318^th Infantry Regiment

The 318th Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, on July 16, 1942, and assigned to the 80th Infantry Division. After training in Tennessee, Kansas, the California-Arizona Maneuver Area, and New Jersey, it sailed from New York on July 1, 1944, reached England on July 7, and landed in France on August 3. In the August pursuit it moved with the division through Le Mans, the Falaise Gap, Argentan, and Commercy. During the first Moselle fighting, while the 317th tried to cross near Toul, the 318th fought for Fort de Villey-le-Sec from September 5 to 10 and then crossed into the Dieulouard bridgehead, where German counterattacks wounded the regimental commander and hit the regiment's staff.

The regiment remained heavily engaged in Lorraine. It fought around Serrieres in early October, attacked across the Seille in the division center on November 8, and helped the division push toward Delme Ridge and Faulquemont. After the 317th's costly Farebersviller action, the 318th relieved it, attacked with artillery and armor support, and took Farebersviller and the northeastern hills on December 4. Two battalions were attached to the 4th Armored Division during December 24-28 as the Ardennes counteroffensive drew the division into Luxembourg.

In the Ardennes the 318th attacked toward Ettelbruck, fought from the difficult Alzette approaches, and later held along the Sauer. Two battalions served under the 4th Infantry Division from January 26 to February 25. In February the regiment crossed near Dillingen, captured Mettendorf, and helped expand the XII Corps bridgehead. In March it fought at Weiskirchen, where one battalion pushed into strong opposition, then served briefly with the 76th Infantry and 10th Armored Divisions. It entered Erfurt with the 317th, crossed the Isar bridge at Mamming on April 30, and ended combat in Austria near Braunau and the Enns.