27th Infantry Division ( United States ) The 27th Infantry Division was a unit of the Army National Guard in World War I and World War II . The Division traces its history from the New York Division , formed originally in 1908 . The 6th Division designation was changed to the 27th Division in July 1917 . When the New York Division was organized in 1908 , the New York National Guard became the second state , after Pennsylvania , to structure its National Guard at such a high tactical level in peacetime . The New York Division was called to active duty during the Mexican border crisis of 1916 . While on Federal duty it was redesignated as the 6th Division in June 1916 . It was released from active duty in December 1916 , only to be recalled for World War I service in July 1917 . The 6th Division was reorganized and redesignated as the 27th Division on 1 October 1917 . World War I . The New York 27th Division was one of only three Divisions formed up entirely from a single state National Guard , the other two being Illinois and Pennsylvania . However , not all New Yorkers served in the 27th . Its initial Strength was 991 officers and 27 , 114 enlisted men . Organization from Nov 1917 . Note : The Artillery elements were reassigned upon arrival in France , and those elements did not see service with the 27th Division during combat . Training . Prior to departing to training , the Division participated in a large send off parade in New York City along 5th Avenue on 30 August 1917 . The 7th Infantry Regiment was the first to leave for training on Sept 11 , 1917 by train . The training was conducted at a purpose built temporary facility at Camp Wadsworth , Spartanburg , South Carolina . Nearby hotels such as the Cleveland Hotel became centers for social life . The camp also house seven YMCA Huts and a Knights of Columbus Hall . While the 27th did have African American service - men they were not permitted to enter the service organization clubs on base which were segregated , until a black soldier ' s club was built in early 1918 . The division shipped out on 20 April 1918 . Camp Schedule . 6 : 15 A . M . - Reveille and assembly . 6 : 35 – Mess . 6 : 55 – Sick call . 7 : 00 - Fatigue . 7 : 05 - Stables . 7 : 25 - First Call . 7 : 30 - Assembly for Drill . 11 : 30 - Recall from Drill . 11 : 35 - First Sergeant ' s call . 12 Noon - Mess . 12 : 55 P . M - First Call for Drill . 1 : 00 - Drill . 5 : 30 - Recall . 5 : 40 - First Call for Retreat . 5 : 45 - Assembly . 5 : 55 - Retreat . 6 : 00 - Mess Call . 9 : 00 - Tattoo . 10 : 45 - Call to Quarters . 11 : 00 Taps . 2 Combat Record . Called into federal service on July 15 , 1917 , the Twenty - Seventh Division hastily recruited to increase its numbers and late in August , was concentrated at Camp Wadsworth , near Spartanburg , SC , for intensive training . In the spring of 1918 , the division began its movement toward embarkation camps . The division ’ s advance detachment left Hoboken on May 2 and arrived at Brest , France , May 10 , 1918 . Late in June the last units of the Twenty - Seventh Division had arrived safely overseas . Until July 24 the division was in the final stages of training under British mentors , in Picardy and Flanders . On July 25 , the 27th Division less its artillery brigade and 102nd Ammunition Trains , occupied the Dickebusch Lake and Scherpenberg sectors in Flanders . In just over a month , this operation merged into the Ypres - Lys action , and then , from August 19 to September 3 , the 27th was on its own . The great Somme " push , " lasting from September 24 to October 1 , saw the 27th engaged in severe fighting along the Saint Quentin Canal Tunnel — one of the out - lying strong points of the supposedly impregnable Hindenburg Line . Following heavy losses , the 27th was placed into reserve for rest and replacements at the conclusion of the first phase of the Somme Push . Six days later the Twenty - Seventh Division was back into action again , moving steadily toward Busigny on the heels of the retiring Germans . The 27th Division had , in conjunction with British forces and the 30th Division , American Expeditionary Force , had accomplished the supposedly impossible by cracking the vaunted Hindenburg line wide open . The 52d Field Artillery Brigade and the 102nd Ammunition Train of the New York Division had not gone with the rest of the Twenty - seventh Division to the British front in Flanders . They had moved up on October 28 , to support the Seventy - Ninth Division in the Argonne . Meanwhile the Twenty - Seventh Division units which had seen heavy action in Flanders , had moved back to an area near the French seaport of Brest . The 27th did break the Hindenburg line during the Battle of the Somme and forced a German retreat from their defensive line and forced the Germans to a final confrontation . After a final confrontation with the retreating Germans at the Selle River the Armistice ended the fighting and the division was sent home in February 1919 , to be mustered out several months later . World War II . Combat chronicle . The first stateside division to be deployed in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor , the 27th Division departed Fort McClellan December 14 , 1941 for California to establish blocking positions against an anticipated seaborne invasion of the United States southwestern coast . They were further transferred into the Pacific Theater of Operations and arrived in Hawaii , 21 May 1942 , to defend the outer islands from amphibious attack . Divisional units first saw action against the enemy during the attack and capture of Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islands , 21 – 24 November 1943 . Two battalions of the 106th Regiment participated in the attack on Eniwetok Atoll , 19 – 26 February 1944 , returning to Oahu in March . During this mission , one battalion landed unopposed on Majuro Island , 1 February , and completed its seizure , 3 February . The division began preparations for the Marianas operations , 15 March . On D - day plus 1 , 16 June 1944 , elements landed at night on Saipan to support the Second and Fourth Marine Division s . A beachhead was established and Aslito Airfield captured , 18 June . Fighting continued throughout June . Marine General Holland Smith , unsatisfied with the performance of the 27th Division , relieved its commander , Army General Ralph C . Smith . , which led to angry recrimination from senior Army commanders , including General George C Marshall . During a pitched battle , 7 July , Japanese overran elements of the division in a banzai attack , but organized resistance was crushed the next day . During the months of July and August , the 27th cleaned out isolated pockets in the mountains and cliffs of Saipan . Beginning in the middle of August , the division moved to the New Hebrides for rest and rehabilitation . On 25 March 1945 , the 27th sailed from Espiritu Santo , arriving at Okinawa , 9 April 1945 . The Division participated in the XXIV Corps general attack , 19 April 1945 , securing a dominating ridge line south of Machinato and Kakazu . Machinato Airfield was captured , 28 April , after a severe struggle . On 1 May , the division was relieved by the 1st Marine Division and attached to the Island Command for garrison duty . Tori Shima was seized , 12 May , without opposition . The 27th attacked from the south end of Ishikawa Isthmus to sweep the northern sector of Okinawa . The enemy fought bitterly on Onnatake Hill from 23 May until 2 June , before losing the strong point . After a mopping - up period , the division left Okinawa , 7 September 1945 , moved to Japan and occupied Niigata and Fukushima Prefecture s . Postwar . The division was reformed as a National Guard formation on 21 April 1947 . The division was reconstituted along the lines of its war time structure with limited reorganizations . Composition of the Twenty - Seventh Division 1948 to 1954 : Division : Headquarters & Headquarters Co . Infantry : 105th Infantry Rgt . , 108th Infantry Rgt . , 174th Infantry Rgt . Artillery : DIVARTY , 156th Field Artillery Bn . , 170th Field Artillery Bn . , 249th Field Artillery Bn . , 127th AAA Bn ( from 106th AAA , from 7th AAA , from 106th of WW2 ) . Admin Support : 27th Military Police Co . , 727th Ordnance Co . , 27th Quartermaster Co . , 134th Medical Bn . , 27th Replacement Co . Combat Support : 127th Tank Bn . , 152nd Engineer Bn . , 27th Recon Troop , 27th Signal Co In February 1955 the 27th Division became the 27th Armored Division , retaining many of its former units .