The 85th Infantry Division also known as Custer Division was named after the famous cavalry commander George Armstrong Custer. The Division was composed of the 337th, 338th, and 339th infantry regiments serving in both World Wars. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The United States Army is the largest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Combatants Red Army Latvian Riflemen White Army (Monarchists) Ukrainian Peoples Republic Green Army (Cossacks) Black Army (Anarchists) Blue Army (Peasants) Czechoslovak Legion Allied intervention Other anti-Bolshevik forces Commanders Leon Trotsky, Mikhail Tukhachevsky, Sergei Kamenev, Semyon Budyonny, Mikhail Frunze Alexander Antonov, Anton Denikin, Alexander Kolchak, Lavr Kornilov, Pyotr Wrangel... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ... German defensive positions in Northern Italy 1944 370th Infantry Regiment walking toward the mountains at north of Prato - April 1945 The Gothic Line, also known as Linea Gotica, formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselrings last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits... The Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. ... The Po (Latin: Padus, Italian: Po) is a river that flows 652 kilometers (405 miles) eastward across northern Italy, from Monviso (in the Cottian Alps) to the Adriatic Sea near Venice. ... “Custer” redirects here. ...

World War I

The division was first activated August 25, 1917 at Camp Custer, Michigan. After a year of training the division left the US for England. From England the 339th Infantry regiment sailed to Russia to fight along the White Army in the Russian Civil War against Bolshevik forces. The remainder of the division was stationed in Lorraine, on the Western Front in France as a depot division and therefore did not participate in any combat operations. After the war the division remained on occupational duty in Germany and by August 1919, the last remains of the division returned to the United States. White army may refer to: The military arm of the White movement, a loose coalition of anti-Bolshevik forces in the Russian Civil War The Saudi Arabian National Guard The National Guard of Kuwait This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... Combatants Red Army Latvian Riflemen White Army (Monarchists) Ukrainian Peoples Republic Green Army (Cossacks) Black Army (Anarchists) Blue Army (Peasants) Czechoslovak Legion Allied intervention Other anti-Bolshevik forces Commanders Leon Trotsky, Mikhail Tukhachevsky, Sergei Kamenev, Semyon Budyonny, Mikhail Frunze Alexander Antonov, Anton Denikin, Alexander Kolchak, Lavr Kornilov, Pyotr Wrangel... (Région flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Regional President Departments Meurthe-et-Moselle Meuse Moselle Vosges Arrondissements 19 Cantons 157 Communes 2,337 Statistics Land area1 23,547 km² Population (Ranked 11th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World Wars to describe the contested armed frontier between lands controlled by Germany to the East and the Allies to the West. ...

World War II

On 15 May 1942 the 85th Infantry Division was reactivated. It left the United States on 24 December 1943 and arrived in Casablanca, French Morocco, 2 January 1944. It received amphibious training at Port aux Poules near Arzew and Oran, Algeria, 1 February to 23 March, then embarked for Naples, Italy, arriving on 27 March. A selected advance detachment appeared on the Minturno-Castelforte front north of Naples, 28 March. The Division was committed to action as a unit, 10 April 1944, north of the Garigliano River, facing the Gustav Line, and held defensive positions for a month. is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, bicycles, or other means. ... Symbol of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division in NATO code A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to twenty thousand soldiers. ... is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Casablanca (disambiguation). ... French Morocco (Fr. ... is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Arzew is a town and seaport in Algeria, 22 miles from Oran. ... View of Oran Oran (Arabic: , pronounced Wahran) is a city in northwestern Algeria, situated on the Mediterranean coast. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of the city of Naples (red dot) within Italy. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Minturno is a city in the southern Lazio, Italy, situated on the north west bank of the Liris with a suburb on the opposite bank 11 miles from its mouth, at the point where the Via Appia crossed it by the bridge called Pons Tiretius. ... Castelforte is a town and commune in the province of Latina, in the Lazio region of central Italy. ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Garigliano is a river in central Italy. ... The Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. ...

