History of the
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
ESTABLISHMENT
OF THE 11th CAVALRY
2 February 1901
After
attaining victory in the Spanish-American War of 1898, the United States found
itself with the new task of Territorial Administration. In large part, the job
fell to the regular Army. Found to be undermanned for the mission, Congress
increased the standing army by five infantry and five cavalry Regiments. Thus,
on 2 February 1901, the 11th Cavalry Regiment was the first of five newly
formed cavalry regiments. The 12th, 13th, 14th and the 15th Cavalry Regiments
followed.
On 11 March
1901, the first recruits of the new Regiment reported for training at Fort
Myer, Virginia. A combat tested veteran of the Civil War, who also gave
distinguished service in the Spanish-American War, was tasked with raising the
Regiment and serving as its first commanding officer. The 11th Cavalry was
exceptionally fortunate in having the standard set by such an experienced and
resourceful officer as Colonel Francis Moore; FIRST COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT.
"I have
400 men who have never seen a horse, I have 400 horses who have never seen a
man, and I have 15 Officers who have never seen a man or a horse." This
sentiment was fully shared throughout the newly formed 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th
and 15th Cavalry regiments.
THE FIRST
UNIFORM
The headgear
is referred to as a “campaign hat.” It resembled a fedora with a crease down
the middle of the crown. The shirt was made of dark blue chambray and the
trousers were a buff-colored khaki with canvas leggings over low cut boots. A
dark blue coat was used for dress occasions while a khaki coat was issued for
field use. When mounted, the trooper wore brass rowel spurs and gauntlets
(riding gloves). His holstered .38 caliber double action Colt revolver hung
opposite a Model 1860 Light Cavalry Saber on a canvas “Mills” belt that held
double rows of cartridges for his rifle. Slung from his saddle was a tin cup, a
flat circular canteen, a blue blanket, and the famous smokeless powder
Krag-Jorgensen magazine fed carbine.
The typical
soldier began his day with “Stable Call” at 0500 hrs. Tasked with caring for
his mount before addressing his own needs, the Trooper rubbed down, fed and
exercised his horse. Next came routine with which soldiers of today can readily
identify. This involved close order drill, athletics, guard duty, and honing
the skills of scouting and patrolling. Afternoons were devoted to mounted
drill, one of which was known as the “Monkey Drill.” This maneuver required the
Trooper to ride bareback hands free while putting his horse through various
maneuvers. The pay of the 11th Cavalry soldier in the early 1900′s was
$13.00 a month for a six-day workweek. Sunday was a day off when Troopers
received mounted passes that permitted riding through the countryside.
PHILIPPINE
ISLANDS
(Philippine Campaign Medal)
By June
1901, the Regiment was fully activated, although its three Squadrons were
separated to posts in Missouri, Vermont and Virginia. Six months of intensive
training culminated with orders to depart for the Philippines to assist in putting
down the insurrection there. First Squadron traveled overland and embarked out
of San Francisco to Hawaii, Wake Island and then on to the Philippines. Second
and Third Squadrons left by way of New York on the U.S.A.T. Buford (Army
Transport Service), arriving in Manila after a sixty-one day voyage which
included passage through the Suez Canal.
Future
President William Howard Taft was the First Civil Governor of the Philippines
and his governorship of the islands was a high mark in colonial administration
for any nation. He had First Squadron dispatched to Samar, Second Squadron to
Batangas Province, and Third Squadron to northern Luzon. Experiencing jungle
warfare for the first time, the Regiment fought dismounted. The name of Private
Clarence L. Gibbs, KIA 4 March 1902, was the first to be placed on the 11th
Cavalry Roll of Honor.
By May 1902,
working from satellite camps attached to larger base camps, daily patrols of
Troopers had swept the countryside of guerrillas and the Regiment began the
transition to garrison operations. The tropical climate, illness and guerrilla
warfare had depleted the Regiment to one-third strength.
Orders home
were issued in March 1904 and within a month, the Regiment was scattered around
the United States once more. HQ and Second Squadron were at Ft. Des Moines,
Iowa; First Squadron was assigned to the historic cavalry post at Ft. Riley,
Kansas; Third Squadron was split between Ft. Sheridan, Illinois and Jefferson
Barracks, Missouri. It was not until summer 1905 that the Regiment served
together for the first time when it was consolidated at Ft. Des Moines.
CUBAN
PACIFICATION
(Army of Cuban Pacification Medal 1906-09)
The Cuban
republic was established after the 1898 Spanish-American War. In 1901 the Platt
Amendment, a rider attached to the Army Appropriations Bill of 1901, stipulated
the conditions for U.S. intervention in Cuba that virtually made the island an
U.S. protectorate. Under the terms of this bill the United States established -
and retains to this day - a naval base at Guantanamo Bay.
In mid-1906
Cuban internal strife caused the United States to invoke the Platt Amendment
and send troops to the island nation in an attempt to restore order. William
Howard Taft, now Secretary-of-War, sent his Philippine Insurrection veterans,
the experienced 11th Cavalry Regiment under the command of Colonel Earl D.
Thomas, 2nd COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT.
Pulled from
its annual maneuvers at Fort Riley, Kansas, First Squadron returned to Fort Des
Moines while the balance of the regiment left for Cuba by way of Newport News.
The regiment arrived in Havana ahead of its horses on 16 October 1906 and set
up base camp outside the city. A storm with hurricane force winds struck the
next day, destroying the camp and battering the ships still at sea so badly
that over 200 mounts were killed. The troopers of the day quickly recovered and
assumed control of western Cuba. Regimental Headquarters was established in
Pinar del Rio after a 29 hour/110 mile force march by Troop F. The mission of
the 11th Cavalry was to ‘show the flag’ by conducting mounted patrols
throughout the countryside between the villages. While in Cuba the regiment was
joined by its new commander, Colonel James Parker, 3rd COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT.
“Galloping Jim” (the longest serving Colonel) continued peacekeeping operations
during the Regiment’s two-year stay, demonstrating to the natives that the US
Army’s Cavalry was ready for any and all eventualities. Although conflict is at
times inevitable, the 11th Cavalry Regiment best serves the country when it
commands respect and thereby averts war through a show of strength. This will
be repeated time and again throughout the history of the regiment.
By 1909, the
political situation in Cuba was stable and the regiment was recalled. In late
February, they began hurried preparations to embark out of Havana and return to
the United States. The reason for the hasty departure became apparent when,
upon arriving once again in Newport News, Virginia on 1 March 1909, they were
immediately ordered to Washington D.C. by train. Arriving in a severe blizzard,
the troopers of the 11th Cavalry Regiment nonetheless readied themselves for
the task at hand. The next day, 4 March 1909, the Regiment assumed a place of
honor in the inaugural parade of their old friend and now President, William
Howard Taft.
After the
inauguration of President Taft, the regiment settled into garrison life at its
new home at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. The reprieve was short lived however, as
in early 1911 the regiment was deployed to the Texas/Mexico border in response
to Mexico’s internal political turmoil, which threatened to spill into the
United States. This would prove to be the first of many border postings for the
11th Cavalry. The crisis soon eased and the regiment returned to Fort
Oglethorpe in November.
11th Cavalry: Mexican Border patrol 1913. DLIFLC & POM Archives
LUDLOW
MASSACRE
In May 1914,
the 11th Cavalry found itself on the go again, this time to Colorado. A
violent-marred coal strike had culminated in the so-called Ludlow Massacre in
which several miners along with two women and eleven children were killed in
the small town of Trinidad. Secretary of War Lindley M. Garrison dispatched the
Regiment to perform the difficult and delicate task of restoring order to a
community torn by rioting in the wake of the massacre. It was even more
frustrating for our troopers considering many came from the coal mining
villages of West Virginia and they knew what life is like working under these
conditions. The troopers of the 11th Cavalry performed their sensitive mission
well, winning praise for their "poise, justness, absolute impartiality,
and effectiveness." The Regiment returned to Georgia in January 1915 for a
stay of a little over a year.
