Battle of Langport

The Battle of Langport was a Parliamentarian victory late in the First English Civil War which destroyed the last Royalist field army and gave Parliament control of the West of England, which had hitherto been a major source of manpower, raw materials and imports for the Royalists. The battle took place on 10 July 1645 near the small town of Langport, which lies south of Bristol.
Campaign.
Taunton had been captured by the Parliamentarian army under the Earl of Essex in June 1644. After Essex's army was forced to surrender at Lostwithiel in Cornwall in September, the Royalists maintained a siege of Taunton, although the town was briefly relieved by Sir William Waller in late November.
When determining strategy for 1645, King Charles I had despatched George, Lord Goring, the Lieutenant General of Horse (cavalry), to the West Country with orders to retake Taunton and other Parliamentarian outposts in the area. Although Goring briefly rejoined the King's main 'Oxford Army', tensions between him and Prince Rupert, the King's Captain General and chief adviser, resulted in Goring's force returning to the west.
Parliament had meanwhile sent a substantial detachment commanded by Colonel Ralph Weldon, consisting of one cavalry regiment and four infantry regiments from their New Model Army, to relieve Taunton. They raised the siege on 11 May, but were themselves besieged by Goring's returning army (although there was no longer any danger of the Royalists storming the town).
On 14 June, the main body of the New Model Army under Sir Thomas Fairfax, with Oliver Cromwell as Lieutenant General of Horse, won the decisive Battle of Naseby, destroying Charles's main army. After the Royalist garrison of Leicester surrendered four days later, the New Model Army was free to march to the relief of Taunton.
The army marched first south and then west, keeping near the coast so as to keep in touch with Parliament's navy. On 4 July it reached Beaminster, where Fairfax learned that Goring had raised the siege and was retreating towards the Royalist stronghold at Bridgwater. To cover the retreat of the baggage, Goring's army was spread over a front of along the north bank of the River Yeo, from Langport to Yeovil. The Royalists were outnumbered by Fairfax's army, and their discipline was poor, mainly because a succession of lax Royalist commanders had allowed their men too much license to pillage (which also alienated many of the local people).
Fairfax was joined by Weldon's detachment from Taunton and advanced north towards Goring's army. On 8 July, the Parliamentarians captured Yeovil at the western end of the Royalists' line. The Royalists abandoned the line of the river, and Fairfax crossed to the north side of the River Yeo. He sent another Parliamentarian force (part of the army of the "Western Association" under Major General Edward Massie) to deal with an attempted diversion in the direction of Taunton by some of Goring's cavalry under George Porter, a notoriously unreliable officer. Porter's men had neglected to post proper sentries and outposts, and were taken by surprise by Massie and destroyed at Isle Abbots in the early hours of 9 July.
Fairfax had meanwhile advanced in pursuit of Goring, and encountered Goring's main position at Langport late on 9 July.
Battle.
The battle of Langport took place the following day. Goring had occupied a strong rearguard position to cover the withdrawal of his slow-moving artillery and baggage. His main force held a ridge running north to south, a mile east of Langport. The River Yeo prevented any outflanking move to the south, while any outflanking move to the north would take time. In front of the ridge was a marshy valley occupied by a stream named the Wagg Rhyne. Only a single narrow lane lined with trees and hedges ran across the stream via a ford, and up to the top of the ridge. Goring placed two light guns in position to fire down the lane, and disposed two raw regiments (those of colonels Wise and Slaughter) of Welsh foot soldiers in the hedges. Three bodies of horse (Goring's life guard, and Goring's and Sir Arthur Slingsby's regiments) waited at the top of the ridge.
Fairfax was prepared to rely on the superior morale of his cavalry to overcome Goring's position. While his artillery silenced Goring's two light guns, he sent 1500 "commanded" (detached) musketeers under Colonel Thomas Rainsborough through the marshes to clear the Welsh infantry from the hedges. He then ordered two 'divisions' (half regiments) of horse to charge up the lane. These two divisions were from regiments (Fairfax's and Whalley's) which had originally been part of Cromwell's double regiment of ironsides before being merged into the New Model Army.
The first division under Major Christopher Bethel galloped up the lane four abreast, deployed into a line and charged and broke two of the Royalist cavalry regiments. A third Royalist regiment counter-attacked but the second division of Parliamentarian horse under Major John Desborough charged and routed them. As more Parliamentarian reinforcements streamed up the lane, Goring's men broke and fled the field.
Cromwell halted his well-disciplined cavalry at the top of the ridge until his forces had reformed. Then they moved rapidly in pursuit. Goring had set fire to Langport to delay the pursuers and tried to rally his army two miles further on, but his army dissolved as Cromwell's troopers approached, abandoning their baggage and most of their weapons. Many of the fugitives were attacked by local clubmen who had banded together to resist exactions by the armies of both sides in the civil war.
Results.
Goring's army had been the last effective field army available to the Royalists, whatever its quality. Its loss was a major blow to Royalist morale. On 11 July, Fairfax met representatives from the local clubmen at Middlezoy. He promised that his army would pay for all supplies they took and leave the clubmen in peace provided that they did not assist the Royalists.
Goring left an infantry garrison in Bridgwater and withdrew with his cavalry to Barnstaple, in Devon. He himself was depressed and possibly drinking heavily. Although Bridgwater was a strong position, Fairfax nevertheless stormed the eastern part of the town on 21 July. After a heavy artillery bombardment, Sir Hugh Wyndham surrendered the remaining western part of the town on 23 July.
Fairfax next besieged Sherborne, which was defended by Sir Lewis Dyve. Dyve surrendered on 17 August after artillery and mines breached the castle walls. The New Model Army then stormed the city of Bristol on 10 September, depriving the Royalists of their last major manufacturing centre. Charles had appointed Prince Rupert as governor, but he considered that Rupert had surrendered prematurely, and the two became increasingly estranged.
These Parliamentarian successes isolated the remaining Royalists in the West Country from Charles's forces in Wales, Oxford and the Midlands. The Royalists were no longer able to raise effective field forces and first civil war ended less than a year later, after the Parliamentarians captured most of the isolated Royalist garrisons.


2nd Cavalry Regiment (United States)

