47th Infantry Regiment (United States)

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47th Infantry Regiment
Active1917 – present
Country United States
Branch United States Army
TypeInfantry basic training
SizeRegiment
Motto(s)Ex Virtute Honos (Honor Comes From Virtue)
EngagementsWorld War I
World War II
Vietnam War
Commanders
Current
commander		2d Bn – LTC Steven W. Tipa[1]
3d Bn – LTC Benjamin J. Horner[2]
Notable
commanders		Alexander Patch[3]
Edwin Randle[4][5]
George W. Smythe[6][7]
Insignia
Distinctive unit insignia
U.S. Infantry Regiments
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46th Infantry Regiment 48th Infantry Regiment

The 47th Infantry Regiment is an

Vietnam. Ultimately it was reactivated as a training regiment, and as of 1999, it has been assigned to Fort Moore and consists of two active battalions.[8]

History

The Great War

Man wearing a campaign hat.
World War I Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant William Shemin of the regiment's Company G

The regiment was formed from a

Camp Syracuse on 1 June 1917, almost two months after the American entry into World War I.[10] Initially assigned to Major General George H. Cameron's 4th Division, it fought in Europe during the Great War;[11] within the division the regiment was part of Brigadier General Benjamin Andrew Poore's 7th Infantry Brigade.[9] By May 1918, the regiment arrived at Brest, France, training until July.[10] In late July, the regiment along with the rest of the 7th Infantry Brigade, was briefly attached to the VII French Army Corps near Bois du Chitelet;[12]: 93  it was then sent to bolster the beleaguered 42nd Division at Ourcq.[12]: 96  In early August, the regiment fought near Bazoches-sur-Vesles during the Second Battle of the Marne.[13] In September and October 1918, the regiment fought near Cuisy, Septsarges, and Brieulles-sur-Meuse;[14][a] during this period of time Colonel Troy H. Middleton took command of the regiment, having previously commanded the regiment's 1st Battalion.[16]

It ended the war near

13th Infantry Brigade, which was part of the 7th Division.[20]

World War II

Map of landings of the regiment at Safi, Morocco

In August 1940, the regiment was reassigned away from the 7th Infantry Division and into the

Port-Lyautey.[25]

Still in North Africa, along with the rest of the 9th Division, the regiment fought in the

77th Division).[5][27] Following El Guettar, the regiment moved north, and fought in the Battle of Sedjenane, and soldiers of the regiment's 2d Battalion, were the first Allied soldiers in Bizerte.[28][29] After Colonel Patch was promoted and parted ways with the regiment, Colonel George W. Smythe became the regiment's commander.[30] Along with the rest of the 9th Infantry Division, the regiment was sent to Sicily, in 1943;[28][31] in Sicily the regiment was tangentially involved during the Battle of Troina, which saw the 9th Infantry Division's other infantry regiments in significant combat.[32]

Remaining in Sicily after the Axis forces retreated, the regiment received orders to move in November 1943, making its way to England;[28] with the rest of the 9th Infantry Division, the regiment trained until June 1944.[24] The division was garrisoned around Winchester and during this time a number of personnel married local women.[33] While stationed around Alresford, the regiment adopted a dog as a mascot, but it died when struck by a vehicle in May 1944.[34]

On 10 June, four days after D-Day, the 9th Infantry Division landed at Utah Beach. Assigned to VII Corps, it was allocated to the liberation of the Cotentin Peninsula and was the division that sealed off the peninsula to prevent additional German reinforcements from breaking through.[24][35] Medical supplies for the regiment had been lost during its movement from England to Normandy, but were replaced and captured German vehicles were pressed into service by the regiment's medical detachment.[33] By 14 June, the entire regiment had landed, and the following day the 47th began combat operations, fighting alongside regiments of the 82nd Airborne Division, attacking along a path which was near, or included, Orglandes, Hautteville-Bocage, and Ste. Colombe.[36] The regiment reached Saint-Lô-d'Ourville, via Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, Saint-Sauveur-de-Pierrepont, and Neuville-en-Beaumont, by 18 June.[37]

Relieved by the

IX Bomber Command, and the 39th Infantry Regiment following behind its advancement;[39] by the 24th the regiment had broken through the enemy defenses, and along with the 39th, where fighting within the suburb of Octeville.[40] The regiment continued to fight in the western portion of Cherbourg, and by the 26th it captured German General Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben and Admiral Walter Hennecke. The city fell to the Allies by the next day; following the liberation of the port city, along with the 60th Infantry Regiment, the 47th fought the remaining German forces in Cap de la Hague, ultimately capturing over 6,000 Germans by 1 July.[41]

