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African American 92nd Infantry Division Fought in Italy During World War II| World War II | 34 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post
The Buffalo Soldiers on the coast were hit just as hard as their comrades in the valley. The Germans had tanks, field artillery and thousands of ground troops to protect La Spezia, and they could call on a weapon unavailable to the Americans–heavy coastal guns. Emplaced at Punta Bianca, just southeast of La Spezia, the German coastal guns could not only lob shells into Massa but also reach all the way to Forte dei Marmi, which lay south of the Cinquale Canal. Fire from the powerful coastal guns left craters so large that Allied tanks literally fell into them. The remainder of the 366th and its supporting armor–including another black unit, the 758th Tank Battalion–advanced along the coast. The 371st attacked on the far right through the coastal hill masses but ran into extensive minefields. The 370th advanced in column with its left flank on Highway 1 and its right flank in the hills. As they advanced, each battalion of the 370th leapfrogged the battalion directly to its front in order to keep up a continuous attack. Riding on the tanks, the 366th rolled into the sea to avoid mines, then came back onto dry land north of the Cinquale Canal. The first two tanks to hit the beach were knocked out by mines and blocked the way. Before long, four more tanks were destroyed by mines, but the 370th reached the canal and started to cross, taking a pounding from local mortar and machine-gun positions as well as from the coastal guns. The artillery fire prevented engineers from laying a bridge, and foul weather meant no air support for the Buffalo Soldiers that day. Three tanks were lost when they fell into underwater craters while crossing the canal. Despite numerous German counterattacks, the Buffalo Soldiers did manage to establish a line of defense north of the canal. Without a bridge, they had to hand-carry supplies across the water. Casualties were mounting, and the coastal guns kept pounding away. On the night of February 10, Almond called off the attack and ordered his troops back across the canal. The February operation cost 22 tanks and more than 1,100 casualties, including 56 officers. The 92nd underwent drastic changes before its involvement in an offensive in the spring of 1945. The Allies considered it absolutely crucial that the 92nd seize La Spezia during the April attack, but the previous months of fighting had depleted the division’s strength. Although the U.S. Army had hundreds of thousands of black troops, it could not find enough combat-trained replacements for the 92nd, so the 371st went to the Serchio Valley under IV Corps control while the 366th and 365th were sent elsewhere. The 92nd built up the strength of the 370th, the only black regiment left in the division, while it gained two new regiments. In addition to the 473rd, made up of white anti-aircraft gunners turned infantrymen, the division received a ferocious fighting unit composed of Nisei soldiers–the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team. These descendants of Japanese immigrants served in one of the most highly decorated American regiments of the entire war. The 370th formed the left flank, with the 442nd on the right and the 473rd in reserve in the nearby Serchio Valley. In order to avoid the relentless barrage from the coastal guns, the 92nd Division, now jokingly referred to as the ‘Rainbow Division,’ advanced toward Massa through the hills east of Highway 1. Even though fighter-bombers flew sorties over Punta Bianca and British destroyers shelled the German positions, the coastal guns continued firing. In less than two hours on April 5, 1945, the 370th’s lead element, Company C, reached its initial objective–Castle Aghinolfi. The company’s artillery forward observer had to convince the artillery twice to give him fire support. Artillerymen could not believe that the riflemen had advanced so far. The Germans were surprised, too–in fact, many were still eating breakfast when the Buffalo Soldiers arrived. Company C radioed for reinforcements, but the regiment had problems of its own, with two company commanders already killed. No help arrived. The Germans within the castle fired on the lone company with machine guns and mortars. Before long, the company had suffered 60 percent casualties. The forward observer and radioman were both hit and the radio was destroyed, cutting off all contact with the outside. The company had no choice but to pull back. Lieutenant Vernon J. Baker, the company’s only black officer, volunteered to harass the enemy so that the wounded could escape. Armed with hand grenades, and on two occasions supported by Private James Thomas’ automatic-rifle fire, Baker personally destroyed three machine-gun nests and an observation post. Baker, who had already received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, would receive the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions that day. Meanwhile, the 442nd fought the enemy ridge by ridge and systematically blew up German bunkers with bazookas. By April 6, the Nisei had control of Mount Belvedere. The 370th, Company C included, made another assault against the same hills but needed more troops to succeed. The 473rd moved up, and the hard-hit 1st Battalion of the 370th, which had had three company commanders killed in the first two days, went to the Serchio Valley to protect the American flank against a German counterattack. The 370th and 473rd, along with their supporting armored battalions, pushed through the hills and also advanced along Highway 1, although the German guns at Punta Bianca continued to pound away. On April 9, American