William Hood Simpson
William Hood Simpson | |
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Ninth Army | |
Battles/wars | |
Awards |
|
A graduate of the
During World War II he commanded the
After the war ended, Simpson commanded the
Early life and military career
William Hood Simpson was born on May 18, 1888, at
Simpson decided to pursue a military career and attend the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York.[6] He was friends with Fritz G. Lanham, the son of Samuel Lanham, the Governor of Texas (and a former law partner of Judge Hood). Through Lanham he was able to secure an appointment from his local Congressman, Oscar W. Gillespie. Competition was not fierce; only one other boy applied. As Simpson's academic credits were insufficient to qualify for automatic admission, Simpson had to sit an entrance examination at Fort Sam Houston in May 1905. A physical examination was conducted while he was there. He passed both, and was accepted into the class of 1909.[3][7]
On June 14, 1905, a month after he turned 17, Simpson entered West Point.
Early military career and World War I
Simpson's first assignment was with the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, which was stationed at Fort Lincoln, North Dakota.[3] Soon after he joined in the regiment on September 11, 1909, it received orders to deploy to the Philippines. He embarked from San Francisco on January 5, 1910. He went to the island of Mindanao in the Philippines and participated in suppression of the Moro Rebellion. He returned to the United States with his regiment, arriving at the Presidio of San Francisco on July 10, 1912. The regiment moved to El Paso, Texas, between April 24 and May 1, 1914. Promoted to first lieutenant on July 1, 1916, he commanded Companies C and K in the Pancho Villa Expedition in 1916. On February 24, 1917, he became aide-de-camp to Brigadier General George Bell Jr., the commander of the El Paso Military District.[3]
Simpson was promoted to
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) William Hood Simpson, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I, as Assistant Chief of Staff, 33d Division, during the Meuse-Argonne offensive and later as Chief of Staff of this division.[20]
Between the wars
Upon returning to the United States in May 1919, Simpson was posted to the
On July 1, 1925, Simpson assumed command of the 3rd Battalion,
World War II
On August 30, 1940, Simpson was appointed to command the
Simpson commanded the
More personnel arrived in early 1944, enabling the Fourth Army to be split into a training army (the Fourth) and a headquarters to be deployed overseas, the Eighth, which was activated on May 5, 1944. Simpson and most of his staff became part of the Eighth Army headquarters. An advance party of the headquarters flew to the UK on May 11, and Simpson met with the commander of the
The Ninth Army headquarters moved to France, as it landed at
Simpson moved his headquarters to Arlon, where it opened on October 2, and two days later the Ninth Army relieved First Army in the southern portion of its line, taking over the center of the 12th Army Group's front in the Ardennes between the First and Third Armies.[35] The stay at Arlon was brief; on October 10, Simpson received word that Ninth Army was to take over the northern sector of the 12th Army Group's front adjoining Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group. This was a consequence of Eisenhower's decision to reinforce that sector. The plan was for the Ninth Army to envelop the Ruhr industrial area to the north while First Army enveloped it to the south.[36][37]
Reflecting on the decision later, Bradley opined that the "uncommonly normal" Ninth Army staff collaborated with the 21st Army Group better than the more temperamental First Army staff did.
The Urft Dam (Urfttalsperre) held 161,000,000 cubic feet (4,550,000 m3) of water, and the Rur Dam (Schwammenauel) held another 2.31×109 cubic feet (65,500,000 m3). The Germans could demolish them to create a disastrous flood. Alternatively, through controlled demolition, they could release 7,100 cubic feet per second (202 m3/s). This would put the river into a flood condition that would cause it to rise by 3 feet (0.91 m), increase the speed of the current by 10 feet per second (3.0 m/s) and increase the width to 1,200 feet (370 m). This would preclude a crossing attempt for ten to twelve days.[41]
Eisenhower was anxious about accepting an army commander without operational experience in the war, but senior officers with such experience were few in May 1944. By October 1, however, Eisenhower was sufficiently impressed by Simpson's performance to write to the Chief of Staff of the Army, General George C. Marshall, and recommend that Simpson's temporary rank of lieutenant general be made substantive.[42] According to Colonel Armistead D. Mead, Simpson's G-3 (Operations) officer:
General Simpson's genius lay in his charismatic manner, his command presence, his ability to listen, his unfailing use of his staff to check things out before making decisions, and his way of making all hands feel that they were important to him and to the army... I have never known a commander to make better use of his staff than General Simpson.[43]
