The 14th 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 14th 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.
14th Armored Division Campaigns during World War II
The 14th Armored Division joined the Allied invasion of western Europe in October 1944, when it landed in Marseille in southern France. By early 1945, the "Liberators" had advanced as far as Alsace-Lorraine, provinces that had been incorporated into Germany after France's defeat in 1940. In March and April, the 14th penetrated the Rhineland and moved into Bavaria. By war's end, the division had reached the Danube River.
The 14th Armored Division and the Liberation of Dachau Subcamps
As the 14th advanced into southern Germany, it uncovered several subcamps of the Dachau concentration camp. Operating near the towns of Ampfing and Mühldorf, the unit discovered four large munitions plants built underground, some 15,000 tons of high explosive, and three large forced-labor camps, housing thousands of Polish and Soviet civilian workers. The 14th also liberated two other camps nearby, one holding 1,500 Jewish prisoners and the other filled with Jewish female inmates. The unit reported that of the 1,500 prisoners in the first camp, only 900 could walk, and that the lime pits were filled with the corpses of inmates.
Recognition as a Liberating Division
The 14th 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 1991.
14th Armored Division Battle Casualty Figures
The following are tentative battle casualty figures for the 14th Armored Division in the European Theater of Operations:
- Killed: 447
- Wounded: 1,998
- Missing: 422
- Captured: 29
- Total battle casualties: 2,896
14th Armored Division Nickname and Insignia
During World War II, the 14th Armored Division did not have a nickname. Soon after the war, however, the 14th became known as the "Liberators." This nickname signifies the 14th’s accomplishments in liberating hundreds of thousands of forced laborers, concentration camp prisoners, and Allied prisoners of war in 1945.
The patch or insignia of the 14th Armored Division is shaped like a pyramid and represents power. In the center of the patch are three intertwined symbols in black: a tank tread, a cannon, and a lightning bolt. The tank tread symbolizes mobility. The cannon represents firepower. And the lightning bolt stands for shock action (a quick, offensive, military attack that surprises the enemy). The three symbols are placed against a tricolored background comprised of yellow, red, and blue. These colors represent key components of an armored division: cavalry (yellow), field artillery (red), and infantry (blue). The division number appears in black near the top of the pyramid (against the yellow part of the patch).
Footnotes
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Footnote reference1.
Casualty figures as of February 2024 according to the US Army Center of Military History
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?