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, also known as the 2nd Dragoons, is an active Stryker infantry and cavalry regiment of the United States Army. The Second Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army Europe and Africa, with its garrison at the Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany. It can trace its lineage back to the early part of the 19th century.
In addition to its two current names, former names are 2nd Riflemen, 2nd Dragoons, 2nd Constabulary Regiment, 2nd Armored Cavalry, and 2nd Stryker Cavalry.
Previous names and dates.
Previous designations of the regiment:
2nd Regiment of Dragoons (May 1836 – March 1843, April 1844 – August 1861);
2nd Regiment of Riflemen (March 1843 – April 1844);
2nd US Cavalry Regiment (August 1861 – July 1942);
2nd Cavalry Regiment (Mechanized) (January 1943 – December 1943);
2nd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) (December 1943 – July 1946);
2nd Constabulary Regiment (July 1946 – November 1948);
2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (November 1948 – July 1992);
2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (Light) (July 1992 – March 2005);
2nd Cavalry Regiment (March 2005 – June 2006);
2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (June 2006 – July 2011);
2nd Cavalry Regiment (July 2011 – present).
Motto and heraldry.
Coat of arms.
Description/Blazon
Shield;
Tenné, a dragoon in the uniform of the Mexican War mounted on a white horse brandishing a saber and charging a Mexican field gun defended by a gunner armed with a rammer all proper, in chief two eight-pointed mullets Or.
Crest;
On a wreath of the colors (Or and Tenné) the head dress of the dragoons of 1836 Proper.
Motto
Toujours Prêt (Always Ready).
Symbolism
The color of the facings of the old dragoon regiment was orange, which is used for the field of the shield; the insignia was an eight-pointed star of gold, two of them (conforming with the numerical designation) are placed on the shield. The traditional episode in the regiment is the charge of Captain May's squadron on the Mexican artillery at Resaca de la Palma which is commemorated by the principal charge on the shield.
Background
The coat of arms was originally approved for the 2d Cavalry Regiment on 6 August 1920. It was amended to change the 6 pointed stars to 8 pointed stars to conform to the old dragoon star on 28 April 1924. The coat of arms was redesignated for the 2d Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron on 31 July 1944. On 26 November 1946, it was redesignated for the 2d Constabulary Squadron. It was redesignated for the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment (US Constabulary) on 17 March 1949. The coat of arms was redesignated for the 2d Armored Cavalry on 1 September 1955. The insignia was redesignated effective 16 April 2005, for the 2d Cavalry Regiment.
Distinctive Unit Insignia.
Description/Blazon
A metal and enamel device one inch (2.54 cm) in height consisting of a gold eight pointed star of rays surmounted by a green palmetto leaf charged with a silver color fleur-de-lis, on a green ribbon scroll forming the base of the device, the regimental motto "Toujours Prêt" in gold metal letters.
Symbolism
The eight-pointed star insignia worn by dragoons, the 2d Cavalry having been originally formed as the Second Regiment of Dragoons in 1836. The palmetto leaf represents the Regiment's first action against the Seminole Indians in Florida, where the palmetto leaf grows in abundance. The fleur-de-lis is for combat service in France in both World War I and World War II. The motto "Toujours Prêt" (Always Ready) expresses the spirit and élan of the Regiment.
Background
The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 2d Cavalry Regiment on 16 January 1923. The insignia was amended to change the 6 pointed star to an 8 pointed star to conform to the old dragoon star on 28 April 1924. On 23 March 1931, it was amended to prescribe the method of wear. It was redesignated for the 2d Constabulary Squadron on 21 January 1948. The insignia was redesignated for the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment (US Constabulary) on 17 March 1949. It was redesignated for the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment on 1 September 1955. The distinctive unit insignia was amended to change the description on 20 August 1965. It was redesignated effective 16 April 2005, for the 2d Cavalry Regiment.
History.
Between 1808 and 1815.
In 1808, there was one regiment of light dragoons and during the War of 1812 another regiment was raised. Units of both regiments of dragoons served in engagements at the Mississineway River; the Battle of Lundy's Lane; Fort Erie and the Siege of Fort Meigs. These two regiments were consolidated on 30 March 1814 into the Regiment of Light Dragoons but this new unit was dissolved on 15 June 1815.
Early organization.
The precursor organization was originally established by President Andrew Jackson on 23 May 1836, as the Second Regiment of Dragoons of the US Army. A and I Companies were recruited in the Fort Myer, Virginia area, B Company recruited from Virginia and Louisiana, C Company drew recruits from Tennessee, E, F, G, and H recruited from New York, and K Company was drawn from New Orleans. D Company was organized from a detachment of the 1st Dragoons and served in Florida immediately. In April 1837, the regimental headquarters was moved to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, where the 400 new recruits and their instructors participated in the School of the Trooper, and learned the tactics and ways of being a dragoon, while some of their compatriots were battling the Indians in Florida.
Second Seminole War.
The 2nd Dragoons saw their first combat during the Second Seminole War. Company D drew first blood on 10 June 1836 in an engagement at Welika Pond, close to Fort Defiance, Florida. In December 1836, A, B, C, E, and I Companies arrived in South Carolina, and immediately moved south. In January 1837, the troopers were engaged by the Seminoles at Fort Mellon only two days after their arrival. On 9 September 1837, three Dragoon companies and two companies of Florida militia surrounded and attacked a hostile village, capturing King Philip, an important chief. The 2nd Dragoons brought the fight to the hostile Seminoles, rather than wait to be ambushed inside a fort like other units did.
Mexican–American War.
Under an act of Congress dated 23 August 1842 the regiment was re-designated as the Regiment of Riflemen effective 4 March 1843. This act was repealed on 4 April 1844 and the regiment reverted to its previous designation.
In October 1842, A, D, E, F, and G Companies moved to Fort Jessup, Louisiana and Fort Towson. The remainder of the regiment stayed in Florida to patrol for hostile bands of Seminoles. Fort Jessup became the regimental headquarters, and was the 2nd Dragoons' home for four years. When hostilities with the Centralist Republic of Mexico began to boil over in 1845, General Zachary Taylor assembled his "Army of Observation" at Fort Jessup, and the 2nd Dragoons marched overland to occupy Corpus Christi, Texas. They soon established Fort Texas, near modern-day Brownsville, Texas. The regiment conducted aggressive patrolling along the Rio Grande, and on 25 April 1846, they received word that Mexican troops were crossing the river. Two companies of the 2nd Dragoons were ambushed by 500–1,600 Mexican troops (accounts vary), and all were either killed or captured. This battle, known as the Thornton Affair, gave US President Polk the "casus belli" he needed to invade Mexico.
When General Taylor counterattacked, the 2nd Dragoons forced the enemy to turn their flank during the Battle of Palo Alto. The next day, during the Battle of Resaca de la Palma on 9 May 1846, Companies D and E under Captain Charles A. May were ordered to eliminate a battery of Mexican guns. Prior to the charge, May issued a simple order; "Remember your Regiment and follow your officers." This became the 2nd Dragoon Regiment's motto. The attack destroyed the enemy battery and captured a Mexican general. On 29 June 1846, COL David Twiggs was given command of the regiment from COL William S. Harney, and he was lauded for his bravery at the Battle of Monterrey. COL Twiggs commanded the 2nd Dragoons for the rest of the war, and by the end, the regiment was one of two regiments in the Army that had elements participate in every major battle.
Heroism was not limited to the officers of the 2nd Dragoons; in November 1847, SGT Jack Miller's small patrol of 20 Dragoons was ambushed by near Monclova by 100 Mexicans. Reaching for their carbines, SGT Miller urged them to charge with only their sabers. In the ensuing battle, 6 Mexicans were killed, 13 were wounded, and 70 were captured at the cost of 1 wounded Dragoon and 3 wounded horses.
Frontier duty.
After the Mexican–American War, the 2nd Dragoons headed west to protect the settlers on the new frontier that had just been gained by the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In June 1849, F Company, under MAJ Ripley Arnold, established Fort Worth along the Trinity River. These years were spent patrolling the frontier in order to protect American settlers heading west from hostile Indians. In 1854, the Companies E and K of the regiment defeated a sizable Sioux force in the Battle of Ash Hollow in Nebraska, forcing the Sioux to sign a peace treaty.
In late 1857, in response to growing hostilities between federal authorities and Mormon settlers in Utah, a battalion of the 2nd Dragoons was sent to quell any Mormon resistance to federal power. These Dragoons, under LTC Philip St. George Cooke, joined a 2,500-man expedition and began the march to Utah, and in response, Brigham Young, the Mormon leader, mobilized the Nauvoo Legion to combat this force. Peace talks succeeded before much blood was shed, but the 2nd Dragoons still had to complete a long and arduous winter march across the frontier. The Utah War ended in July 1858. On 14 June 1858, William S. Harney was promoted to Brigadier General, and LTC St. George Cooke was made the 3rd Colonel of the 2nd Dragoons.
On 1 October 1858, other elements of the 2nd Dragoons that hadn't gone to Utah were engaging in operations against the Comanche in Texas. In the summer of 1858, a group of Dragoons pursued a number of Comanche who had captured a white child, but soon were ambushed by 25 braves. The firefight escalated and the Dragoons and Texas Rangers fought off a band of roughly 500 Comanches, and killed 70 after five hours of fighting. The captured child was rescued in the end, and the engagement became known as the Battle of the Wichita Village.
Civil War.
At the onset of the Civil War in 1861, the regiment was recalled to the Eastern theater and redesignated on 3 August 1861 as the Second Cavalry Regiment. Thomas J. Wood was named the fourth Colonel of the regiment, but was promoted out of the job shortly after. Throughout the war, the 2nd Cavalry would be commanded by many company-grade officers such as Captains Wesley Merritt and Theophilus Francis Rodenbough. C Company was the last unit of the regiment to fight as dragoons; during the Battle of Wilson's Creek. For much of the war, it was a key part of either the "Reserve Brigade" or the "Regular Brigade" of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac and served in numerous campaigns and battles. They fought in numerous battles, including the Siege of Yorktown, the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Battle of Gettysburg, the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, and the Battle of Cold Harbor.
During the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, SGT Martin Hagan of the 2nd Cavalry and a small group of troopers held a Confederate cavalry brigade at bay, covering the Union retreat across the river. This action was completed without the loss of a man or a horse, and SGT Hagan was awarded the regiment's first Medal of Honor. The 2nd Cavalry was also present during the Stoneman Raid just prior to the Battle of Chancellorsville. This raid is regarded as the "resurgence of the Union Cavalry." During the Battle of Kelly's Ford, the 2nd Cavalry became the first Union cavalry regiment to engage Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry in a head-to-head charge. This action hurt Stuart's reputation in the eyes of Southern leadership, just three weeks before the Battle of Gettysburg. Leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg, the 2nd Cavalry fought a continuous recon and counter-recon with Stuart's cavalry until the two armies met at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Here, the regiment dismounted and skirmished the Confederates in a delaying action until the main Union force could reach the battlefield.
During the Battle of Trevilian Station in June 1864, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment charged the Confederate Cavalry and smashed their lines. CPT T.F. Rodenbough led the charge and was wounded, but earned the Medal of Honor for his heroism in this brief but savage charge. Returning to duty in September 1864, he led the regiment in another charge during the Third Battle of Winchester. He was wounded again and lost his mount and right arm. First Sergeant Conrad Schmidt of K Company bravely rode back under fire to rescue his regimental commander. Schmidt was given the Medal of Honor for his swift and courageous action. On 9 October 1864, the 2nd Cavalry, as part of the reserve brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, the regiment attacked the flanks of the Confederate line, forcing them to retreat. During this action, PVT Edward Hanson of H Company earned the Medal of Honor for braving enemy fire to capture the flag of the 32nd Virginia Cavalry. The 2nd Cavalry Regiment earned 14 battle streamers and 5 Medals of Honor during their Civil War service.
