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The 43rd Infantry Division was a formation of the United States Army from 1920 to 1963, serving in the Pacific during World War II. It was activated in 1920 as a National Guard Division in Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The 143rd Regional Support Group of the Connecticut National Guard now carries on the heritage.
| 43rd Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
43rd Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia | |
| Active | 1925–1945 1946–1963 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Nickname(s) | "Winged Victory Division" |
| Engagements | |
| Decorations | Presidential Unit Citation (4 Battalions) |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | John R. Hodge Leonard F. Wing Kenneth F. Cramer |
The 1920 amendments to the National Defense Act of 1916 provided for eighteen National Guard divisions. Seventeen National Guard divisions had served in the First World War; the 42nd "Rainbow" Division was not reconstituted after the war, and the 39th "Delta" Division was eliminated from the force structure in 1923 by being renamed the 31st Division. The 43rd, 44th, and 45th Divisions were constituted as new units. The 43rd Division was allotted as the National Guard division for the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont, replacing the 26th Division, which became a Massachusetts-only outfit.
The 43rd Infantry Division was constituted in the National Guard on 19 October 1920, allotted to the First Corps Area, and assigned to the I Corps, with the division headquarters being organized and federally recognized in Hartford, Connecticut, on 21 March 1925. The 43rd Division consisted of two infantry brigades, the 85th in Connecticut, and the 86th in Vermont. The 85th Infantry Brigade included the 102nd and 169th Infantry Regiment, both based in Connecticut. The 86th Infantry Brigade was made up of the 172nd Infantry Regiment in Vermont and the 103rd Infantry in Maine. In addition, the 68th Field Artillery Brigade was based in Providence, Rhode Island.
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The division staff, composed of personnel from all four states, came together each summer to conduct joint training, usually held at the Connecticut State Camp military area near Niantic. The staff participated in the First Army command post exercises at Camp Dix, New Jersey, in 1931 and 1934, and at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, in 1936 and 1937. From 1922 to 1939, the division's subordinate units generally held separate summer camps at locations within their respective states: Connecticut units at Niantic; Rhode Island units at Quonset Point; Maine units at Camp Keyes, near Augusta; and Vermont units at Fort Ethan Allen. The division was assembled in one place for the first time at Fort Devens in June 1930. During that camp, training was conducted at the squad and platoon level due to the relative inexperience of the units’ soldiers. The next opportunity for the 43rd Division to function as a complete unit came in August 1935 when it participated in the First and Second Corps Area phase of the First Army maneuvers at Pine Camp, New York. In 1939, the “Winged Victory” Division again participated in the First Army maneuvers, this time at Plattsburg, New York, as part of the provisional I Corps. The 43rd Division's last major training event before induction was the First Army maneuvers near Canton, New York, in August 1940. The division was relieved from the I Corps on 30 December 1940 and assigned to the IV Corps. It was inducted into federal service at home stations on 24 February 1941 and ordered to move to Camp Blanding, Florida, where it arrived on 13 March 1941. After the division's initial train-up period, it participated in the IV Corps Louisiana Maneuvers in August 1941, in the GHQ maneuvers near Bellwood, Louisiana, in September 1941, and in the First Army Carolina Maneuvers near Peachland-Camden, in October–November 1941.[1]
An asterisk indicates the state of headquarters allocation; at the given date, the headquarters was not yet organized or was inactive. The 170th Infantry Regiment was redesignated as the 102nd Infantry on 28 February 1924.
| 1924 | 1939 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters (Connecticut N.G.) * | Headquarters (New London, Connecticut) |
| Headquarters, Special Troops (Connecticut N.G.) * | Headquarters, Special Troops (Danielson, Connecticut) |
| Headquarters Company (Putnam, Connecticut) | Headquarters Company (Putnam, Connecticut) |
| 43rd Military Police Company (Connecticut N.G.) * | 43rd Military Police Company (Danielson, Connecticut) |
| 43rd Signal Company (Providence, Rhode Island) | 43rd Signal Company (Providence, Rhode Island) |
| 118th Ordnance Company (Medium) (Rhode Island N.G.) * | 118th Ordnance Company (Medium) (Providence, Rhode Island) |
| 43rd Tank Company (Light) (Branford, Connecticut) | 43rd Tank Company (Light) (Hartford, Connecticut) |
| Motorcycle Company No. 118 (Hartford, Connecticut) * | |
| 85th Infantry Brigade (New London, Connecticut) | 85th Infantry Brigade (New Haven, Connecticut) |
| 169th Infantry Regiment (Hartford, Connecticut) | 102nd Infantry Regiment (New Haven, Connecticut) |
| 170th Infantry Regiment (New Haven, Connecticut) | 169th Infantry Regiment (Hartford, Connecticut) |
| 86th Infantry Brigade (Augusta, Maine) | 86th Infantry Brigade (Rutland City, Vermont) |
| 103rd Infantry Regiment (Portland, Maine) | 103rd Infantry Regiment (Portland, Maine) |
| 172nd Infantry Regiment (Brattleboro, Vermont) | 172nd Infantry Regiment (Bennington, Vermont) |
| 68th Field Artillery Brigade (Providence, Rhode Island) * | 68th Field Artillery Brigade (Providence, Rhode Island) |
| 118th Ammunition Train (Vermont N.G.) * | 118th Ammunition Train (Vermont N.G.) * |
| 103rd Field Artillery Regiment (Providence, Rhode Island) | 103rd Field Artillery Regiment (Providence, Rhode Island) |
| 152nd Field Artillery Regiment (Maine N.G.)* | 152nd Field Artillery Regiment (Bangor, Maine) |
| 192nd Field Artillery Regiment (New London, Connecticut) | |
| 118th Engineer Regiment (Rhode Island N.G.) * | 118th Engineer Regiment (Providence, Rhode Island) |
| 118th Medical Regiment (New Haven, Connecticut) | 118th Medical Regiment (New Haven, Connecticut) |
| 43rd Division Train, Quartermaster Corps (Vermont N.G.) | 118th Quartermaster Regiment (West Hartford, Connecticut) |
| 43rd Division Air Service (Hartford, Connecticut) |
The 43rd Division was mobilized for federal service on 24 February 1941. The 43rd was originally sent to Camp Blanding, Florida where it was based prior to participating in the Louisiana Maneuvers of 1941 and the Carolina Maneuvers later that same year. The division relocated to Camp Shelby, Mississippi on 14 February 1942. On 19 February 1942, it was reorganized as a "triangular" division meaning that it had three infantry regiments, rather than four infantry regiments organized into two brigades.