tankers rolled into Massa but were driven back by staunch enemy resistance. In a supporting maneuver, the 442nd pushed forward through the mountains and flanked the city’s eastern side. Finally, the Germans withdrew, and on April 10 the Americans controlled the city. The 92nd Infantry Division continued to press forward, though the bitter fighting continued as the Germans moved their reserve men and panzers into position. With the German lines receding, a full battalion of tank destroyers finally came within range of the coastal guns and over a six-day period sent more than 11,000 rounds into Punta Bianca. By April 20 the big guns were silent and the Germans were retreating. The Buffalo Soldiers fighting in the Serchio Valley had also been busy. The 370th had taken Castelnuovo on April 20 and pressed forward. They planned to meet up with the 442nd at Aulla, northeast of La Spezia, and cut off the German retreat. The fighting had left so much destruction that the Americans could not even use their mules, and the division was accumulating more prisoners than it had time to deal with. Partisans had been fighting at La Spezia, and on April 24 the 473rd moved into the city. Three days later, the 473rd and its supporting armor crushed the German resistance at Genoa. The 370th and 442nd in their sector helped prevent two enemy divisions from escaping through the Cisa Pass before the May 2 cease-fire officially ended the hostilities in Italy. Although Allied forces were ecstatic over their success in Italy, for the Buffalo Soldiers, it was a bittersweet victory. The military establishment considered the 92nd, which comprised less than 2 percent of all black Americans in the army, a failure. Regarded as an experiment from the outset, the division had been closely watched and roundly criticized. Much of the blame for the setbacks in February 1945 and other similar occurrences was attributed to confusion between the junior officers and enlisted personnel. However, their officers were rotated so often that the men sometimes had no idea who their commanders were, and in many cases the most outstanding officers and NCOs were killed in action. In defense of the black junior officers, Lt. Col. Markus H. Ray, commander of the division’s 600th Field Artillery Battalion (which had all black officers and men) wrote on May 14, 1945: ‘I believe that the young Negro officer represents the best we have to offer and under proper, sympathetic and capable leadership would have developed and performed equally with any other racial group….They were Americans before all else.’ The numbers alone tell an impressive story. Of 12,846 Buffalo Soldiers who saw action, 2,848 were killed, captured or wounded. The Buffalo Soldiers did, in fact, break through the Gothic Line. They reached their objective, captured or helped to capture nearly 24,000 prisoners and received more than 12,000 decorations and citations for their gallantry in combat. The soldiers of the 92nd Division had proved their worth through months of bitter combat in the Italian campaign.
This article was written by Robert Hodges, Jr. and originally appeared in the February 1999 issue of World War II. Further reading: A Fragment of Victory: In Italy During World War II, by Paul Goodman; and Buffalo Soldiers in Italy: Black Americans in World War II, by Hondon B. Hargrove. For more great articles subscribe to World War II magazine today! Subscribe Today
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34 Comments to “African American 92nd Infantry Division Fought in Italy During World War II”
There is public confusion over the separate 24th Infantry regiment and the use of the term “Buffalo Soldiers. (Now holding a local reunion), and the 92nd Infantry Division that fought couragiously in Italy. I served on TDY with the 92nd a short time before they left Louisiana.
By Harold Borchert on Jul 10, 2008 at 8:24 am
I served for a short time on TDY with the 92nd Inf. Division in Louisiana. The separate 24th Inf. Regiment, (now in reunion locally) uses the same name, “Buffalo Soldiers.” The term, and the units should be more clearly defined.
By Harold Borchert on Jul 10, 2008 at 8:28 am
I served on TDY with the 92nd as they performed P.O.M.(preparation overseas movement) in Louisiana, prior to going to Italy. There seems to be some public confusion over the term “Buffalo Soldier” as used by the separate 24th Inf. Regiment (now in reunion locally…). For the history, some clarification seems necessary.
By Harold Borchert on Jul 10, 2008 at 8:51 am
There are two distinct uses of the phrase “Buffalo Soldier.” The historic usage refers to the four historic African-American units in the Army, 1867-1954, the 9th and 10 Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry and their short-lived 1865-1867 predecessors. Now many African-American soldiers, especially older veterans, refer to themselves as “Buffalo Soldiers” simply meaning they are continuing the brave tradition of African-American service in the Army. Personally, I think the second current common usage is confusing. I have talked to veterans of the four historic regiments, and in their discussions they used the term only to apply to members of the four regiments. But the current usage is popular and will continue for some time. I hope this helps.
By Martin Gordon on Jul 17, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I hope more facts come up pertaining to the 92 Infantry Division during ww2. It is amazing that some negate the influence of Black Soldiers during the war.
By will on Sep 18, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I was wondering if my grandfather by the name of Andrew Giles Kingston Bowman was part of the Buffalo Soldier’s during WW II or what part did he have during his military career.
