. (Dec. 1944). (Dec. Armored DivisionsPreviousNext( Inactive)( Inactive)The 3rd Armored Division ('Spearhead' ) was an of the.

• Spearhead Trails Rules

Unofficially nicknamed the 'Third Herd,' the division was first activated in 1941, and was active in the of. The division was stationed in for much of the, and participated in the. On 17 January 1992, in Germany, the division ceased operations. In October 1992 it was formally inactivated as part of a general drawing down of forces at the end of the Cold War. Contents.World War II Order of battle The 3rd Armored Division was organized as a 'heavy' armored division, as was its counterpart, the ('Hell on Wheels').

Later, higher-numbered U.S. Armored divisions of World War II were smaller, with a higher ratio of armored infantry to tanks, based on lessons of the fighting in North Africa.As a 'heavy' division, the 3rd Armored possessed two armored regiments totaling four medium tank and two of light tanks (18 companies) instead of three tank battalions containing both (12 companies), 232 medium tanks instead of the 168 allotted a light armored division, and with attached units numbered over 16,000 men, instead of the normal 12,000 found in the light armored divisions. Each division type had an component of three battalions.The division's core units were the 36th Armored Infantry Regiment, the 32d Armored Regiment, the 33d Armored Regiment, the 23d Armored Engineer, the 83d Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and the 143d Armored Signal Company. 3d AD soldier and a young admirerThe division was activated on 15 April 1941 at, Louisiana. In June 1941, it moved to Camp Polk Louisiana (now Fort Polk). On 9 March 1942, it came under Army Ground Forces and was assigned to the II Armored Corps. In July 1942, it was transferred to Camp Young, CA and from August to October 1942, took part in maneuvers at the Desert Training Center.

It left Camp Young in January 1943 and moved to the Indiantown Gap Military Reservation, Pennsylvania.The 3d AD arrived in the European Theatre on 15 September 1943, conducting pre-invasion training in the and areas. It remained in, until 24 June 1944, when it departed to partake in the operations.Into battle The first elements of the 3rd Armored in France saw combat on 29 June, with the division as a whole beginning combat operations on 9 July 1944. During this time, it was under the command of and for some time, and assigned to the and the for the duration of its career.The division 'spearheaded' the US First Army through Normandy, taking part in a number of engagements, notably including the, where it suffered significant casualties.

After facing heavy fighting in the, and developing methods to overcome the vast thickets of brush and earth that constrained its mobility, the unit broke out at Marigny, alongside the 1st Infantry Division, and swung south to Mayenne. The engineers and maintenance crews took the large I-Beam Invasion barriers from the beaches at Normandy and used the beams to weld large crossing rams on the front of the Sherman tanks. They would then hit the hedgerows at high speed, bursting through them without exposing the vulnerable underbellies of the tanks. Until this happened, they could not get across the hedgerows.Ordered to help close the and Argentan pocket which contained the, the division finished the job near Putanges by 18 August. Six days later the outfit had sped through Courville and Chartres and was located at the banks of the.

On the night of 25 August 1944 the crossing of the Seine by the division started; once over, the 3rd slugged its way across France, reaching on 2 September 1944.Liberated in the path of the division were Meaux, Soissons, Laon, Marle, Mons, Charleroi, Namur and Liege. It was at Mons that the division cut off 40,000 troops and captured 8,000 prisoners. 'Then the division began the first invasion of Germany since the days of Napoleon' is a claim often repeated and derives from 1947 U.S. Army literature that ignored earlier acts such as the 5th Armored Division's reconnaissance into Germany on 11 September 1944, French troops entering the Saarland in September 1939 during the, and the entry into Germany by imperial Russian troops in and of the French invasion of Alsace in August 1914. Division troops crossing the to Germany. Hurtgen and the Bulge On 10 September 1944, the Spearhead Division fired what it claimed was the first American field artillery shell of the war onto German soil. Two days later, it passed the German border and soon breached the Siegfried Line, taking part in the.The 3d Armored Division continued fighting during the, far north of the deepest German penetration.

