332nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
Encyclopedia
The 332nd Infantry Regiment was an infantry
regiment
of the United States Army
, active during World War I
. It was part of the 83rd Infantry Division and served on the Italian front during the war, taking part in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto
. It was disbanded in May 1919.
in Ohio
as part of the 83rd Division. Following a number of months of training in the United States, the regiment, under the command of Colonel William Wallace, embarked upon the troopship RMS Aquitania
at New York and departed for Europe on June 8, 1918. They arrived in Liverpool, England on June 15 and entrained for Southampton
from where they embarked again for the trip across the English Channel
to France
.
.
Its principal missions were to build up Italian morale and to depress that of the enemy by creating the impression that a large force of Americans had reached the front and was preparing to enter that battle line and take an active part in the fighting. The regiment was first stationed near Lake Garda
, where it trained in methods of warfare suitable for the difficult mountain terrain which comprised the greater part of the Italian Theater of Operations. Early in October it moved to Treviso
, behind the Piave River Front, where it was assigned to the Italian 31st Division. From there, for the purposes of deceiving the enemy, it staged a series of marches in which each battalion, with different articles of uniform and equipment, left the city by different road, circulated during daylight hours in exposed positions for both the Italians and Austrians to see, and returned after nightfall to its station at Treviso in as inconspicuous a manner as possible.
On October 24, the opening day of the Vittorio-Veneto offensive, the Italian 31st Division with the 332nd Infantry attached, was in reserve. It joined the pursuit if the fleeing Austrians on October 29 as part of the British XIV Corps of the Italian Tenth Army, the American regiment forming the advance guard of the corps. On November 3, after several hard marches, the 332nd Infantry established contact with an enemy rear-guard battalion which was defending the crossings of the Tagliamento River
near the village of Ponte-della-Delizia. Early on November 4, the 2nd Battalion crossed the river on a narrow foot bridge and after a brief fight captured the Austrian position on the far side. Continuing to move forward along the Treviso-Udine railroad, the 2nd battalion occupied the town of Codroipo where it took possession of large stores of munitions and supplies. At 3:00 p.m., November 4, when the armistice
between Italy and Austria–Hungary became effective, the leading American elements were at Villorba.
After the Armistice the American troops formed part of the Allied forces stationed in Austria and along the Dalmatian coast. The 1st and 3rd Battalions were at Cormons near Gorizia, Austria. Later in November the 1st Battalion was ordered to go to Treviso and the 3rd Battalion to Fiume, Austria
. The 2nd Battalion was stationed at Cattaro, Dalmatia
, and a detachment from it was sent to Cetinje, Montenegro
. During this time the regiment undertook peacekeeping duties.
. They arrived at New York on April 14 and the following week paraded through the city. Shortly afterwards the regiment was moved back to Camp Sherman, Ohio, where on April 26 the regiment marched through Cleveland
.
The process of demobilization
began after this and over the course of a couple of weeks its various sub units were disbanded as personnel were discharged. On May 5, 1919, the regiment itself was finally disbanded.
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, active during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It was part of the 83rd Infantry Division and served on the Italian front during the war, taking part in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto
Battle of Vittorio Veneto
The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought between 24 October and 3 November 1918, near Vittorio Veneto, during the Italian Campaign of World War I...
. It was disbanded in May 1919.
Formation
The 332nd Infantry Regiment was formed on August 30, 1917 at Camp ShermanCamp Sherman, Ohio
Camp Sherman is an Ohio Army National Guard training site near Chillicothe, Ohio. It was established in 1917 after the U.S. entered World War I and today serves as a training site for National Guard soldiers. In 2009 the remaining National Guard facility was renamed Camp Sherman Joint Training...
in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
as part of the 83rd Division. Following a number of months of training in the United States, the regiment, under the command of Colonel William Wallace, embarked upon the troopship RMS Aquitania
RMS Aquitania
RMS Aquitania was a Cunard Line ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland. She was launched on 21 April 1913 and sailed on her maiden voyage to New York on 30 May 1914...
at New York and departed for Europe on June 8, 1918. They arrived in Liverpool, England on June 15 and entrained for Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
from where they embarked again for the trip across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Service in Italy
Shortly after the regiment's arrival in France, they were informed that they would be sent to serve in Italy instead. They arrived there in July 1918 in response from an urgent request from the Italian Government. In addition to the American infantry force, 30 American ambulance sections, a base hospital and 54 airplane pilots also served with the Italian Army. The American pilots, as members of the Italian bombardment squadrons, engaged in bombing raids behind Austrian lines, being especially active during the progress of the Vittorio-Veneto offensiveBattle of Vittorio Veneto
The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought between 24 October and 3 November 1918, near Vittorio Veneto, during the Italian Campaign of World War I...
