The 47th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. Constituted in 1917 at Camp Syracuse, New York, the regiment fought in World War I, and was later inactivated in 1921. Remaining nominally inactive throughout the interwar period but manned with Organized Reserve personnel, the 47th Infantry was reactivated in 1940 and subsequently fought during World War II in North Africa, Sicily, and Western Europe, then was inactivated in 1946. During the Cold War, the regiment saw multiple activations and inactivations, with service both in the Regular Army and the Army Reserve; it fought in 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]
The 47th Infantry Regiment arrived at the port of New York on 16 July 1919 on the troopship USS Mobile. Emergency period personnel were discharged from the service in New York, and the regiment was transferred 2 August 1919 to Camp Dodge, Iowa, and to Camp Lewis, Washington, on 2 August 1920. The 47th Infantry Regiment was inactivated on 22 September 1921 at Camp Lewis and along with the 4th Division, was allotted to the Fourth Corps Area for mobilization responsibility. On 27 July 1921, the 58th Infantry Regiment had been designated the 47th Infantry's "Active Associate," that would provide the personnel to reactivate the unit in the event of war. Upon inactivation of the 47th Infantry, the personnel were transferred to the 3rd Division's 7th Infantry Regiment at Camp Lewis.
The 58th Infantry Regiment was relieved as Active Associate on 17 July 1922, and the 22nd Infantry Regiment was designated as Active Associate. The 47th Infantry was organized on 25 July 1926 with Organized Reserve personnel as a "Regular Army Inactive" unit with headquarters at Starkville, Mississippi. The regiment was affiliated with the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Mississippi's ROTC program on 25 February 1927 and was organized, less the 3rd Battalion, at Starkville with Regular Army instructors assigned to the ROTC detachment and Reserve officers commissioned from the program. An Organized Reserve officer functioned as the day-to-day commander of the regiment, but the professor of military science and tactics at Mississippi A&M was designated the regimental commander for mobilization purposes. Concurrently, the 3rd Battalion was affiliated with the Louisiana State University ROTC program and organized at Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The 22nd Infantry was relieved on 30 June 1927 as Active Associate. The 47th Infantry was relieved from the 4th Division on 15 August 1927 and assigned to the 7th Division, and relieved from the 7th Division on 1 October 1933. It participated in the 1938 Third Army maneuvers in the De Soto National Forest in Mississippi by providing numerous Reserve officers as umpires. The regimental headquarters was transferred by 1939 to Baton Rouge. The regiment conducted summer training most years at Fort McPherson, Georgia, and some years at Fort Screven, Georgia. As an alternate form of summer training, the regiment conducted infantry Citizens Military Training Camps some years at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana. The 47th Infantry was assigned to the reactivated 9th Infantry Division on 1 August 1940, and activated on 10 August 1940, less Reserve personnel, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The regiment was briefly commanded by Colonel Alexander Patch in the summer of 1941; after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Patch was reassigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations.[18][8][11][3][19]
World War II
In November 1942, the regiment took part in Operation Blackstone in North Africa, where it fought against Vichy French forces during an amphibious landing;[20] the regiment's Company K were the first American troops to land in French Morocco.[21] At the time of the regiment was commanded by Colonel Edwin Randle.[4] Following its actions during Operation Torch, of which Blackstone was a part, the regiment took part in divisional duties of monitor Spanish Morocco, which lasted into early 1943;[22] during this time, the regiment conducted a foot march of more than 200 miles (320 km) from Safi to Port-Lyautey.[23]
Still in North Africa, along with the rest of the 9th Infantry Division (United States), the regiment fought in the Battle of El Guettar, which resulted in a significant number of casualties;[24] for actions during the battle, the regiment's commander, received the Distinguished Service Cross (he would later go on to be promoted to be the assistant division commander of the 77th Division).[5][25] 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.[26][27] After Colonel Randle was promoted and parted ways with the regiment, Colonel George W. Smythe became the regiment's commander.[28] Along with the rest of the 9th Infantry Division, the regiment was sent to Sicily, in 1943;[26][29] 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.[30]
Remaining in Sicily after the Axis forces retreated, the regiment received orders to move in November 1943, making its way to England;[26] with the rest of the 9th Infantry Division, the regiment trained until June 1944.[22] The division was garrisoned around Winchester and during this time a number of personnel married local women.[31] While stationed around Alresford, the regiment adopted a dog as a mascot, but it died when struck by a vehicle in May 1944.[32]