Like the other early mounted units, many members of the Second Cavalry went on to higher ranks and command positions on both sides during the war. A former lieutenant of the regiment, Colonel Orton Williams, C.S.A who had been commissioned into the regiment on the recommendation of Robert E. Lee, was hanged as a spy by the federal authorities in 1863.
Indian wars.
When the Civil War ended, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment was sent west to fight against hostile Indian tribes and protect American settlers. With US troops focused on fighting Confederate forces in the east, the Indians of the frontier grew bolder. The vastness of the American frontier meant that the regiment was seldom together, and was spread out, often with only one troop occupying a post.
In December 1866, 25 troopers of the 2nd Cavalry under LT George W. Grummond accompanied CPT William J. Fetterman in his expedition against Chief Red Cloud. In northern Wyoming, these 81 men were engaged by a force of roughly 1,000 Indians, where they were all massacred in a desperate battle. On 29 June 1867, a small party of 10 troopers and 1 Indian scout under LT Lyman Kidder were ordered to take dispatches from General William Sherman to LTC George A. Custer. Custer grew impatient and moved out ahead of schedule, and when LT Kidder's party arrived, they found the camp to be deserted. Making their way to Fort Wallace, the troopers were set upon by a band of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors near present-day Goodland, Kansas. The 12 cavalrymen and scout were surrounded and killed to a man, and their bodies were scalped and mutilated. However, they managed to kill an enemy chief, Yellow Horse, in the fight (known as the Kidder massacre).
On 23 January 1870, elements of Companies F, G, H, and L participated in the Marias Massacre in the Montana Territory, where 200 Piegan Blackfeet Indians were killed. After this massacre, Federal Indian policy changed under President Grant, and more peaceful solutions were sought. On 15 May 1870, SGT Patrick James Leonard was leading a party of 4 other troopers from C Company along the Little Blue River in Nebraska attempting to locate stray horses. A band of 50 Indians surrounded this detachment and the men raced for cover and made a fortified position with their two dead horses. One trooper, PVT Thomas Hubbard, was wounded, but they managed to hold the Indians at bay and inflicted several casualties. When the hostile band retreated after an hour of fighting, the troopers left, took a settler family under their charge and returned safely. All 5 men were awarded the Medal of Honor (SGT Patrick J. Leonard, and PVTs Heth Canfield, Michael Himmelsback, Thomas Hubbard, and George W. Thompson). Today, junior NCOs in the 2nd Cavalry Regiment compete for the Sergeant Patrick James Leonard award.
On 17 March 1876, troopers from Companies E, I, and K (156 men) joined the 3rd US Cavalry Regiment under COL Joseph J. Reynolds to combat the Cheyenne and Lakota in the ill-fated Big Horn Expedition. During the Battle of Powder River, the cavalrymen attacked, but were repulsed, and the 2nd Cavalry lost 1 man killed and 5 wounded. 66 men also suffered from frostbite. The 2nd Cavalry was once again repulsed by the Cheyenne and Lakota at the Battle of the Rosebud on 17 June 1876, and only a few days later, Custer's 7th Cavalry were defeated at the Battle of Little Bighorn.
By April 1877, most of the US cavalry was in the west, fighting against bands of hostile Indians. The Cheyenne surrendered in December, Sitting Bull escaped to Canada, and Crazy Horse, the victorious chief in the Battles of the Rosebud and Little Bighorn, surrendered in April 1878. Chief Lame Deer was one of the last Lakota war-chiefs left resisting the US Government. The "Montana Battalion" of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment eventually caught up with his band near the Little Muddy Creek, Montana on 6 May 1878. After a midnight march, the troopers surprised Lame Deer's warriors at dawn on 7 May. H Company charged the village and scattered the enemy horses, while the remaining troopers charged and routed the band of Lakota. During the intense battle, PVT William Leonard of L Company became isolated, and defended his position behind a large rock for two hours before he was rescued by his comrades. He, and PVT Samuel D. Phillips of H Company both earned the Medal of Honor for their gallantry in this battle. While searching the ruined village, the troopers found many uniforms, guidons, and weapons from the 7th Cavalry Regiment, and they left knowing that they had avenged those fallen at Little Bighorn.
On 20 August 1877, elements of the 2nd Cavalry which had been pursuing Chief Joseph's band of Nez Perce Indians through Idaho reported that their quarry had turned on them, stole their pack train, and began attempting to escape to Canada. Despite being low on supplies, L Troop and two additional Troops of the 1st Cavalry were dispatched to retrieve the pack train. After a hard ride, the Indians were overtaken and a fierce battle ensued. CPL Harry Garland, wounded and unable to stand, continued to direct his men in the battle until the Indians withdrew. For his actions, he would receive the Medal of Honor along with three other men from L Troop; 1SG Henry Wilkens, PVT Clark, and Farrier William H. Jones. Today, the annual award for the most outstanding trooper in the 2nd Cavalry is called the Farrier Jones Award. On 18 September, a force of 600 men under General Oliver Otis Howard and Colonel Nelson A. Miles, including Troops F, G, and H of the 2nd Cavalry, marched to stop Chief Joseph's band from reaching Canada. L Troop was sent back to Fort Ellis to gather supplies but would join the expedition later. On 30 September 1877, the Battle of Bear Paw Mountain began. The three Troops of 2nd Cavalry were dispatched to drive away the Indians' ponies by attacking their rear. G Troop, under LT Edward John McClernand, caught up with Chief White Bird as he and his band tried to escape to Canada. The ensuing engagement was brief, but violent, and resulted in the capture of the Indians and their mounts. Lt McClernand was awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallantry. After a four-day siege, Chief Joseph surrendered his band to General Howard on 4 October 1877.
In the fall of 1878, the 2nd Cavalry was posted in two forts in Montana; Fort Custer and Fort Keogh with the mission of preventing Chief Sitting Bull from returning to US territory after escaping to Canada. In early winter, Chiefs Dull Knife and Little Wolf left their reservations in Oklahoma and began moving northwards. Dull Knife was intercepted and surrendered at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, but Little Wolf sought shelter in the Sand Hills of Wyoming. Elements of E and I Troop under LT William P. Clark (who had earned a special rapport with the Indians) were sent to negotiate with these stalwarts. The band was located near Box Elder Creek, Montana on 25 March 1879, and was persuaded to accompany the troopers back to Fort Keogh. During the march back, on 5 April, several Indians escaped and attacked the soldiers. SGT T.B. Glover took 10 men of B Troop and charged the numerically superior enemy, forcing them to surrender, and SGT Glover received the Medal of Honor for this action. Chief Little Wolf eventually surrendered his band when the party returned to Fort Keogh.
In the winter of 1886, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment was charged with preventing Indians from crossing the border from Canada and protecting settlers in Montana and Wyoming. In early March 1887, a large band of Sioux entered Montana from Canada without warning, and C Troop from Camp Stambaugh, Wyoming and E Troop from Fort Sanders, Wyoming were sent to pursue them. After a 150-mile chase, the combatants met at O'Fallon's Creek, Montana. In the fierce battle that followed, the cavalrymen killed many braves and captured 46 of their horses. CPT Eli L. Huggins and 2LT Lloyd M. Brett both earned the Medal of Honor during this battle for their intrepid leadership and courage. This action forced the Sioux to flee back to Canada. CPT Huggins became the 12th Colonel of the 2nd Cavalry, and today, the annual Regimental award for the most outstanding junior officer is named in honor of CPT Eli L. Huggins.
During the Indian Wars, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment earned 13 battle streamers to add to their flag, and 15 troopers received the Medal of Honor for their gallantry.
Spanish–American War.
When the Spanish–American War began, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment was stationed in Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico and assembled together in Georgia, the first time the entire regiment had been together since the Civil War. The troopers and horses of Troops A, C, D, and F boarded transports in Mobile, Alabama and set sail for Cuba, while the rest of the regiment traveled overland to Tampa, Florida. Due to a lack of transports, they served as logistical troops, and helped load units like Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders onto their ships. These four troops quickly found that they were the only horse-mounted cavalry units in Cuba, and soon began working for General William Rufus Shafter. Joining Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders, the 2nd Cavalry fought at the Battle of El Caney, the Battle of San Juan Hill, the Battle of the Aguadores, and the Siege of Santiago. During the armistice period, the women and children of Santiago were sent out of the city and into American lines to a camp in El Caney. D Troop was in charge of feeding and policing these 22,000 refugees. B Troop was committed to the Puerto Rican Campaign in July and August 1898, but illness forced them to return to the US. In January 1899, the entire regiment began pacification duty in Cuba where they remained for three years, facilitating public education and improving the island's sanitation.
The Philippines and the Mexican Border.
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment was sent to the Philippines during the Philippine Insurrection soon after their tenure in Cuba. From 23 January – 18 July 1905, they participated in the Cavite Campaign, working to root out insurgents and secure the surrounding countryside. On 14 February 1910, the troopers of the 2nd Cavalry fought in the Battle of Tiradores Hill on Mindanao island. Their next clashes were during the Moro Rebellion on Jolo island. They fought in the Battle of Mount Bagoak on 3 December 1911, and the Battle of Mount Vrut from 10–12 January 1912. The regiment continued patrolling and security operations until they arrived home in June 1912.
When they returned to the US in 1912, the 2nd Cavalry was sent to the border of Mexico to enforce border laws and prevent raids by "banditos". The regiment's sector extended from El Paso, Texas all the way to Presidio, Texas, a stretch of 262 miles. The troopers were busily engaged in the duties of border surveillance and border security. In December 1913, the 2nd Cavalry was moved out of their post at Fort Bliss and sent to Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont to conduct maneuvers with several Army National Guard units. In 1914, troopers of the 2nd Cavalry were selected to represent the US Army in the annual horse show in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
World War I.
The USA entered World War I on the side of the Allies on 6 April 1917. The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, while at Fort Ethan Allen, was split into thirds; one third remained as the 2nd Cavalry, and the other two became the 18th Cavalry Regiment and the 19th Cavalry Regiment. These "skeletons" of cadre were then recruited to full strength. Later in the year, the 18th Cavalry was redesignated as the 76th Field Artillery Regiment, and the 19th Cavalry was redesignated as the 77th Field Artillery Regiment. The 76th Field Artillery served with the 3rd Infantry Division during the war and their unit heraldry still bears the insignia of the 2nd Dragoons. The 77th Field Artillery served with distinction with the 4th Infantry Division.
General Pershing, the commander of the American Expeditionary Force, arrived in France on 26 June 1917, and 31 troopers from the 2nd Cavalry Headquarters Troop served as his escort. These were the first American troops to land on European soil in the First World War. April 1918 saw the rest of the 2nd Cavalry arrive in France. The regiment was sent to the Toul sector and was initially used to manage horse remount depots and as a military police unit. Troops B, D, F, and H were formed into a provisional squadron and were the last element of the regiment to engage the enemy as horse-mounted cavalry. The 2nd Cavalry fought in the Aisne-Marne Offensive from 18 July – 6 August 1918, and assisted the 1st Infantry Division and the 2nd Infantry Division penetrate the German flanks at Soissons. Detachments of the 2nd Cavalry also fought in the Oise-Aisne Offensive from 8 August – 11 September 1918. The troopers of the 2nd Cavalry also served with distinction in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel; Troops A, B, C, D, F, G, and H fought valiantly under the command of LTC D.P.M. Hazzard from 12–16 September.