The division fought south in an attack designed to help wipe out the bulge and bring First Army's line abreast of Patton's Third Army fighting northward toward Houffalize. It severed a vital highway leading to St. Vith and later reached Lierneux, Belgium, where it halted to refit.

Major General, Killed in Action, March 1945 Into the German heartland After a month of rest the division continued its offensive to the east, and on 26 February, Spearhead rolled back inside Germany as both Combat Commands bolted across the and seized several towns, crossed the Erft Canal, and at last broke through to the Rhine River to capture by 7 March. Two weeks later it crossed the Rhine south of Cologne at Honnef.On 31 March, the commander of the division, rounded a corner in his jeep and found himself face to face with a German tank. As he withdrew his pistol either to throw it to the ground or in an attempt to fight back, a young German commander, apparently misunderstanding Rose's intentions, shot the general.Beyond Cologne the division swept up in its advance, to shut the back door to the. In April, the division crossed the Saale River, north of Halle, and sped on toward the.On 11 April 1945, the 3d Armored discovered the concentration camp. The division first arrived on the scene, reporting back to headquarters that it had uncovered a large near the town of Nordhausen. Requesting help from the, the 3d immediately began transporting some 250 ill and starving prisoners to nearby hospital facilities.The last major fighting in the war for the division was the Battle of, which the division captured on 23 April 1945 after three days of combat. Following the action at Dessau, the division moved into corps reserve at.

Subdued version of the 3AD Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, worn since 1968 on field uniformsThe division was reactivated on 15 July 1947 at, to act as training formation. In 1955 the 3d Armored Division was reorganized for combat and shipped to Germany the next year. It replaced the under a program called Operation Gyroscope. It was the first U.S. Armored division to be stationed east of the Rhine River in the Cold War.

The 3d Armored Division, headquartered at Frankfurt am Main, served in Cold War Germany for approximately 36 years, from May 1956 to July 1992, with the exception of the time spent in Saudi Arabia and Iraq during the leadup to. The three main combat forces headquarters for the 3rd AD were, (1) at and at Butzbach (The forces at those kasernes initially formed Combat Command 'A' CCA of the 3d Armored Division), (2) at (CCB/2d Brigade); and (3) at (CCC/3d Brigade).The 3d Armored's primary mission during the May 1956 to July 1992 period was, in the event of war, to defend the, alongside other elements, against numerically superior forces. In June 1962 USAREUR maxed out its Cold War troop strength; that number was never achieved again. Also in June 1962 the nuclear warheads for the arrived in USAREUR (3d AD combat maneuver battalions were issued Davy Crocketts). In late October 1962 during the there was no hotline between Washington and Moscow; Soviet Forces, including those in the (GSFG), were placed on the highest alert level.

Two of the five armies in the GSFG were positioned to advance through the. These were the (three motor rifle divisions and one tank division) and (four tank divisions and one motor rifle division). From 1963 the (ROAD) changes meant organizational changes within the 3d AD's three combat commands, plus a name changeover to 'brigades' e.g. Combat Command A became 1st Brigade.To prepare their soldiers for an invasion, the 3d Armored Division's units frequently conducted field training in at Hohenfels Training Center,; Training Center; and Training Center, conducting exercises of live fire, movement and communications. Throughout its time in Cold War Germany, beginning in mid-1956, the division would also frequently take to the German countryside for training maneuvers, including, beginning in January 1969, what became an annually staged war game, which simulated invasion of Western Europe by Warsaw Pact forces. Note: As indicated in the yearly issues during the Vietnam War of Annual Historical Summary - Headquarters United States Army, Europe and Seventh Army, the USAREUR training maneuver budgets dramatically dried up during the Vietnam War years. MG Paul Funk reviews plans with Brigade Commanders and Aides – note woodland camouflageThe 3d Armored Division, then commanded by Major General, was one of four U.S.

