Activation and Mobilization of Wisconsin and Michigan National Guards
The U. S. declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917. Two infantry regiments that would become part of the 32D ‘Red Arrow’ Division, the 33D Michigan Infantry and 3D Wisconsin Infantry, were already in Federal service.
The 33D Mich. had been on active duty since it was mobilized for the Mexican Border Crisis. As soon as they returned from El Paso, TX they were dispatched to guard important sites in their home state, to prevent possible attacks from saboteurs. Company L, from Menominee, guarded to ore docks at Escanaba. The other companies guarded the ore docks at Marquette, guarded the railroad tunnels under the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, and performed garrison duty at Camp Custer, Fort Wayne, and Fort Brady. The 33D Mich. was relieved of this duty on 31 Jul. ’17.
The 3D Wis. also served during the Mexican Border Crisis, they returned from Waco, TX and demobilized 14 Dec. ’16, only to be activated for Federal service again in Mar. of ’17 to guard vital infrastructure and industrial sites. Company B, from La Crosse, guarded the large railroad bridge over the Chippewa River between Pepin and Nelson. Part of Co. H, from Menomonie, guarded the Red Cedar railroad bridge while the remainder went to Superior to guard bridges and ore docks. Company M, from La Crosse, guarded the ore docks at Superior, WI.
Almost all of the pre-April 1917 units of the Wisconsin and Michigan National Guard had been activated for the Mexican Border Crisis. After war was declared, many new units were organized as the Wisconsin and Michigan National Guards nearly doubled in size.
On 15 July 1917 the National Guards of Wisconsin and Michigan were officially ordered into Federal Service and mobilization commenced at state camps, Camp Douglas and Camp Grayling respectively.
The mobilization order had been anticipated and several units had arrived in camp before the official mobilization. One such unit was the 1ST Wisconsin Field Artillery, which arrived at Camp Douglas, WI on 2 July.
General Order No. 95, War Department, 18 July 1917, specified that the National Guard troops from Wisconsin and Michigan would be combined to form the 32D Division and would train at Camp MacArthur, near Waco, Texas, where the organization of the 32D Division would be completed.
While the official orders for the creation of the 32D Division were dated 18 July, the actual, physical organization of the Division did not start until late Aug. and early Sep., when most of the units had reached Camp MacArthur.
There are three important dates associated with the birth of the 32D ‘Red Arrow’ Division. As mentioned above, 18 July 1917 is the date that pronounced the impending creation of the 32D Division. War Department instructions dated 22 September 1917 provided detailed information about how the old Wisconsin and Michigan National Guard units would be combined and reorganized to form the 32D Division in accordance with the 1917 Tables of Organization. The third date is 15 October 1917, the date that numerous Division unit histories mention as the date their units came into existence. This is likely the completion date, the effective date, of the physical reorganization to create the 32D ‘Red Arrow’ Division from those historic Wisconsin and Michigan National Guard units. [updated 1 Sep. ’14, TPB]
The 32D Division was to be a massive “square” division, like all American divisions being created at the time.
“A complete division is difficult to visualize. One must see it with all its armament, troops, and trains to begin to understand – infantry brigades, machine gun battalions, artillery, engineers, trench mortar battery, signal corps, ammunition trains, supply trains, sanitary trains, mobile repair shops, medical corps troops, field hospitals, ambulance companies, brigade staffs, and division staff. In personnel 28,000, animals some 9,000, motor cars, motor trucks, tanks, balloons, airplanes, and last but not least, the military police. In a single close column – men marching in column of fours well closed up – the division is now more than 30 miles long.” (Haan 8)
On 4 August 1917 Company A, 1ST Michigan Engineers became the first unit of the 32D Division to arrive at Camp MacArthur, Texas.
On 5 August the National Guard Soldiers from Michigan and Wisconsin were officially drafted into federal service.
They had to be discharged from National Guard status and immediately “drafted” into federal service due to constitutional restraint that prohibited the use of the National Guard outside of the U.S.
On 17 August Major General James ‘Galloping Jim’ Parker assumed command of the 32D Division. On 18 September he left for France on special duty. He returned in early December, but was almost immediately transferred to the 85TH ‘Custer’ Division which was being organized at Camp Custer, Michigan.