At this point in the war, 6 American divisions massed on an 18-mile front separate from any European command. The 1st Infantry Division began their attack on Mount Sec and reached the Germans reserve lines. From here, the 2nd Cavalry passed through the forest and scouted the open country around Heudicourt, Creue, and Vigneulles. Elements of the regiment advanced to Saint Maurice, Woël, and Jonville to pursue the retreating enemy.
The 2nd Cavalry's next engagement, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, would be the largest battle the AEF would fight in World War I. From 26 September – 11 November 1918, the regiment was attached to the 35th Infantry Division and served as the left flank of the advance. Later they served as the main effort of the advance between the Meuse River and the Argonne Forest. From 26 September-2 October, spearheading the assault on the left flank, the 2nd Cavalry fought in a six-day running battle starting in Vauquois and winding through the woods nearby. The men from the Regiment were commended for "...accomplishing their tasks with fearlessness, courage, and disregard for danger and hardship." By the end of the war, 2nd Cavalry troopers had earned three more campaign streamers for the regimental standard for their gallant service.
The 2nd Cavalry remained in Koblenz, Germany as part of the Army of Occupation until August 1919.
World War II.
In the years prior to American entry into the Second World War, the 2nd Cavalry was garrisoned at Fort Riley, Kansas from 1919–1939. They performed their peacetime duties as a school training regiment for the Cavalry School. Here at Fort Riley, the regiment was equipped with its first armored cars in 1936, the year they celebrated their centennial, marking 100 years of proud national service. In 1938, the 1st Armored Regiment and the 13th Armored Regiment joined the 2nd Cavalry for maneuvers at Fort Riley, to practice and develop combined arms tactics. These maneuvers combined infantry, cavalry, armored, artillery, and aviation units.
Nazi Germany's Invasion of Poland in 1939 forced American strategists to focus on building up the Army's armored capabilities, and the Attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the US into the war. On 15 May 1942, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment said farewell to their horses, and the all the troops and equipment were transferred to the newly formed 2nd Armored Regiment attached to the 9th Armored Division. Other elements eventually stemmed from this regiment and went on to fight in the European and Pacific theaters of war, but shared the same heritage and history of the 2nd Cavalry. These units are; the 2nd Tank Battalion, 19th Tank Battalion, 776th Amphibian Tank Battalion, and D Company 89th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron.
On 23 December 1943, the regiment was redesignated the 2nd Mechanized Cavalry Group, or the 2nd MCG (Between 1943-46 cavalry were organized into Groups, but this term is interchangeable with Regiment in this context). Charles H. Reed became the 31st Colonel of the Regiment. It was reorganized as the Headquarters and Headquarters Troop (HHT), 2nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized (present day 1st Squadron), and 42nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized (present day 2nd Squadron). In July 1944, the 2nd MCG landed in Normandy as part of General Patton's Third Army. Their early assignments during the Battle of Normandy included rear area security, attempting to disrupt the activities of German infiltrators. They were then attached to General Troy Middleton's VIII Corps during Operation Cobra, and served as a flank security and reconnaissance element for the 4th Armored Division. The cavalry scouts performed such daring reconnaissance missions that their German foes gave them the nickname, "Ghosts of Patton's Army." In August, the 2nd MCG conducted recon of the city of Nantes and aggressively used its light armor and firepower to probe the edges of the "Wehrmacht's" defense.
As the Third Army began to advance east, the 2nd MCG protected the vulnerable rear and supply lines over a large frontage of 45 miles between Nantes and Angers, as well as the area west of Nantes. In small patrols, the cavalrymen screened the main drive east and disrupted German movement in the Rennes-Nantes Corridor for ten days until 23 August 1944. Now assigned to XII Corps, the 2nd MCG began moving east toward Lorraine. On 26 August, the 42nd Squadron attacked a German regimental-sized unit near Carisey, protecting the southern flank of the 4th Armored Division as it drove on Troyes. On 30 August, the Dragoons led the XII Corps assault across the Marne River, with the 2nd Squadron in front of the 80th Infantry Division and the 42nd Squadron in front of the 4th Armored Division. By 2 September, the drive reached the Moselle River near Toul and the 2nd Squadron began scouting for possible crossing points. Despite a failed crossing attempt by 80th Division troops against stiff resistance, the 2nd MCG was active in scouting and screening during this period. On 4 September, B and F Troops of the 42nd Squadron defeated a column of 1,000 German soldiers attempting to attack the XII Corps flank by massing direct fire from their light tanks, and indirect fire from artillery units.
On 7 September, the 602nd Tank Destroyer Battalion, equipped with M18 Hellcats, was attached to the 2nd MCG. This allowed the 42nd Squadron to assault and capture Fort de Pont-Saint-Vincent and defeat an enemy counterattack. The 2nd MCG then began to protect the southern flank of the 4th Armored Division as it fought to envelop Nancy on 11 September 1944. They were often engaged in heavy contact against German units while protecting the flanks of the 4th Armored Division's assault. On 16 September, the Dragoons launched a squadron-sized attack on Lunéville. The Germans put up a vigorous defense but could not hold against the 2nd MCG, and retreated. However, on 18 September, elements of the 111th Panzer Brigade counterattacked with "six Panther tanks and two companies of infantry." The Panzers' armor was too thick and the cavalrymen were forced to retreat. This was the beginning of the Battle of Arracourt. Conducting a delaying action, the two squadrons worked in tandem and managed to keep the enemy at bay until 1100, when reinforcements of the 4th Armored Division arrived and beat back the Germans. This battle provides a perfect example of how Mechanized Cavalry Groups were designed to function in World War II. Had it not been for the screening and delaying efforts of the 2nd MCG, the main effort of the "Wehrmacht" attack would have fallen on the flank of the 4th Armored Division.
In late October, the 2nd MCG was assigned to protect the flanks of the 26th Infantry Division by seizing Moncourt Ridge. Despite fierce German resistance, the 42nd Squadron dismounted and attacked along a two-mile front and seized their objectives. The attack was conducted entirely dismounted with cavalrymen acting as infantry, much like dragoons, and showed that MCG's could be flexible. The cavalry group continued to screen and protect the flanks of the 26th Division until 22 November, when the 2nd MCG was split up. The 2nd Squadron remained in the south to cover the gap and maintain contact between XII Corps and XV Corps of the Seventh Army. The 42nd Squadron was sent north to assist the 80th Infantry Division and maintain contact with XX Corps.
On 14 December 1944, the 2nd MCG joined the 35th Infantry Division as it was assaulting the Siegfried Line. They were relieved on 22 December by the 44th Infantry Division and moved north to assist in the relief of Bastogne. Holding the flank against the Germans, the 2nd MCG freed up troops needed for the assault on the southern shoulder of the Bastogne salient. This period was marked by active patrolling and small unit actions to harass the Germans and divert their attention from their main objectives. In early January 1945, C Troop of the 2nd Squadron seized the town of Machtum, killing nine Germans and capturing fourteen, while only losing three wounded.
On 7 February 1945, the 2nd MCG screened the advance of the XII Corps across the Sauer River, and conducted their own assault across the Moselle on 19 February in order to support the advance of the 10th Armored Division. The 2nd Squadron dismounted and led the attack; they seized the town of Wincheringen, and captured 30–40 Germans at the loss of 5 killed and 22 wounded. Conducting limited patrols along the Moselle, the 2nd MCG was assigned to the 76th Infantry Division and was sent to clear the compromised southern flank of the division. After completing this mission, the 42nd Squadron attacked the town of Zemmer on 7 March, and killed 10 Germans, and captured 61. On 2 April, the cavalrymen, conducting scouting and screening missions, located and liberated 3,328 US and 3,205 Allied POWs, including a Soviet general near Bad Orb. The rapid nature of the US advance made rear security of paramount importance, and the 2nd MCG conducted this mission along with other cavalry units. On 10 April, the 42nd Squadron attacked 300 SS troops and 3 tanks near Gleicherwiesen, destroying the enemy's freedom of movement and protecting the advance of XII Corps.
One of the most remarkable missions the 2nd MCG performed was at the end of the war. On 28 April, A Troop, 42nd Squadron seized the town of Hostouň in Czechoslovakia in order to liberate Allied POWs. They discovered 300 POWs, as well as 670 horses, including the famous Lipizzaner stallions. General Patton, a cavalryman himself, ordered their rescue when he learned that the Lipizzaners would fall under Soviet control. On 12 May, four days after VE Day, "Operation Cowboy" was launched to rescue the fine horses, and all were successfully herded or ridden back to American lines. This was dramatized by Walt Disney in the 1963 movie, "Miracle of the White Stallions".
Cold War.
The Cold War began in 1945 with the ending of World War II, and the 2nd Cavalry was charged with conducting border surveillance along the Iron Curtain. In 1951, the regiment was headquartered in Nuremberg and operated out of the cities of Freising and Augsburg. In 1955, the cavalry returned to the US and were relieved by the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. They returned to Germany in 1958, and would remain there for the next 33 years; they operated out of Nuremberg, Feucht, Bindlach, Amberg, and Bamberg. Throughout this period, the 2nd Cavalry was responsible for reconnoitering and providing border security along 731 kilometers of the Iron Curtain; 375 km along with West German-East German border, and 365 km along the West German-Czechoslovak border. In 1978, M Troop, of 3rd Squadron, was selected to represent the US in the 1979 Canadian Army Trophy (CAT), finishing 4th – the first time the US entrant had not placed last. In 1989, the Iron Curtain was lifted, and the regiment halted their border security missions on 1 March 1990.
Operation Desert Storm.
When the Gulf War began in 1990, the regiment was ordered to move to Saudi Arabia and prepare for combat operations. By mid-December, the 2nd ACR had established itself in the VII Corps sector of the Saudi desert and began training to fight. The 210th Field Artillery Brigade, AH-64 Apache helicopters from 2-1 Aviation Battalion, and the 82nd Engineer Battalion joined the regiment to form "Dragoon Battle Group," a force of 8,500 soldiers.
On 23 February 1991, the 2nd Cavalry attacked across the Saudi–Iraq border after preparatory fires, and engaged in their first combat operation in 45 years. Spearheading the VII Corps advance, the regiment attacked into southern Iraq and fought a series of sharp battles with four divisions of the Iraqi Army. The 2nd and 3rd Squadrons of the regiment destroyed two brigades of the Iraqi Republican Guards Tawakalna Division in the Battle of 73 Easting. The 2nd Squadron, 2nd ACR alone contributed 55 Iraqi tanks destroyed, 45 other armored vehicles, an equal number of trucks, hundreds of Iraqi infantry KIA, and 865 Iraqi soldiers taken prisoner. The unit earned the Valorous Unit Award for its service in Operation Desert Storm. By the end of its covering force mission in Iraq, the 2nd ACR had broken the Republican Guard's defensive line, provided intelligence to the VII Corps commander, and moved over 250 kilometers. It also captured 2,000 prisoners, destroyed 159 enemy tanks, and 260 other vehicles. The regiment's losses include 6 Dragoons killed, and 19 wounded.
Haiti.