By Andrew Woodson on Sep 23, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I served with the 1/10 Cav in Iraq and their unit crest is a buffalo with the ledgend “Ready and Forward”. The 10th is one of the original four regiments, two cavalry and two infantry that were flagged in the late 1860’s and fought in all wars thereafter. I appriciate that the 92nd ID used a buffalo on it’s patch and that the soldiers referred to themselves as “Buffalo Soldiers”, but the term is historically attached to the 10th and the other three regiments ( 9th Cav, 24 and 25 Inf).
By tmccue on Sep 24, 2008 at 10:25 pm
My father tells me that my uncle Stanford “Dwight” Scott was a member of the 92nd division. He went on the earn 2 college degrees and was a city planner for the city of Chicago. Thank him for the lake front view you now enjoy.
By V on Sep 28, 2008 at 11:39 am
My Grandfather’s daddy had been in the 24th Infantry during the years 1888-1891, at Fort Hauchuca and although my Grandpa was in Patton’s Army during WW2 and clearly continuing a tradition, he only referred to his father as the “Buffalo Soldier” in the family.
By William T. Sutphin, IV on Sep 29, 2008 at 12:31 am
Looking for anyone who served with my father Ben Lawrence Payne WWII Italy. I was adopted and never knew him; only that he was a Trench Rat in Italy. I have his hand book and fez
By Letitia on Sep 30, 2008 at 4:53 pm
HistoryNet staff cannot respond here. Please read disclaimer just above this text box before posting.
My Great Uncle Charlie Wycoff - Sgt Wycoff, served with the 92nd Buffalo 371st Division at Ft Huachuca, AZ and then in Europe during WW11. I have large photo of the 92nd showing approx 125 soldiers circa 1942 43
By Rodney Grimes on Oct 13, 2008 at 11:20 pm
i am looking for any information pretaing to sgt Charles McCants and Joe Frank McCants who faught during the bombing of pearl harbor Both were black and from alabamia born in the early to mid 1920
By Charles McCants on Nov 25, 2008 at 9:16 pm
iserved with the 92 div from its birth to it’s demise i was a member of general comand sstaff in viaggerio italy
went ahead of div and served with task force 45 for the fight for lucca
joined 371st inf reg when they arrived in fall of 1944 was just south of brenna pass when it looked like the whole germand surrendered served at pow camp 246 at aversso and am proude of it
had the chance make friiends with gen. B O DAVIS
By lewis c huff on Jan 23, 2009 at 3:25 pm
I served with the 366th Infantry Regiment both at Fort Howard.
Maryland in summer training from 1938-41 and at Fort Devons,
before we went to Africa early in 1942 and later to Italy . I was
non-commission officer of the 2nd batalion , Company E which
Hero Lieut. John Fox was a member of my platoon. Our CO Cap-
tain John M>W> Greene was killed in that battle.
By Staff Sgt, Ralph F. Boyd, Sr. on Feb 16, 2009 at 2:44 pm
umm i just want facts on one african american who fought in world war 1 for a report for school so i need like a list of african americans who fought in world war 1 and i need things like the age were they from and stuff like that.
By sweetgirl on Feb 18, 2009 at 1:10 pm
sweetgirl, I would suggest you visit a library as opposed to showing ignorance and insensitivity here for all the world to see.
But to help you, look up 2LT Henry O. Flipper.
By 1LT, US Army on Feb 21, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Almost an hour ago, I finished watching the movie,”Miracle at St.Anna, It took me this past hour to “compose” mY emotions and to research the truth re: the movie. As I wrote down the info for my research, ( 92nd Infantry,Buffalo Soldiers,Fox Company,and the date,1944) I reached this site and read the entire article re: same. I see they honored Lt.John Fox, ( I presume) by naming their company after his unselfish act of sacrificing his life to kill the German’s he was surrounded by in the village he was in. The bravery of those men in the movie goes beyond human dedication.God bless all the African-Americans that served in WW11, no matter what their assignment was.And shame to the “Brass” for thinking so little of their abilities,and intelligence.
The scene that disturbed me the most was the massacre in front of the StAnna Church, where the Priest,victims,Germans,and the Italian people were all saying the Lords prayer before the Germans shot the innocents in cold blood. May God have the best places in Heaven for those soldiers who were treated so badly, and may God have mercy on the Ignorant whites who paid no attention to them when they crossed the river,and shot directly where the Buffalo Soldiers made it to where they were ordered to go. I bow to all the African-Americans whose blood is as red as mine for all they sacrificed that we may live.And God bless their descendants. I also ask God for forgiveness to all of us ever thought any other way re: our different ethnicities.
By Priscilla on Feb 22, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Folks,
I had an uncle that served in the 92nd ID, although he passed 4 years ago his deeds live on through the ages.