.
Its principal missions were to build up Italian morale and to depress that of the enemy by creating the impression that a large force of Americans had reached the front and was preparing to enter that battle line and take an active part in the fighting. The regiment was first stationed near Lake Garda
Lake Garda
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. It is located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Brescia and Verona, and between Venice and Milan. Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last ice age...
, where it trained in methods of warfare suitable for the difficult mountain terrain which comprised the greater part of the Italian Theater of Operations. Early in October it moved to Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
, behind the Piave River Front, where it was assigned to the Italian 31st Division. From there, for the purposes of deceiving the enemy, it staged a series of marches in which each battalion, with different articles of uniform and equipment, left the city by different road, circulated during daylight hours in exposed positions for both the Italians and Austrians to see, and returned after nightfall to its station at Treviso in as inconspicuous a manner as possible.
On October 24, the opening day of the Vittorio-Veneto offensive, the Italian 31st Division with the 332nd Infantry attached, was in reserve. It joined the pursuit if the fleeing Austrians on October 29 as part of the British XIV Corps of the Italian Tenth Army, the American regiment forming the advance guard of the corps. On November 3, after several hard marches, the 332nd Infantry established contact with an enemy rear-guard battalion which was defending the crossings of the Tagliamento River
Tagliamento River
The Tagliamento is a braided river in north-east Italy, flowing from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea at a point between Trieste and Venice. The source is in the Mauria Pass, on the border between the regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In the upper section, it flows through the historic...
near the village of Ponte-della-Delizia. Early on November 4, the 2nd Battalion crossed the river on a narrow foot bridge and after a brief fight captured the Austrian position on the far side. Continuing to move forward along the Treviso-Udine railroad, the 2nd battalion occupied the town of Codroipo where it took possession of large stores of munitions and supplies. At 3:00 p.m., November 4, when the armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
between Italy and Austria–Hungary became effective, the leading American elements were at Villorba.
After the Armistice the American troops formed part of the Allied forces stationed in Austria and along the Dalmatian coast. The 1st and 3rd Battalions were at Cormons near Gorizia, Austria. Later in November the 1st Battalion was ordered to go to Treviso and the 3rd Battalion to Fiume, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The 2nd Battalion was stationed at Cattaro, Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, and a detachment from it was sent to Cetinje, Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. During this time the regiment undertook peacekeeping duties.
Unit Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
The 332nd Infantry Regiment insignia was perhaps the most envied in the entire American Expeditionary Force. The insignia was selected to reflect their unique service in Italy. It consisted of a beautifully bullion embroidered winged Lion of St. Mark with one paw resting on an open bible with the numbers "332" inscribed.Disbandment
In February 1919 the 332nd Infantry Regiment received orders to return to the United States. As the regiment's three battalions had been spread out around the theatre it was not until March 29, 1919 that the regiment embarked upon the SS Duca d'AostaSS Duca d'Aosta
SS Duca d'Aosta was an Italian ocean liner for Navigazione Generale Italiana named after one of the Dukes of Aosta. Launched in 1908, she sailed between Italy and New York and South America for most of her career. During World War I she was employed as a troopship carrying United States troops to...
. They arrived at New York on April 14 and the following week paraded through the city. Shortly afterwards the regiment was moved back to Camp Sherman, Ohio, where on April 26 the regiment marched through Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
.
The process of demobilization
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
began after this and over the course of a couple of weeks its various sub units were disbanded as personnel were discharged. On May 5, 1919, the regiment itself was finally disbanded.
Further reading
- American Armies and Battlefields in Europe, Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History, 1992.
- Dalessandro, Robert J. & Dalessandro, Rebecca, S., American Lions, The 332nd Infantry Regiment in Italy in World War One, Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2010.
- Lattau, Joseph L., In Italy with the 332nd Infantry, Youngstown: Evangelical Press, Publisher, 1921.
- Littlefield, C. O., History of Company E, 332nd Infantry from Departure Overseas to Return and Discharge. n.p., n.d.
- Speakman, Harold, From a Soldiers Heart, Cincinnati: The Abingdon Press, 1919.
- United States Army in the World War 1917–1919, 17 Volumes. Washington, D.C: Center of Military History, 1988.