Heavy divisions deployed with to the Gulf Region. The division and its equipment were shifted from Germany to Saudi Arabia, with in some cases, and taking over some of their duties in Germany, while in others, kasernes were left virtually empty. This massive deployment was possible by the end of the Cold War.After deployment, the division acclimated to the desert climate, and its troops faced new challenges in mobility, tactics and maintenance in a sandy and hot climate. Various National Guard and Army Reserve units were then attached to the division for the duration of the conflict, swelling the division's size to over 20,000 troops – 25% larger than during its time in Germany.The majority of the division's troops never received due to a shortage, and fought instead in lightweight summer ' uniforms, covered by tanker suits or chemical warfare protective suits.Deployment Order of battle. A 3rd AD Brigade along the line of departureScouts from 2d Brigade crossed on the afternoon of 23 February 1991 just after 1500 hours. Less than two hours later, they had penetrated several miles into Iraq and managed to capture over 200 prisoners.

On 24 February, the official first day of action, the division as a whole swung into action as part of a coordinated attack by hundreds of thousands of allied troops.During the first day of battle, the 3d Armored Division pushed 18 miles into Iraq, taking over 200 prisoners. By dawn of the second day, an additional 50 prisoners had been taken, with scouts reporting enemy reinforcements moving to meet the division.Second day At 1115 hours of the second day, all elements of the division were finally across the line of departure. The day was marked by hard pushing to penetrate deep and fast, striking for an objective south of. In the course of its drive, various elements of the division engaged the enemy, taking prisoners, skirmishing, sometimes bypassing enemy strongholds to gain ground, other times engaging in full-scale battle. Iraqi Tank knocked out by 3d AD fireBy nightfall of the second day, 3AD had driven 53 miles into Iraq, with dozens of enemy vehicles destroyed, hundreds of POWs captured, and was on the verge of achieving its first objective – an accomplishment that war planners had not anticipated.Third day On the third day of combat, 26 February, the division closed in upon its objective and faced for the first time the Iraqi, a much stronger foe than the forces the division had first engaged, and less inclined to retreat or surrender. Opposing forces included the highly touted 'Tawakalna' Division, the Iraqi 52nd Armored Division and elements of the 17th and the 10th Armored Divisions.

The division engaged in full scale tank battles for the first time since World War II, and as one of the division's veterans states 'There was more than enough action for everyone'.Action continued after nightfall, and by 1840 hours, the ground and air elements of the 3d AD could report over 20 tanks, 14, several trucks and some artillery pieces destroyed. Unfortunately, that same evening, the 4th Battalion, 32d Armor lost the division's first casualties in a to 25mm cannon fire – with two soldiers killed and three wounded. During the night, both darkness and sandstorms hampered soldiers' visibility, but thermal sighting systems on board the tanks and Bradleys allowed gunners to knock out Iraqi targets.Fourth and fifth days By the fourth day, the division reached its objective, and pursued its now retreating enemy. The division turned east, into Kuwait, continuing to inflict heavy casualties and capture troops as it rolled forward, often hitting new units whose defensive berms and foxholes faced south from their northern flank, rendering their defenses ineffective. By nightfall, forces facing 3AD had been virtually eliminated, with their remnants in full retreat.By the fifth day of combat, the division had achieved all objectives and continued to push east to block Iraqi retreat from Kuwait, conducting mopping up operations.

One hundred hours after the ground campaign started, President Bush declared a ceasefire.On 28 February the U.S. 3d Armored Division cleared Objective Dorset after meeting stiff resistance and destroying more than 300 enemy vehicles.

The 3d Brigade, 3d Armored Division also captured 2,500 enemy prisoners. Spearhead. Click for visual of 3AD movement during Gulf WarAt the height of the battle, the 3d Armored Division included 32 battalions and 20,533 personnel. It was the largest coalition division in the Gulf War and the largest U.S. Armored division in history.

