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442 Infantry Regiment Question

Discussion in 'WWII General' started by Riter, Jun 13, 2020.

  1. Riter

    Riter Well-Known Member

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    The 442 Infantry Regiment composed of Americans of Japanese descent was assigned to the 36th Infantry Division when it was pulled out, put on boats and transferred secretly to Italy where it was attached to the 92nd Infantry Division for the remainder of the war. Why the move? Did Mark Clark pull strings to bolster the untested 92nd (Buffalo soldiers)?
     
  2. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    My father was a member of the 473rd Infantry (converted from Antiaircraft). This came from Wiki. A great deal of information about the 92nd is being re-evaluated.
    After continuing poor combat performance including many instances of unauthorized withdrawals upon meeting the enemy, low morale and malingering, the 92nd Infantry Division was considered of inferior quality both by German and U.S. commands and fit for only defensive roles. Things deteriorated to the point that the division was withdrawn from the lines and rebuilt in early 1945 with the removal of the 366th Infantry Regiment (formed into two engineer general service regiments) and the addition of the 473rd and 442nd Infantry Regiments. Many historians have begun to reevaluate the combat record of the 92nd Division as contemporaneous reports of its honorable performance have continued to surface. Numerous veterans of the division believed that the reports of poor performance were motivated by racist sentiments present within the senior officer ranks. Even as evidence mounts in support of the division's honorable conduct, some still seek to suppress these facts.[14] The famous and highly decorated Nisei 442nd, made up of Japanese Americans, was withdrawn from the fighting in France to bolster the division's combat effectiveness.
     
  3. Riter

    Riter Well-Known Member

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    Thanks!
     
  4. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake Member

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    One of the Indian divisions (8th?10th?) replaced the 92nd north of Lucca. One British officer observed that for native troops to fight well,the soldiers have to believe that their race is respected and honoured for its fighting prowess. That was not true of black units in the US Army in WW2.
     
  5. TD-Tommy776

    TD-Tommy776 Man of Constant Sorrow

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    I recommend that, rather than taking the Wiki entry at face value, go to the footnotes and references and read the source material yourself.
     
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