FOOD FOR
MARCHING ORDER
The menu of
the troops must not be forgotten. In every game of chance, there is always a
possible element of disappointment, but there is neither chance nor
disappointment in the matter of meals for troops. They were dealt the
inevitable “government straight” consisting of canned baked beans, canned
tomatoes, canned corn bread (“Corned Willie”), coffee and prunes. This may not
sound so bad, but it did get monotonous.
THE GREAT
WAR
World War I
began on 28 July 1914, one month after the assassination of the heir to the
Austro-Hungarian throne by a Serbian terrorist in Sarajevo, Bosnia. The United
States was not immediately drawn into “The Great War”, as it was then known.
American lives were lost however, during the sinking of the British liners
Lusitanian and Arabic in May and August of 1915. After hostile reactions from
American citizens and vehement protests from the U.S. Government, Germany
announced the cessation of unlimited submarine war. Meanwhile, events much
closer to home were commanding the attention of the 11th Cavalry.
PUNITIVE
EXPEDITION
MEXICO – 1916
(Mexican Service Medal)
On 9 March
1916, the Mexican revolutionary “Pancho” Villa raided the town of Columbus, New
Mexico. President Woodrow Wilson ordered Brigadier-General John J. “Black Jack”
Pershing to lead a Punitive Expedition into Mexico to destroy Villa’s rebel
army. On 12 March the 11th Cavalry under the command of James Locket (4th
COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT) was ordered to report to Pershing. The lead elements
of the Regiment moved out that very night.
A feature of
railroad troop trains is their ability for “rapid” transit. At every station
stop, a delegation of the Red Cross met the trains with hot coffee and sweet
smiles. At El Paso, Texas the 11th Cavalry was ordered to go directly to
Columbus, New Mexico to join the expedition going into Mexico.
Lieutenant-Colonel Henry T. Allen led First Squadron as the forward element
into that country.
The
Provisional Squadron of the 11th Cavalry was formed under the command of Major
Robert L. Howze. On 10 April 1916, a Villista patrol engaged Major Howze's
advance guard. In the ensuing battle, the Regiment suffered its first
casualties of the campaign with three wounded and Private Kirby of Troop M was
killed. Trooper Kirby was buried where he fell. The Regiment had forced marched
for 21 days over 571 miles. Two troops (companies) of the 10th Cavalry, the
“Buffalo Soldiers" reinforced the Regiment at Parral. Cut off from their
base at Colonia Dublan, the Squadron was sorely in need of re-supply. “Our
animals were low in flesh. Officers had to watch their men to keep them from
eating part of the corn allowance of the horses.”
THE LAST
CHARGE
On 5 May
1916, the 11th Cavalry had the honor of making what proved to be the last
mounted charge in regular US Cavalry history. This would be the first of a
number of ‘lasts’ the 11th would undertake in its career as a regular Army
unit, including the last forced march and the last mounted combat patrol. The
account of the ‘Last Charge’ was noted as follows: “The column advanced onto
the village to be found out by guards. The bugler sounded and with guidon
flying on high the charge began. The troopers entered Ojo Azules with pistols
firing, bugle sounding out orders, commands being screamed, and the thunder of
hoofs all putting fear into the hearts of the enemy.” To the average trooper it
was just, another day of service to his country.
Howze’s War
Diary – 5 May 1916
5 May 1916
report to General Pershing: “We made an over-night march to Ojo Azules,
distance thirty-six miles. Reached here at 5:45 a.m. unfortunately one-half
hour after daylight. We surprised Julia Acosta, Cruz Domingues and Antonio
Angel; jumped them. Had a running fight for two hours. Drove their bands into
the hills between here and Carichic. Killed forty-two verified by officers;
captured several and some fifty to seventy-one ponies and mules. It is believed
that we killed Angel, although identification not completed. We rescued a
Carranza lieutenant and four soldiers just before they were to be shot. We
followed the enemy, consisting of about 140, until our horses were wholly
exhausted, but the chase did not stop until the enemy's left flank had been
broken up entirely. In fact, those who escaped us did so as individuals. Our
discovery was by Villista herd guards, which fired at our Indians, and alarmed
the enemy, which ran pell mell, firing at us in their flight. The remarkable
part is although the clothing of several of our men was hit; not a single man
was wounded, thanks to the utter surprise and confusion of the enemy. We lost
three or four horses. It is needless to say that officers and men behaved as
would be expected.”
The 11th
Cavalry withdrew from Mexico on 5 February 1917; five days after Germany
resumed a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare against American shipping on
31 January.
THE
ZIMMERMAN TELEGRAM
International Intrigue affects the 11th Cavalry
1 March 1917
saw the publication of a German memorandum proposing a defensive alliance with
Mexico in case of war between Germany and the United States with the proviso
“…that Mexico is to recover the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas and
Arizona…” which caused a wave of American outrage. Alfred Zimmerman, German
Foreign Secretary, had sent the coded message on 19 January, which also
contained the suggestion that Mexico urge Japan to join the Central Powers, to
von Eckhardt, the German Minister to Mexico. British Naval Intelligence
intercepted and decoded it, giving a copy to the U.S. Ambassador to Britain on
24 February. After verification, it was released to the press 1 March. At the
time, the British Navy had the German merchant fleet bottled up in the Gulf of
California port of Santa Rosalia.
The United
States' declaration of war on Germany, enacted by Congress on 6 April 1917,
found the Regiment pausing at Ft. Bliss, Texas as part of a provisional First
Cavalry Division. Due to the threat outlined in the Zimmerman telegram and the
proximity of the German merchant fleet, a detachment of the 11th was stationed
on the border at Camp John Beacom in Calexico, California (nearest border
crossing to the German fleet) while another was stationed in the Campo area.
These detachments continued border duty until 1920. Within a month new orders
came and Colonel James B. Irwin (6th COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT) led the remainder
of the Regiment back to Chickamauga Park, Georgia, near Ft. Oglethorpe. The
next two years saw various elements of the 11th Cavalry scattered throughout
the South and West.
11th Cavalry troopers on the porch of their barrack posing with what appears to
be a M1913 enlisted cavalry saber, also known as the Patton sword or saber,
Presidio of Monterey, circa 1920's. DLIFLC & POM Archives
Some of the cups won by the Eleventh Cavalry, circa 1922
THE QUIET
YEARS
On 9 July
1919, the main body of the Regiment departed Ft. Meyer, Virginia on a
transcontinental trek to a new duty station at the Presidio of Monterey,
California. Second and Third Squadrons, whose troops had been scattered
throughout Georgia, Wyoming, and California, soon rejoined the HQ. Here the
Regiment remained for over two decades, during the “Quiet Years.”
11th Cavalry: Sgt. Lenke on “Romeo”, Presidio of
Monterey, circa 1920's. DLIFLC & POM Archives
Costume dance 11th Cavalry, Presidio of Monterey, circa
1922.
Officers of the 11th Cavalry at the Presidio, circa 1922
Presidio
duties included exercising horses on the beaches of Monterey, extended war
maneuvers in the forests and deserts of California and summer training of ROTC
personnel at Fort Lewis, Washington. In the 1930′s, running the Citizen’s
Military Training Corps (CMTC) Program in Monterey was an additional
requirement. In the comparatively genteel Army of the 1920′s and 1930′s,
the Regiment’s spare time was filled with unit competitions in polo and
horsemanship.
Headquarters Troop, 11th Cavalry, Presidio of Monterey, circa 1922.
First Squadron Headquarters Detachment, 11th Cavalry, Presidio of Monterey,
circa 1922.