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.[22][33] 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.[31] 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.[34] The regiment reached Saint-Lô-d'Ourville, via Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, Saint-Sauveur-de-Pierrepont, and Neuville-en-Beaumont, by 18 June.[35]
Relieved by the 357th Infantry Regiment (of the 90th Infantry Division) along the English Channel, facing Jersey, the regiment moved to Saint-Jacques-de-Néhou where it began its push northward to Vasteville, via Bricquebec; on 20 June it began its push towards Cherbourg, but was initially halted near Sideville by stiff German prepared defenses around the outskirts of the port city.[36] On 22 June, the attack on Cherbourg began, with the regiment errantly being attacked by aircraft of the IX Bomber Command, and the 39th Infantry Regiment following behind its advancement;[37] by the 24th the regiment had broken through the enemy defenses, and along with the 39th, where fighting within the suburb of Octeville.[38] 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.[39]
By 10 July, the 9th Infantry Division was tasked to join the effort to liberate Saint-Lô; the next day it was attacked by the Panzer Lehr Division.[40] On 11 July, wounded men and medical officers of the regiment's third battalion, were captured by German forces; one of the medical officers would later be killed by friendly fire and buried at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial, while the other was liberated at Château-Thierry while taking care of wounded prisoners of war.[31] In early August the regiment, along with the 60th Infantry Regiment, was fighting in the area of Gathemo.[41] 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.[22]
On 14 September, the regiment entered Germany, at or near, Roetgen;[42] it was the first German city to fall to the Allies.[43] The regiment penetrated the Siegfried Line near Schevenhütte on 16 September.[44] This was followed by fighting in the Hürtgen Forest;[45] during the battle the regiment captured Frenzerburg Castle.[46] By 30 September, the regiment had lost 163 officers; one company alone lost 18 officers killed, leading to a loss of experienced leadership over time.[47] During the Battle of the Bulge, the regiment served as a cornerstone of American resistance around Eupen.[6][48] The regiment had the distinction of another first; on 8 March 1945, soldiers of the regiment became the first infantry troops to cross the Rhine River, doing so at Remagen;[33][49] for its actions during the crossing of the Rhine, the regiment was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation.[22] 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.[50]
By early April, the 9th Infantry Division was assigned to III Corps, and was part of the effort against the Ruhr Pocket;[51] once again the Panzer Lehr Division attacked the 9th Infantry Division. For its actions in repelling the attack the regiment earned another Distinguished Unit Citation.[52] By mid-April 1945, the 9th Infantry Division was reassigned to VII Corps, and fought against remaining German forces in the Harz Mountains; there they encountered concentration camps near Nordhausen.[53] After the Germans surrendered, the regiment conducted occupation duty in Germany, which lasted until late 1946.[33]
Part of the Regiment's postwar occupation duty included a stint at the Dachau Concentration Camp.[54][55][56][57][58][33] Elements of the 47th were assigned guard and administrative duty from July, 1945. [54][57][55] 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.[59]
In December 1946, the regiment was deactivated in Germany.[60]
Cold War
In July 1947 the regiment was reactivated at Fort Dix.[60] In 1957, the regiment was reorganized into the Combat Arms Regimental System.[60][b] In 1957, the regiment's 2d Battalion was relieved from the 9th Infantry Division, returning to assignment with the 4th Infantry Division.[62] Also 1957, the regiment's 3d Battalion was inactivated and relieved from the 9th Infantry Division, and two years later allotted to the 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;[63] the following year the regiment's 2d Battalion was inactivated at Fort Lewis, and the 3d Battalion was inactivated at Atlanta.[8][62] In July 1963, the 1st Battalion was reactivated as a part of the 171st Infantry Brigade.[64] In 1966, at Fort Riley, both the 2d and 3d Battalions were reactivated, with the 3d Battalion being reassigned to 9th Infantry Division.[8][62]
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.[68] 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.[69][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.[72]
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.[67]: 54 In January 1967, the regiment deployed from Fort Riley, by way of San Francisco, disembarking at Vũng Tàu.[67]: 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.[67]: 59–67, 70 In April and May 1967, the regiment's 4th Battalion conducted operations in the Rung Sat Special Zone.[67]: 67, 70