In its moving arsenal were 360, 340, 128 self-propelled, 27 attack helicopters, 9, and more.During the ground war, 3d AD destroyed hundreds of Iraqi tanks and vehicles, and captured more than 2,400 Iraqi prisoners. The 3rd AD served at the and the.

The 3rd Armored Division had three M1A1 Abrams tanks damaged during combat operations. The 3rd Armored Division suffered 15 soldiers killed between December 1990 and late February 1991. Approximately 7 of the soldiers were killed in action and another 27 soldiers from the division were wounded in action during combat operations.In 1991, Division Historian Dan Peterson, comparing the performance of the division in World War II and Desert Storm stated 'History does always repeat itself. 3d Armored Division was the Spearhead in both wars.'

Following the war, 3d Armored Division was one of the first units rotated to, Kuwait, providing protection to Kuwait as it rebuilt.Inactivation Following Desert Storm, a number of the division's units were transferred to the.On 17 January 1992, the 3d Armored Division officially ceased operations in Germany, with a ceremony in Frankfurt at Division Headquarters, Drake Kaserne.' Sir, this is my final salute. Mission accomplished,' said Maj. Gen., the division commander. Rutherford preceded the final salute to General, Commander, with a loudly shouted 'Spearhead!' The division colors were then returned to the United States, with the 3d AD still officially active, since Army Regulations state that Divisional ' cannot occur on foreign soil.Official Inactivation took place at, on 17 October 1992.

In attendance at the ceremony were several former Spearhead commanding generals and division veterans from all eras. In a traditional ceremony, Command Sgt. Major Richard L. Ross, holding the division color with battle streamers, passed it to General, completing the official inactivation of the division, and the 3d Armored Division was removed from the active duty force structure of the U.S. Army.Reassignment With the end of the Cold War, several of the division's overseas Kasernes were transferred to other units, particularly the 1st Armored Division. Over time, many were closed, fell into disrepair and were eventually demolished. Some 3d Armored units were also transferred to the 1st Armored, notably the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery, later to become semi-famous as the unit portrayed in.The 1st Battalion, 32nd Armor was reflagged and is now stationed at, as part of the.

The unit was reorganized as the 1st, 32nd Regiment, and is assigned to the 1st Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as its organic (RSTA) element. The 1st Battalion, 33d Armor was also reflagged and stationed at Fort Campbell and the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), as the 1st Squadron, 33d Cavalry Regiment, and is assigned to the Division's 3d Brigade Combat Team. The 4th Squadron, is now part of 1st Brigade,.The following units were assigned to the:. 1st Battalion,. 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry. 3rd Battalion,. 3rd Battalion, 227th AviationAdditionally, the lineage of the 122d Support Battalion (Main) from the Division Support Command was reactivated at Fort Bragg and assigned to the Combat Aviation Brigade, 82d Airborne Division as the 122d Support Battalion (Aviation).

Also, the 54th Support Battalion (Main) was reactivated on 16 September 1994 as the 54th Support Battalion (Base) of the 80th Support Group (Area). Commanders The 3rd Armored Division had thirty-nine commanders over the course of its history, many of whom went on to four star rank. MG (April 1941 – January 1942).

MG (January 1942 – August 1942). MG (August 1942 – August 1944). MG (August 1944 – March 1945). BG (March 1945 – June 1945).

BG Truman Everett Boudinot (June 1945 – July 1945). BG Frank A. (July 1945).

MG (July 1945 – November 1945). MG Ray T. Maddocks (July 1947 – April 1948). MG (April 1948 – June 1950). BG (June 1950 – February 1951). MG Ira Platt Swift (February 1951 – July 1951).

BG Arthur R. Walk (July 1951 – October 1951). BG (October 1951 – November 1952). BG (November 1952 – December 1952). MG Richard W.