I have dedicated my personal time in keeping his memory alive, as well as all of the other Black soldiers that fought in WW2 and recieved little to no recognition.
Please feel free to look at our website and learn a little bit of history on Black troops during the war and the special hardships they had to endure as soldiers and men. http://www.5thplatoon.org
By Art on Feb 27, 2009 at 4:16 am
My older brother served in the Navy in WW II, He was killed during the taking of islands in 1940’s. I have searched his Vmail over and over and the only mentioned as duties of People of Color was in the duties of cooks, stewarts and garbage detail. How long wii we keep letting people of color rewrite HISTORY?
By old Col. on Mar 2, 2009 at 12:37 am
It still amazes me how our governmment and many people of high rank could and still do deny the contributions of so many African Americans in evey conflict this country has ever participated in. They spilled their blood and others for a belief in what they where doing. Yet it seems they will never get the full respect and acknowledgement that they so rightly deserve until the mind set of a society changes.
By John Moore U.S. Navy(Ret.) on Mar 2, 2009 at 10:20 pm
I am trying to locate veterans that were stationed at near what is now Camp Darby during World War II. I’m the public affairs director for Camp Darby and I’m putting together a piece
highlighting the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Italy. If you could please email me at pao.livorno@eur.army.mil I would greatly appreciate it.
If you know of any veterans or families of veterans who served in Tuscany from World War II to present day, I am interested in copies of photos, old news paper clipping, personal recollections, etc.
By Joyce Costello on Mar 5, 2009 at 4:58 am
looking for a picture of seven men receiving decorations from LGEN Mark Clark in Virregio Italy in 1944
By Christopher G Evans on Mar 16, 2009 at 4:04 pm
I just watched Miracle at St. Anna….and I think this movie was a real good movie. I watched the movie without getting bored.
It’s hard to find a good war movie and in my opinion it ranks right up there with the movie Band of Brothers.
After watching ….I thought the movie was a true story, but
later I did some research on the internet and found out that the movie was not a true story. Although the movie was taken from the Buffalo Soldiers of real life….I still thought this was an awesome movie. Also the beach scene with the person at the very end was fascinating. P.s. I dont want to give any ending away.
See this movie if you have not already.
By Donna on Mar 30, 2009 at 2:15 am
to Mr. Art sir you are very ingnorant and what do you mean how long will we let people of color rewrite history? May God help you, and have mercy on your soul!
By I am the future on Apr 10, 2009 at 10:56 pm
I have two pictures of my grandfather inlaw with the entire 92nd infantry. Such a great peice of history that I am honored to have married into.
By Sophia A. Johnson on Apr 16, 2009 at 5:15 pm
My father who will be 86 next month served in the 92nd and I am in the process of videotaping his memories. Would like to speak to other GIs or family members who served in the 92nd Buffalo Division. Contact me at mpubl@aol.com
By Linda G. on Apr 23, 2009 at 2:57 pm
First of all, I would like to thank all veterans who have served the U.S., but especially those men and women who fought for ‘double victory” during WWII. Your battles in war and at home have been inspirational to say the least. May we never forget the lives laid down, the blood shed, and the service given by the brave men and women who fought for the principles of equality for all.
By RyB on Apr 28, 2009 at 8:39 pm
dis is no help @ all 4 me
By chelsey on Apr 30, 2009 at 10:24 am
Looking for members of Div Hqts
Assigned to Adj Gen Office
Under Capt Oshner
By Calvin Bass on May 26, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Hi my name is Fred Kuwornu, i’m an italian filmaker.
I’ve just finished to produce Inside Buffalo the 1st specifically documentary aboout the 92nd Buffalo in Italy.
I’m italian and i interviewed a dozen of veterans and italian partisans who fought together the black GI.
see
http://www.insidebuffalo.org
i will need of you cooperation to make known this story in USA in my next special screenings around STATES.
write me kudjo71@hotmail.com
By Fred on Jun 8, 2009 at 10:48 am
I read most of the great military action during ww2, lots of brothers faught well, but what i find it repugnant the pale
face higher ups never give credit where credit is due, some
thing was fishy when the pale face showed the fighting in WW2
europe, no credit was not given to the black units who faught
well to my liking and also proved they knew what was expected
of them, so for me they are my hero, and the paleface as whole
never gave credit where credit was due, and I can’t believe they
stick to their guns, the bluggers, I was a Marine Corp Viet Nam
Vet back in 1969 to 1970 and when we came back, we never got
no fan fare, so it’s a bloody shame, we join a branch, go to war only
to labeled not worthy of fighting, well I’m bloody sorry I nearly got
a bullet, it’s hard to put up with that system running the show, mate, Cheers
By anthony russ on Jun 23, 2009 at 2:54 am