During the crisis of the Battle of the Bulge, the Ninth Army came under Montgomery's command on December 20. The Ninth Army took no part in the battle, but was stripped of eight divisions to reinforce the First Army, and took over part of its front. After the battle was over in early 1945, the Ninth Army remained with Montgomery's 21st Army Group for the final attack into Germany.[40][44] For Operation Grenade, the crossing of the Roer, the Ninth Army was reinforced, its strength increased from five to twelve divisions.[45] The major obstacle to the advance was the river itself, as the dams were still in German hands.[41]
The
Operation Grenade was finally launched on February 23, even though the water level had not yet completely returned to normal.[47] The attack was successfully concluded on March 5, with the Rhine reached.[48] Next came Operation Plunder, the 21st Army Group's crossing of the Rhine; the Ninth Army's part was called Operation Flashpoint.[49] The Rhine was crossed on March 24, 1945.[50] On April 1 the Ninth Army made contact with First Army, making a complete encirclement of the Ruhr.[51] Three days later, the Ninth Army reverted to the control of Bradley's 12th Army Group.[52] On April 11, the Ninth Army reached the Elbe.[53]
On March 10, Montgomery had written to Simpson:
I would like to tell you how very pleased I have been with everything the Ninth Army has done. The operations were planned and carried through with great skill and energy. It has fallen to my lot to be mixed up with a good deal of fighting since I took command of the Eighth Army before Alamein in 1942; and the experience I have gained enables me to judge pretty well the military calibre of Armies. I can truthfully say that the operations of the Ninth Army, since 23 February last, have been up to the best standards.[42]
After
Eisenhower summarized his experience with Simpson as follows:
If Simpson ever made a mistake as an Army Commander, it never came to my attention. After the war I learned that he had for some years suffered from a serious stomach disorder, but I would never have suspected during hostilities. Alert, intelligent, and professionally capable, he was the type of leader that American soldiers deserve. In view of his brilliant service, it was unfortunate that shortly after the war ill-health forced his retirement before he was promoted to four-star grade, which he had so clearly earned.[57]
For his services as commander of the Ninth Army, Simpson was awarded the
Later life
After the war ended, Simpson commanded the Memphis, Tennessee-based Second United States Army from October 11 to November 14, 1945. He then returned to Washington, DC, working in the Office of the Chief of Staff as a member of the Military Intelligence Board, and President of the War Department Reorganization Board from November 15, 1945, until April 4, 1946. He retired from the army with a physical disability on November 30, 1946.[26] On August 4, 1954, he was promoted to full general on the retired list by a special Act of Congress that advanced officers who had commanded armies or the equivalent to that rank.[58][59]
After retirement, Simpson lived and worked in the
His wife Ruth died in 1971, and soon thereafter, Simpson moved into the Menger Hotel in downtown San Antonio, where he was very popular with the staff. He suffered from phlebitis and neuritis, and was generally confined to his room. In 1978, at the age of 90, he met Catherine Louise (Kay) Berman, a retired civil-service worker from a military family 33 years his junior, and the two were married on April 9, 1978. They moved out of the Menger Hotel and into a home they built in Windcrest, Texas.[21][60]
Simpson died in the Brooke Army Medical Center on August 15, 1980,[22] and was buried alongside his first wife Ruth in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.[61]
Military decorations
Distinguished Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster | [20][19] | |
Silver Star | [20][19] | |
Legion of Merit | [20] | |
Bronze Star Medal | [26] | |
Philippine Campaign Medal | [19] | |
Mexican Service Medal | [19] | |
battle clasps
|
[19] | |
Army of Occupation of Germany Medal | [62] | |
American Defense Service Medal | [62] | |
American Campaign Medal | [62] | |
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
|
[62] | |
service stars
|
[62] | |
World War II Victory Medal | [19] | |
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (United Kingdom)
|
[26] | |
Légion d'honneur (Knight) (France)
|
[19] | |
Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France) | [19] |
Dates of rank
Insignia | Rank | Component | Date | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
No insignia in 1909 | Second Lieutenant | 6th Infantry Regiment | June 11, 1909 | [13] |
First Lieutenant | 6th Infantry Regiment | July 1, 1916 | [13] | |
Captain | Infantry | May 15, 1917 | [13] | |
Major | National Army | June 7, 1918 | [13] | |
Lieutenant Colonel | National Army | November 5, 1918 | [13] | |
Captain (reverted) | Infantry | June 30, 1920 | [13] | |
Major | Infantry | July 1, 1920 | [19] | |
Lieutenant Colonel | Infantry | October 1, 1934 | [25] | |
Colonel | Infantry | September 1, 1938 | [25] | |
Brigadier General | Army of the United States | October 1, 1940 | [25] | |
Major General | Army of the United States | September 29, 1941 | [26] | |
Lieutenant General | Army of the United States | October 13, 1943 | [26] | |
Brigadier General | Regular Army | February 1, 1944 | [26] | |
Major General | Regular Army | April 11, 1946 | [26] | |
Lieutenant General | Retired List | November 30, 1946 | [26] | |
General | Retired List | August 4, 1954 | [63][59] |
Notes
- ^ English 2009, p. 137.
