32D Red Arrow Infantry Division and Brigade

On 17 November 1918, as one of the leading elements of the Third Army, the 32D Division crossed what had been its front line on 11 November and started on its long march to the Rhine. On our right marched the 1ST Division, veterans of many battles, and on our left was the 2D Division of regular doughboys and Marines. Behind us followed the 42D Division, the famous “Rainbows”, who on the Ourcq and in the Argonne had fought side by side with the 32D. These four divisions, generally considered the flower of the American Army in France, were in the III Corps, which had been through all the major offensives where American troops were employed, and was regarded as the elite corps of the Army. In this brilliant company it is no wonder that our men stepped off toward Germany with their heads high and the pride of good soldiers in their hearts.

The Division took to the roads, marching in two columns. There were no ceremonies, though the bands played the 32D Division March and other triumphant pieces as the various regiments got under way. Except for the bands, the march was conducted at all times as in the presence of the enemy. The attitude of higher authority was that war conditions still prevailed, and the field orders issued by III Corps prescribed advance guards, indicated out post zones and lines of resistance to be established at the end of each day, and ordered that adequate measures be taken for the security of the command, both on the front and on the flanks. Cavalry was provided for advance scouting and maintaining liaison with the divisions on either flank of the 32D, which were going forward about the same distance each day on parallel roads. The average distance marched by the foot troops was 20 km.

The first villages encountered were practically uninhabited; the country was desolate and shot up by the artillery fire of the last days of the war. After a couple of hours of progress, signs of life became evident in the villages, regimental colors and standards were displayed, and the bands played as the troops marched through the towns at attention. Otherwise the movement was much like an ordinary practice march.

The plan for the march to the Rhine was that the forward movement of the Americans should be by “bounds”, a “bound” to consist of two or three days marching followed by a couple of days of rest. Longwy, a sizable manufacturing town in the iron and steel district of Lorraine, was the objective of the first bound of the 32D, and was reached on 18 November. The town had been relinquished two weeks before by the Headquarters of General von Gallwitz, commander of the Third German Army Group, whose many divisions had opposed the advance of the First American Army on the Meuse. The entire population of the town was in attendance of a ceremony to welcome the 32D Division. After one day rest at Longwy the march was resumed, and on 20 November the Americans crossed the border into Luxembourg.

At Longwy General Haan learned that he had been selected to command the VII Army Corps, which was formed to go to Germany as the reserve of the Army of Occupation. That same day Major General William Lassiter, formerly chief of First Army Artillery, arrived under orders to take command of the 32D. General Haan accompanied the Division across the Luxembourg border, and then relinquished command to General Lassiter.

On 21 November General Pershing made a triumphant entry into the City of Luxembourg, with part of the 1ST Division as an escort. The 32D Division marched through the suburbs of the town to reach its billeting areas in the vicinity of the capital. Colors and standards were uncased, and the men marched to the cadence of the regimental bands. The Division P.C. that day was located in a chateau owned by the Grand Duchess, who had invited the American Commander to occupy her property.

On 23 November 1918, the Division reached the German border on the Saar River. We had overtaken the retiring German Army. The Corps announced that the movement would halt on the German frontier until 1 December, as required by the terms of the Armistice. The time intervening was to be devoted to cleaning up, the issuing of such equipment and supplies as could be secured, and the inevitable and hated training schedule.

On 1 December the march was resumed, the Division used three bridges to cross the Saar into German territory. The Division’s second crossing of the pre-war German frontier was as unostentatious as was the first, down in Alsace over six months before. At first the German civilians were restrained, even fearful, of the Americans because they were not sure how they would be treated by the Americans. After they learned that the Americans were not going to do harm to their persons or property, they became more affable. They seemed to do everything possible to make the soldiers comfortable.

On the first day’s march on German soil, the Division advanced about 15 km, as the crow flies. The troops marched about 20 km due the hilly terrain. On 2 December the front was advanced another 10 km, on an air line, the troops themselves marched almost twice that distance over extremely rugged country. The march was continued on 3 December. On the 4th we rested and on the 5th started out again on a three day hike, again over some difficult terrain. On 5 December the Division Headquarters moved from Speicher to Daun. The marching on 5-7 December was over the most difficult terrain the Division encountered during their march to the Rhine. Good roads were scarce and some of the grades encountered were quite steep. On some of these steep grades, the men had to pitch in to help pull their transportation up after them. The transportation was mostly horse-drawn supply wagons and artillery. The march was made more difficult by the scarce supply of shoes to replace the mostly unserviceable ones the men were wearing. The rest of the march would be a little easier because the Division was entering the more level terrain of the Rhine valley. On 9 December Division Headquarters moved from Müllenbach to Mayen. On 10 December it moved to Ochtendung.

On 11 December 1918 the 32D Division reached the Rhine, where the Moselle meets the Rhine, opposite Coblenz. The city itself was not entered by our troops because it was outside the Corps sector. The Division P.C. was moved to a beautiful chateau at Bassenheim.

The day of 12 December was a day of rest. The Division would cross the Rhine at the Engers Bridge on 13 December. To the 127TH Infantry went the honor of being the first to cross, at 0700 hrs. Division Headquarters moved from Bassenheim to Sayn.

The Division began to occupy its sector of the Coblenz Bridgehead on 14 December; the occupation would be completed on 18 December, after a couple of minor adjustments. The 32D Division’s sector covered a front of 30 km to a depth of 20 km. The troops were billeted in, or occupied as outposts, 63 towns. On the left, the 125TH Infantry Regiment took over the line of observation and established liaison with the 2D Division. On the right, the 127TH Infantry Regiment covered the line of observation and the 128TH established outposts in the center of the sector. On 18 December the 32D Division P.C. was moved from Sayn to Rengsdorf.