"A" Troop, 11th Cavalry, Presidio of Monterey, circa 1922.
"B" Troop, 11th Cavalry, Presidio of Monterey, circa 1922.
"C" Troop, 11th Cavalry, Presidio of Monterey, circa 1922.
Second Squadron Headquarters Detachment, 11th Cavalry, Presidio of Monterey,
circa 1922.
"E" Troop, 11th Cavalry, Presidio of Monterey, circa 1922.
"F" Troop, 11th Cavalry, Presidio of Monterey, circa 1922.
"G" Troop, 11th Cavalry, Presidio of Monterey, circa 1922.
Supply Troop, 11th Cavalry, Presidio of Monterey, circa 1922.
THE GREAT
PRESIDIO OIL FIRE
OF 1924
At 1000
hours on September 14, 1924, the 11th Cavalry once again found itself in a
fight. However, this time there were no bullets involved. The Presidio of
Monterey was located right next to the Tidewater-Associated Marine Terminal, an
oil storage facility. One of the oil storage tanks had been struck by lightning
and set on fire. The fires in the wooden oil storage tanks were soon found to
be almost impossible to control and the fire spread. Those warehouses closest
to the fire contained grain and hay for the horses of the Regiment. The Army
began to evacuate these warehouses and the work was completed just 10 minutes
before the first oil tank exploded, covering the buildings with burning oil. As
the burning tanks collapsed, rivers of burning oil flowed down the streets
towards Monterey Bay. The heat from the fires became so intense that people
several hundred feet away were burned.
Troopers
fought the fires from behind sections of wooden fencing used as shields against
the heat. Ladders were placed up against the sides of the burning tanks and
troopers were ordered up them to spray water directly into the tanks. Many of
these troopers died when the tanks collapsed and they were thrown into the
burning oil.
Five days
later, when the fire had finally burning itself out, it was found that 26 men
were missing from the rolls and several hundred were injured. (Through the Army
Memorial Program, many streets of Monterey, California, bear the names of the
men who died fighting the fire. The bravery of these troopers is still
remembered today, for if the oil had been allowed to flow down onto the town of
Monterey and the many wooden structures, a greater number of loss of life and
property would have most certainly been greater if it was not for the 11th
Cavalry.
Colonel John Murray Jenkins, Commanding, 11th Cavalry, Presidio of Monterey,
circa 1922
LESSONS
LEARNED: With this and other similar above ground oil storage tanks fires,
lessons were learned, that have affected the oil storage procedures industry
wide.
That is, due
to the fixed roofing and with repeated drainage/refilling; would naturally
generate spacing between the oil and roofing unit. Vapors would develop and it
is this, that most believed actually ignited, when the lighting struck.
Lightning rods are of little value in these situations. When rainwater or the
fire extinguishing water would land on top of the oil, this in time would
descend as oil being lighting then water. With the tempter of the burning oil
began reaching 212 degrees, the water converts to vapor expanding rapidly thus
causing eruption of hot boiling burning oil.
This was not
a familiar concept to the troopers who were working in good faith they treated
the fire as a "wood burning fire" and continued to spray water onto
the tanks hoping to cool the metal/wood casing enough to contain the oil. As
the heat would transfer from one tank unit across to an adjacent unit that too
would reach a tempter causing that unit to likewise explode, which lead to more
loss of life.
Any water
accumulated from previous rains that became covered with repeated
"drainage/refilling of oil" generated a layering of oil-water-oil
etc., when heated, expands and explodes or in this case, oil boiled up and over
the sides of the containers. There are several accounts of the storage tank
casings becoming too hot and collapsing inward tossing the troopers into the
vat of burning oil.
Major lesson
learned is that now the "tops" of these oil storage units are a
floating top that does not allow the collection of vapors, distance between
tanks has extended, a massive earth works have been constructed to contain the
total oil within the storage unit in a designated area thus preventing
expansion of the burning oil over to other units.
NOTE:
Presidio Fire Station
While
Brigadier General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing (along with the 11th
Cav)
was withdrawing from Mexico and the conclusion of the Punitive Expedition a
tragic fire that took the lives of Pershing's wife and three of his four
children. The Presidio Fire Department was the first military fire department
to be established in the United States and was staffed by a civilian fire crew.
The Fire Station was one of the first Army stations equipped with automotive
fire engines.
THE FIRST
SHOLDER SLEEVE INSIGNATIA
(The First Patch)
The 11th
Cavalry was assigned to 3d Cavalry Division August 1927 - March 1933. Where
they were then assigned to 2d Cavalry Division October 1933 - October 1940. The
2d Cavalry Division "Patch" was the Regiments first patch worn.
THE 11TH
CAVALRY
“GOES HOLLYWOOD”
During the
inter-war period, Hollywood secured the 11th Cavalry to make war movies. The
Regiment was involved in the making of two motion pictures, “Troopers Three”
(1929) and “Sergeant Murphy” (1937). The latter starred a promising young actor
in his second film by the name of Ronald Reagan, himself an Army Reserve
Cavalryman in Troop B, 322nd Cavalry. On May 25, 1937, he was appointed a
second lieutenant in the Officers’ Reserve Corps of the Cavalry. Ronald Reagan
was the last US President who served as a horse mounted cavalryman and the only
one to “serve” with the 11th Cavalry Regiment.
THE GOLDEN
GATE BRIDGE
The Regiment
participated in many ceremonies, such as marking the opening of the Golden Gate
Bridge at San Francisco on 1 June 1937. The guidon was entrusted into his care
as the ‘D’ Troop guidon bearer commencing in 1935 until he left the Regiment in
1940. The guidon for ‘D’ Troop was carried by Pvt. Hubert Brown on that day and
has been donated by him to the Regiment's museum.
“HORSE TO
HORSEPOWER”
The 1920′s
and 1930′s saw the gradual introduction of armored cars, trucks and
motorcycles to the Regiment, supplementing the traditional horse, wagon and
pack mules. Scout cars were accepted in 1935 with the later M3A1 becoming the
pre-war mainstay. Special built tractor-trailers were capable of rapidly
transporting eight fully equipped Troopers with their horses to any staging
point. (It was also in the late 1930′s that the Regiment was issued the
Garand M1 to replace the venerable Springfield M1903 rifle.)
In the
mid-1930′s the US Army purchased European military equipment for testing
purposes. One such item was this horse drawn munitions wagon recently recovered
near Camp Locket, where the Regiment was stationed. It has been restored to the
original German Army forest green color just as it was used by the 11th
Cavalry. The Regiment added the distinctive crossed sabers of the Cavalry.
Field
maneuvers, large-scale exercises and an occasional search and rescue mission in
the mountains of Southern California gave the 11th Cavalry a unique training
opportunity among the Army's Cavalry Regiments. They were able to evaluate,
under as-near-to battlefield conditions as possible, the efficiency of the
horse in the modern army. One such rescue mission incorporated nearly every
vehicle in the regimental inventory. Using motorcycle squads, Bantam scout cars
(Jeeps), the M3A1 scout car, 1½-ton trucks and the age-old horse now deployed
by tractor-trailer, the Troopers combed rugged mountains for two lost
infantrymen. The lessons learned in the coordination of movement and the
maneuverability of the various components in the successful mission were
forwarded for study to Washington D.C. The information was taken to heart.
Virtually every single country entering WWII had horse mounted supply,
artillery and cavalry units in combat.
Over a dozen of those countries still fielded them at war's end. In April 1945,
the 4th German Cavalry Division alone surrendered 16,000 horse mounted
soldiers.
