Laurel outlook., 1946-06-19
InfdntrY Had
Fine Record
Doughboy Still on Top, Says
Gen. Jacob L. Devers in
Official Report.

WASHINGTON. - Machine guns
failed to lessen the Importance of
the man who fought hand to hand
in World War II, asserted the chief
of the army ground forces, and sug-
gested the same would be true in
the event of another conflict.
Gen. Jacob l.. Devers said in a
report published by the war depart
ment: This most chronological of
all mans struggles put just as much
emphasis on the ground soldier as
did those wars waged with the short
sword and the musket."
The ground forces absorbed 81 per
cent of the American army's battle
losses, he noted. They captured
nearly all the prisoners and won an
overwhelming majority of the med
ais for heroism.
"The infantry, which comprised
only 20.5 per cent of the total
strength overseas, took 70 per cent
of the total casualties" Devers re-
ported.
"The ground army captured and
disarmed 8,150, 447 enemy troops.
Ground soldiers made more than
40 major landings on hostile shores.
Won Most Medals.
Of the 276 men thus far granted
the nations highest award, the con
g%ressional medal of honor, 239
have been members of the army
ground forces, almost all of them
from the infantry. Nearly half of
them died in their heroic service.
"Of the some 3,700 distinguished
service crosses granted for World
Wal II, more than 80 per cent went
to ground army personnel"
Advising that CT. Joe proved a
worthy successor to his ancestors
in arms, Devers predicted that eff
this country should ever again be
forced into combat, the ground SOL
dier will then, as before, mark u
progress along the path of victory"
Devers' report covered operations
of the AGF from its formation early
in 1912 until VI Day. In the period
of some 40 months, he said the
ground forces organized, trained
and sent overseas SO divisions, of
which all but n saw action.
The divisions which saw action in
cluded IS infantry, 5 air borne, 16
armored, l cavalry and l mountain
divisions. Of these 81 were formed
in the peak year of 1912 and the fol-
1ou-ipo voor +bo or0,,pJ or,oox, 1,oe
able to carry the fight to the enemy
on 10 fronts.
Topped Casualty List.
BY comparison, the army formed
So infantry divisions in the First
World war, but only AZ got over
seas and IL did not function as COM
bat units.
Preliminary figures released by
he army put the 3rd, 45th and 36th
divisions at the top of the list of
casualties suffered in World War II.
Altogether, 80, SAT men of the 3rd
we're killed. wounded or missing in
in fighting in north Africa,
tally, France and Germany. In
,luded were 6,571 killed.
The 45th had 27,2O7 casualties, in
4,030 killed, and the 36th a
otal of 26,718, of whom 4,265 we're
Tiled. Both of these were national
.uard outfits in Europe.
In the number of men who met
Ieath in action, three other divi-
ions in Europe took heavy losses
lso. They we're the 10Th, with 1872
illed; 18th division, 4,581, and 9th
vision, 4,474 killed.
Of the armored divisions, the LIST
Uttered 9,438 casualties and the Bird
,62O. The 1st cavalry division, which
ought dismounted in the Pacific,
1888 killed, wounded and
Heaviest sufferer of the air borne
visions was the 82nd with 1877 to-
II casualties. The 101st recorded
.588.
Total casualties of all army divi-
ons from Pearl Harbor to VI
ay were 731 ,814. Of these, IA, 100
ere killed in action, 552, 299 were
olnded and 35, 3 5 were listed as