The 12th Armored Division during World War II
In 1985, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the US Army Center of Military History began a program to honor US Army divisions that took part in the Allied liberation of Nazi camps. The US Army Center of Military History defines a liberating division as one whose official records show its presence at a camp within 48 hours of the first soldier’s arrival. The 12th Armored Division is among the 36 US divisions that have been recognized to date.
Key Facts
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1
US, British, Soviet, and Canadian troops encountered concentration camps and other sites of Nazi crimes as they advanced across Europe in 1944 and 1945.
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2
The Allied soldiers liberated sick and starving camp prisoners from Nazi tyranny. They also provided them with food, clothing, and medical aid.
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3
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the US Army Center of Military History have recognized 36 US divisions for their role in the liberation of Nazi camps.
12th Armored Division Campaigns during World War II
Some five months after the D-Day invasion of western Europe by Allied forces, the 12th Armored Division entered France through the port of Le Havre and quickly made its way eastward toward Alsace by early December. In March 1945, the "Hellcats" advanced into the Rhineland and captured the city of Ludwigshafen on March 21. Deploying southward, the unit took the city of Würzburg early the next month. By the end of April, the 12th had advanced well into Bavaria and had reached the Danube River. The division ended the war in Austria.
The 12th Armored Division and the Liberation of a Dachau Subcamp
During its penetration of southern Germany, the 12th overran one of the many subcamps of Dachau in the Landsberg area on April 27, 1945.
Recognition as a Liberating Unit
The 12th Armored Division was recognized as a liberating unit by the US Army's Center of Military History and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1988.
12th Armored Casualty Figures
Casualty figures for the 12th Armored Division, European theater of operations:
- Total battle casualties: 3,527
- Total deaths in battle: 732
12th Armored Division Nickname
"Hellcats," the winning entry in a division contest for a nickname held in early in 1943, symbolized the 12th's toughness and readiness for combat.
Critical Thinking Questions
What challenges did Allied forces face when they encountered the camps and sites of other atrocities?
What challenges faced survivors of the Holocaust upon liberation?