WAR CLOUDS
In 1939,
General George C. Marshall became Army Chief of Staff. With war clouds looming
over Europe, Marshall knew it was only a matter of time before the United
States was drawn into another conflict overseas. In order to prepare the
60,000-man army, he began a program to get the men out of the barracks and into
the field for a year of “toughening up.” Tent camps were to be constructed and
in turn various regiments of cavalry and infantry would take to the field. By
September 1940, General Marshall had convinced Congress to begin the first-ever
peacetime draft beginning in September 1940. In November 1940 the field
rotation for the 11th Cavalry began.
The new
camps for the Regiment were constructed in San Diego and Imperial counties,
near the Southern California/Mexican border. Camp Seeley, near El Centro,
California and Camp Morena; near Campo were built simultaneously. Camp Seeley
was used for desert training, training the horses to swim with rider up
(mounted) and was the location of Regiment’s rifle and machine gun ranges. Camp
Morena was for mountain and cold weather training. The Regiment would rotate
Squadrons between the two throughout the year. It was later decided to
establish a single camp suitable to house the entire Regiment at one site.
Construction of Camp Lockett (named for James Lockett, 4th COLONEL OF THE
REGIMENT) in Campo, where “E” Troop had been posted in 1918, began in 1941.
Built by the Quartermaster Corps, it is generally acknowledged that Camp
Lockett was the last designated mounted cavalry camp constructed in the U.S.
Army’s history. It remained a cavalry post for the 10th and 28th Regiments
after the 11th gave up its horses. Today the El Centro/Camp Seeley area remains
the home of the 11th Cavalry Horse Honor Guard (Historical) – “The Colonel’s
Own.”
Led by
Harold M. Rayner, (16th COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT) the main body moved from the
Presidio of Monterey to the Camp Seeley/Camp Morena duty stations. By this
time, the Regiment had reverted to three troops (companies) per squadron. The
Regiment’s HQ, First Squadron and Provisional Squadron were based at Camp
Seeley, while Second Squadron was posted at Camp Moreno. In March 1941, some
700 draftees from Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan joined the Regiment. They
were the first conscripts to ride with the Regiment.
The Regiment
underwent extensive training until 7 December 1941, when the Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor. On 10 December, the entire Regiment was ordered to occupy the
unfinished Camp Lockett. Those units based at Camp Morena made the five-mile
trek in short order. The Squadrons based at Camp Seeley commenced what became
the last “Forced March” in U.S. Horse Cavalry history, completing the
ninety-mile march over extremely rocky, mountainous terrain in one and a half
days. Once at Camp Lockett, horse-drawn artillery units occupied Camp Seeley
while its rifle range continued to be used by cavalry units from Camp Lockett.
Camp Morena was closed.
Immediately
following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, there were wild reports of Japanese
attacks on the California coast. Once at Camp Lockett, the regiment was posted
along the United States/Mexico border for the fourth time in its history; this
time to counter the rumored threat of enemy troops landing in Baja California
and marching north. Once the threat was proven to be false, the 11th Cavalry
Regiment was relieved by the 10th and the 28th (horse) Cavalry and stood down
to await further orders. They were supposed to ship out for Australia, but many
of the troopers came down with jaundice from the yellow fever vaccinations, so
they remained in California for the time being.
WORLD WAR II
The summer
of 1942 found the regiment reassigned to Fort Benning, Georgia where they were
inactivated as a horse mounted unit and reactivated as the 11th Armored
Regiment. Even then, massive reorganization efforts within the Army shuffled
various elements of the regiment around – eliminated some – but eventually
three distinct groups emerged from the chaos:
-Headquarters
& Headquarters Troop became 11th Cavalry Group Mechanized/XIII
Corps Activated 5 May 1943 at Camp Anza, California.
-First & Second Squadron became 11th Tank Battalion/10th Armored Division
-Third Squadron became 712th Tank Battalion/90th Infantry Division
“BATTLE OF
THE BULGE”
The Ardennes Offensive
The Battle
of the Bulge was the largest battle ever fought by the United States and was
the largest land battle of World War II. Fought from 16 December 1944 to 28
January 1945, it involved more than a million men including some 600,000
Germans, 500,000 Americans, and 55,000 British. The Germans had two Armies with
ten corps (equal to 29 divisions), while the Americans fielded three armies
with six corps (equal to 31 divisions). The end of the battle saw US casualties
as 81,000 with 19,000 killed, 1400 British casualties with 200 killed, and
100,000 Germans killed, wounded or captured.
This epic
battle has the distinction of being the only one that involved all three
elements of the old 11th Cavalry Regiment. The 11th Tank Battalion was
defending inside the bulge while the 712th Tank Battalion was in the relief
column punching its way in. The 11th Cavalry Group anchored a sector on the northern
shoulder of the bulge.
712TH TANK
BATTALION
The 712th
landed in France on D-Day + 23, and went into combat on 3 July 1944 on Hill
122, known as “the most expensive piece of real estate in World War II,” in terms
of casualties. In the 11-day battle that lasted from 3 July to 13 July, the
90th Infantry Division suffered 7,000 casualties. The 712th fought its way
through France crossing the Moselle River and then the Saar River. They came
back across the Saar and plunged into the Battle of the Bulge, after which they
crossed the Saar again, then the Rhine River. They had broken through the
Siegfried Line and were penetrating into the heart of Germany to Amberg by the
time the war ended. The 712th Tank Battalion returned to the States after the
war and was inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on 27 October 1945. The unit
followed a separate lineage until it was inactivated as the 95th Tank Battalion
of the 7th Armored Division on 15 November 1953. The unit rejoined the 11th
Armored Cavalry Regiment in October 1958.
11TH TANK
BATTALION
The 11th
Tank Battalion entered combat on 2 October 1944 and fought continuously until
the end of the war. One of the most dramatic contests occurred in the little
village of Berdorf, Luxembourg during the German Ardennes Offensive or ‘Battle
of the Bulge.’ The 11th Tank fought off relentless attacks by two entire Panzer
Battalions over the course of three days. The defenders suffered only 4 dead
and 20 wounded while losing only one tank and four half-tracks. They inflicted
casualties of 350 known enemy dead while destroying seven tanks and three
half-tracks. The gallant stand helped buy time for relief forces to move up and
block any further German advance. An enemy breakthrough at Berdorf would have
given the Germans a clear road to Luxembourg. One of the ‘Forward Observers’
positions was in the Berdorf Hof (Hotel), providing a clear view down the main
road into the village. After the war, the 11th Tank Battalion was inactivated
at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia on 13 October 1945.
11TH CAVALRY
GROUP (MECHANIZED)
The 11th
Cavalry Group would be destined to carry on the Regiment name. Then Lt. Leonard
D. Holder (37th COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT) of Troop B, 44th Squadron, was the
first to land on the shores of France. This Troop was given the honor of being
attached to General Dwight D. Eisenhower's headquarters to provide checkpoint
security and escort duty for the remainder of the war. On 23 November 1944 the
balance of the Group loaded onto a small fleet of Landing Ship Transports
(LST’s) and crossed the channel. The first assignment was to begin aggressive
patrols across the Roer River to check enemy movements. During the Battle of
the Bulge the 11th Cavalry Group held the entire sector normally occupied by a
division.
ROER TO THE
RHINE
When the
Allied offensive resumed after the Battle of the Bulge, the 11th Cavalry Group
was tasked with covering the flank of XIII Corps during the push from the Roer
to the Rhine. Faced with maintaining a 32-mile long screen, the Group developed
the tactic of leap-frogging squadrons through the villages along the way.
Constantly in contact with the enemy, the 11th Cavalry hit the Rhine River on 5
March 1945, having inflicted 487 casualties while taking only 56 themselves.
Now, with the German Army prepared to contest every single inch of territory,
the Blackhorse began probing the enemy defenses with across river patrols.
