BEER STEIN US ARMY 32nd INFANTRY DIVISION RED ARROW LES TERRIBLES unit regiment

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This handsome stein honours the men of the US Army's 32nd Infantry Division, also known as "Les Terribles" or the Red Arrow Division. It was produced about 25 years ago, in 1986, I assume on the occasion of a reunion or gathering of veterans from that division. It's still in perfect condition, and has no cracks or chips. It stands 6 inches tall and is 4 1/2 inches wide at the base. On the front is the Red Arrow with a line through it, the insignia or shoulder patch of this division.The 32nd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army National Guard that fought primarily during World War I and World War II. It was formed with units from the states of Wisconsin and Michigan. With roots as the Iron Brigade in the American Civil War, the division's ancestral units came to be referred to as the Iron Jaw Division. During tough combat in France in World War I, it soon acquired from the French the nickname Les Terribles, referring to its fortitude in advancing over terrain previous units could not. It was the first allied division to pierce the German Hindenburg Line of defense, and the 32nd then adopted its shoulder patch; a line shot through with a red arrow, to signify its tenacity in piercing the enemy line. It then became known as the Red Arrow Division.During World War II, the Division was credited with many "firsts". It was the first United States division to deploy as an entire unit overseas and among the first of seven U.S. Army and U.S. Marine units to engage in offensive ground combat operations during 1942. The division was among the first divisions to engage the enemy and were still fighting after the official Japanese surrender. The 32nd logged a total of 654 days of combat during World War II, more than any other United States Army division. The unit was inactivated in 1946 after occupation duty in Japan. During 1961, the Division was called up for a one year tour of service in the state of Washington during the Berlin Crisis. In 1967, the 32nd Infantry Division (now made up completely of units from Wisconsin) was inactivated and partially reorganized as the 32nd Infantry Brigade, the largest unit of the Wisconsin Army National Guard. The Division fought in three major offensives during WWI, engaging and defeating 23 German divisions. They took 2,153 prisoners and gained 20 miles, pushing back every German counterattack. During the drive to capture Fismes, they successfully attacked over open ground at great cost. The authorized strength of the 3rd battalion was 20 officers and 1,000 men, but by 4 August it had only 12 officers and 350 men on the line. As they advanced over 2,100 yards of mostly open ground, the Germans targeted them with intense artillery and machine gun fire. They were reinforced by the 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, which was also understrength. The 127th Infantry finally captured Fismes, but they lost many men. By the end of the day, the 3rd Battalion had only two officers and 94 men; the 2nd Battalion had five officers and 104 men. General de Mondesir, the 38th French Corps Commander, which the 32nd served under, went to the front to observe the fighting. When he saw how the 32nd cleared the Germans out of their reinforced positions with unrelenting and successful attacks, he exclaimed, Oui, Oui, Les soldats terrible, tres bien, tres bien! General Charles Mangin heard of it and referred to the 32nd Division as Les Terribles when he asked for the Division to join his 10th French Army north of Soissons. He later made the nickname official when he incorporated it in his citation for their attack at Juvigny. The Division's shoulder patch, a line shot through with a red arrow, symbolizes the fact that the 32nd Division penetrated every German line of defense that it faced during World War I. SHIPPING: Economy shipping anywhere in the continental U.S. Outside the lower 48 and for international buyers, shipping will be higher. Unless you're already familiar with overseas shipping costs, contact me before bidding to avoid cardiac arrest. If you need it... read more

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