14th Cavalry
Group
1943-1945
The
14th Cavalry Group (Mechanized) under the command of Colonel Larry
Smith, Cavalry, with the 18th and 32nd Cavalry Squadrons
sailed from
New
York
on
28
August 1944
.
After a short stay in
England
, it
landed on
Omaha
Beach
on
27
September 1944
.
The first mission was a defensive mission of a sector facing the
Seigfried Line. Defensive
positions were occupied by
19
October 44
.
At the beginning of the Ardennes Offensive by the Germans, on
16
December 1944
, the
group had been attached to the 106th Infantry Division, and was
occupying defensive positions on the left side of the division near
Manderfeld
,
Belgium
.
The group suffered heavy casualties during the first few days of the “
Battle
of the
Bulge” and on 31 December was withdrawn from action for reorganization and
re-equipping since they had also lost a considerable as well as personnel.
It was the 106th Infantry Division which
took he main attack of this great offensive of the Germans.
The group was back into the fight by the 28th of January and
took part in the attack on the
Roer
River
.
The 14th Cavalry continued on the offensive and took part in
the First Army drive that created and finally liquidated the Ruhr Pocket.
In
18
April 1945
, the
14th Cavalry Group was relieved from assignment to First Army and
assigned to Third Army, which made necessary a 250 mile march from the
Ruhr
to
the town of
Furth
near
Nurnberg
in
the direction of
Salzburg
,
Austria
.
The group continued on its offensive mission crossing the Danube and
Isar
Rivers
continuing
into the Redoubt area until halted on the banks of the
Inn
River
at the
Austrian border just prior to VE Day.
It was ordered back to
Nurnberg
,
Germany
, on 8
May, where it took over occupation duties.
This
article is extracted from a supplemental student text (undated) written for the
US Army Armor School by LTC (Ret) James W. Cooke
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
CAVALRY IN THE GAP - The 14TH Cavalry
Group (Mechanized) and The Battle of the Bulge
December
1944 World War II Combat Interviews of the 14th Cavalry Group