The first units from Wisconsin entrained at Camp Douglas at 1200 hours on 18 August and reached Texas on arrive on 21 August 1917. Those units were Co. A (Reedsburg) and Co. G (Madison) of the 1ST Wis. Inf.; Co. D (Mauston) of the 3D Wis. Inf.; as well as Btry. F (Racine) 1ST Wis. Field Artillery.
Included among Btry. F’s equipment and baggage was a goat, the mascot of Btry. C, which had recently been kidnapped “after considerable intrigue” (Souvenir no page no.). [added 28 Dec. ’14, TPB]
On 25 August the Division’s 57TH Field Artillery Brigade was organized from the 1ST Wisconsin Field Artillery, 1ST Wisconsin Cavalry, detachments from 4TH and 6TH Wisconsin Infantry Regiments, 1ST Michigan Field Artillery, 1ST Michigan Cavalry and detachments from 31ST Michigan Infantry.
On 8 September 1917 the Division’s 64TH Infantry Brigade was organized from the 1ST, 2D, and 3D Wisconsin Infantry Regiments plus detachments from the 4TH, 5TH, and 6TH Wisconsin Infantry Regiments.
On 9 September Company L, 32D Michigan Infantry and entrained for Camp MacArthur, arriving there on 12 September. The remainder of the 1ST Wisconsin Field Artillery entrained at Camp Douglas on 9 Sep. and also reached Camp MacArthur on 12 Sep. [updated 28 Dec. ’14, TPB]
On 11 September the Division’s 63D Infantry Brigade was organized from the 31ST, 32D, and 33D Michigan Infantry Regiments.
On 15 September the remainder of the 32D Michigan Infantry entrained for Camp MacArthur. Three trains were needed to transport the Regiment and they arrived in Texas on 19 Sep.
On 18 September Brigadier General William G. ‘Bunker’ Haan (then commander of the 57TH Field Artillery Brigade) became acting commander of the 32D Division. BG Haan officially assumed command of the Division in December, when MG Parker was transferred to the 85TH Division. Brigadier General Edward Fenton McGlachlin, Jr., assumed command of the 57TH FA Brigade when BG Haan became 32D Division commander.
From 22 September to 15 October the organization of the 32D Division was finalized in accordance with the Tables of Organization of 8 August 1917.
The 1ST Wisconsin Field Artillery officially became the 121ST Field Artillery Regiment on 22 September. [added 28 Dec. ’14, TPB]
On 23 September the 107TH Engineer Regiment was organized. The 1ST Michigan Engineers formed the 1ST Battalion, Companies A, B, & C. The 1ST Wisconsin Engineers formed the 2D Battalion, Companies D, E, & F. The 107TH Engineers had the dual burden of attempting to train to go to war while simultaneously assisting in the construction of Camp MacArthur.
The autumn of 1917 witnessed the establishment of a unique connection between the 32D ‘Red Arrow’ Division and Baylor University that continues to this day. For many years the university did not have a mascot but on 14 Dec. 1914 the students voted to have a bear represent the University as mascot. However, they did not have a real-live bear for their mascot until the fall of 1917 when the men of the 107TH Engineer Regiment presented the school with a black bear named ‘Ted’ who had served as the mascot for the Regiment. The bear’s name was ‘Ted’ but he was often called ‘Bruin’. Since then, more than 50 North American black bears have called Baylor home.
On 29 September systematic training for the Division began in earnest. This was also the date of arrival for the 31ST Michigan Infantry Regiment.
The last Wisconsin unit arrived on 1 October; although not sure which unit it was. I currently do not have much information pertaining to the arrival of the Michigan units.
A newspaper article from 2 October 1917 stated that the 32D Division had been given the nickname, “The Iron Jaw Division.”
As mentioned above, 15 October 1917 is the date that numerous Division unit histories state as the date the 32D ‘Red Arrow’ Division came into existence. This is likely the completion date, the effective date, of the physical reorganization to create the 32D ‘Red Arrow’ Division from the old Wisconsin and Michigan National Guard units. You can find some information about how the various Wisconsin and Michigan units were combined to form the 32D Division here: https://www.32nd-division.org/history/ww1/32ww1org.html. [updated 1 Sep. ’14, TPB]
Between 26 October and 3 November 1917, the Division received 4,000 draftees from Camp Custer, Michigan, and Camp Grant, Illinois, but it remained under strength by nearly 3,500 Soldiers and would remain below authorized strength at the time of its embarkation for Europe.