Crossing into the German heartland on 1 April, the 11th Cavalry resumed a
flanking screen for XIII Corps. Pushing ahead, virtually cut off from other
friendly units and supplies, the 11th scored bold victories as they liberated
more than one thousand American POW's along with several thousand slave labors
from a prison camps. The 11th Cavalry pushed on to the Elbe River, reaching it
on 14 April. Orders prevented them from any further eastward movement. Rather,
the unit was directed to swing north in a mopping up operation.
This thrust
deep into the enemy’s homeland culminated with the 11th Cavalry Group killing
and wounding 632 German soldiers and capturing 6,128 prisoners. In 21 days the
Regiment had moved 378 miles, suffered only 14 killed, and 102 wounded.
THE
BLACKHORSE MEETS
THE RUSSIAN BEAR
4 May 1945
The 11th
Cavalry Group had advanced at such a fast pace that they meet the III Russian
Corps coming into Germany near Kunrau. Since Germany was to be divided into
sectors, the 11th found themselves deep inside the Russian Occupation Zone.
After a brief celebration between the two over the Allied victory, the 11th
Cavalry Group withdrew to Hannover and began the task of army of occupation.
“THE CIRCLE
“C” COWBOYS”
May 1946 – November 1948
Early May
1946 found the 11th Cavalry Group (Mechanized) reverting from horsepower back
to horseflesh. The Group was re-designated the 11th Constabulary Regiment and
reissued horses drawn from world-renowned Polish breeding stock. Likewise, the
11th Tank Battalion stateside was re-activated as the Headquarters and
Headquarters Troop, 1st Constabulary Regiment. The horses were utilized, along
with other various modes of transportation, to accomplish the mission of
reconnaissance and surveillance of movements of the populace. The concern was
the possible resuming of hostilities by fraction groups. This elite force
roamed through its various sectors presenting a bearing of security, order and
stability to the country. The distinctive “C” inside a circle on the helmets
and shoulder patches earned the mounted Constabulary Regiments the nickname
“Circle C Cowboys” and brought the distinction of being the last horse mounted
combat patrols in US history.
20 September
1947 saw the 1st Constabulary Regiment inactivated with the 11th scheduled to
follow 30 November 1948. Both were converted and re-designated on 30 November
1948 as the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and inactivated.
THE BORDER
LEGION
The Cold War Heats Up
(March 1957-1964)
The 11th
Armored Cavalry Regiment was reactivated 1 April 1951 and assigned to Camp
Carson, Colorado. Col. Brainard S. Cook, (23rd COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT) was
tasked to rebuild the Regiment from the ground up. In early 1954 the Regiment
moved again, this time to Fort Knox, Kentucky where they trained reservists.
The Army of the 1950′s was a conscript force whose turnover rate affected
every part of the Army. To counter this effect the Army created GYROSCOPE, a
program that rotated entire units overseas instead of individuals. In mid-March
1957 the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment “Gyroscope’s” to Germany, was replacing
the 6th Armored Cavalry Regiment on the West German-Czechoslovakian Border. The
Regimental HQ and First Battalion were sent to Straubing on the Danube River;
Second Battalion moved to Landshut, 35 miles northwest of Munich; and Third
Battalion settled in the historic city of Regensburg. The Regiment was now part
of the Seventh Army and took up the peacetime mission of border surveillance.
This is when 2Lt. Frederick M. Franks, Jr. (50th COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT)
joined the 11th Cavalry for the first of several tours.
In May 1960
the Regiment added a separate Aviation Company, the precursor of larger
aviation components to follow. In an effort to regain a sense of historical
esprit de corps within the armored cavalry regiments, the Army reestablished
the nomenclature from battalions and companies to the traditional terms of
squadron and troops.
In late 1962, the Regiment was placed on full alert due to the Cuban Missile
Crisis, and remained in the field close to the Czechoslovakian border until the
crisis was averted - the only time in American history that the military was
placed on DEFCON 2. One other interesting fact was that Third Squadron was
housed in the only "fort" in Europe - Fort Skelly was their home
until returning stateside in 1964, when the Regiment departed Germany for Fort
Meade, Maryland.
1964 – 1966
At Ft. Meade, the men of the regiment were required to wear the 1st
Army patch because armored cavalry regiments were considered “army troops.” The
only identifying insignia worn by personnel was a patch depicting the familiar
“allons” crest on the left breast pocket.
THE
BLACKHORSE, BECOMES A LEGEND
VIETNAM
7 September 1966
In early 1966, the Regiment began redesigning its equipment for a new
type of warfare based on recommendations from American advisors based in Vietnam.
Additional armor and two more 30-cal. machine guns were added to the Regiment’s
M113s, transforming them into what became known as Armored Cavalry Assault
Vehicles or ACAVs. The new design of armored gun shields provided a measure of
protection for the crew and track commander. The result was a rapid all terrain
fighting vehicle which could deliver devastating firepower. At Vung Tau, South
Vietnam, on September 7, 1966, (the Air
Troop arrived in December), the Regiment made an amphibious landing under
the command of William W. Cobb, (34th COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT) along with 3,762
troopers. The Regiment troops arrived in South Vietnam and quickly
engaged the enemy with M-48 tanks, ACAV’s, artillery and helicopters. The
11th ACR initially enter the Republic of Vietnam under regimental status and
not authorized a shoulder sleeve insignia. The Regiment established the justification to receive its own patch on 1
May 1967 from the Department of Heraldry and was the first of five Armored
Cavalry Regiments to receive a distinctive shoulder sleeve insignia. Due
to mission requirements and operations as an independent unit, the Chief of
Staff, General Harold K. Johnson, in February 1967, authorized the warring of a
distinctive patch.
As
authorized by the Secretary of the United States Army, gives grants and assigns
unto the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
following.
INSIGNIA
Description:
On a shield 2 ¾ inch (6.99cm) in width overall divided diagonally from upper
right to lower left, the upper portion red and the lower portion white, a
rearing black horse facing to the left all within a 1/8 inch (.32cm) black
border.
Symbolism: The
colors red and white are the traditional cavalry colors and the rearing black
horse alludes to the "Black Horse" nickname of the 11th Armored
Cavalry Regiment.
Under the
provisions of title 18 United States Code Section 101-104 the Shoulder Sleeve
Insignia here given having been registered and recorded in the Institute of
Heraldry United States Army are reaffirmed from this date and hereafter may
borne, shown and advanced by the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment as safe property
of said insignia.
Base camp was
established on November 1966 and the Regiment began reconnaissance in force
operations directed at suspected Viet Cong concentrations in the provinces
around Saigon.
Skeptics
questioned whether armor (tanks) vehicles could play an effective role in the
jungles of Vietnam. The Regiment responded to those skeptics by developing
innovative tactics, techniques, and procedures that established a reputation of
a relentless fighter. The main
operational areas for the Regiment squadrons were the provinces around Saigon and up to the Cambodian
border. When the Tet Offensive of January 1968 began, the Regiment was
ordered from Long Khanh Province, moving south towards Bien Hoa and Long Binh
to the defense of the city and fought
street by street to overcome the attacking Viet Cong and restore
security. The Regiment moved 80 miles at night through a contested area,
arriving 14 hours after its initial alert notice. This superb demonstration of
cavalry agility has become the trademark of this Regiment throughout its history.
Always ready to try new ideas, the Regiment added a new element to its Air
Cavalry Troop, the Aero-Rifle-Platoon (ARP). This airmobile unit was often sent
to search and destroy suspected enemy in areas accessible only by air. History now points out that the Viet Cong
were virtually annihilated during these battles. From that time forward North
Vietnamese Army units, well supplied and equipped by the communist superpowers,
would fight a war of attrition against the United States. Rarely however, would
they risk a head-to-head confrontation with their most feared adversary, the 11th
ACR.