The division staged for shipment overseas at Fort Ord, California, on 6 September 1942 and departed San Francisco on 1 October. The division arrived in New Zealand on 23 October 1942, prior to being committed to combat in the South West Pacific Theater under the command of General Douglas MacArthur.
The 43rd Infantry Division landed in New Zealand on 23 October 1942. The 172nd Infantry Regiment arrived at Espiritu Santo, 26 October.
The division moved to Noumea, New Caledonia, in November and to Guadalcanal, 17 February 1943. The Russell Islands were occupied without opposition, 21 February, and training continued. Elements landed on Vangunu and Rendova Islands against minor resistance, 30 June.
Rendova served as the major staging point for the assault on the island of New Georgia. The assault on New Georgia was met with determined enemy resistance. The Japanese fought fiercely before relinquishing Munda and its airfield, 5 August. Vela Cela and Baanga were taken easily, but the Japanese resisted stubbornly on Arundel Island before withdrawing, 22 September.
After training at Munda, the 43rd moved to Guadalcanal and thence to New Zealand for rest and rehabilitation. On 19 July 1944, the division was deployed to the Aitape-Wewak campaign, assuming defensive positions at Aitape. It engaged in patrols and reconnaissance at Tadji and along the Drinumor River, 25 July, and took the offensive, 8 August 1944, ending organized resistance on the 25th. On 9 January 1945, the 43rd made an assault landing in the San Fabian area, Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. Under enemy fire, the Division secured the beachhead and fought into the Lingayen Plain by 12 February. The offensive was resumed against the enemy north and west of Fort Stotsenburg, 27 February. After ending Japanese resistance in the Zambales Mountains with help from the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary, the 43rd swung south against the Shimbu Line. On 6 May 1945, the attack continued in the Bulacan area. Ipo Dam was secured and enemy opposition smashed in the Ipo area, 19 May. Mopping-up activities continued until 30 June 1945. The Division left Manila, 7 September 1945, and arrived in Yokohama, Japan on 13 September for occupation duty. The division began preparations for departure for home on 27 September 1945, and officially began their departure on 29 September. The first ship arrived in San Francisco on 8 October 1945, three years and seven days after the first ship had left on 1 October 1942. The division troops were then moved to Camp Stoneman near Pittsburg, California, and arrangements were made to send each man to the Army separation center nearest his home.
In 1946 the Division was reorganized again, and was now made up of units from Connecticut, Vermont and Rhode Island. The 172d Infantry with the 206th Field Artillery Battalion were based in Vermont. The division headquarters, 102d and 169th Infantry Regiments, and 963d Field Artillery and 192d Field Artillery were organized in Connecticut. In addition, Connecticut was also home to the 143d Tank Battalion. Rhode Island was home to Headquarters, 43d Division Artillery; the 103d Field Artillery Battalion; the 118th Engineer Battalion; and the 43d Signal Company. Combat Support units were based throughout all three states.
During the Korean War, the 43d Division was again ordered into active Federal Service on 5 September 1950 and was moved to Seventh United States Army, VII Corps in West Germany in 1951. On 15 June 1954, the 43d Infantry Division was released and returned to state control. Its elements, stationed in the Augsburg/Munich area, were reflagged as the units of the 5th Infantry Division. Division elements in the Nuernberg Area such as the 169th Infantry Regiment became units of the 9th Infantry Division. The 169th Infantry reflagged as the 39th Infantry Regiment.
The 43d Infantry Division was inactivated on 1 May 1963 as a result of National Guard restructuring.[5] Its headquarters was reorganized as Headquarters Company, 43rd Brigade, 26th Infantry Division. The 43rd Brigade was relieved from assignment to the 26th Division on 1 September 1993, when the 26th Division was inactivated. It was then reorganized as Headquarters Company, 43rd Infantry Brigade, and now is organized as the Headquarters Company, 143d Regional Support Group.
U.S. Route 7 is signed as the 43rd Infantry Division Memorial Highway between Norwalk and Danbury, CT. Vermont Route 100 is signed as the 43 Infantry Division Highway.
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