Beginning in April 1967, the regiment's 3d Battalion deployed to the Mekong Delta proper.[67]: 75 By May of that same year it began to conduct combat operations near Ap Bac;[67]: 77 that same month, the regiment's 4th Battalion completed operations in Rung Sat and began operations in the Mekong Delta.[67]: 81 On 19 May 1967, the 2d Brigade's headquarters came under attack on the banks of the Mỹ Tho River, and the regiment's 3d Battalion was heavily engaged in thwarting the attack.[67]: 83 In June 1967, the regiment took part in Operation Concordia, with the USS Colleton (APB-36) providing medical support.[67]: 105–108 In early July 1967, operations were conducted in the Gò Công Province;[67]: 110–112 at the end of that month, the regiment moved to Can Guioc.[67]: 114–120 In August, and early September, the regiment operated in the Long An Province, supporting units from the Republic of Vietnam Marine Division.[67]: 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).[67]: 128–143
During the Tet Offensive, in early February, the regiment fought heavily in and around Mỹ Tho in Operation Coronado X.[67]: 150–151 [d] From mid-February and into early March, the regiment took part in Operation Coronado XI.[67]: 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.[67]: 160–163 In July, the regiment's 4th Battalion conducted operations with the South Vietnamese Army's 9th Division.[67]: 165 In October, two of the regiment's battalions conducted pacification operations in Kiến Hòa province.[67]: 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;[8] this was followed by the 2d Battalion, which was inactivated at Fort Lewis in October 1970,[62] and the 1st Battalion in November 1972.[64] This period of inactivation was short lived, as the 2d Battalion was reactivated at Fort Lewis in November 1972,[62] while the 3d Battalion was reactivated at the same base in March 1973.[8] During the remainder of the 1970s and into the late 1980s, the 2d and 3d Battalions remained with the 9th Infantry Division.[8][62] although, the regiment was withdrawn from the Combat Arms Regimental System and was reorganized into the United States Army Regimental System.[60] This process continued until August 1988 when the 2d Battalion was inactivated again.[62] In 1991, the 9th Infantry Division was inactivated;[74] due to this the 3d Battalion was assigned to the 199th Infantry Brigade, but was later inactivated in January 1994 at Fort Polk.[8]
^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
^This occurred around the time of the Pentomic reorganization of the army.[61]
^During 1967 and 1968, Chuck Hagel served in Vietnam as a sergeant within 2d Battalion's Company B.[70] In fiction, Forrest Gump is shown to be a member of the regiment, wearing the regiment's 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.[71]
^Later-Major General William Matz served in the regiment's 3rd Battalion, being injured during the Tet Offensive.[73]
^ ab"William G. Thiele"(PDF). Halfmoon Veterans Memorial Park. Town of Halfmoon, New York. Archived from the original(PDF) on 11 August 2019. 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.
^Kaune, Patrick N. (19 May 2011). General Troy H. Middleton: Steadfast in Command(PDF) (Monograph). United States Army Command and General Staff College. Docket School of Advanced Military Studies. Archived(PDF) from the original on 11 August 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2019 – via Defense Technical Information Center.
^Clay, Steven E. (2010). U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919-1941, Volume 1. The Arms: Major Commands and Infantry Organizations, 1919-41. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press. pp. 393–394. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ abcd"47th Infantry Regiment, 1940–1946"(PDF). The Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home. National Archives and Records Administration. 1946. Archived from the original(PDF) on 25 January 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
^Blumenson, Martin (1993) [1961]. Breakout and Pursuit(PDF). Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. pp. 468–169. OCLC78605078. CMH Pub 7-5-1.
^"9th Infantry Division". Order of Battle for U.S. Army Divisions in World War II European Theater of Operations prepared by the ETO Historical Office, December 1945. U.S. Army Center of Military History. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
^ abRoberts, Donald R. (2008). Biola, Heather R. (ed.). The Other War, a World War II Journal. Elkins, W.V.: McClain Printing Co. ISBN978-0-87012-775-5.
^Tucker, Spencer C. (20 May 2011). "River Assault Groups". The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History, 2nd Edition [4 volumes]: A Political, Social, and Military History. ABC-CLIO. p. 978. ISBN978-1-85109-961-0.
Gillespie, David E., ed. (1946). Raiders: History of the 47th Infantry Regiment.
Mittelman, Joseph Bernard (1948). Eight Stars to Victory: a History of the Veteran Ninth Infantry Division. Washington: Ninth Infantry Division Association.
Blann, Jack R. (1997). A Private's Diary: The Battle of Germany as Seen Through The Eyes of an 18 Year Old Infantry Rifleman. J&L Pub. ISBN978-0965465304.
Roberts, Donald R. (2008). Biola, Heather R. (ed.). The Other War, a World War II Journal. Elkins, W.V.: McClain Printing Co. ISBN978-0-87012-775-5. Biography of a World War II surgeon of the 47th Infantry