Nine
different Colonels would lead the Regiment during its extensive stay in
country. One of the saddest days in the history of the Regiment occurred when
Col. Leonard D. Holder, (37th COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT) was killed just after
being in country only a few weeks. His aircraft malfunctioned after receiving
small arms fire and crashed. He died a few days later from injuries. He is the
only Colonel of the Regiment to have died while in command of the Regiment.
In July of 1968, the 39th Colonel of the Regiment, George S.
Patton Jr., assumed command and soon applied his expertise in armored combat
tactics. The Regiment moved the armor off the roads and into the jungles in search
of the enemy, a concept previously thought not feasible. This action was so
successful that the enemy could no longer move freely and was forced to seek
sanctuary inside neutral Cambodia. Colonel Patton coined the phrase, “FIND THE
BASTARDS, THEN PILE ON”, which remains today as the Regiment’s battle cry.
August 1969
saw another innovation under the command of James A. Leach (40th COLONEL OF THE
REGIMENT) when an entire Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle (ACAV) Troop using
modified M113 personnel carriers was airlifted by C130 aircraft. This enabled
the unit to be in combat at night, move by aircraft in the morning and be able
to re-engage the enemy at a different location by that evening. These bold
maneuvers kept the enemy at bay whenever he ventured out of his Cambodian
sanctuaries.
On 7
December 1969 Donn A. Starry (41st COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT) assumed command. By
28 April 1970 the Regiment was alerted to a major offensive that would finally
“take-out” the North Vietnamese sanctuaries in Cambodia. From well-established bases inside Cambodia,
the communists would strike out into South Vietnam and then return across the
border to resupply and regroup.
The 11th ACR received just 72 hours to refit, re-supply, and move into a
staging area south of the Cambodian Fishhook. This required Third Squadron,
which was the farthest away at the time, to road march 145 kilometers to its
assembly area.
On 1 May
1970 the Blackhorse stood ready to spearhead the Allied incursion into
Cambodia. Massive air strikes by B-52′s had already prepared the target
area. Second Squadron led the attack, followed by Third Squadron while First
Squadron provided rear guard security. Trailing the Regiment were elements of
the First Cavalry Division and several Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)
units. At 1030 on 1 May 1970 the Blackhorse crossed into Cambodia in an area called the Fish Hook to deny the
enemy of these safe havens. The Regiment was ordered to force-march 40
kilometers further north to capture the City of Snoul. Within the given 48
hours they reached the city and attacked with incredible ferocity on 5 May,
reminiscent of those mounted cavalrymen charging into Ojo Azules, Mexico after
Pancho Villa in 1916. Then Major Frederick M. Franks (50th COLONEL OF THE
REGIMENT), Second Squadron's S3, joined in an assault on an enemy anti-aircraft
position, when a NVA grenade landed near him. Colonel Starry burst into motion
and actually dove into Franks trying to knock him out of the way of the blast.
Major Frank’s life was spared with his chicken plate (flack vest), but his left
foot was a total mess. Colonel Starry hadn’t worn his chicken plate that day –
if he had, he would have only been scratched. Starry remains the only Colonel
of the Regiment to date to have been wounded while in Command. With Snoul
secured and 148 enemy killed, the Blackhorse began a systematic search of the
surrounding area. Colonel Starry turned over the reigns of the Blackhorse to
John L. Gerrity, (42nd COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT) on 22 June 1970. The Regiment had
captured or destroyed massive amounts of supplies and equipment depriving the
enemy of desperately needed succor.
The Cambodian Incursion was the last unrestrained offensive use of U.S.
ground forces in the war. The capture and destruction of tons of enemy weapons
and supplies left the enemy devastated and demoralized. The result was a
smoother transition of responsibility to the South Vietnamese military as the
American combat forces continued to withdraw. Countless American and allied
lives were saved by the operation that left the North Vietnamese Army crippled
and unable to mount an effective offensive for some time.
In February of 1971, First and Third Squadron redeployed to the U.S. and
were inactivated. On 6 April 1972, after almost six years of continuous combat
the Blackhorse Regiment’s Air Troop and Second Squadron departed Vietnam having
never lost a battle. As the Regiment troopers left Vietnam Wallace H. Nutting,
(43rd COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT) told them “We have all been privileged to ride
together with the Blackhorse in the cause of freedom. There is much on which we
can look with pride. Stand tall in the saddle. Allons!” One year later, on 29 March 1973, the last American combat troops were
withdrawn from Vietnam. Within two years, on 30 April 1975, Saigon fell to the
North Vietnamese.
In all, 730 Blackhorse troopers made the ultimate sacrifice by helping to
protect and defend the people of South Vietnam from their north communist
aggressors. The Regiment’s wounded totaled 5,761. Three 11th ACR
troopers were awarded the Medal of Honor, two of which were posthumous. The Regiment went
home from the toughest, most agonizing conflict that has ever engaged American
soldiers on foreign soil. Whatever the notation of the war’s outcome that
enters into the history books, it will be said that: “The Regiment troopers
have performed with estimable devotion to duty and unsurpassed gallantry. It
was the Regiment’s finest hour.” In its
best performance, the gallant troopers of the Blackhorse Regiment earned
fourteen battle streamers for bravery and forever secured a place in American
military history and legend.
In testimony
whereof these letters are given under my hand of the City of Alexandria in the
Commonwealth of Virginia this first day of May in the year of Our Lord one
thousand nine hundred and sixty seven and in the Independence of the United
States of American one hundred and ninety one.
Colonel,
Adjutant General's Corps
Commanding
Staff,
General Harold K. Johnson, in February 1967,
authorized the warring of a distinctive patch.
1st. Medal of Honor Recipient
YANO, RODNEY J. T.
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Air Cavalry Troop, 11th
Armored Cavalry Regiment. Place and date: Near Bien Hao, Republic of Vietnam, 1
January 1969. Entered service at: Honolulu, Hawaii. Born: 13 December 1943,
Kealakekua Kona, Hawaii. Citation: Sfc. Yano distinguished himself while
serving with the Air Cavalry Troop. Sfc. Yano was performing the duties of crew
chief aboard the troop’s command-and-control helicopter during action against
enemy forces entrenched in dense jungle. From an exposed position in the face
of intense small arms and antiaircraft fire he delivered suppressive fire upon
the enemy forces and marked their positions with smoke and white phosphorous
grenades, thus enabling his troop commander to direct accurate and effective
artillery fire against the hostile emplacements. A grenade, exploding
prematurely, covered him with burning phosphorous, and left him severely
wounded. Flaming fragments within the helicopter caused supplies and ammunition
to detonate. Dense white smoke filled the aircraft, obscuring the pilot’s
vision and causing him to lose control. Although having the use of only 1 arm
and being partially blinded by the initial explosion, Sfc. Yano completely
disregarded his welfare and began hurling blazing ammunition from the
helicopter. In so doing he inflicted additional wounds upon himself, yet he
persisted until the danger was past. Sfc. Yano’s indomitable courage and
profound concern for his comrades averted loss of life and additional injury to
the rest of the crew. By his conspicuous gallantry at the cost of his life, in
the highest traditions of the military service, Sfc. Yano has reflected great
credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
2nd. Medal of Honor Recipient
WICKAM, JERRY WAYNE
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Troop F, 2d Squadron, 11th Armored
Cavalry Regiment. Place and date: Near Loc Ninh, Republic of Vietnam, 6 January
1968. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 19 January 1942, Rockford, Ill.
Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of
his life above and beyond the call of duty. Cpl. Wickam, distinguished himself
while serving with Troop F. Troop F was conducting a reconnaissance in force
mission southwest of Loc Ninh when the lead element of the friendly force was
subjected to a heavy barrage of rocket, automatic weapons, and small arms fire
from a well concealed enemy bunker complex. Disregarding the intense fire, Cpl.