- ^ Stone 1971, pp. 6–7.
- ^ a b c d Buerkle, Ruth C. (June 30, 1976). "General William Hood Simpson, United States Army, Retired". Bexar County Historical Commission Oral History Program. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- ^ Bartoli & McClurkin 2012, p. 59.
- ^ a b Buerkle, Ruth C. (July 7, 1976). "General William Hood Simpson, United States Army, Retired". Bexar County Historical Commission Oral History Program. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e English 2009, p. 139.
- ^ Stone 1971, pp. 5–11.
- ^ Stone 1971, p. 14.
- ^ Stone 1971, p. 23.
- ^ Stone 1971, pp. 26–29.
- ^ "Cadets Dismissed from West Point". San Francisco Call. Vol. 104, no. 84. August 23, 1908. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- ^ Stone 1971, pp. 30–32.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Cullum 1920, p. 1466.
- ^ Cullum 1920, p. 1429.
- ^ Cullum 1920, p. 1433.
- ^ Cullum 1920, p. 1446.
- ^ Cullum 1920, pp. 1412, 4442.
- ^ English 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Cullum 1930, pp. 862–863.
- ^ a b c d e f "William Simpson – Recipient". Hall of Valor Project. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- ^ a b c "William Hood Simpson". Assembly. 40 (4): 116–117. March 1982. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- ^ a b Hull, Michael D. (December 31, 2018). "The U.S. Ninth Army's Breakout: Crossing the Roer and the Rhine". Warfare History Network. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
- ^ English 2009, pp. 139–140.
- ^ a b English 2009, p. 140.
- ^ a b c d Cullum 1940, p. 225.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Cullum 1950, p. 138.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, pp. 15–17.
- ^ Stone 1974, pp. 1–2.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, pp. 15–18.
- ^ Stone 1974, pp. 22–24.
- ^ Stone 1974, pp. 26–27.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, pp. 20–21.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, pp. 27–28.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, pp. 30–35.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, pp. 55–56.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, pp. 65–66.
- ^ Stone 1974, pp. 103–104, 112–113.
- ^ Bradley 1951, p. 422.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, p. 86.
- ^ a b Stone 1974, pp. 126–128.
- ^ a b Parker & Thompson 1947, pp. 133–134.
- ^ a b Stone 1981, p. 50.
- ^ Stone 1981, p. 47.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, pp. 117–118.
- ^ Stone 1974, p. 134.
- ^ Stone 1974, pp. 158–163.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, p. 166.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, p. 191.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, p. 210.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, p. 243.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, p. 269.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, p. 274.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, p. 298.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, p. 332.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, pp. 358–361.
- ^ Parker & Thompson 1947, pp. 363–364.
- ^ Eisenhower 1997, p. 376.
- ISSN 0271-7336. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ Pub. L.83–508
- ^ Williams 2000, pp. 172–175.
- ^ "William H. Simpson". Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "General William Hood Simpson". The Portal to Texas History. 1959.
- ^ Young 1959, p. 328.
References
- Bartoli, Jonelle Ryan; McClurkin, Brenda S. (2012). Weatherford: The Early Years. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. OCLC 769988267.
- OCLC 981308947.
- Cullum, George W. (1920). Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point New York since its Establishment in 1802: Supplement Volume VI 1910–1920. Chicago, Illinois: R. R. Donnelly and Sons, The Lakeside Press. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
- Cullum, George W. (1930). Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point New York Since Its Establishment in 1802: Supplement Volume VII 1920–1930. Chicago: R. R. Donnelly and Sons, The Lakeside Press. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
- Cullum, George W. (1940). Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point New York Since Its Establishment in 1802: Supplement Volume VIII 1930–1940. Chicago: R. R. Donnelly and Sons, The Lakeside Press. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
- Cullum, George W. (1950). Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the US Military Academy at West Point New York since its Establishment in 1802: Supplement Volume IX 1940–1950. Chicago, Illinois: R. R. Donnelly and Sons, The Lakeside Press. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
- OCLC 945382261.
- OCLC 870994690.
- OCLC 2522151. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- Stone, Thomas R. (1971). William H. Simpson: A General's General (PDF) (MA). Rice University. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- Stone, Thomas R. (1974). He Had the Guts to Say No: A Military Biography of William H. Simpson: A General's General (PDF) (PhD). Rice University. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- Stone, Thomas R. (1981). "General William H. Simpson-Unsung commander of U.S. 9th Army" (PDF). Parameters. XI (2). U.S. Army War College: 44–52. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- Williams, Docia Schultz (2000). The History and Mystery of the Menger Hotel. Plano, Texas: Republic of Texas Press. OCLC 1002200224.
- Young, Gordon Russell (1959). The Army Almanac: A Book of Facts Concerning the United States Army. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. OCLC 474534421.