From C.P.I., from National Archives. | Photographed by Gildersleeve, Waco, c. 1918, from National Archives. Brig. Gen. Haan and Staff of the 32D Div. at Camp MacArthur, Waco, Texas. |
The first troops left Camp MacArthur on 2 January 1918, bound for Camp Merritt, New Jersey, and then onto the Port of Embarkation at Hoboken, New Jersey. Camp MacArthur was cleared by 1 March.
On 13 January the advance detachment of the 32D Division sailed for France.
The 125TH Infantry Regiment left Camp MacArthur on 16 and 17 January, bound for Camp Merritt, New Jersey. [added 20 Jan. ’14, TPB]
On 18 January the 127TH Infantry Regiment left Camp MacArthur for Camp Merritt, New Jersey.
On 24 January the SS Tuscania departed Pier 54 at New York and began its ill-fated journey toward the war zone. Units from the 32D Division on board included some or all of the 107TH Engineer Train, 107TH Supply Train, 107TH Sanitary Train, and 107TH MPs. There were several other, non-Divisional, units aboard. [added 16 Jan. ’15, TPB]
On 24 January the advance detachment of the 32D Division arrived at Brest, France.
On 30 January, the 107TH Engineer Regiment sailed from New York aboard the Aeolus.
The 32D Division suffered its first casualties of the war when, on 5 February, the SS Tuscania was sunk by a German submarine (UB-77, commanded by Lt. Cdr. Wilhelm Meyer) while crossing the Atlantic. The 107TH Engineer Train, 107TH Supply Train, and 107TH MPs were aboard the Tuscania and at least 13 men of those 32D Division units died as a result of the attack. In addition to the above mentioned 32D Division units, there were also other American units; about 230 Soldiers and ship’s crew died in the attack.
On 5 February, the 120TH and 121ST Field Artillery Regiments left Camp MacArthur for Camp Merritt, New Jersey.
On 6 February the 107TH Field Signal Battalion landed in England (continued on to France a few days later) and Ambulance Companies 125 and 128 landed at St. Nazaire, France.
On 7 February 1918 General Haan was promoted to the rank of Major General.
On 7 February, the 125TH Infantry Regiment boarded transports at Antigone, President Lincoln and the Martha Washington at Hoboken and sailed for France. [added 20 Jan. ’14, TPB]
On 11 February the 121ST Field Artillery Regiment, and presumably the 120TH, reached Camp Merritt, New Jersey. [added 28 Dec. ’14, TPB]
The 121ST FA Regt. history points out that their brief stay at Camp Merritt was the first time since mobilization the men slept on real beds in barracks, as opposed to cots in tents. “About half the regiment got 24 hour passes to New York, and half of the rest went anyway. (Souvenir no page no.)” This is also where they were issued their dog tags just before they embarked for France, which must have been a sobering experience. [added 28 Dec. ’14, TPB]
On 15 February the 107TH Supply Train and 107TH Engineer Train landed in England, both units were aboard SS Tuscania when it was torpedoed on 5 Feb. off the British coast. They continued on to France a few days later.
On 15-16 February, the 127TH Infantry Regiment boarded the transport USS George Washington. The 119TH Machinegun Battalion boarded on 18 February. MG Haan & his staff, 64TH Infantry Brigade Headquarters, 57TH Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters, and 107TH Mobile Ordnance Repair Shop were also aboard this ship.
On 16 February the 126TH Infantry Regiment, 107TH Trench Mortar Battery, Field Hospital Companies Nos. 127 & 128 of the 107TH Sanitary Train, and several non-divisional units finished boarding the USS President Grant at the Port of Embarkation at Hoboken, NJ. Col. Joseph B. Westnedge, commander of 126TH Inf., was designated Commander of Troops aboard the ship. On 18 February they sailed for France in a convoy which included the transports George Washington, Covington, De Kalb, Manchuria, Pastores, Susquehanna, and El Sol, the cruiser USS Huntington served as the convoy escort. The 128TH Infantry Regiment also sailed on this convoy.