Wickam leaped from his armored vehicle and assaulted one of the enemy bunkers
and threw a grenade into it, killing 2 enemy soldiers. He moved into the
bunker, and with the aid of another soldier, began to remove the body of one
Viet Cong when he detected the sound of an enemy grenade being charged. Cpl.
Wickam warned his comrade and physically pushed him away from the grenade thus
protecting him from the force of the blast. When a second Viet Cong bunker was
discovered, he ran through a hail of enemy fire to deliver deadly fire into the
bunker, killing one enemy soldier. He also captured 1 Viet Cong who later
provided valuable information on enemy activity in the Loc Ninh area. After the
patrol withdrew and an air strike was conducted, Cpl. Wickam led his men back
to evaluate the success of the strike. They were immediately attacked again by
enemy fire. Without hesitation, he charged the bunker from which the fire was
being directed, enabling the remainder of his men to seek cover. He threw a
grenade inside of the enemy’s position killing 2 Viet Cong and destroying the
bunker. Moments later he was mortally wounded by enemy fire. Cpl. Wickam’s
extraordinary heroism at the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest
traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself and
the U.S. Army.
3rd. Medal of Honor Recipient
FRITZ, HAROLD A.
Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Army, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored
Cavalry Regiment. Place and date: Binh Long Province, Republic of Vietnam, 11
January 1969. Entered service at: Milwaukee, Wis. Born: 21 February 1944,
Chicago, 111. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at
the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Capt. (then 1st Lt.)
Fritz, Armor, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while serving as a platoon
leader with Troop A, near Quan Loi. Capt. Fritz was leading his 7-vehicle
armored column along Highway 13 to meet and escort a truck convoy when the
column suddenly came under intense crossfire from a reinforced enemy company
deployed in ambush positions. In the initial attack, Capt. Fritz’ vehicle was
hit and he was seriously wounded. Realizing that his platoon was completely
surrounded, vastly outnumbered, and in danger of being overrun, Capt. Fritz
leaped to the top of his burning vehicle and directed the positioning of his
remaining vehicles and men. With complete disregard for his wounds and safety,
he ran from vehicle to vehicle in complete view of the enemy gunners in order
to reposition his men, to improve the defenses, to assist the wounded, to
distribute ammunition, to direct fire, and to provide encouragement to his men.
When a strong enemy force assaulted the position and attempted to overrun the
platoon, Capt. Fritz manned a machine gun and through his exemplary action
inspired his men to deliver intense and deadly fire, which broke the assault
and routed the attackers. Moments later a second enemy force advanced to within
2 meters of the position and threatened to overwhelm the defenders. Capt.
Fritz, armed only with a pistol and bayonet, led a small group of his men in a
fierce and daring charge, which routed the attackers and inflicted heavy
casualties. When a relief force arrived, Capt. Fritz saw that it was not
deploying effectively against the enemy positions, and he moved through the
heavy enemy fire to direct its deployment against the hostile positions. This
deployment forced the enemy to abandon the ambush site and withdraw. Despite
his wounds, Capt. Fritz returned to his position, assisted his men, and refused
medical attention until all of his wounded comrades had been treated and
evacuated. The extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by Capt. Fritz,
at the repeated risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty, were in
keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army and reflect the greatest
credit upon himself, his unit, and the Armed Forces.
“THE
FRONTIER OF FREEDOM”
THE FULDA GAP
1972 – 1994
On 17 May 1972 the 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment furled its colors and was reflagged as the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. The Regiment once again unfurled its colors in Germany. This time it was at the famous Fulda Gap. The Regiment assumed a new, two-fold mission; defending the Fulda Gap against a possible Warsaw Pact attack while also conducting day-to-day surveillance of 385 kilometers of the Iron Curtain dividing East and West Germany. The Regiment relieved the inactivated 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment and joined V Corps – “The Victory Corps.”
The Regimental mission in the General Defense Plan (GDP) was to strongly reinforce the United States Army Europe (USAEUR) as the covering force for V Corps. The importance of the Fulda Gap is that it offers to any attacker from the east the shortest and most direct route across the middle of West Germany. A successful thrust through the Fulda Gap, aimed at seizing the Rhine River crossings at Mainz and Koblenz, would sever West German and NATO forces defending it.
As so often in the Regiment’s history, it had to disperse its squadrons. Located at Downs Barracks in the City of Fulda were the Regimental Headquarters and First Squadron, known as “Ironhorse.” Second Squadron, known as “Eaglehorse,” was stationed at Daley Barracks in the spa City of Bad Kissingen. Third Squadron, known as “Workhorse,” established its new home at McPheeters Barracks, Bad Hersfeld. Fourth Squadron, or “Thunderhorse,” was in Fulda, at Sickels Army Airfield, where aviation elements were stationed. Fourth Squadron grew to become one of the largest aviation units in the Army with 74 helicopters. A comprehensive effort to upgrade/modernize the Regiment’s various installations was begun by Crosbie Saint, (47th COLONEL OF THE REGIMENT). The “Quality of Life” program made living conditions more suitable for the Regiment.
Modernization brought with it organizational change on a comparable scale. The Regiment grew in size, became more diverse in its capabilities and increased its self-sufficiency. The Regiment now numbered over 4,600 soldiers, a four-fold increase over the original 1901 troop count. The first female soldier assigned to the Regiment, was SP-4 Cynthia Engh to HHT Regiment, RS-1 (1974-76). In 1985 the newly formed Combat Support Squadron, known as “Packhorse,” was activated in Fulda. Maintenance Troop was the largest in the Regiment with 366 troopers. Of special note was the 58th Combat Engineer Company, known as the “Red Devils,” who won the Itschner Award, symbolic of the best Combat Engineer unit in the U.S. Army. In 1991 the 511th Military Intelligence Company, known as “Trojanhorse,” was selected as the best company-sized intelligence unit in the Army.
Border operations were serious business. Each cavalry troop of the Regiment could expect border duty four times a year – each tour lasting 21-30 days. Duty day began with a 0600 border briefing, a review of SOP’s and an update on the latest sightings or incidents. Part of the mission was to demonstrate to potential adversaries that the Blackhorse, representing all NATO forces, was well-disciplined and ready to fight. The trooper's gear had to be clean, boots highly polished, uniforms pressed, weapons spotless, and radios fully operational. After inspection, the troopers were divided into reaction forces; observation posts (OP's), and patrol duty (PD’s). Usually two armored vehicles with 10 men would respond virtually without notice to any contingency along the border. The crews had 10 minutes to be moving out of the camp gate – fully equipped, weapons mounted, ammunition on board. Patrolling was a 24 hours a day – 7 days a week function.
Observation Posts (OP’s) served as base camps as well as vantage points for observation. First Squadron occupied OP Alpha near Hunfeld-Schlitz-Lauterbach. Second Squadron was at Camp Lee northeast of Bad Kissingen near Bad Neustadt. Troops were dispatched to OP Tennessee. Third Squadron manned two OP’s; Romeo, overlooking the Eisenach-Bad Hersfeld autobahn, at Herleshausen, which was a legal crossing, point.
THE WALL
CAME DOWN
9 November 1989
The Warsaw Pact and the legitimacy of the Eastern Europe’s Communist military regimes were disintegrating. The stage was clearly set for a dramatic transformation of the European status quo that had existed since the Cold War began.
One historic day changed the mission of the Regiment in Fulda irrevocably. On 1 March 1990 the Regiment ceased border operations altogether and closed its OP’s. Less than eleven months after the border opened for the two Germanys to re-unite, the Blackhorse lost its claim of being a “Border Regiment.”
The Regiment’s legacy was a justifiable pride at having played an important role in one of the greatest victories of military history, a victory all the more remarkable for having been won without firing a shot.
