US Army Divisions to the Pacifc in 1942

While seeking background information on the early US Army deployments to the Pacific I came across this web site:

The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: U.S. Order of Battle, Part 2

While this link provides a lot of juicy details of all kinds of units deployed, I wanted a short list of infantry and their locations so I used Stanton to get the dates and locations. The dates differs from those on the web site.


102 Regiment---17Feb42---Bora Bora (Society)

27 Division----10Mar42---Hawaii

182 Regt(ADiv)-12Mar42---New Caledonia

132 Regt(ADiv)-12Mar42---New Caledonia

164 Regt(ADiv)-19Apr42---New Caledonia

147 Regiment---1May42---Togatabu (Fiji)

24 Regt(Colored)4May42---New Hebrides

32 Division---14May42----Australia

138 Regiment--22May42---Alaska

37 Division----11Jun42---Fiji Islands

1 Marine Div-Jul/Aug42---Guadalcanal

112 Cav Regt--11Aug42---New Caledonia

129 Regt (37ID)20Sep42---Fiji Islands

43 Division----30Oct42---New Zealand

503 Para Regt---2Nov42---Australia

 

You also might want to look at this - - -

Order of battle of the United States Army ground forces in World War II: Pacific Theater of operations. :: World War II Operational Documents

Published by the US Army in 1959

 

Thank you, it seems to compliment Stanton for detailed location of the divisions, particularly in Australia. Though I was hoping for snapshots of the constituent units of the various Corps.

 

A few significant omissions from my first list. The 41st Division to Australia and 7th Marines to Samoa (yes, I know, I should re-title the thread).

Should also note the 24th and 25th Divisions were in Hawaii.

Surprised the US Army official history does not at least sketch out the deployment of these units to defend the sea lanes to Australia. I always look to the official histories for completeness if not a dramatic narrative.


102 Regiment-------17Feb42---Bora Bora (Society)

27 Division--------10Mar42---Hawaii

182 Regt(ADiv)----12Mar42---New Caledonia

132 Regt(ADiv)----12Mar42---New Caledonia

7th Marines--------10Apr42---Samoa

164 Regt(ADiv)----19Apr42---New Caledonia

147 Regiment-------1May42---Togatabu (Fiji)

24 Regt(Colored)- -4May42---New Hebrides

41 Division--------13May42---Australia

32 Division-------14May42----Australia

138 Regiment------22May42---Alaska

37 Division(-)------11Jun42---Fiji Islands

1 Marine Div(-)---Jul/Aug42---Guadalcanal

112 Cav Regt-------11Aug42---New Caledonia

129 Regt (37ID)----20Sep42---Fiji Islands

43 Division---------30Oct42---New Zealand

503 Para Regt---------2Nov42---Australia

 

Actually a correction for the 1st Marine Division, they weren't at Guadalcanal until 07 August. They were in New Zealand until 22 July and in Fiji for an amphibious rehersal July 28-30th and didn't depart Fiji until nightfall of the 31st. While the 1st Marine Division was minus the reinforced 7th Marines, one of it's component regiments, it was actually not the "1st Marine Div(-)" as you have listed, but the 1st Marine Division reinforced. They had been given the reinforced 2nd Marines from the 2d MarDiv to replace 7th Marines, the 1st Raider Battalion and the 1st Parachute Battalion, (among other reinforcing units).
Additionally, you can list the 2d Marine Brigade in Samoa (since 19 January 1942), but since you're just listing infantry units you can just list the infantry component, the 8th Marines of the 2d Marine Division.

 

Thank you, I was hoping someone would know those details from memory.

 

You're welcome.

 

On the Regimental Colors of the 148th Infantry (37th Infantry Division) among the streamers there are four with the following Battle Honors from WWII:

Guadalcanal
New Georgia
Bouganville
Luzon

They were initially deployed to Fiji in the summer of 1942 for jungle warfare training.

 

Detailed organization of the 37th InfantryDivision:


It started with the "Square"organization in which it fought in the First World War, but was reorganizedearly in 1942 into the "Triangular" organization.

74th Infantry Brigade HHC
145th Infantry Regiment
148th Infantry Regiment

74th Infantry Brigade HHC
147th Infantry Regiment (until Apr 43,replace by 129th Infantry Regt 31
Jul 43)
166th Infantry Regiment (until 16 Jan 42)


62nd Field Artillery Brigade HHB
134th Field Artillery Regiment [75-mm]
135th Field Artillery Regiment [75-mm]
136th Field Artillery Regiment [155-mm]


It was further reorganized in 1944

129th Infantry Regiment
145th Infantry Regiment
148th Infantry Regiment
HHB Division Artillery
6th Field Artillery Battalion [105mm[
135th Field Artillery Battalion [105mm]
136th Field Artillery Battalion [155mm]
140th Field Artillery Battalion [105mm]

 

My Father enlisted April 1941 he was there on the Island of Oahu Dec 7,1941 shipped out to
Guadalcanal for his first Battle landed on the Beach west of Tenaru River . . Mission to reduce strong enemy positions on Mt Austen .
Then joined the New Georgia fight for Munda airfield . Mopped up at Arundel Island and fought a bloody battle to secure Vella Lavella Island.Went to New Zealand to rest train, then on to New Caledonia. He was with the
25th Infantry Division US Army Hawaiian Department . Tropic Lightning was the nickname for the 25th .
Then landed on Luzon two days after the initial assault-went into the line a week later .
He was wounded April 13,1945 from a grenade . Honorably Discharged 6 months later. He had scars on the back of his head and on his neck- you really couldn’t see them tho because his hair and collared shirts would hide them well. I found all this history from his discharge papers. Because it listed each place in the Pacific Theater- Guadalcanal- Central Pacific-Philippines-Luzon and I found out his Division as he was from the Hawaiian Department of the Army and the 25th followed these areas exactly. Took a heck of a lot of reading over the past couple months- but I feel pretty sure this was his path - WWII a horrific War

 

Ilu...

The Marines mistook the crocodiles for alligators.

 

It does, in Strategy and Command: the First Two Years, and also tangentially in The Fall of the Philippines but I am not sure what else you are looking for?

For example, the 102d Infantry was assigned to the 43d Division until 19 February 1942, after it had arrived at Bora Bora as part of TF 5614, which like TF 6814 that later became the Americal Division was part of the emergency reinforcement to guard Australia and the South Pacific. But before it went most of its 3d Battalion personnel were reassigned to the 91st Infantry - as late as a year after being Federalized, many of the National Guard units were understrength. With the reorganization to three regiments most of the regiments spun off were at cadre strength at best.