Evening star., 1943-07-18
45th Division Gets
Baptism Of Fire
In Sicily Invasion
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN
NORTH AFRICA, July II. Four
veteran divisions and fifth that
had never before seen action in
this war are fighting in Sicily in the
new American 7th Army under 1t.
Gen. George S. Patton, jr.
The 45th Division, many of whose
troops were drawn from Oklahoma
and other areas in the Southwest,
got its baptism of fire when the
invasion started. The division is
commanded by Maj. Gen. Troy H.
Middleton.
The most experienced American
outfit rolling back the Axis flank
is the 1st Division of Maj. Gen.
Terry Allen. 1t took severe losses
in the Kasserine Pass battle in
Tunisia in mid-February and came
back to score against the Germans
at Ell Guetar and in the Bizerte
drive
Il am 1st Division guy" used to
be heard frequently boasted at the
soldiers clubs in North Africa be-
fore the invasion of Sicily began
The Airborne 82nd Division under
Maj. Gen. Matthew B. Rridgway
furnished the elements which made
the epic flight from Britain to North
Africa on the first day Of the Allied
attack in November, Its glider
borne and transport infantry
are among the finest trained assault
units in the world The full story
of their heroic descent on Sicily's
southwest coast July 10, three to
five hours before the seaborne in
vasion began is yet to be told.
These air attack soldiers, along
with the Rangers, had the most
desperate fighting of any units of
the 7th Army.
The I'd Armored Division under
Maj Gen. Hugh j. Gaffey fur
nished the steel fist for smashing
Axis resistance in Sicily's interior
highlands This division partici-
pated in the CaSablanca landings
in November but afterward re-
manned in the training areas of
the 5th Army until it was shipped
across the Mediterranean.
All American tanks engaged in
the Tunisian campaign were from
the lst Armored Division. which
was not among the units Identified
officially in Sicily.
The Sd Infantry Division under
Maj Gen. Lucian K Truscot+. Ir.,
whose 18th Regiment was once
commanded by Gen Dwight D.
Eisenhower, got its first taste of
fighting alongside the I'd Armored
Division in the Casablanca opera
tions last winter.
1t was sent to Tunisia for the final
offensive but arrived 48 hours after
the victorious drives on Bizerte and
Tunis were under way and it mainly
helped in mopping up east of
Mateur.
Gen. Eisenhower gave this divi-
slons troops a special inspection
before they embarked for Sicily and
said he would soon be with them on
a new battlefront.
The announcement that 1t Gen.
omar N. Bradley, VINO succeeded
Gen. Patton IN command of the I'd
Corps for the march on Bizerte.
commands one of the corps in the
7th Army failed to state who has
command of the remainder of the !
field forces.
The whereabouts of the 9th and
Saith Divisions which fought bril-
liantly in Tunisia has not, been
officially released.
The whereabouts of 9th and 34th
Divisions. which fought brilliantly
in Tunisia, has not been officially
released.
But the total of five infantry. one
air borne and two armored Ameri-
can divisions officially in the Medi-
terranean theater is force equal
numerically to the 9th Army during
the African drive