17th Airborne Division (United States)

17th Airborne Division (United States) was a United States Army Airborne forces formation activated during World War II. It played a significant role in the European Theater, most notably in the Operation Varsity airborne assault across the Rhine. The division was inactivated after the war, briefly reactivated, and its lineage is carried on by other units within the modern United States Army.

History

The division was activated on 15 April 1943 at Camp Mackall, North Carolina, under the command of Major General William M. Miley. Its activation was part of the massive expansion of American airborne infantry following the early successes of units like the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division. After initial training in the United States, the 17th Airborne Division was deployed to the United Kingdom in August 1944, where it continued rigorous preparation for combat. The division was assigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps, part of the First Allied Airborne Army, which was commanded by Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton.

Organization

The division was organized as a standard triangular division of the period, comprising three parachute infantry regiments and one glider infantry regiment. Its core infantry components were the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the 194th Glider Infantry Regiment, and later, the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment and 193rd Glider Infantry Regiment. Supporting units included the 680th Glider Field Artillery Battalion and the 466th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, along with dedicated engineer, medical, and signal companies. This structure was designed for rapid deployment and assault behind enemy lines, utilizing both paratrooper drops from aircraft like the C-47 Skytrain and C-46 Commando and glider landings with vehicles such as the Waco CG-4.

World War II operations

The division's first major combat operation was during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, where it was rushed to the front as emergency reinforcements. Elements fought in the Ardennes around Bastogne and Houffalize, engaging units of the German Fifth Panzer Army. Its defining action was Operation Varsity on 24 March 1945, the largest single-day airborne operation in history, conducted in conjunction with the British 6th Airborne Division. Dropped near Wesel and Hamminkeln in Germany, the division secured key bridges over the Issel River and disrupted German defenses, facilitating the Rhine crossing by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group. Following this success, the 17th Airborne Division advanced into the heart of Germany, participating in the reduction of the Ruhr Pocket and linking with elements of the Soviet Red Army.

Post-war and inactivation

After Victory in Europe Day, the division performed occupation duties in Germany and France. It was slated for redeployment to the Pacific Theater for the planned Operation Downfall invasion of Japan, but the Surrender of Japan following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki rendered this unnecessary. The 17th Airborne Division returned to the United States and was inactivated at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts, on 16 September 1945. It was briefly reactivated as a training division at Camp Pickett, Virginia, from 1948 to 1949 before final inactivation.

Legacy and honors

The division was awarded the European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two campaign streamers for the Ardennes-Alsace Campaign and the Central Europe Campaign. Soldiers of the division earned numerous individual decorations, including the Medal of Honor posthumously awarded to Private First Class George J. Peters of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment for his actions during Operation Varsity. The division's lineage and honors are perpetuated today by the 173rd Airborne Brigade and other units within the United States Army Reserve and Army National Guard. Its history is commemorated at museums like the Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Category:Airborne divisions of the United States Army Category:Military units and formations established in 1943