5th Armored Division

The US Army's 5th Armored Division was activated on October 1, 1941, and trained in the United States before being deployed to the European theater in 1944. It was assigned to the Third US Army, then later attached to other large units depending on the phase of operations.

The division landed in France in July 1944, shortly after the start of Operation Cobra, and participated in the exploitation of the American breakthrough in Normandy. It advanced rapidly through France, crossing the Seine, Marne, and Meuse rivers in succession, and participated in the pursuit of German forces retreating eastward. At the end of the summer of 1944, it was engaged in operations in the Lorraine campaign, taking part in fighting along the Moselle and in the approaches to Metz.

In the fall of 1944, the 5th Armored Division continued its operations in eastern France, operating in a context of increased German resistance and a general slowdown in the Allied offensive. In December 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, the division was engaged in operations to counter the German offensive, participating in fighting aimed at containing and reducing the salient created by the enemy.

In early 1945, the division resumed its offensive towards Germany. It took part in the Rhineland campaign, crossed the Rhine in the spring of 1945, and advanced into central Germany. It participated in the capture of cities, the reduction of pockets of resistance, and the taking of prisoners until Germany's surrender in May 1945.

The 5th Armored Division's service record includes campaign credits for Normandy, Northern France, Lorraine, the Ardennes-Alsace, the Rhineland, and Central Europe. Its engagement ranged from exploiting the Normandy breakthrough to final operations in Germany, as part of the American ground forces engaged on the Western Front.