Order of Battle
The Third Armored Division ( Spearhead Division) was organized as a “heavy” Armored Division, as was its counterpart, the Second Armored Division aka “Hell on Wheels”. Other U.S. Armored Divisions of the time were by smaller by comparison, since in the judgement of U.S. Military Staff, the large Divisions were so large as to be somewhat unwieldy when maneuvering across the European road systems. As a “heavy” division, the 3rd Armored possessed three regiments instead of two, 232 Medium tanks instead of the 168 allotted a light armored division, and with attached units numbered over 16,000 men, instead of the normal 12,000, now found in the lighter armored divisions.
The division’s core units were the 36th Armored Infantry Regiment, the 32nd Armored Regiment, the 33rd Armored Regiment, the 23rd Armored Engineer Battalion, the 83rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and the 143rd Armored Signal Company. During World War II, these were organized into Combat Commands A, B and R (Reserve).
In addition to the core units, a number of other units of various kinds were attached to the division during various operations. As with most American Divisions in World War II, the 3rd Armored suffered heavy casualties, and by the end of the war replacement troops often outnumbered veterans in the line units.
The landing of 3rd Armored Division at France:
Because of so many wrong information about the dates that the 3rd Armored division landed at France here is the correct schedule.
On the 26th and 27th of June the weather was so bad that nothing landed on Omaha White.
1944-06-18 Regimental Headquarters
1944-06-23 23rd Armored Engineer Battalion (Omaha White) near Isigny
1944-06-23 32nd Armored Regiment
1944-06-23 486th Armored Anti Aircraft Battalion
1944-06-24 Division Headquarters Forward and Rear Echelon
1944-06-24 Division Artillery
1944-06-24 54th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
1944-06-24 67th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
1944-06-24 391th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
1944-06-24 CCA + CCB Division Trains
1944-06-25 36th Armored Infantry Regiment
1944-06-28 703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion
1944-07-02 45th Armored Medical Battalion
1944-07-03 Supply Battalion
1944-07-04 83rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
1944-07-04 Maintenance Battalion
During 1944 and 1945, the units comprising the Third Armored Division included:
Combat Units:
32nd Armored Regiment
33rd Armored Regiment
36th Armored Infantry Regiment
54th Field Artillery Battalion
67th Field Artillery Battalion
391st Field Artillery Battalion
143rd Signal Company
23rd Armored Engineer Battalion
83rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
Headquarters Units:
Headquarters Company, 3rd Armored Division
Service Company, 3rd Armored Division
Division Trains
Supply Battalion
45th Armored Medical Battalion
503rd Intelligence Corps
Attached Units:
643rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 22 December 1944 to 26 December 1944)
703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 25 June 1944 to 17 December 1944, 2 January 1945 to 9 May 1945)
803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion (attached 25 June 1944 to 2 July 1944)
413th AAA Gun Battalion (attached 7 July 1944 to 16 July 1944)
486th AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion (attached 25 June 1944 to 9 May 1945)
© 3d Armored Division Memorial Group (3ADMG)