Returning from the Gulf, the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment was inactivated at Nuremberg, Germany. The regiment was reactivated as the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment (Light) in 1992 by renaming the previous 199th Infantry Brigade (Motorized), the former 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, at Fort Lewis, Washington. The regiment's ground squadrons became light cavalry units equipped with Humvees mounted with TOW launchers, Mk 19 grenade launchers, .50 caliber machine guns and M249 light machine guns (SAWs). The 2nd ACR (Light) was then sent to Fort Polk in Louisiana in 1992. From there, the regiment deployed in support of the peace enforcement operation in Haiti from 1995 to 1996; Operation Uphold Democracy. The 3rd Squadron ("Wolfpack") was the first ground unit to deploy and operated under the 25th Infantry Division in Port au Prince, Haiti. After six months in Haiti, 1st Squadron arrived to replace 3rd Squadron. In October 1995, 2nd Squadron replaced 3rd Squadron and redeployed in March 1996 completing the cycle. In Haiti the Dragoons served in a number of different roles. They guarded humanitarian relief convoys, and served as the United Nations Quick Reaction Force (UNQRF). They also seized illegal weapons, conducted security patrols, and protected the Haitian president, and the US President (Bill Clinton) and Vice President (Al Gore) when they visited the island.
Bosnia service.
In April 1997, the regiment received orders to be prepared to deploy to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Following the first mission rehearsal exercise held at the JRTC in June, the unit moved to Germany to begin integration with the 1st Armored Division. Meanwhile, all its equipment was shipped to the intermediate staging base at Taszar, Hungary.
The regiment's participation in Operation Joint Guard began when the 2nd and 3rd Squadrons moved across the Sava River into Bosnia in August 1997 to augment the 1st Infantry Division (Forward) in support of Bosnia-Herzegovina's municipal elections. The regiment's air cavalry, the 4th Squadron and the Regimental Support Squadron also moved into the country. The regiment's separate units – the 502nd Military Intelligence Company; the 84th Engineer Company; Company H (Aviation Maintenance), 159th Aviation Regiment; and the Air Defense Battery – completed the regimental troop list.
While the ground squadrons were in Bosnia, the regimental headquarters deployed to Germany to train with the 1st Armored Division Headquarters in preparation for assuming command in Bosnia. During August and September, the regiment was spread across five countries on two continents, and was under the direct command and control of three different general officer commands. This period included another first for any Army unit during a 12-month period: the regiment participated in major training exercises at all three of the Army's combat training centers: The National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, and the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) at Hohenfels, Germany. In October the remainder of the regiment rode into theater, assuming responsibility for the American sector of Multinational Division (North), which stretched from the war-torn bridge at Brčko in the north to the shattered city of Srebrenica in the south.
The first major action of the regiment in Bosnia was the seizing of Serbian radio-television towers to control communications into the Republika Srpska. Other significant operations that the regiment conducted include: the restructuring of the Republika Srpska Specialist Police; the creation of the first multi-ethnic police department, in the city of Brčko; security for the announcement of the Brcko Arbitration Decision (an effort to resolve the status of this Serb-dominated city within Bosnia); institution of common license plates and currency in Bosnia, and the opening of the Bosnian rail system. In conducting operations in this sector, the regiment executed an estimated 12,500 patrols and 480 weapon storage site inspections, supervised the removal of over 12,000 mines, and oversaw 350 training exercises for the former warring factions. The regiment served one of the longest tours of military units there.
War on Terror.
After returning from Bosnia, the unit remained at Fort Polk, Louisiana. On 13 April 2002, B Troop, 1-2 Cavalry deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the Global War of Terror. They provided port and site security in Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Djibouti, and were relieved by L Troop, 3-2 Cavalry, in October, who continued these duties.
Iraq War.
On 5 April 2003, 2nd Squadron was deployed again to the Gulf for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The rest of the regiment arrived in May and operated in eastern Baghdad. The troopers worked to improve the peoples' lives, and provided security to infrastructure sites such as power stations, telephone stations, fuel stations, schools, and hospitals. The 2nd Armored Cavalry also took direct action in hundreds of raids to disrupt the activities of the Fedayeen Saddam militia. The regiment also trained several companies of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) to assist their operations. On 19 August 2003, a VBIED detonated near a UN compound and a spinal cord clinic causing consternation and much damage. Elements of the 2nd Cavalry rushed to secure the area, and saved the lives of 125 UN workers.
On 4 April 2004, the 2nd Armored Cavalry and the 1st BCT-1st Cavalry Division engaged in fierce urban fighting during the Siege of Sadr City. The Dragoons and thousands of Muqtada al-Sadr's militiamen, the Mahdi Army, clashed in a violent battle that cost 8 US and 300 enemy deaths. This initial battle marked the beginning of several more uprisings throughout Iraq, and the 2nd Cavalry was soon sent south to battle insurgents in Hillah, Al Kut, An Najaf, Kufa, and Al Diwaniyah. This action forced them to stay in Iraq for a further three months. The battles of Al Kut, Kufa, and Al Diwaniyah were short, but intense. The regiment was forced to retake each town from hostile forces and seize government buildings. In An Najaf, hundreds of Mahdi Militiamen fought a protracted urban campaign that lasted a few weeks. In late June 2004, the 2nd Cavalry was relieved by elements of the 1st Infantry Division and returned to Fort Polk on 15 July 2004. In Iraq, the Dragoons suffered 21 killed and over 100 wounded. They had inflicted 1,000 deaths on their enemy and captured hundreds more. A total of 16 months was spent in combat, and the regiment earned another Presidential Unit Citation. On its return from combat operations, the 2nd ACR found itself heading back to Fort Lewis in Washington in December 2004. The regiment was re-designated the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and reorganized as a Stryker brigade combat team in April 2005.
On 1 June 2006 at Fort Lewis, Washington, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division conducted a joint re-flagging and Casing of the Colors ceremony. The 2nd CR was reflagged as the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker). The 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division cased its brigade colors and was reflagged as the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. The Army re-stationed 2nd SCR to Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, near the regiment's Cold War home of Nuremberg, as of 15 September 2006. With a foundation of infantry-based tactics and the mobility of the Stryker vehicle, the Stryker unit has become more of a hybrid, filling the gap between pure, light infantry and the mechanized, heavy infantry.
On 12 August 2007, the Dragoons arrived in Kuwait and prepared for another combat deployment in Iraq. On 13 September, the regiment replaced the 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Liberty, Baghdad as part of President George W. Bush's surge campaign. 1st Squadron (War Eagles), with Troops A, B, and C, was sent to NE Baghdad to work in Sadr City, Hayy Ur, Thawra, Jamilla, and Adhamiyah. They conducted numerous cordon-and-search, checkpoint, and raid missions until the Jaysh al-Mahdi uprising in March 2008. Joining with Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police, 1st Squadron fought these insurgents until a ceasefire was brokered on 11 March. The squadron assisted building a security wall in Sadr City and conducted many civic action projects until it was sent to Mosul in August 2008 to assist the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment quell the violence in that city.
2nd Squadron (Cougars), with Troops D, E, and F, was sent to East Rashid in south central Baghdad. E Troop was quickly lauded for its aggressive operations against Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) extremists, which resulted in 10 wounded Dragoons and 13 enemy killed in action. Working alongside the 3rd Squadron (Wolfpack), with Troops G, H, I, and N, they cleared the neighborhoods of Dora and Hadar in Operation Dragoon Talon. The combined effort of 2nd Squadron and 3rd Squadron cleared out East Rashid or AQI insurgents, and allowed local nationals to return to their homes.
While 2nd Squadron was in East Rashid until May 2008, 3rd Squadron was acting as the Corps reserve and sent to Diyala Governorate to conduct clearing operations with the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. G, H, and I Troops were sent to the "breadbasket of Iraq" in the Hamrin Mountains during Operation Raider Harvest to clear out AQI strongholds. From December 2007-October 2008, the region was made safer and infrastructure was improved by the squadron as they defeated numerous AQI cells and conducted humanitarian operations.
4th Squadron (Sabre), with Troops O, P, Q, and elements of I moved to FOB Prosperity in the Al Karkh district of the Green Zone. Here, the troopers secured the heart of Baghdad and turned it into one of the most secure areas of the city; they successfully partnered with units of the Iraqi Army and police to accomplish this mission.
Fires Squadron (Hell), with A, B, and C Batteries along with support from K Troop, was based out of Camp Taji to secure the region of Agar Quf northeast of Baghdad. C Battery acted as the reserve force of the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division and conducted air assault mission to kill or capture high value targets. The remainder of the squadron continued to secure the Agar Quf region and conducted both combat and humanitarian operations. In January 2008, Fires Squadron was returned to Regimental control, and 1st Battalion-21st Infantry Regiment (Gimlets) was attached to the 2nd Cavalry.
In April 2008, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment moved to Diyala Governorate to replace the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division and joined with elements of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment to combat extremist Sunni and Shia militias. The Dragoons also conducted humanitarian operations and partnered with their Iraqi allies to make this possible. In Operation Glad Tidings of Benevolence 50,000 Iraqi soldiers and police officers assisted the regiment in aiding the community, as well as clearing out villages, roads, and farms controlled by terrorist forces.
At the completion of this 15-month tour in Iraq, it was at its most consolidated by June 2008 with all units in Diyala but 1st Squadron, which was in Sadr City. On 25 November 2008, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (Stryker) was officially welcomed back to Vilseck, Germany on 7 October 2008. During Operation Iraqi Freedom 2007–2008, the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment lost 29 troopers killed, 250 wounded, and 70 vehicles were damaged. They managed to kill over 100 confirmed enemies and capture 1,100 more. 100,000 IEDs, weapons, and other enemy materiel items were either captured or destroyed.
Afghanistan War.
On 15 March 2010, the Department of Defense announced that the 2nd Cavalry Regiment would deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the International Security Assistance Force in July 2010. In July 2010, 1st Squadron assumed responsibility of Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan in Uruzgan Province as well as the Shah Wali Kot District serving alongside Australia's 2nd Cavalry Regiment. The remainder of the regiment was located in the volatile Kandahar Province with regimental headquarters located at FOB Lagman. 3d Squadron was sent to the Maiwand district in support of Combined Task Force Strike. During their attachment to CTF Strike, 3d Squadron took part in battle harden operations such as Operation Dragon Strike in which 3d Squadron, along with the other units in the CTF, earned the Presidential Unit Citation along with several personal medals for valor for the intense fighting and stabilization brought back to the region which took place during the operation.
In the summer of 2013, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment deployed to Afghanistan for a second time in southern Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the International Security Assistance Force. The Regiment redeployed to Rose Barracks in April 2014. The Regiment was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation for their efforts in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
Current structure.
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment is organized as a Stryker brigade combat team, consisting of the following units:
 2nd Cavalry Regiment:


444th Bombardment Group


Maurice H. Rindskopf

Maurice Herbert Rindskopf (1917–2011) was the youngest officer to ascend to command of a Fleet Submarine in World War II; and until his death, was the last living World War II submarine commander. His entire World War II submarine career was spent on board , where he was awarded a Silver Star as a lieutenant in charge of torpedoes and gunnery, and the Navy Cross as its commanding officer. He culminated his career as a Rear Admiral and the Director of Naval Intelligence.
Early life and career.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Rindskopf graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1938. He was assigned to the battleship for two years. Beginning submarine training in 1940, he joined the crew of in time for World War II. Rindskopf served on board "Drum" for eleven patrols and was awarded a Silver Star as a junior officer for torpedo and gunnery excellence. As a junior officer, he would often take the night watch and decode messages advising of targets. He would tell the crew of a target nearby by wearing "a garish yellow aloha shirt I had purchased in Honolulu, and lo! we went to Battle Stations."
He married Sylvia Lubow on April 16, 1941; their only child, civil rights lawyer Peter Rindskopf, was born on July 25, 1942.
Silver Star citation.
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Maurice Herbert Rindskopf (NSN: 0-81027), United States Navy, for gallantry and intrepidity in combat during World War II. During four extensive War Patrols of the U.S.S. DRUM (SS-228) in enemy waters and despite determined enemy opposition he courageously and skillfully performed his duties as Torpedo and Gunnery Officer of a United States Submarine and thus assisted materially in the sinking of an important amount of Japanese shipping. His excellent judgment and coolness under fire contributed in a large measure to the success of the ship. His conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Command of USS Drum.
As second-in-command (Executive Officer) of "Drum" in June 1944, just prior to "Drum's" tenth patrol, the incumbent commanding officer developed gall stones. Rindskopf wrote of it in an unpublished autobiography:
I was given two choices: To take command, or to break in yet another skipper. The decision was easy, and I became the first in the [U.S. Naval Academy] class of 1938 to command a fleet boat on patrol.
During his first patrol in command Rindskopf only came across targets too small for a torpedo. He sank them by gunfire and brought the survivors aboard, putting them to work in the galley (kitchen). They became "Drum's" cooks.
"Drum" did not sink another ship in World War II following Rindskopf's detachment.
Navy Cross Citation.
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Commander Maurice Herbert Rindskopf (NSN: 0-81027), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. DRUM (SS-228), on the ELEVENTH War Patrol of that submarine during the period 9 September 1944 to 8 November 1944, in enemy controlled waters of the Luzon Straits in the Philippine Islands. Through his daring, aggressive spirit and tenacity, Commander Rindskopf skillfully launched well-planned and smartly executed attacks which resulted in the sinking of enemy ships totaling over 24,000 tons and in damaging additional vessels totaling over 8,000 tons. Through his experience and sound judgment Commander Rindskopf brought his ship safely back to port. His conduct throughout was an inspiration to his officers and men and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Post-war career.
After World War II, Rindskopf took command of . His command style was marked by the lack of his crew's practice of obscenity and profanity. "His stated position was that such language was simply evidence of mental deficiency on the part of the user, and the crew followed his example as long as he was in command." Later Rindkopf refined submarine fire control and tactics; commanded ; had command of the U.S. Naval Submarine School in Groton, CT; commanded two submarine flotillas; explored the use of hydrofoils in harbor defense; became the Director of Naval Intelligence; and Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence for the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Retiring from the Navy in 1972, Rindskopf worked for Westinghouse for 16 years.
Death.
Rindskopf died of prostate cancer on July 27, 2011 at his home in Annapolis. His wife and son preceded him in death; he was survived by his granddaughter Amy Kathryn Rindskopf and two great-grandsons.
Several obituaries (e.g. "The Annapolis Capital", "Naval History Magazine") confused Rindskopf's eleven patrols onboard "Drum" as eleven patrols in command of "Drum". He was only in command for patrols 10 and 11, yet he had a hand in every sinking in "Drum's" history.


Battle of Jibrieni

The Battle of Jibrieni was an attack on 17 December 1941 by a Soviet submarine on an Axis convoy and its Romanian escorts off the coast of the Romanian village of Jibrieni (today Prymorske, Ukraine). The engagement ended with the sinking of the attacking Soviet submarine "M-59".
Battle.
On 17 December 1941, the Soviet M-class submarine "M-59" carried out an attack against an Axis convoy near the coastal town of Jibrieni in December 1941. The convoy consisted of the Hungarian cargo ships "Kassa" and "Kolozsvár" and the Bulgarian cargo ship "Tzar Ferdinand". The three ships were escorted by the Romanian destroyers "Regele Ferdinand" and "Regina Maria", the Romanian gunboats "Stihi" and "Ghiculescu" and the Romanian torpedo boats "Sborul" and "Smeul". The two torpedoes launched by the Soviet submarine missed the aft and bow of the Romanian destroyer by about 30 feet each. With 25 knots, "Regele Ferdinand" rushed to the place the torpedoes were launched from and dropped three series of depth charges. Between the second and third series, fuel and bubbles emerged from the water. "Regele Ferdinand" subsequently circled the area and dropped four more depth charges, followed by more fuel emerging from the depths as well as pieces of wood. "Regele Ferdinand" reported the sinking of the submarine, which was confirmed by the Romanian Naval Command. Post-war sources revealed the identity of the submarine as "M-59".
Disputed account.
According to modern Russian sources, "M-59" was probably lost several weeks prior in minefields east of Constanța, in late October or early November before the battle took place. Soviet archival documents state that the submarine did not have enough fuel to operate beyond 8 December on its final patrol, thus making impossible for the submarine to be involved in the engagement on 17 December. The likely reason of M-59's loss was defensive field of mines east of Constanța, the field responsible being the one laid by the Romanian minelayers "Admiral Murgescu", "Dacia" and "Regele Carol I".


Battle of Cape Burnas

The Battle of Cape Burnas was a naval engagement between the Soviet and Romanian navies near the Burnas Lagoon in October 1942.
On 1 October 1942, the Soviet M-class submarine "M-118" attacked and sank the German transport ship "Salzburg", which was carrying on board 2,000 Soviet prisoners of war. After attacking, the submarine was located by a German BV 138C flying boat, and the Romanian gunboats "Sublocotenent Ghiculescu" and "Stihi Eugen" were sent to the scene. The two Romanian warships attacked the Soviet submarine with depth-charges, sinking her with all hands.
Alternative versions.
Recent surveys in the area failed to find the wreck in the alleged sinking location and it has been raised the alternative version that "M-118" was lost due German seaplane attack or a Romanian field from barrage "S-30".
At the same time, one literary source attests that two Soviet submarines were confirmed to have been sunk by Romanian surface units. There are several Soviet submarines claimed to have been sunk by Romanian surface warships, but the two most valid claims are "M-118" and "Shch-206", sunk on 9 July 1941.


Convoy SC 67

Convoy SC 67 was the 67th of the numbered series of World War II Slow Convoys of merchant ships from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Liverpool. The convoy left Halifax on 30 January 1942 and picked up a tran-Atlantic escort in Newfoundland. This marked the start of the allied end-to-end convoy escort system, which remained in effect until the end of the war. The convoy was found by on 10 February, and attacked by of 6th U-boat Flotilla, operating out of St Nazaire. Surviving ships reached Liverpool on 15 February.


Proposed Soviet invasion of Hokkaido

During the Soviet-Japanese War in August 1945, the Soviet Union made plans to invade Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's four main Home Islands. Opposition from the United States and doubts within the Soviet high command caused the plans to be canceled before the invasion could begin.
Background.
In the last days of World War II, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, as Stalin secretly agreed at Tehran and Yalta. The Soviet declaration of war was a major factor for the surrender of Japan on August 15. Although all other Allies, including the United States, ceased all hostilities upon the surrender, Stalin ordered his troops to continue fighting to capture more Japanese territory and put the Soviets in a stronger bargaining position to occupy Japan.
The Red Army successfully conquered the southern half of Sakhalin Island. The island had been contested between Japan and Russia for a century and fought over during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, and by 1945, it had been divided between the two countries (the Japanese southern half was called Karafuto Prefecture). The Soviets then captured the Kuril Islands starting on August 18, three days after the Japanese surrender.
While they planned the conquests of Sakhalin and the Kurils, the Soviets considered it necessary to control Hokkaido (or at least the parts of Hokkaido bordering the Sea of Okhotsk) to secure their new territories. However, the Potsdam Declaration of the previous month set out that postwar Japan would control its four main Home Islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Therefore, a Soviet annexation or even occupation of Hokkaido would have likely provoked heated opposition from the other Allies.
Proposed battle plans.
Marshal of the Soviet Union Aleksandr Vasilevsky envisioned taking the northern half of Hokkaido by landing at the small, remote port of Rumoi and occupying everything north of a line from Rumoi to Kushiro. Two rifle divisions of the 87th Rifle Corps were to be used. Air and sea units were also sent to Sakhalin to support the invasion. Even with American ships lent to the Soviets during Project Hula, the Soviet Navy did not have enough transport space to carry both divisions from Sakhalin in one lift and so it planned to make two trips. Admiral Ivan Yumashev planned to start the Rumoi landing at 05:00 on August 24.
The Soviet high command dictated that although logistical preparations should go forward, the invasion should not begin without explicit authorization from headquarters.
Cancellation.
US President Harry Truman was willing to accept the Soviet annexation of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, which remained part of the Soviet Union after the war, but he staunchly opposed any Soviet escapade on Hokkaido. The Potsdam Declaration intended that the Home Islands all be surrendered to US General Douglas MacArthur, rather than to the Soviets, and so Truman refused to allow the Soviets to participate in the occupation of Japan. Furthermore, concerns were raised within the Soviet high command that an invasion of Hokkaido would be impractical and unlikely to succeed and would violate the Yalta Agreement.
The invasion was canceled on August 22, two days before their scheduled start, and Soviet forces concentrated on taking the Kuril Islands instead.
Historical analysis.
Historians have generally considered it unlikely that an invasion of Hokkaido would have succeeded. Factors include the small number of Soviet transport ships, the small number of Soviet ground forces planned for the invasion, and the availability of Japanese air power including kamikaze planes to contest a Soviet landing. Soviet forces suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Shumshu during the invasion of the Kuril Islands, and historians foresaw similar problems plaguing an invasion of Hokkaido.
Historian Dennis Giangreco believes that the Japanese forces would have fiercely fought back against an attack after their country had surrendered, and the small, hastily-assembled Soviet forces would have been unable to hold out against them. Because the Soviets thought the Japanese would not contest a landing after they had already surrendered, they assembled a relatively small force of two divisions, much smaller than the four field armies, totaling about 12 divisions, which Marshal Georgy Zhukov estimated would be necessary for a full-scale conquest. However, after the Japanese fiercely defended Shumshu three days after the surrender, the Soviets were forced to reconsider this assumption.
Richard B. Frank, however, believes that despite serious Soviet deficiencies in shipping capacity and air cover, the Soviets could have succeeded because Japanese defenses were concentrated in the south to face the Americans, rather than the north to face the Soviets.


