71st Infantry Division - The Red Circle

Activated 15 Jun 1943  •  Entered Combat 6 Feb 1945•  Days of Combat 62  •  Casualties 1,114

Division Chronicle

The 71st Infantry Division arrived at Le Havre, France, 6 February 1945, and trained at Camp Old Gold with headquarters at Limesy. The Division moved east, relieved the 100th Division at Ratswiller and saw its first action on 11 March 1945. Their ouster of the Germans from France began 15 March. The Division moved through outer belts of the Siegfried Line, captured Pirmasens, 21 March, and crossed the Rhine at Oppenheim, 30 March.

The 71st continued the advance, taking Coburg without resistance, cutting the MunichBerlin autobahn, 13 April, and capturing Bayreuth after fierce opposition on the 16th. Moving south, the Division destroyed Schonfeld, 18 April, took Rosenberg, crossed the Naab River at Kallmunz on the 24th and crossed the Danube on the 26th. Regensburg fell on the next day and Straubing on the 28th. As resistance crumbled, the Division crossed the Isar on the 29th and entered Austria, 2 May. The 71st organized and occupied defensive positions along the Enns River and contacted Russian forces east of Linz, 8 May, the day before hostilities ceased. The Division was assigned occupational duties until it left for home and inactivation 1 March 1946.