THE GULF CRISIS
(Southwest Asia Service Medal)
The unexpected surprise Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990 triggered the Gulf Crisis that gripped the world’s attention.
The Regiment was not deployed into the Gulf as a unit. The first deployment of 200 troopers included aircrews, mechanics, truck drivers, physician’s assistants, intelligence analysts and others. The scout platoons of Troop E and Troop K deployed as units. In the brief, but violent ground campaign that routed Saddam Hussein’s Army, one group of Blackhorse scouts, the 1st Platoon of Troop E distinguished themselves. While fighting as part of the 3rd ACR, led by 1st Lt. Tom Johnson and Staff Sergeant Richard Shelton, Troop E moved over 325 Kilometers in less than 60 hours, finishing the war just south of the Iraqi City of Basra. This one platoon captured thirteen enemy prisoners and destroyed thirteen trucks, two command bunkers, and the communications bunker. None of the scouts of Troop E, nor any other Blackhorse trooper, suffered any casualties.
The end of the actual hostilities in the Gulf did not result in a return to normalcy. Far from it, the aftermath of Saddam Hussein’s defeat triggered an uprising of Iraq’s oppressed Kurdish minority. The Iraqi military bloody suppression of the Kurdish uprising sent hundreds of thousands of Kurds fleeing into the mountainous wastes of southeastern Turkey and western Iran. The world watched in horrified wonderment when the United States took the lead in responding to this intolerable situation. American and Allied military units were directed to deliver relief supplies to the refugees.
The morning of 10 April 1991, V Corps directed the Blackhorse to deploy an aviation task force to supervise the relief operations in Turkey. This was no different from the “No-Notice” deployment to join General “Black Jack” Pershing, in 1916 in Mexico. The Regiment responded quickly and deployed for Operation PROVIDE COMFORT. Within 70 hours of receiving first warning orders, Task Force Thunderhorse, under the command of Major John Mainwaring, launched from Fulda and landed in Diyarbakir, on an austere and remote airfield in southeastern Turkey. Fourth Squadron played a leading role in PROVIDE COMFORT. Fourth Squadron was the foundation from which massive allied helicopter fleets emerged: flying hundreds of sorties, delivering supplies, flying Special Forces teams and relief workers in and out of refugee camps, evacuating the sick and wounded, and inserting the Allied forces to protect the Kurds from Iraqi interference.
In orders dated 16 May 1991, as part of the Operation POSITIVE FORCE, the Joint Chiefs of Staff directed the 11th ACR to deploy immediately to Kuwait in order to sustain a presence there.
13 June 1991, only two weeks after the first Blackhorse soldier had arrived in theatre, the Regiment assumed from 1st Brigade, 3d Armored Division the responsibility for defending Kuwait. The Regiment’s new base camp was a sprawling complex surrounded by an eight-foot high wall.
The three line squadrons took turns pulling “Z Cycle”, a designation that included responsibility for security. Manning gates, towers, the Z Squadron kept a platoon-size Quick Reaction Force (QRF) on alert around the clock, seven days a week. The QRF deployed off the compound without notice at least twice daily, a muscle-flexing exercise.
On the morning of 11 July a defective vehicle heater triggered a motor pool fire in the north compound of Blackhorse Base Camp. Despite valiant efforts to extinguish it, the blaze burned out of control and began detonating ammunition stored in and around the Regiment’s vehicle fleet. The resulting shower of shrapnel and unexploded ordnance forced the evacuation of the entire compound and caused extensive damage.
Some fifty Blackhorse troopers suffered injuries that day, a number that would have been far higher had it not been for numerous individual acts of heroism and the Regiment’s disciplined response to the emergency. Miraculously, there were no fatalities.
Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Central Command, visited the Regiment. He presented the Soldier’s Medal for Heroism to three Blackhorse soldiers:
Major Ricky Lynch
Staff Sergeant Charles Rogers
Private Eric Tomlinson
As the Regiment returned from the Gulf in September 1991 it had to confront this period of change with an odd mixture of uncertainty and unpredictability. The “good guys” and “bad guys” could not be identified, as before. In a world wracked by religious and ethnic passion, economic rivalry, and the frustrated aspirations of hundreds of millions of people, the prospects for lasting peace and harmony seemed remote. Prudent nations and wise soldiers would “keep their powder dry”.
SOUTHWEST ASIA
Kuwait
Cease-Fire
(Battle Streamer)
INACTIVATED
15 October 1993 – 15 March 1994, Germany
It is always a time of great sorrow when a Regiment with such distinction is ordered to furl its colors. As the military was down sizing, the Regiment was inactivated, but not for long.
THE BEST OF THE BEST,
ALLONS!
NOW TRAINS TODAY’S ARMY
ACTIVATED
16 October 1994 Fort Irwin, California
The Regiment now serves as the opposing force (OPFOR) in exercises designed to train Army battalion and brigade task forces in tactical and operational level skills under near-combat conditions. The Regiment formerly publishes the “Red Thrust Star”, a quarterly magazine to disseminate accurate and current information regarding the doctrine, organization, equipment, and tactics of all potential adversary military forces.
Most knowledgeable leaders and soldiers alike, consider the 11th Armored
Cavalry Regiment the best-trained mechanized force in the world. Continuing in
the NTC tradition of Lead, Train, Win, the Blackhorse stands ready to respond
to any mission to which it may be called.
NOTE: The famous writer Tom Clancy wrote a book entitled Executive Order, in
which he mentions the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment as being the premier
regiment in the U. S. Army and that they went into the Gulf region again to
stop a dictator. It was based on the training and experiences acquired at Fort
Irwin, California.
IRAQI
FREEDOM/WAR ON TERRIORISM
DEPLOYMENT
January 2005 - 17 March 2006
On 4 July
2004, the Regiment received deployment orders for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Previously, in June the 58th Combat Engineers, Red Devils, was the first to
deploy attached to 2nd BDE, 10th Mountain Division in Baghdad, Iraq. 2nd
Squadron deployed in December 2004 to Babil Province, to conduct support and
stability operations with the 155th Mississippi National Guard. 1st Squadron
deployed in January 2005 to Baghdad, Iraq. Over the course of the year they
were attached to four different Brigade Combat Teams conducting full spectrum
operations in the Baghdad area of operations. The Regimental Headquarters
deployed to Mosul Iraq that same month and assumed duty as the division
headquarters for Multi National Force North-West.
The
Regimental Support Squadron was faced with the dual mission of providing the
Regimental Rear Command Post and continuing to support the rotational training
mission. 1/221 Cavalry, Nevada ARNG, was activated and deployed to Fort Irwin
in the fall of 2004, formed the core of NTC's premier Opposing Force. On two
separate continents the Regiment demonstrated cavalry panache and flexibility,
performing its wartime mission within a tradition of unmatched excellence that
no other separate brigade has been called on to perform.
The Regiment
returns to Fort Irwin to reorganize as a deployable heavy brigade combat team
while continuing to serve in rotational support for the military at large.
DUAL MISSION
(OPFOR comes to an end)
June 2006
Mission
Statement:
On order, 11ACR deploys to an area of operations and accomplishes all assigned
missions to fight and win our nation's wars; executes rotational support
through fielding a trained and disciplined force to train our Army.
Most
knowledgeable leaders and soldiers alike, consider the 11th Armored Cavalry
Regiment the best-trained mechanized force in the world. Continuing in the NTC
tradition of Lead, Train, Win, the Regiment stands ready to respond to any
mission to which it may be called.
NOTE: The famous writer Tom Clancy wrote a book entitled Executive Order, in
which he mentions the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment as being the premier
regiment in the U. S. Army and that they went into the Gulf region again to
stop a dictator. It was based on the training and experiences acquired at Fort
Irwin, California.
ALLONS - Blackhorse forever!