By 10 July, the 9th Infantry Division was tasked to join the effort to

prisoners of war.[33] In early August the regiment, along with the 60th Infantry Regiment, was fighting in the area of Gathemo.[43] The liberation of Château-Thierry occurred on 27 August, while the 9th Infantry Division was following the wake of the movement of the 3d Armored Division.[24]

American Soldiers march through a German town in 1945
Soldiers of the 47th Infantry Regiment, march through Remagen, in March 1945

On 14 September, the regiment entered Germany, at or near,

Rhine River, doing so at Remagen;[35][51] for its actions during the crossing of the Rhine, the regiment was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation.[24] During March the regiment experienced multiple changes in command, at the beginning of the month Colonel Smythe departed the regiment, leaving Lieutenant Colonel Herman A. Schmidt to act as the regiment's commanding officer, only to be succeeded by Colonel Peter O. Ward a week later.[52]

By early April, the 9th Infantry Division was assigned to

Harz Mountains; there they encountered concentration camps near Nordhausen.[55] After the Germans surrendered, the regiment conducted occupation duty in Germany, which lasted until late 1946.[35]

Part of the Regiment's postwar occupation duty included a stint at the

Dachau Concentration Camp.[56][57][58][59][60][35] Elements of the 47th were assigned guard and administrative duty from July, 1945. [56][59][57] By this time Dachau had been converted to its postwar use as an internment camp that would intern former SS, Nazi functionaries, and officers of the German army.[61]

In December 1946, the regiment was deactivated in Germany.[62]

Cold War

In July 1947 the regiment was reactivated at

United States Army Reserves' 81st Infantry Division.[8]

In 1961, the regiment's 2nd Battle Group (the redesignated 2d Battalion) was deployed to Germany. Stationed in Berlin, the regiment remained there for a year;[65] the following year the regiment's 2d Battalion was inactivated at Fort Lewis, and the 3d Battalion was inactivated at Atlanta.[8][64] In July 1963, the 1st Battalion was reactivated as a part of the 171st Infantry Brigade.[66] In 1966, at Fort Riley, both the 2d and 3d Battalions were reactivated, with the 3d Battalion being reassigned to 9th Infantry Division.[8][64]

Vietnam

In

Kiến Hòa province.[68] In addition to riverine operations, the regiment also conducted air mobile operations.[69]
: 76 

During the conflict three of the regiment's battalions served;[11] the 2d Battalion was deployed from January 1967 until October 1970, the 3d Battalion was deployed from January 1967 until July 1969, and the 4th Battalion was deployed January 1967 until July 1969.[70] For the most part the regiment's battalions were assigned to the 9th Infantry Division's 2d Brigade, except for the 2d Battalion, which was temporarily assigned at various times in 1968 to the division's other two brigades.[71][c] During its time in Vietnam, the regiment conducted joint operations with the United States Navy, during which its soldiers deployed from, and billeted aboard, naval vessels.[74]

Three American soldiers lying in mud in Vietnam in 1968
Soldiers of Company B, 3d Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division at My Tho in April 1968

In 1966, upon learning of the regiment's upcoming riverine mission, the regiment's leadership worked with the Navy's Amphibious Training School, in Coronado, to gain the skills needed for the expected deployment.[69]: 54  In January 1967, the regiment deployed from Fort Riley, by way of San Francisco, disembarking at Vũng Tàu.[69]: 59  From mid-February to late-March 1967, the regiment's 3d Battalion conducted combat training, with the USS Whitfield County (LST-1169) and the 9th River Assault Squadron, in the Rung Sat Special Zone.[69]: 59–67, 70  In April and May 1967, the regiment's 4th Battalion conducted operations in the Rung Sat Special Zone.[69]: 67, 70 

Beginning in April 1967, the regiment's 3d Battalion deployed to the Mekong Delta proper.

Long An Province, supporting units from the Republic of Vietnam Marine Division.[69]: 125–127  From October 1967 until January 1968, the regiment was involved in Operations Coronado V & IX, which ended when the regiment embarked on the USS Benewah (APB-35).[69]
: 128–143 

During the Tet Offensive, in early February, the regiment fought heavily in and around Mỹ Tho in Operation Coronado X.[69]: 150–151 [d] From mid-February and into early March, the regiment took part in Operation Coronado XI.[69]: 151–160  Following that operation, the regiment took part in Operation Truong Cong Dinh until April. Several helicopters were lost due to enemy fire, and two artillery barges sunk; the Benewah was struck by enemy fire, and one LCM was sunk.[69]: 160–163  In July, the regiment's 4th Battalion conducted operations with the South Vietnamese Army's 9th Division.[69]: 165  In October, two of the regiment's battalions conducted pacification operations in Kiến Hòa province.[69]: 171 

Post-Vietnam and 21st century

Following the regiment's deployment to Vietnam, its battalions were progressively inactivated. The 3d Battalion was the first to be inactivated, doing so at Fort Riley in August 1969;

Fort Polk.[8]

Soldiers training how to use bayonets
Soldiers of 3d Battalion at the bayonet assault course at Sand Hill in 2003.

