The 10th 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 10th 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.
10th Armored Division Campaigns during World War II
On September 23, 1944, the 10th Armored Division arrived in the French port of Cherbourg. It soon advanced eastward into the province of Lorraine and along the Moselle River valley. When the German army launched its offensive in the Battle of the Bulge, the "Tiger" division was diverted to the north, where it provided support to Allied forces in the town of Bastogne, Belgium. The 10th returned in early 1945 to the Moselle-Saar region to continue its drive into Germany. On March 2, 1945, the unit captured the city of Trier. It crossed the Rhine River later that month. Moving southward into Bavaria, the 10th took the town of Oberammergau and had reached Innsbruck, Austria, when the war ended.
The 10th Armored Division and the Liberation of Dachau
As it drove into the heartland of Bavaria, the "Tiger" division overran one of the many subcamps of Dachau in the Landsberg area on April 27, 1945.
Recognition as a Liberating Division
The 10th 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 1985.
10th Armored Division Battle Casualty Figures
The following are tentative battle casualty figures for the 10th Armored Division in the European Theater of Operations:
- Killed: 710
- Wounded: 3,400
- Missing: 586
- Captured: 1
- Total battle casualties: 4,697
10th Armored Division Nickname and Insignia
The nickname of the 10th Armored Division was “Tiger Division.” It originated from a division-wide contest held while the unit was training in the United States. The name symbolizes the division "clawing and mauling" its way through the enemy, and also reflects the Division’s slogan “Terrify and Destroy.” During the war, the Germans nicknamed the 10th the “Ghost Division” for its tendency to show up unexpectedly in different parts of the frontlines against the same German units.
The patch or insignia of the 10th 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 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?