The Old Ironsides Division was organized at the American
home of armor and cavalry, Fort Knox, Kentucky, July 15, 1940,
where Maj. Gen. Bruce McGruder was chosen as its first commander.
McGruder gave the division its nickname, "Old Ironsides,"
after noting similarities between the frigate, the U.S.S. Constitution,
with its thick oak hull, and the protection afforded by armored
vehicles.
On Nov. 8, 1942, that vision became reality as the 1st Armored
Division landed in Algeria and seized the critical port of Oran.
From there, the division moved east and became the first of the
Allied troops to encounter Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and his
battle-hardened Afrika Korps.
From Algeria to Rome and beyond, Old Ironsides blazed through
a series of victories such as those as La Tour, El Guitar, Naples,
Anzio, Rome-Arno and the Po Valley. After the war, the 1st Armored
Division assumed occupation duties in Germany, near Schwabish
Gmuend, but in 1946 the division was inactivated.
A mere five years later, the 1st Armored Division was reactivated
at Fort Hood, Texas. In May 1971, Old Ironsides returned to Germany,
this time to the Bavarian city of Ansbach, where it replaced the
4th Armored Division. The 20-year presence of Iron Soldiers and
their NATO counterparts helped bring significant changes to Europe,
including the downfall of the Iron Curtain, the crumbling of the
Berlin Wall, and finally, the reunification of Germany.
But, just as the torch of liberty began to shine in Eastern Europe,
it was extinguished in Kuwait by the invading Iraqi army. On Nov.
8, 1990, the 1st Armored Division began its desert experience
by joining the allied forces for Operations Desert Shield and
Desert Storm.
At 2:34 p.m. on Feb. 24, 1991, Old Ironsides launched its attack
on Iraq. In 89 hours of combat, the Iron Soldiers laid waste to
Iraqi formations, destroying 440 enemy tanks, 485 armored personnel
carriers, 190 pieces of artillery, 137 air defense artillery pieces
and capturing 6,686 prisoners of war. When the smoke cleared,
Old Ironsides had accomplished its mission, making an important
contribution to the allied victory.
Today, the 1st Armored Division continues its mission to deploy
from a forward base to support NATO's call. That call has taken
Iron Soldiers to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kuwait,
Rwanda, Uganda, Zaire, Turkey, Poland, the Czech Republic, and
most recently, to Bosnia Herzegovina. There, as part of NATO's
Implementation Force conducting Operation Joint Endeavor, the
division was the nucleus of Multinational Division-North, more
commonly known as Task Force Eagle.
As part of IFOR, Task Force Eagle was charged with implementing
the military aspects of the General Framework Agreement for Peace
in northeastern Bosnia-Herzegovina. The forces from 11 nations
- Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway,
Poland, Russia, Sweden and Turkey - centered around the nucleus
of the task force, the U.S. 1st Armored Division. A true multinational
division, Task Force Eagle, at its apex, included approximately
25,000 soldiers, 650 armored vehicles, 60 tubes of artillery and
48 attack helicopters to enforce the military aspects of the agreement
while protecting itself.
The 1st Armored Division is a cutting-edge, combat-ready, highly
mobile, lethal fighting force. The division consistently enjoys
success by striving for the highest standards in training, maintaining
and caring, making Old Ironsides one of the Army's premier fighting
forces and truly America's Tank Division.
Operational History
Activated on 15 July 1940 at Fort Knox (Kentucky, USA).
1940 - US: Kentucky (formation and training).
1941 - US: maneuvers in Arkansas, Louisiana and South Carolina.
1942 - US: New Jersey (Fort Dix); New York (transit); UK (transit);
1942 - North Africa: landed near Oran on 8 Nov;
1942 - North Africa: Algeria-French Morocco.
1943 - North Africa: Tunisia (heavy losses at Kasserine Pass);
1943 - MTO: landed at Salerno (Italy) on 28 Oct;
1943 - MTO: Naples-Foggia.
1943 - MTO: near Cigliano (Italy) at the end of the war.
1944 - MTO: Anzio; Rome-Arno (reached Rome on 4 Jun); North Apennines.
1945 - MTO: Po Valley (captured Milan on 25 Apr);
Fate: occupation duty in Salzburg (Austria) after the war;
inactivated on 26 Apr 1946 at Camp Kilmer (New Jersey).
*MTO = Mediterranean Theatre of Operations