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American infantryman of the 89th Division cross the Rhine River in assault boats near St.

The 89th Infantry 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 89th Infantry Division is among the 36 US divisions that have been recognized to date.

Key Facts

  • 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.

  • 2

    The Allied soldiers liberated sick and starving camp prisoners from Nazi tyranny. They also provided them with food, clothing, and medical aid.

  • 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.

89th Infantry Division Campaigns during World War II

Formed in 1917, shortly after the United States entered World War I, the 89th Infantry Division participated in several major military battles. In World War II, the "Rolling W" division landed in France in January 1945 and quickly advanced to the German front. In March 1945, it joined the Third Army's assault on the Rhineland, crossing the Sauer, Moselle, and Rhine rivers that same month. On April 8, the 89th captured the town of Eisenach and subsequently advanced farther into Thuringia and into neighboring Saxony, where it took the city of Zwickau on April 18, 1945.

American infantryman of the 89th Division cross the Rhine River in assault boats near St.
Crossing the Rhine

Infantryman of the US 89th Division cross the Rhine River in assault boats near St. Goar, Germany. March 26, 1945. US Army Signal Corps photograph taken by A. Graham.

  • National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD

The 89th Infantry Division and the Liberation of Ohrdruf  

On April 4, 1945, the 89th overran Ohrdruf, a subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Ohrdruf was the first Nazi concentration camp liberated by US troops in Germany. A week later, on April 12, Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, and Omar Bradley visited Ohrdruf to see, firsthand, evidence of Nazi atrocities against concentration camp prisoners.

Liberation of Ohrdruf

General Dwight D. Eisenhower and other American officers inspect conditions in the Ohrdruf concentration camp shortly after the liberation of the camp. As American forces had approached, SS camp guards shot the remaining prisoners before abandoning the camp. Confirmation of such atrocities prompted the US military to require Nazis and local German civilians to view the camps.

  • National Archives - Film

Recognition as a Liberating Unit

The 89th Infantry 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.

89th Infantry Casualty Figures

Casualty figures for the 89th Infantry Division, European theater of operations:

  • Total battle casualties: 1,029
  • Total deaths in battle: 325

89th Infantry Division Nickname

The 89th Infantry Division's nickname, the "Rolling W," is based on the division's insignia. Created during World War I, this insignia utilized a letter "M" inside a wheel. When the wheel turns, the "M" becomes a "W." The letters "MW" signify the Midwest origin of the troops who formed the 89th during World War I. The division was also known as the "Middle West" division, another variation on its origin.

Insignia of the 89th Infantry Division. The 89th Infantry Division's nickname, the "Rolling W," is based on the division's insignia.
Insignia of the 89th Infantry Division

Insignia of the 89th Infantry Division. The 89th Infantry Division's nickname, the "Rolling W," is based on the division's insignia. Created during World War I, this insignia utilized a letter "M" inside a wheel. When the wheel turns, the "M" becomes a "W." The letters "MW" signify the mid-west origin of the troops who formed the 89th during World War I. The division was also known as the "Middle West" division, another variation on its origin.

  • US Holocaust Memorial Museum - Collections

Author(s): United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC

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?

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