13-я бронетанковая дивизия

Прозвище дивизии (Nickname): “The Black Cats” (Черные Кошки).

13-я бронетанковая дивизия была сформирована 15 октября 1942 г. в Кемп Биле вост. Марисвиля, шт. Калифорния (Camp Beale, east of Marysville, California). 15 сентября - 8 ноября 1943 г. в составе 4-го корпуса принимала участие в Маневрах в Орегоне № 1, после чего возвратилась в Cp Beale. 18 декабря 1943 г. передислоцирована в Cp Bowie Tex. 14 января 1945 г. передислоцирована в Cp Kilmer N.J.

17 января 1945 г. отправлена из порта Нью-Йорк в Европу. 30 января 1945 г. высадилась во Франции. 3 апреля 1945 г. вошла в Германию. 23 тюля 1945 г. вернулась в Нью-Йорк, 30 июля 1945 г. была перебазирована в Cp Cooke Calif, где, 15 ноября 1945 г. была демобилизована.

The 13th Armored, known as the Black Cats, landed at Le Havre, France, 29 January 1945. After performing occupation duties, the Division moved to Homberg near Kassel to prepare for combat under the Third Army, 5 April. At Altenkirchen, it was attached to the XVIII Corps and prepared for the Ruhr Pocket operation. The attack jumped off at Honnef, 10 April. After crossing the Sieg River at Siegburg, the 13th pushed north to Bergisch-Gladbach, then toward Duisburg and Mettmann by 18 April.

Shifting south to Eschenau, the Division prepared for Bavarian operations. Starting from Parsberg, 26 April, the 13th crossed the Regen river, then the Danube at Matting and secured the area near Dunzling. On the 28th, elements closed in at Plattling and crossed the Isar River. Moderate to heavy resistance was met during this drive through southern Germany. The Division smashed into Braunau am Inn, Austria, 2 May, and the command post was set up in the house where Hitler was born. A bridgehead across the Inn was established at Marktl, but the river was not crossed as orders came to reassemble north of Inn, 2 May.

Preparations were made for further advances when the war in Europe ended. The 13th remained in Germany until 25 June and left Le Havre, France, for home, 14 July 1945.

The division moved to Camp Cook, California after returning to the United States. It was training in amphibious operations at the time of the Japanese surrender. The men were aware that it was an open secret that they were likely to participate in the invasion of Japan. It was inactivated on 15 November 1945.

Дивизия входила в состав:

(-) Indicated relieved from assignment

Состав на момент формирования 15 октября 1942 г.:

• Штаб и Штабная рота [Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 13th Armored Division]
• 45-й бронетанковый полк [45th Armored Regiment]
• 46-й бронетанковый полк [46th Armored Regiment]
• 59-й мотопехотный полк [59th Infantry Regiment (Armored)]
• бронеразведывательная рота [Reconnaissance Company (Armored)]
• 496-й полевой артиллерийский дивизион [496th Field Artillery Battalion (Armored)]
• 497-й полевой артиллерийский дивизион [497th Field Artillery Battalion (Armored)]
• 498-й полевой артиллерийский дивизион [498th Field Artillery Battalion (Armored)]
• 124-й саперный батальон [124th Engineer Battalion (Armored)]
• 153-я рота связи [153rd Signal Company (Armored)]
• рота обслуживания [Service Company (Armored)]
• Дивизионные тылы [13th Armored Division Trains]
• Приданные медики Medical
• Приданные капелланы chaplain

20 сентября 1943 г. дивизия переформирована по штатам легкой бронетанковой дивизии:

• Штаб и штабная рота [Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 13th Armored Division]:
• Боевое командование «А» [Combat Command A]
• Боевое командование «Б» [Combat Command B]
• Резервное командование [Reserve Command]
• Основные подразделения [Organic Units]:
• 24-й танковый батальон [24th Tank Battalion]
• 45-й танковый батальон [45th Tank Battalion]
• 46-й танковый батальон [46th Tank Battalion]
• 16-й мотопехотный батальон [16th Armored Infantry Battalion]
• 59-й мотопехотный батальон [59th Armored Infantry Battalion]
• 67-й мотопехотный батальон [67th Armored Infantry Battalion]
• 93-й бронекавалерийский разведывательный эскадрон [93rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mech)]
• 124-й саперный батальон [124th Armored Engineer Battalion]
• 153-я рота связи [153rd Armored Signal Company]
• Дивизионная артиллерия [13th Armored Division Artillery]:
• 496-й полевой самоходно-артиллерийский дивизион [496th Armored Field Artillery Battalion]
• 497-й полевой самоходно-артиллерийский дивизион [497th Armored Field Artillery Battalion]
• 498-й полевой самоходно-артиллерийский дивизион [498th Armored Field Artillery Battalion]
• Дивизионные тылы [13th Armored Division Trains]:
• 83-й медицинский батальон [83rd Armored Medical Battalion]
• 135-й ремонтный батальон [135th Armored Ordnance Maintenance Battalion]
• Взвод военной полиции [Military Police Platoon]

Численный состав дивизии в Кампании 1944/45 в Северо-Западной Европе

Кампании, в которых участвовала дивизия: Нидерланды (Rhineland), Эльзас - Арденны (Ardennes-Alsace), Центральная Европа (Central Europe).

На Северо-Западном ТВД в 1944-1945 гг.

• в боях - 16 дней
• потери личного состава: убито - 105 чел., ранено - 366 чел., пропало без вести - 22 чел.; небоевые потери - 246 чел.; потери от первоначальной численности - 6,9 %.
• потери танков: средних - 27, легких - 8.
• взято в плен солдат противника - 27.827 чел.

The division landed at Le Havre France on 30 Jan 45 and was initially employed in occupation duty. It was deployed to Homberg near Kassel on 5 Apr 45 where it departed to participate in operations against the Ruhr Pocket on 8 Apr 45. The division attacked across the Sieg River in the Siegburg area and CCA reached the town of Siegburg as CCB established a bridgehead over the Agger River. CCB bypassed Troisdorf and reorganized in the Dunnwald area 11-12 Apr 45 as CCA cleared Lohmar and Altenrath. The division attacked north on 13 Apr 45 and advanced against strong opposition to the Wupper River in the Opladen area on 15 Apr 45, which it crossed the next day. CCB contacted the Ninth Army at Duisburg 17 Apr 45 and CCA pushed through Ratingen to the Rhine River on 18 Apr 45. There the division was relieved by the 8th Inf Div and assembled at Eschenau 20-22 Apr 45 and prepared for operations in Bavaria. It moved to Parsberg 26 Apr 45 and attacked the following day, advancing rapidly along the Danube River to the Isar River at Platting on 28 Apr 45. CCB. assisted by artillery fire and smoke, crossed there as a bridge was being constructed on 29 Apr 45, which CCR then also used due to its unsuccessful attempts to cross in the Landau area. CCB reached the Inn River in Eisenfelden region, but was unable to take the Marktl Bridge intact on 1 May 45. As the division closed along the Inn CAA received the surrender of Braunau the next day. The division then reassembled north of Inn 3 May 45 and was in that capacity when hostilities were declared ended on 7 May 45.