In April 1996, the regiment was transferred to the

one station unit training.[60]

Regimental lineage

The regiment's lineage is as follows:[62]

  • Constituted 15 May 1917 in the Regular Army as the 47th Infantry
  • Organized 1 June 1917 at Syracuse, New York
  • Assigned 19 November 1917 to the 4th Division
  • Inactivated 22 September 1921 at Camp Lewis, Washington
  • Relieved 15 August 1927 from assignment to the 4th Division and assigned to the 7th Division
  • Relieved 1 October 1933 from assignment to the 7th Division
  • Assigned 1 August 1940 to the 9th Division (later redesignated as the 9th Infantry Division)
  • Activated 10 August 1940 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
  • Inactivated 31 December 1946 in Germany
  • Activated 15 July 1947 at Fort Dix, New Jersey
  • Relieved 1 December 1957 from assignment to the 9th Infantry Division and reorganized as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System
  • Withdrawn 16 June 1986 from the Combat Arms Regimental System and reorganized under the United States Army Regimental System
  • Transferred 15 April 1996 to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command

Honors

The regiment's campaign participation credits, and decorations, are as follows:[62]

Campaign participation credit

World War I: Aisne-Marne; St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne; Champagne 1918; Lorraine 1918

World War II: Algeria-French Morocco (with arrowhead); Tunisia; Sicily; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe

Vietnam
: Counteroffensive, Phase II; Counteroffensive, Phase III; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase IV; Counteroffensive, Phase V; Counteroffensive, Phase VI; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase VII

Decorations

  • Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Cherbourg
  • Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Hague Peninsula
  • Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Wilhelmshoe, Germany
  • Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Roetgen, Germany
  • Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Nothberg, Germany
  • Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Freuzenbeg Castle
  • Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Remagen, Germany
  • Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Oberkirchen, Germany
  • Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for Mekong Delta
  • Valorous Unit Award for Long Binh – Bien Hoa
  • Valorous Unit Award for Saigon
  • Valorous Unit Award for Fish Hook
  • Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for Vietnam 1968
  • French Croix de Guerre
    with Palm, World War II for Cherbourg
  • Belgian Fourragere
    1940
    • Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action at the Meuse River
    • Cited in the Order of the Day of the Belgian Army for action in the Ardennes

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 47th Infantry Regiment (United States).

Medal of Honor recipients

Notes

  1. ^ During the Meuse–Argonne offensive, a battalion of the regiment was commanded by Major James Stevens.[15] During the battle the regimental surgeon, Major Harrison Webster, was killed.[12]: 103 
  2. ^ This occurred around the time of the Pentomic reorganization of the army.[63]
  3. distinctive unit insignia on his Class A Dress Green Uniform. In the film he is cast as a member of the 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry, then a unit of the 9th Infantry Division in the Vietnam War.[73]
  4. ^ Later-Major General William Matz served in the regiment's 3rd Battalion, being injured during the Tet Offensive.[75]

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from 47th Infantry Lineage and Honors. United States Army Center of Military History.

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  2. ^ "Fort Benning | 3rd Battalion 47th Infantry Regiment". U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence. United States Army. 25 April 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b Bonn, Keith E. (2003). "Most Underrated General of World War II: Alexander Patch" (PDF). Association Newsletter. Retrieved 9 March 2019 – via George C. Marshall Foundation.
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  10. ^ a b "William G. Thiele" (PDF). Halfmoon Veterans Memorial Park. Town of Halfmoon, New York. Retrieved 11 August 2019. The 47th Infantry Regiment was activated on June 1st, 1917 at Camp Syracuse in New York. On May 25th, 1918 the 47th Infantry Regiment landed at Brest in France.
  11. ^ a b c Molinaro, Kristin (6 May 2010). "Veterans of 47th Infantry return to Benning, dedicate regimental room". Ledger-Enquirer. Columbus, Georgia. The Bayonet. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  12. ^
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Further reading

External links
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