On 16 February 1918 the 32D Division Headquarters landed overseas, at the time the official arrival date for divisions was the date their HQs landed. The first 32D Division Command Post in Europe was set up on 20 February at Le Havre, Seine-Inférieure, France. On 24 February the Command Post was moved and established near Prauthoy, France, the designated training ground for the Division.
The 32D was the sixth division to join the A.E.F. (American Expeditionary Force). The 1ST ‘Big Red One’ Division (RA) arrived 17 June 1917. The 26TH ‘Yankee’ Division (New England National Guard) arrived on 23 October 1917. The 42D ‘Rainbow’ Division (National Guard units from 26 states and Washington D.C.) arrived on 1 November 1917. The 41ST ‘Sunsetters’ Division (National Guard units from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, North Dakota and Washington) arrived on 27 December 1917. The 2D ‘Indianhead’ Division (RA) arrived on 28 December 1917.
On 16 February, the 107TH Engineer Regiment disembarked the Aeolus at Brest, France.
On 17 February the 107TH Ammunition Train landed in England (continued on to France a few days later).
On 24 February the convoy transporting the 125TH Infantry Regiment reached St. Nazaire and Brest, France. [added 20 Jan. ’14, TPB] The 1ST Battalion, of the 125TH Infantry was among the units that disembarked at St. Nazaire.
The Division’s artillery regiments sailed for France on 26 February and 3 March.
At 1200 hours on 4 March, some references state 3 March, the USS Leviathan left Hoboken, New Jersey, with 8,500 troops aboard, in addition to the crew of 1,000. The 120TH and 121ST Field Artillery Regiments were among the units on board. [updated 28 Dec. ’14, TPB]
The Leviathan was formerly the Vaterland of Germany’s Hamburg America Line. It had been impounded by the U.S. while it was docked at Hoboken, NJ in 1914 and after the U.S. declared war it was converted to a troop ship and renamed. At the time it, and its sister ships Imperator and Bismarck, were the largest and fastest passenger ships afloat, so its new name of Leviathan was quite the apt moniker. [added 28 Dec. ’14, TPB]
As massive as the Leviathan was, it became pretty crowded with 8,500 troops aboard. “The officers were crowded pretty tightly on the top two decks, but below these the entire interior of the vessel down to the tops of the boilers was filled with canvas bunks, four deep and separated by aisles 18 inches wide. The only exceptions were the spaces used for mess halls and the storage of baggage. Throughout the whole ship hung the odor of disinfectants, while of ventilation there was almost none.” (Souvenir no page no.) As crowded and uncomfortable as it was, many on board considered themselves more fortunate than some of their friends in other 32D Division units. The fast Leviathan could make the trip to the war zone in about 7 days, while the trip aboard equally crowded but slower vessels could take more than 20 days. [added 28 Dec. ’14, TPB]
The threat of attack by German U-boats was taken seriously, especially in light of the sinking of the Tuscania with many 32D Division Soldiers aboard. “Life belts had to be worn or carried all the time, and “abandon ship” drills were held daily. These drills were useful in showing the men the methods of getting out of their quarters below the water line to the decks above, but they were also discouraging in that they demonstrated that in case of really abandoning ship there were not enough lifeboats or rafts to sustain a tenth of those on board. When ship’s officers were consulted privately, they admitted that the best thing to do, if the ship were sinking, would be to jump overboard and try to swim around until picked up by someone (identity unknown). As the upper decks were fifty or sixty feet above the waves, even this jumping business did not seem especially inviting.” (Souvenir no page no.) [added 28 Dec. ’14, TPB]
On 4 March, MG Haan & his staff, 64TH Infantry Brigade Headquarters, 57TH Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters, the 126TH, 127TH, and 128TH Infantry Regiments, 119TH Machinegun Battalion, 107TH Trench Mortar Battery, Field Hospital Companies Nos. 127 & 128 of the 107TH Sanitary Train arrived at Brest, France (although they did not disembark until 6-7 March).
