3rd Armored Division

The U.S. Army's 3rd Armored Division, nicknamed the Spearhead Division, was engaged in the European theater from 1944 onwards. It had been activated before the United States entered World War II and had spent several years training in the United States and the United Kingdom to prepare for large-scale armored operations.

The division landed in Normandy in July 1944, a few weeks after D-Day, and was assigned to General George S. Patton's Third U.S. Army. It participated in operations in France, including the breakthrough at Saint-Lô during Operation Cobra, and supported the rapid advance of Allied forces through northern and eastern France. It participated in the liberation of cities and the securing of communication routes essential to the advance of the U.S. Army.

In the fall of 1944, the 3rd Armored Division was engaged in the Lorraine campaign and the reduction of German positions along the Moselle River and in the Metz area. It then participated in the Rhineland campaign, breaking through German lines and continuing the offensive toward the Rhine.

During the winter of 1944-1945, the division took part in the fighting associated with the Battle of the Bulge, operating in sectors threatened by the German offensive and helping to stabilize the front before the American offensive resumed.

In 1945, the 3rd Armored Division took part in the final offensive in Germany, crossing the Rhine, advancing through the Rhineland and central Germany, and participating in the capture of cities and the surrender of enemy forces. It continued operations until Germany's surrender in May 1945.

Its campaign credits include Normandy, Northern France, Lorraine, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland, and Central Europe. The 3rd Armored Division participated in all of the major armored offensives of the U.S. Army on the Western Front, from Normandy to central Germany.