Re: war in the pacific
This is the best I can do for you. All hand typed, no cutting and pasting.
Source: Order of Battle, US Army World War II, by Stanton, 1984
186th Infantry Regiment (IR), 41st Infantry Division (ID) (Oregon National Guard)
Inducted 16 Feb 40 in Federal Service at Portland Oregon, assigned to 41st Infantry Division and moved to Camp Murray WA 23 Sep 1940 then to Fort Lewis WA 20 Mar 41 and departed San Francisco P/E 22 Apr 42. Arrived Australia 14 May 42 and moved by air to the Buna-Gona area of NEw Guinea about 25 Jan 43. Returned to Australia Jul 43 and back to New Guinea 11 May 44. Assualted Hollandia 27 Apr 44; assualted Biak Island 27 May 44 and departed 2 Feb 44. Assualted Palawan Island, Philipines 28 Feb 45 and rejoined divisin at Zamboanga Mindanao 27 Mar 45. Inactivated in Japan 31 Dec 45.
41st Infantry Divsion Narrative (excluding other detached regiments) [Some of the information is hard to follow as the narrative I am reading mentions "the division", but due to the nature of the operation, it sometimes was only 1 regiment out the three actually fighting, but I don't know which one]
Division moved in echelon to Australia, arriving 9 Apr through 13 May 42, depending on the regiment. See above for the 186th's dates.
The division moved to New Guinea with the 163rd IR carrying the burden of the fighting and returned to Australia by 3 Oct 43.
Division relocated to Finschhafen New Guinea on 20 Mar 44 and regiments parceled out on different tasks. The 186th and 162nd formed Task Force RECKLESS and lnvaded Humboldt Bay 22 Apr 44. The two regiments captured Hollandia and Sentani airdromes. They were relieved by the 24th ID 6 May 44 and division moved to Hollekang for rehab.
186th landed against slight oppostion on Biak Island 27 May 44. The 162nd was forced back from it's positions west of Parai and was forced to evacuate by land and water to a small perimeter near Idbi. The 163rd landed 31 May 44 and the 186th pushed into the Island plateau on 1 June 44. AFter 162nd reorganized and began push through the Parai Defile, which was not cleared until the entire division was committed on 12 Jun 44. The 186th seized Mokmar Airfield 7 Jun 44 and the caves were cleared by 4 Jul 44. The division mopped up the island until 20 Aug 44. Division departed Biak by echelon 29 Jan-1 Feb 45 and moved to Mindoro, Philipines, 8-9 Feb 45.
The 186th assulted Palawan Island 28 Feb 45, taking Puerto Princesa and it's airfields, seized hill 1445 on 8 Mar 45 and eliminated Japanese mountain positions until 27 Mar 45, when it returned to division control. The division landedon the Zamboanga Peninsula on Mindanao on 10 Mar 45. Orgainzied resistance here ended 29 Mr 45. Division assaulted numerous small islands in the area, with the 186th taking Busuanga Island 4 May 45. Fighting continued on the various islands and the division continued to mop up the area until the then end of the war.
KIA 743 WIA 3,504 Died of Wounds 217
Commanders (in the Pacific)
MG Horace H. Fuller (Dec 41- Jun 44)
MG Jens A. Doe (Jun 44 - )
Assignments:
Army Forces in Australia -6 May 42
I Corps - 8 Sep 42
Sixth Army - 24 Feb 44
I Corps - 23 Mar 44
Sixth Army - 6 May 44
I Corps - 15 Jun 44
Sixth Army - 29 Jun 44
Eighth Army - 9 Oct 44
I Corps - 1 Jul 45
X Corps - 15 Aug 45
The switching back and forth from Army to Corps was usually indicative of the division passing from active combat participation to reserve (R&R, etc).
Organizaton 1944
162nd IR (formerly Oregon National Guard)
163rd IR (formerly Montana NG)
186th IR
Arty
146th Field Artillery Battalion (105mm)
167 FA (105)
295th FA (105)
218th FA (155)
41st REcon Troop, Mech
116th Engineer Combat Batt
116th Medical Batt
41st Counter Intell Corps Det.
Special Troops
Military Police platoon
741st Ordinance light Maintenance Co.
41st QM Co.
41t Signal Co.
__________________
Best Regards,
JW
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