cities region of the state of Washington...
. The 329th Engineer Battalion became the 3rd Brigade, 104th Division
3rd Brigade, 104th Division (United States)
The 3rd Brigade, 104th Division is an infantry brigade of the United States Army. It is a training component of the United States Army Reserve, and subordinate to the 104th Division based in Fort Lewis, Washington...
at Fort Lawton
Fort Lawton
Fort Lawton is a United States Army fort located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The fort was included in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list.-History:...
, Washington. The 804th Ordinance Battalion became the 4th Brigade, 104th Division
4th Brigade, 104th Division (United States)
The 4th Brigade, 104th Division is an infantry brigade of the United States Army. It is a training component of the United States Army Reserve, and subordinate to the 104th Division based in Fort Lewis, Washington...
, also at Fort Lawton. At this time, the army began consolidating its training units across the country, and as a result, the 104th Division took on missions of One Station Unit Training
One Station Unit Training
One Station Unit Training, sometimes referred to as One Site Unit Training, is a term used by the United States Army to refer to a training program in which recruits remain with the same unit for both Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training . Immediately following Basic Training,...
, Basic Combat Training, Advanced Individual Training, and Combat Support
Combat support
In the United States Army, the term combat support refers to units that provide fire support and operational assistance to combat elements. Combat support units provide specialized support functions to combat units in the areas of chemical warfare, combat engineering, intelligence, security, and...
training. 2nd Brigade took on basic combat training, a role it continues to this day
In the 1970s and 1980s, the brigade also took on One Station Unit Training and support for initial entry training. In 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
suggestions included the closure of the Vancouver Barracks, and the 2nd Brigade, 104th Division was subsequently relocated to Fort Lewis, Washington, though its duties remained the same.
Campaign Streamers
| Conflict | Streamer | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| World War II | Rhineland Rhineland Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe.... |
1944–1945 |
| World War II | Ardennes-Alsace | 1944–1945 |
| World War II | Central Europe | 1945 |