106th Infantry Division
The US Army's 106th Infantry Division occupies a special place in the history of World War II, not because of major offensive victories, but because of the military drama it experienced during the German offensive in the Ardennes. Its history illustrates both the limitations of an inexperienced division deployed too early in a critical sector and the US Army's ability to reorganize after a severe defeat.
The division was activated on March 15, 1943, at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Nicknamed the Golden Lion Division, it was composed mainly of young and inexperienced soldiers, many of whom had been drafted. Its training was long but uneven, and the division lacked both combat experience and officers who had already served in Europe on a large scale. After its formation, it was sent to England in the fall of 1944, then transferred to the continent in December 1944, shortly before the German attack in the Ardennes.
Upon arrival at the front, the 106th Infantry Division was assigned to a sector considered calm in the Schnee Eifel region, east of Saint-Vith, along the German-Belgian border. This sector, previously held by more experienced units, was considered secondary and served as a rest area. In reality, it lay directly on the axis of Hitler's planned German offensive. The division was deployed across too wide a front, in wooded and hilly terrain with incomplete defensive positions and fragile communications.
On December 16, 1944, when the Battle of the Bulge began, the 106th Infantry Division was hit hard by a massive assault from experienced German forces, notably units from the 5th Panzer Army. Two of its regiments, the 422nd and 423rd Infantry Regiments, were quickly isolated in the Schnee Eifel. Deprived of supplies, effective artillery support, and clear orders, they attempted to break through to the American lines but were surrounded after several days of desperate fighting in extreme winter conditions. On December 19, 1944, approximately 7,000 soldiers from the division were forced to surrender, constituting the largest surrender of American troops in Europe during the entire war.
The 424th Infantry Regiment, meanwhile, managed to retreat and participated in the fierce defense of Saint-Vith, helping to delay the German advance. This resistance, although less well known, played an important role in slowing down the enemy offensive and allowed American forces to reorganize.
After the disaster in the Schnee Eifel, the 106th Infantry Division was virtually destroyed as a fighting unit. However, the US Army decided to rebuild it. New personnel were recruited, experienced officers were assigned, and the division gradually returned to combat in early 1945. It then took part in defensive and secondary offensive operations in western Germany, contributing to the Allied advance without regaining a leading role.
In terms of service records, the division received the Ardennes-Alsace campaign credit, despite its initial defeat, as well as the Central Europe credit for its subsequent operations. While its military record is heavily marked by the mass surrender of December 1944, modern historiography tends to qualify the judgment passed on the 106th Infantry Division. Historians now emphasize that its soldiers were placed in an almost untenable situation, facing an enemy that was superior in numbers, better prepared, and benefiting from the element of surprise, in a sector ill-suited to a novice division.
Thus, the 106th Infantry Division remains a tragic symbol of the Battle of the Bulge, reminding us that war is not just about spectacular successes, but also about command errors, the limits of experience, and the human cost paid by soldiers engaged in extreme circumstances.