On 11 May, it launched its attack, taking Solacciano, Castellonorato, and Formia. Itri fell, 19 May, and the 85th continued to mop up the Gaeta Peninsula. Terracina was taken and the road to the Anzio beachhead was opened. The Division pursued the enemy to the hills near Sezze until pinched out by friendly forces from Anzio. The Gustav Line had been smashed and the 85th started for a rest area, 29 May, but was ordered to the Lariano sector which the Division cleared by the 31st. Driving on Rome, the 85th pushed through Monte Compatri and Frascati, entered Rome, 5 June 1944, and advanced to Viterbo before being relieved, 10 June. is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Formia is a small town/city on the Mediterranean Coast of Italy. ... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Italian town. ... Terracina is a town and comune of the province of Latina - (until 1934 of the province of Rome), Italy, 76 km SE of Rome by rail (56 km by the Via Appia). ... Operation Shingle (January 22, 1944), during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. ... Sezze is a small town, about 90 km south from Rome. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Lariano is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 35 km southeast of Rome. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... Country Italy Region Latium Province Province of Rome (RM) Mayor Elevation 576 m Area 24. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Country Italy Region Lazio Province Viterbo (VT) Mayor Giampiero Gabbianelli Elevation 326 m Area 406,28 km² Population  - Total 60,537  - Density 148. ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

After rehabilitation and training, the 85th took over the defense of the Arno River line, 15 to 26 August. The Division attacked the mountain defenses of the Gothic Line, 13 September, and broke through, taking Firenzuola on the 21st. The 85th advanced slowly through mud and rain against heavy resistance taking La Martina and gaining the Idice River Valley road, 2 October, and reaching Mount Mezzano on the 24th overlooking the Po River Valley. From 27 October to 22 November 1944, defense areas near Pizzano were held. On the 23d, the Division was relieved for rest and rehabilitation. Arno River in Florence, Italy The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. ... August 26 is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... German defensive positions in Northern Italy 1944 370th Infantry Regiment walking toward the mountains at north of Prato - April 1945 The Gothic Line, also known as Linea Gotica, formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselrings last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... Country Italy Region Tuscany Province Province of Florence (FI) Mayor Elevation 422 m Area 271. ... October 2 is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

The 85th relieved the British 1st Infantry Division, 6 January 1945, and limited its activities to cautious patrols until 13 March. After a brief training period, the 85th thrust southwest of Bologna, 14 April, pushing through Lucca and Pistoia into the Po Valley as enemy resistance collapsed. The Panaro River was crossed on tile 2.3d and the Po the next day. The Division mopped up fleeing Germans until their mass surrender, 2 May 1945, in the Belluno-Agordo area. List of military divisions — List of British divisions in WWII The British 1st Infantry Division was a permanently established Regular Army division. ... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 359 days (360 in leap years) remaining. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Bologna (IPA , from Latin Bononia, BulÃ¥ggna in Emiliano-Romagnolo) is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, in the Pianura Padana, between the Po River and the Apennines, exactly between the Reno River and the Sàvena River. ... April 14 is the 104th day of the year (105th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 261 days remaining. ... Lucca is a city in Tuscany, northern central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plain near (but not on) the Ligurian Sea. ... Pistoia (ancient Pistoria) is a city in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km (18 mi) west and north of Florence. ... The Panaro is an Italian river and the final right-hand tributary to the Po, discounting the Cavo Napoleonico canal. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The River Piave next to Belluno. ... Country Italy Region Veneto Province Province of Belluno (BL) Mayor Elevation 611 m Area 23. ...

Through the entire campaign, the Division suffered some 7,268 casualties with 1,717 Killed In Action. Three soldiers from this division earned the Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States. ...

On 25 August 1945, the division returned to the United States and was deactivated. The division remained a training command located in Illinois. is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

In September 2007, the 85th Division will be inactivated after 90 years of service.

General

• Nickname: Custer Division
• Patch: Circular khaki patch with large red "CD" initials.
• Unit History: Schultz, Paul; "History of the 85th Infantry Division in World War 2", by Battery Press.

External links

• http://www.custermen.com/History85.htm