Stevens (December 1952 – January 1954). MG (January 1954 – April 1955). Hack msn software.

MG John Murphy Willems (April 1955 – July 1956). MG (July 1956 – January 1958). MG Thomas Fraley Van Natta III (January 1958 – July 1959).

MG Frederic J. Brown (July 1959 – October 1960). MG (October 1960 – May 1962). MG John Ramsey Pugh (May 1962 – February 1964).

MG (February 1964 – March 1965). MG (March 1965 – October 1966).

MG (October 1966 – April 1968). MG Donald H. Cowles (April 1968 – August 1969). MG Morgan G. Roseborough (August 1969 – May 1971). MG William R.

(May 1971 – March 1973). MG Jonathan R. Burton (March 1973 – June 1975).

MG Charles J. Simmons (June 1975 – November 1977).

MG (November 1977 – September 1979). MG, Jr. (September 1979 – February 1982).

MG Thurman E. Anderson (February 1982 – March 1984). MG Richard G. Graves (March 1984 – June 1986). MG Thomas N.

(June 1986 – March 1988). MG (March 1988 – July 1989). MG Paul E. Funk (July 1989 – April 1991).

MG (April 1991 – February 1992)In popular culture Despite the division's record and the role it played during the war, it has been often overlooked by both historians and Hollywood, who have favored depictions and histories of units participating in, and in the siege of Bastogne during the. Books, movies and other media that feature the Third Armored Division include:. (1951) – A typical World War II action movie of the time, only vaguely based on actual events. (1960) – Elvis Presley, a real life 3AD veteran, served as a Scout/Recon (rode in a jeep), stars as a 3rd AD Tanker with an off-post singing career and dreams of owning a nightclub. Cooper, Belton Y.

Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II. Navato, CA: Presidio Press. 21 April 2010.

Archived from on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2010. Haldeman, Rob. Component Elements of Armored Divisions in World War II. Stanton, Shelby L. World War II Order of Battle. New York, New York: Galahad Books World War II Order of Battle p51.

Third Armored Division Association; Members of the Division; Family and Friends. ^ Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths, Final Report (Statistical and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General, 1 June 1953). Retrieved 26 August 2015.

^ VUA Citation. Scales, Brig. Robert H.: Certain Victory. Brassey's, 1994, p.

279. ^ Bourque P.471. Archived from on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2012. Archived from on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2007.

onFurther reading. Trauschweizer, Ingo. The Cold War U.S. Army: Building Deterrence for Limited War. Press of Kansas (2008). Carter, Donald A.

Spearhead Trails Rules

Forging the Shield: The U.S. Army in Europe, 1951-1962. Army Center of Military History (2015).

Bourque, Stephen A. The 7th Corps in the Persian Gulf War. Center of Military History, United States Army. Third Armored Division (1945). Frankfurt am Main: Franz Jos. Henrich, Druckerei und Verlag. – via Central Connecticut State University.External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to.

in, 1945 reproduced at.

Concerning the hobby of collecting, painting and gaming with model soldiers.Rules (subject to change):.Keep discussions on the topic of wargames (tabletop, not online games) and related.Direct posting of rulebook excerpts is not allowed. Clarifications and examples are allowed.Advertising will be allowed, only to promote new products from small, independently owned companies. If it gets out of hand, it will be limited.Blog posts ARE allowed; continuously reporting every single one does nothing.Related Subreddits. I'm looking at getting back into WW2 miniatures gaming but I am struggling to decide which scale or set of rules to go with.I am more concerned with the 'gaming' side of things and not the modelling, and I'm trying to get others who are hesitant interested as well; price is an important consideration. I only have experience playing Flames of War (15mm) but it's too expensive to get others to want to play. I live in Ontario, and most of the online retailers charge quite a bit for shipping.Does anyone have suggestions for an affordable scale and line of miniatures? I've taken an interest in Bolt Action and 'Nuts!'

So far, but will look at pretty much any ruleset.