Attached Infantry Units

As the fighting raged in the European Theater of Operations and the front remained fluid, especially in the winter months of 1944 into 1945, there were occasions when infantry regiments and divisions were attached to one another to strengthen the American lines or support a major offensive. During the 103rd Infantry Division’s time in combat, it only had one infantry unit officially attached to its ranks and at that, the unit was only attached for the span of less than a week. The 274th Infantry Regiment of the 70th Infantry Division, also known as the “Trailblazers,” was attached to the 103rd Infantry Division from January 17 to 22, 1945 in order to help deal with the final German offensive of the war: Operation Nordwind. In order to bolster the ranks of the 103rd, which was holding multiple towns, the 274th Infantry Regiment was rushed to the front and became a major contributor to stopping the German infantry and armor advance.

The 274th Infantry Regiment had been activated as part of the 70th Infantry Division in July of 1943 at Camp Adair, Oregon. It trained for combat until the fall of 1944, when the regiment was ordered to Camp Myles Standish in Massachusetts to ship out for Europe.  The Regiment landed at Marseilles, France on December 10th.  The 274th fought in several important battles, including those at Phillipsbourg, France; Wingen, France (where they were awarded a Presidential Unit Citation); Rothbach, France; at the Siegfried Line; and in Saarbrucken, Germany. Outside of their brief stint with the 103rd, the Trailblazers spent around 100 days in combat, being shifted between the Sixth and Twelfth Army Groups command.

For more information on the 274th Infantry Regiment, see the 274th Regiment webpage on the website of the 70th Infantry Division Association.