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| 13th Airborne Division | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | 13th Airborne Division |
| Caption | Shoulder sleeve insignia |
| Dates | 1943–1946 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Airborne forces |
| Role | Airborne infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Garrison | Camp Mackall, Camp Blanding |
| Nickname | "Lucky 13" |
| Notable commanders | E. C. Kilroy |
13th Airborne Division was a United States Army airborne formation activated during World War II and trained for large-scale parachute assault and airborne operations in the European Theater. Organized in 1943 and largely preparing in the United States before transfer to France in 1945, the division did not see combat as a unit during major operations before the German Instrument of Surrender in May 1945. Its personnel and units contributed to occupation duties and postwar demobilization.
The division was constituted during the expansion of United States Army airborne forces following early-war actions such as Operation Torch and the Sicily landings that highlighted airborne potential. Activated in late 1943 at Camp Mackall and later staged through Camp Blanding, the division drew cadre from existing formations including elements from the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division. Command was assigned to leaders who had connections to Eighth Air Force and Ninth Air Force airborne planning. Training emphasis reflected lessons from the Battle of Crete, Operation Husky, and the airborne phases of Operation Overlord.
The division's table of organization mirrored other United States infantry divisions and airborne structures, incorporating two airborne infantry regiments, an airborne artillery battalion, and support units. Principal components included regiments redesignated from existing airborne units, divisional artillery equipped with M1 75mm pack howitzer-type light guns, and specialized elements such as a reconnaissance company and military police. Support elements drew on personnel experienced in Air Transport Command coordination, Troop Carrier Command operations, and logistics practices used by 12th Army Group and 21st Army Group supply chains. Unit identities referenced lineage connected to earlier formations in the National Guard and Regular Army.
Training combined parachute jump qualification, glider operations, and combined-arms exercises with Airborne Command and IX Troop Carrier Command units. Intensive jump training took place at Fort Benning (now Fort Moore), Camp Mackall, and RAF stations used by troop carrier crews. The division participated in large-scale maneuvers alongside formations such as the 82nd Airborne Division, 17th Airborne Division, and 101st Airborne Division to rehearse coordination with Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces transport wings. Exercises simulated operations similar to Operation Market Garden and contingency plans for relief operations during sieges like that of Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge. Medical, signal, and engineering training aligned with doctrine promulgated by the United States War Department and airborne doctrine advocated by proponents including Brigadier General William C. Lee.
Deployed to France in early 1945 under the administrative control of ETOUSA, the division was held as a strategic reserve for planned operations including contingencies related to the Rhine crossings and envisioned airborne phases in support of Operation Varsity-style landings. Elements were earmarked for participation in follow-on occupation and stabilization tasks in areas liberated by United States Army Forces in the European Theater and British Second Army. Although individual soldiers and small detachments were attached to combat units and some personnel were transferred to replace casualties in divisions such as the 82nd Airborne Division and 11th Airborne Division, the division as a whole did not execute a divisional combat jump before the German surrender.
After Victory in Europe Day, the division performed occupation duties, processing of displaced persons, and demobilization support in coordination with United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration-aligned operations and military government authorities. Rapid postwar drawdown and reorganization of airborne forces under Army Ground Forces priorities led to reductions in strength. The division was inactivated in early 1946 as part of broader postwar reductions that affected formations including the 9th Airborne Division and the 17th Airborne Division, with personnel reassigned to units in the Pacific Theater or returned to civilian status during Operation Magic Carpet.
Although the division did not see divisional combat, its training, personnel exchanges, and organizational experiments influenced later airborne doctrine and the postwar structure of United States Army airborne, including lessons incorporated into the United States Army Reserve and airborne units stationed in Germany and Japan during the early Cold War. Veterans affiliated with the division participated in veteran organizations such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, and regimental histories and unit museums preserve artifacts tied to camps like Camp Mackall and Fort Benning (now Fort Moore). Commemorative activities link the division to broader remembrance of airborne operations alongside units recognized for actions in Normandy landings, the Battle of the Bulge, and Operation Market Garden.
Category:Airborne divisions of the United States Army Category:Military units and formations established in 1943 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1946