"Thunderbirds"

World War II

On 16 September 1940, the 45th Infantry Division was federalized into the Active duty force. The division's two combat commands, the 89th and 90th Brigades were not activated, as the Army favored smaller and more versatile regimental commands for the new conflict. The Division was based around the 157th Infantry Regiment, the 179th Infantry Regiment, and the 180th Infantry Regiment. Also assigned to the division were the 158th, 160th, 171st, and 189th Field Artillery Battalions, the 46th Signal Company, the 700th Ordinance Company, the 45th Quartermaster Company, the 45th Reconnaissance Troop, the 120th Engineer Combat Battalion, and the 120th Medical Battalion.

Anzio

Allied forces conducted a frontal assault on the Gustav Line stronghold at Monte Cassino, and VI Corps was assigned Operation Shingle, detached from the Army Group to land behind enemy lines at Anzio. For this mission, the 45th Infantry Division was given additional Armor units. The VI Corps landed on schedule, surprising German forces, however General Mark Clark's decision to consolidate the beachhead instead of attack gave the Germans time to bring the LXXVI Panzer Corps to oppose the landings. On 30 January 1944, when VI Corps moved out, it encountered heavy resistance from German armored units which inflicted heavy casualties. The fight became a war of attrition, and for the next four months the division stood its ground during repeated German counterattacks. The 45th Infantry Division was mostly stuck in its place as the Pimlott Line was subjected to bombardment from aircraft and artillery fire. It was May before the Germans, reeling from heavy bombing and repeated attack from the Fifteenth Army Group, began to withdraw. On 23 May the division went on the offensive, crossing the Tiber River by 4 June and, in the process, outflanked Rome. VI Corps linked up with the rest of the Fifth Army by May 25, and, as the division crossed the river, the Fifth Army entered and captured Rome. As a result, the 45th Infantry was the first military unit to enter the Vatican. On 16 June, it withdrew for rest in preparation for another assault. During this time, VI Corps was attached to the Seventh United States Army, Sixth United States Army Group, part of a buildup in preparation for an invasion of mainland Europe in southern France, called Operation Anvil, which was to coincide with Operation Overlord in the north. The 45th Infantry Division, along with the 36th and 3rd Infantry Divisions were pulled from the line in Italy to conduct Operation Anvil, however the attack was delayed until August due to a shortage of landing craft.

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