VII Army Corps

The US VII Corps was activated in 1940 as part of US military preparations prior to entering the war. During World War II, it was deployed to the Mediterranean theater and the Western European front, participating in major operations conducted by US forces in those regions.

The VII Corps landed in North Africa in November 1942 as part of Operation Torch, joining the Allied forces engaged in the North African campaign. It was involved in the advance into Tunisia, participating in operations against German and Italian forces until the surrender of the Afrika Korps in May 1943. The corps oversaw the coordination of the divisions engaged, the organization of the front lines, and the consolidation of territorial gains.

After the North African campaign, VII Corps was engaged in the Italian campaign from September 1943, with the landing at Salerno and the advance along the Italian peninsula. Its units took part in the fighting to secure cities and roads, the crossing of the Gustav Line, and the capture of Rome in June 1944.

In 1944, VII Corps was transferred to Normandy, where it participated in Operation Overlord and the landings on the American beaches, then in the advance through liberated France. Its divisions were engaged in reducing pockets of German resistance and advancing towards the Seine, Lorraine, and the German border. During the winter of 1944-1945, the corps took part in operations in the Battle of the Bulge, helping to stabilize the front and recapture positions threatened by the German offensive.

In early 1945, VII Corps continued the offensive in Germany, crossing the Rhine and advancing toward central and southwestern Germany. Its units were engaged in capturing cities and securing the surrender of enemy forces, participating in the final ground operations until the German surrender in May 1945. After the war, the corps was involved in control and occupation missions before being demobilized.

The US VII Army Corps' service record covers campaigns in North Africa, Italy, Normandy, Northern France, Lorraine, the Ardennes, and central Germany, with continuous participation in American ground operations in the Mediterranean and Western Europe from 1942 to 1945.