8th Marine Regiment

The 8th Marine Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. When last active, it was based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and fell under the command of the 2nd Marine Division and the II Marine Expeditionary Force. The regiment was decommissioned on January 28, 2021 as a result of ongoing force design efforts.
Subordinate units.
The regiment comprises three infantry battalions and one headquarters company:
History.
Early years.
The 8th Marine Regiment was formed on 9 October 1917, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, during the buildup for World War I. While training for war, the command was transferred to Fort Crockett, Texas, to guard the nearby Mexican oil fields. The regiment was joined there by the 9th Marines to form the 3d Marine Brigade; the first Advance Base Force of World War I. As such, the Marines were held in reserve to establish and defend naval bases in the Atlantic Ocean or the West Indies, if required. The 8th Marines was inactivated at Philadelphia Navy Yard on 25 April 1919.
A year later, the regiment was reactivated for service in Haiti, where Marines had been fighting the Cacos bandits since 1914. Through systematic patrolling which culminated in a number of brief, sharp clashes, the 8th Marines eliminated Haitian banditry that had lasted more than a hundred years. The 8th Marines was inactivated again in 1925.
World War II.
In 1940 the regiment was formed once more, in San Diego, California. It was the first Marine regiment to deploy into the Pacific waters to Samoa. After ten months of jungle training, while defending the Samoan Islands, the regiment sailed to reinforce the engaged 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal. While there, the 8th Marines won its first Presidential Unit Citation. When the 8th arrived on Guadalcanal they were still wearing the Kelly Transitional helmet according to the book, 'Helmet for My Pillow'.
Joining the 2nd Marine Division in New Zealand, the 8th Marines spent several months refitting for the Battle of Tarawa. In 76 hours the Marines seized that island and opened the door to the Japanese Empire. For its actions, the 8th Marine Regiment received its second Presidential Unit Citation.
After refitting in Hawaii, the 8th Marines sailed for the Marianas, to storm the beaches of Saipan and Tinian, capturing key bases for the air war against Japan. Reinforced with artillery, the regiment later joined the 1st and 6th Divisions in the Battle of Okinawa.
Post Vietnam War years.
In the 1980s; 28 May 1982 2nd Battalion 8th Marines under the command of LtCol. Robert B. Johnson deployed with the 32nd Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU); under the Command of Colonel James M. Mead to the Mediterranean Sea; where upon the 32nd MAU was ordered to advance to the coast of Lebanon. 15 June 1982 2nd Battalion 8th Marines evacuated the U.S. Ambassador, Staff, and 580 civilian personnel seventy kilometers North of Beirut. 25 August 1982 2nd Battalion 8th Marines along with the French, Italian and Israelis Forces evacuated the Palestinian Liberation Organization(PLO) from Beirut. 2nd Battalion 8th Marines left Beirut briefly after the PLO evacuation, but returned as a Multinational Force with the French, Italians, and British in response to the Massacre of 700 to 800 Palestinian refugees. December 1982 3rd Battalion 8th Marines relieved 2nd Battalion 8th Marines on station. 1st Battalion 8th Marines relieved 2nd Battalion 2nd Marines June 1983, and on 23 October 1st Battalion 8th Marines Barracks along with the French 8th Para Regiment Barracks were bombed. 2nd Battalion 8th Marines were returning to Beirut, and detoured to the Caribbean when they heard of the Bombing of Marine Barracks. 2nd Battalion 8th Marines invaded Grenada 25 October 1983 as the main force of Operation Urgent Fury, the successful liberation of the Island of Grenada and the rescue of American University students. Immediately after departing Grenada, 2d Battalion, 8th Marines continued their deployment to join the Multinational Peacekeeping Force in Beirut, Lebanon. They were withdrawn from Beirut on 26 February 1984, ending their duties as part of the Multinational Peacekeeping Force and resuming their commitment as the Landing Force Sixth Fleet (LF6F) Battalion Landing Team. In total, 220 marines lost their lives in the bombing of the Beirut barracks alongside 18 sailors and 3 soldiers.
From December 1990 to April 1991 the 8th Marines participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. 2d Battalion, 8th Marines participated in Operation Provide Comfort in northern Iraq from April to July 1991.
Global War on Terrorism.
8th Marines deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the February 2005. They operated around the city of Fallujah, Iraq. The Marines secured the city ahead of the December 2005 national elections.
8th Marines redeployed to Iraq in January 2009, taking over responsibility for the western Al-Anbar province from the 5th Marines. During this period, RCT-8 continued and completed the major retrograde of equipment out of Iraq, and also continued civil affairs operations to stabilize the Area of Operation. Due to the drawdown of forces throughout the country, RCT-8's deployment was cut short and they were ordered to redeploy home in September 2009, instead of their original departure date of January 2010. According to "CBS News", the regiment had one of the highest casualty rates during its 2009 deployment.
On 7 January 2011, the Department of Defense officially announced that RCT-8 would be deploying in early 2011 to Afghanistan for approximately one year in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Deactivation.
8th Marine Regiment was deactivated in January 2021 as part of a restructuring of the Corps.


Hi convoys

 were a numbered series of World War II trade convoys between Japan and Singapore. Merchant ships from Moji and Kaibōkan from Sasebo formed southbound convoys in Imari Bay to carry supplies for the Burma Campaign. Northbound convoys transported food, petroleum, and raw materials to Japan from the captured European colonies of the Dutch East Indies, French Indochina, and British Malaya and Burma. These convoys were initiated in mid-1943 to protect fast, high-value tankers and troopships from the improved effectiveness of Mark 14 torpedoes carried by United States submarines.
Convoy routing was through the East China Sea, Formosa Strait, and South China Sea. Ships often joined or left convoys at the Formosan ports of Takao and Keelung, at the Mako naval base in the Pescadores, and at the Vietnamese ports of Cape Saint Jacques and Cam Ranh Bay. Some convoys stopped at Manila until MATA and TAMA feeder convoys between MAnila and TAkao enabled Hi convoys to avoid United States submarine wolfpacks in the Luzon Strait by hugging the Asian coast between Hainan and Shanghai.


Pacific Coast Engineering

The Pacific Coast Engineering Company or PACECO is an American industrial fabricator and mechanical engineering company, and was previously a shipbuilding company in Oakland, California and then Alameda, California. To support the World War II demand for ships PACECO shipyard switched over to military construction and built: US Navy Tugboatss.
As early as February of 1920, PACECO was reported to be bidding on a contract to make alterations or improvements to a Japanese steamer in Seattle. Started as a mechanical engineering company, PACECO began operations in its Oakland shipyard in 1922. The Oakland shipyard at the 14th Street terminus was acquired by the US. Navy in 1940 for World War II needs. PACECO moved the shipyard to 350 Blanding Avenue, Alameda. The new yard did prefab sub assemblies for the other Bay Area shipyards, like the Richmond Shipyards. In 1943 PACECO built its first of five US Navy tugboats.
After the war PACECO built tugboats, barges, and container cranes. The first quayside container gantry crane was developed by Paceco in 1959. PACECO was sold to Fruehauf Trailer Corporation in 1967. Fruehauf ended shipbuilding in 1976 and changed to build primarily container crane and Container chassis. The Alameda shipyard was on the south side of the Tidal Canal, just west of the Park Street Bridge on the Oakland Estuary in the San Francisco Bay Area. , the site was a vacant lot.
Ships.
Notable ships:


Operation Doppelschlag

Operation Doppelschlag ("Unternehmen"/Operation Double Blow) was a plan for a sortie in 1942 during the Second World War into the Arctic Ocean by the . The operation followed "Unternehmen"/Operation Rösselsprung, against Convoy PQ 17 in July 1942 to attack convoy PQ 18 the next Arctic convoy of the Western Allies.
Background.
Following the disastrous passage of convoy PQ 17, the was keen to repeat the blow against any further Allied convoys, to choke off the supply route to the Soviet Union to assist German military operations. To this end they planned a similar evolution in order to bring a strong force of capital ships and destroyers against the next supply convoy to destroy it. The commanders of the surface forces were disappointed they had been unable to take a more active part in the attack on PQ 17 and were determined to do better next time.
The Allies wished to avoid running another convoy in the continuous daylight of the Arctic summer and deferred passage of PQ 18 until later in the year. Thus the German forces spent over two months at readiness before PQ 18 sailed in early September 1942.
Planning.
In its early stage resembled in that the forces involved would wait in readiness at their bases until a convoy was detected, whilst a patrol line of U-boats (code-named "Ice Palace") was stationed in the Norwegian Sea to give early warning of any convoys approach.
Once the convoy was detected the ships would sail north to Altafjord, to await the order to sortie and attack. The extreme sensitivity to the possibility of losing a capital ship in an engagement with the Allied fleet meant that only Hitler could give permission for the second stage, the sortie into the Barents Sea. Once out the ships would divide into two battle groups, to attack the convoy from different sides. It was envisaged that the first group would engage and draw off any heavy units with the convoy, while the second would attack the merchant ships without serious opposition. It was this intended "double blow" that inspired the operational name.
The forces intended to take part in the operation were the , , and six destroyers. Other German capital ships based in Norway, and were unavailable for the operation as both had been undergoing repairs since the end of .
Operation.
PQ 18 sailed from Iceland on 7 September 1942. It was sighted on 8 September by a long-range aircraft, and again on 10 September by an "Ice Palace" U-boat. On 10 September, the ships of operation left harbour at Narvik to move north to Altenfjord. In this they were sighted by patrolling British submarines and one, "Tigris" mounted an attack, though without success. The ships arrived at Altenfjord early the following day.
From this point the commanders, Vice-Admiral Oskar Kummetz in "Scheer", and Vice Admiral Otto Ciliax ashore, pressed for permission to sortie but Hitler's insistence that no damage should befall the ships so restricted their freedom of action that Admiral Erich Raeder, the Navy's supreme commander, cancelled the operation.
Thus the attack on PQ 18 was left to the and the U-boat arm.
Aftermath.
The German surface fleet had little effect on the passage of PQ 18, though the potential threat it posed had forced a heavy commitment of Allied vessels as escort. The next opportunity for an attack by German surface ships would come in December, when Operation Regenbogen, following a similar plan to , was mounted against Convoy JW 51B. This would result in the Battle of the Barents Sea.


Ramcke Parachute Brigade

The Ramcke Parachute Brigade was a Luftwaffe paratroop ("Fallschirmjäger") brigade which saw action in the Mediterranean Theatre during World War II.
Operational history.
The brigade was formed in 1942 and sent to join the Afrika Korps in North Africa. Ramcke's unit fought during the Afrika Korps's assault towards the Suez Canal, fighting alongside the Italian 25 Infantry Division Bologna before British opposition solidified near the town of El Alamein. The British action resulted in the separation of the Brigade from German forces, and, lacking motorized transport, unable to move as fast as the battle lines. Taking heavy losses (about 450) fighting surrounded on all sides, they captured a British supply convoy carrying food and fuel, about which Ramcke later remarked the most welcome surprise was the tobacco and luxury goods. Using those trucks, about 600 survivors returned to German lines.
The brigade was then engaged in the retreat into Tunisia. Ramcke was transferred back to Germany where he was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross, and command passed to Major Hans Kroh. The remaining brigade was part of the capitulation of German Panzer Army Afrika in May 1943.
Organization.
Structure of the division in October of 1942:


54th Fighter Group

The 54th Fighter Group is an active unit of the United States Air Force stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico and assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing of Air Education and Training Command. The group was reactivated in March 2014.
The group was first activated as the 54th Pursuit Group during the buildup of the Air Corps just prior to World War II. It served in Alaska during the Aleutian Islands Campaign, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation. It then returned to the United States and served as a training unit.
The group was again activated in 1955 as part of Air Defense Command's Project Arrow, replacing the 500th Air Defense Group. It served in the air defense role until 1958 when it was inactivated.
The group was activated once again as a training unit for the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon in 2014. The group was part of the 56th Fighter Wing until October, 2018 when it was transferred under the 49th Wing, the host installation of Holloman AFB, New Mexico.
History.
World War II.
The group was activated as the 54th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) at the beginning of 1941 at Hamilton Field, California. with the 42d,
56th, and 57th Pursuit Squadrons assigned. It trained with Curtiss P-36 Hawks and Curtiss P-40 Warhawks, then moved to Everett Army Air Field, where it served as a part of the air defense force for the northwest Pacific coast during the first few months of World War II. The group and its squadrons were redesignated as fighter units in May 1942.
The air echelon, equipped with Bell P-39 Airacobras, served in Alaska against the Japanese forces that invaded the Aleutian Islands during the summer of 1942, and for these operations the group received a Distinguished Unit Citation.
The air echelon returned to the US in December 1942 and rejoined the group, which had been assigned to Third AF in Louisiana, and became a replacement training unit (RTU) for North American P-51 Mustang pilots. RTUs were oversized units training individual pilots or aircrews. In early May 1943, the group began a split operation, with headquarters and the 56th and 57th Fighter Squadrons relocating to Bartow Army Air Field, Florida, while the 42d was at Hillsborough Army Air Field. The AAF was finding that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit. As a result, in 1944 the group was disbanded as the AAF converted to the AAF Base Unit system. The units at Bartow were replaced by the 340th AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Fighter), while those at Hillsborough transferred their mission, equipment, and personnel to the 343d AAF Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Fighter).
Cold War.
In 1955, the group was redesignated as the 54th Fighter Group (Air Defense) and activated at Greater Pittsburgh Airport to replace the 500th Air Defense Group as part of ADC's Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars. The group assumed host responsibilities for the USAF portion of the airport and was assigned a USAF Dispensary, Air Base Squadron and Materiel Squadron to fulfill this responsibility. Because Project Arrow was also intended to reunite fighter squadrons with their former groups, the 42d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which was stationed at O'Hare Airport moved to Pittsburgh and assumed the personnel and equipment of the 500th group's 71st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, including its radar equipped and rocket armed North American F-86 Sabres. The squadron transitioned into data link equipped F-86Ls in the spring of 1957 for interception control through the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment system and flew them until the group and squadron were inactivated in early 1958.
Present day.
The group was reactivated in March 2014 at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. It is an F-16 Fighting Falcon training unit under the 49th Wing. It has approximately 450 personnel assigned and trains about 160 F-16 pilots annually.
Lineage.
Components.
Operational Squadrons
Support Units
Awards and campaigns.
54th Fighter Group
References.
Bibliography.
Further reading


Convoy HG 70

HG 70 was an Allied convoy of the HG (Homeward from Gibraltar) series during World War II. It was attacked by a pack of ten U-boats, without success. All U-boats were beaten off, and they sank no ships of the convoy. Two ships were lost to aircraft; 23 ships arrived safely.
Forces involved.
HG 70 comprised 25 ships homeward bound from Gibraltar, many in ballast, or carrying trade goods.
The convoy commodore was R Adm. EW Leir, in the freighter "Polo", and the convoy was protected by a Western Approaches Command escort group, consisting of five corvettes. The convoy escort was augmented during the first few days by the destroyer "Avon Vale" and the submarine "Clyde", and two ASW trawlers. They were joined during the first part of the voyage by the destroyers "Boreas" and "Eridge", and a second escort group from OG 70, comprising the sloop HMS "Deptford", destroyers "Nestor" and "Encounter", and the corvette "Convolvulus"; they were also reinforced at various times throughout the voyage as warships came and went.
Ranged against them was an "ad hoc" (and unnamed) wolfpack of five U-boats, reinforced with a group of four U-boats returning from a cancelled mission to the South Atlantic, all captained by experienced skippers and all holders of the Knight's Cross.
Action.
HG 70 sailed from Gibraltar on 9 August 1941, and was reported almost immediately by German agents across the bay in neutral Spain; these were able to report the convoy's composition, escort strength and departure time. In response U boat Command (BdU) ordered five boats from a northerly patrol line (Group South) to intercept, and diverted four boats returning from a cancelled mission to the South Atlantic, at that time off the Canaries. He also summoned aircraft from KG 40, a unit of Fw 200 "Condors" based at Bordeaux, to patrol and report on the convoys progress.
On 10 August the convoy was sighted by "U-79", from Group South, which commenced shadowing, but she was attacked by escorting ships and aircraft. She was driven under and lost contact.
On 11 August the convoy was found again, this time by "U-93" from the Canaries group; she was found by an escorting aircraft, bombed and damaged so severely that she had to break off and return to base for repairs. The report from "U-93" enabled "U-79" to regain contact, and for "U-94" from the Canaries group to join; Both were depth-charged heavily by escorts, but remained in contact.
A third U-boat, "U-331" from South group, also joined, but was also detected and driven off by the escorts, and had to break off due to damage.
Also that day HG 70 was attacked by aircraft; two ships, "Empire Hurst" and "Sud", were hit and reported sunk, though other sources say "Sud" was still afloat on 14 August when she was found and sunk by Italian submarine "Marconi" and by "U-126", en route to join the attack on HG 70.
On 12 August the convoy was sighted by a patrolling Condor, and another Freetown boat, "U-123", joined the pursuit. She too was detected and counter-attacked; Her crew counted 126 depth-charges dropped on them, 36 of them close enough to damage the boat so severely that she too had to return to base for repairs.
Later HG 70 was found by "U-109" and "U-124", both returning from Freetown. Both U-boats were attacked before they could obtain a firing position. "U-109" was driven off, and returned to base with damage; "U-124" found it impossible to approach and also broke off the attack.
On 15 August BdU cancelled the operation against HG 70 and the convoy continued on without further incident, arriving at Liverpool on 23 August.
Aftermath.
The attack on HG 70 was, for the Germans, a disastrous failure. Ten U-boats had been involved in the operation; none had been able to get close enough to fire on the merchant ships, and four had been so severely handled that h they had been obliged to return to base for repairs. Using radio-detection (HF/DF) to locate the U-boats as they broadcast their sighting reports, and by vigorously attacking any contact to drive them under and thus unable to keep up, the escorts kept the merchant ships in the convoy safe from attack.
The failure prompted BdU to consider loss of morale as a factor, and on their return three of the four older commanders (from the Freetown operation) were moved to shore posts.


Convoy HX 90

Convoy HX 90 was a North Atlantic convoy of the HX series which ran during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II.
Background.
HX 90 was an eastbound convoy of 41 ships which sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on 21 November 1940 bound for Liverpool, England, and carrying war materials. The convoy, made up of contingents from Halifax, Sydney and Bermuda was led by convoy commodore V. P. Alleyne in "Botavon".
The escort for the crossing had been sparse, as was common at this stage of the campaign, and the Western Approaches escort did not generally meet incoming convoys until south of Iceland, reckoned to be the limit of any patrolling U-boat's endurance. In HX 90's case the ocean escort was the Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser , and she was due to rendezvous with the Western Approaches escort on 2 December.
Also at sea were several other convoys; Convoy SC 13 was to the north of HX 90, also heading east, while heading towards them was the westbound Convoy OB 251. To the south, heading to the United Kingdom from Gibraltar, was Convoy HG 47.
Ranged against them was a pack of seven German submarines – U-boats – reinforced by three Italian submarines operating with them in the Atlantic Ocean. These were deployed in a patrol line at the fringe of the Western Approaches, hoping to intercept eastbound convoys before they met their escorts.
Action.
On 1 December 1940, some 500 nautical miles (926 km) south of Iceland, HX 90 was sighted by "U-101", which reported its position. Her skipper, Mengersen, was ordered to shadow and report. During the day, the first Western Approaches escort, the Royal Navy destroyer under Lieutenant Commander M. S. Townsend, arrived from OB 251.
That evening, Mengersen was no longer able to resist attacking. He fired all twelve of his torpedoes, claiming four ships sunk and two damaged; in fact he sank three ships during the night – "Apalachee", "Kavak", and "Lady Glanely" – and damaged another, "Loch Ranza".
Just after midnight on 2 December, "U-47" joined, skippered by U-boat ace Gunther Prien; his attack sank one ship, "Ville D'Arlon", which had become separated from the convoy, and damaged another, "Conch". Prien attacked a third ship, "Dunsley", with his deck gun, but was driven off by an escort ship.
Later "U-95" joined, attacking the damaged "Conch"; "Conch" was again hit, but remained afloat. "U-99", commanded by another ace, Otto Kretschmer, was en route to join the attack, but encountered the Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser on her way to join OB 251 as ocean escort. Kretschmer attacked her, and hit "Forfar" five times with torpedoes; she sank with the loss of 172 of her crew, leaving 21 survivors.
"U-43" also missed the convoy, but fell in with OB 251, sinking two ships, while the , having attacked HG 43, also missed HX 90, but found SC 13, attacking and sinking one ship.
On the morning of 2 December the pack was joined by "U-52", which sank two ships, "Tasso" and "Goodleigh". The convoy was joined by a further two escorts, the British sloop and corvette , also from OB 251. They were assisted by the Royal Canadian Navy destroyer , which had been travelling with "Forfar" but had detached to reinforce HX 90's escort. "Viscount" and "St. Laurent" attacked numerous asdic contacts, making thirteen depth-charge attacks over four hours. No U-boats were hit, but all were kept submerged and silent, allowing HX 90 to escape.
Later that evening, however, the convoy was sighted again, by newcomer "U-94"; she attacked during the night of 2–3 December and sank two more ships, "Stirlingshire" and "Wilhelmina". Also that night, "U-99" found and sank a straggler, "Victoria City", (though other sources say she was sunk by "U-140") and the damaged "Conch", which she also sank.
No further U-boat attacks developed for HX 90, though on 3 December "W Hendrik" was bombed by German aircraft and sunk. The convoy met its local escort on 5 December and arrived in Liverpool later that day.
Conclusion.
U-Boat Command (BdU), in the person of Rear Admiral Karl Dönitz, was delighted with the attack, believing his U-boats had sunk eighteen ships of over 120,000 GRT. In fact the confirmed loss to HX 90 was eleven ships of 73,495 GRT (other sources give 73,958 GRT). During the same period the pack had also sunk HMS "Forfar", two ships from OB 251, and another from SC 13, and had damaged an escort from HG 47. None of the attacking U-boats had been sunk or damaged. However, 30 ships of HX 90 arrived safely, as did 41 ships of SC 13, the 30 ships of HG 47, and 31 ships of OB 251. Nevertheless, the attack on HX 90 was a setback for the Allies, and one of the more serious convoy losses of the Atlantic campaign.