On 6 March the 119TH Field Artillery Regiment landed at Liverpool, England (continued on to France a few days later).
On 13 March, the USS Leviathan reached Liverpool, England, with the 120TH Field Artillery Regiment, 121ST Field Artillery Regiment, and other units, aboard. The units disembarked and were sent to Camp Winnal Downs, near Winchester, by train.
Upon waking on their 1st morning in the United Kingdom after their arduous journey, the men were hoping for a large breakfast. They were somewhat disappointed when they were served a modest portion of cheese, bread, and tea, which was repeated for most of the meals during their short stay there. Even though they were beginning to realize “war was hell,” “…it didn’t take the first American soldier more than one meal’s time to rechristen it “[Camp] Dwindle Down,” although many also referred to it lovingly as “Camp Cheese.” (Souvenir no page no.) [added 28 Dec. ’14, TPB]
On 20 March, the 120TH Field Artillery Regiment and 121ST Field Artillery Regiment landed at Le Havre, France. They made the 6-hour cross-channel jaunt from Southampton standing shoulder-to-shoulder on open decked cattle boats, which were still rife with the manure of the boats’ usual occupants.
Before the 32D Division arrived in France, the General Headquarters of the American Expeditionary Force had made the decision that the sixth American division to arrive in France would be designated as a replacement organization. The 32D Division had the misfortune of being the sixth division to arrive and was informed of its fate as soon as it debarked. This decision would soon be reversed (due, in part, to a German offensive), the 32D Division would remain intact as a fighting unit, but not before approximately 7,000 of its soldiers were farmed out as replacements to other American units (the Division had 27,000 men when it left for France).
The 125TH, 126TH and 127TH Infantry Regiments were assigned as temporary labor troops immediately after their arrival, and went to work on important projects in the Service of Supply (mainly constructing supply depots). Because of this, only scattered detachments reached the 10th Training Area during the first month the Division was in France. The 57TH Artillery Brigade went to the artillery training area at Camp Coetquidan and the 107TH Engineers were assigned to engineering work in the Service of Supply.
U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph, from National Archives. Replacement Detachment, 128TH Inf. going to front, Royaumiex, France on 21 March 1918. | U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph, from National Archives. Replacement Detachment, 128TH Inf. first gas mask drill, Menil-la-Tour, France on 21 March 1918. |
The 128TH Infantry, however, reached the 10th Training Area in March, and bore the brunt of the replacement blow. For about four weeks the Division functioned as a replacement organization and during that time all the privates, privates first class, and captains of the 128TH who were present for duty were transferred to the 1ST ‘Big Red One’ Division as replacements. The 1ST Division had completed its training and was entering the trenches at Cantigny. Many NCOs of the 128TH asked to be reduced in rank so they could accompany their comrades, but they were needed to train the new men the Division would soon get and their requests were not granted.
In early April, the high command reverted the 32D Div. from a replacement unit back to a combat unit. The decision was prompted by a large German offensive that began on 21 Mar., and was off to a good start. There was an urgent need for every available U.S. division and the 32D Div. was, for the most part, still intact. The units of the Div. were released from their extraneous duties and returned to Div. control. Most of the Division, still minus the artillery and engineers, was finally assembled in the 10th Training Area on 10 April 1918. Training resumed in earnest. [updated 22 Jul. ’15, TPB]
The infantry strength of the Div. was a concern though, three regiments were close to full-strength but one was nearly depleted. It was ordered that each of the nearly full-strength regiments would give up about 375 privates and privates first class to be transferred to the 128TH Inf. on 17 April. Those from the 125TH Inf. were assigned to 2D Bn., 128TH Inf.; those from the 126TH Inf. were assigned to 3D Bn., 128TH Inf.; and those from the 127TH Inf. were assigned to 1ST Bn., 128TH Inf. [added 22 Jul. ’15, TPB]
With the 32D Div. a combat unit again, another replacement division needed to be designated. The Army bestowed that designation upon the 41ST ‘Sunsetters’ Division. The 32D Div. received many replacements from that new unit, but most of the Soldiers from the 41ST Div. were transferred to the 1ST and 2D Divisions. [updated 22 Jul. ’15, TPB]