Always tough on how to best use the ATG.
One of my most treasured Patches is the "Golden Lions" 106th ID. One Division that was never reformed after its destruction, although its 424th Regt did reconstitute and would be in the U.S. Order of Battle until the end of the war. Trained at Camp Atterbury, IN it was probably one of the most trained units in the U.S. Army prior to its deployment in late 1944. However, the length of its training and late deployment would have catastrophic results for the division as in August-September '44 most of its company and many of its field grade officers were transferred out to fill battle casualties in front line divisions incurred during the Normandy campaign. Upon its arrival in Europe, another blow was delivered when many of its quality NCOs were grabbed as replacements for divisions that had been engaged in the Nancy and Hurtgen Forest actions. Its arrival in the Ardennes only a couple of days prior to the German attack found many, if not most, of its companies commanded by freshly minted LTs and led by platoon sergeants and squad leaders that a mere 3 weeks prior had been corporals or privates and fleshed out with newly arriving replacements direct from their basic training. To add insult to injury the division on 16 December, having only been in the line three days, had all three of its regiments deployed on-line with almost no divisional reserve in order to cover the extended front it was given and in some of the worst possible terrain to defend from. Several elements would perform admirably, notably at "Parker's Crossroads" and the 424th's stand at St. Vith but its commanding general and the division as a whole would suffer the ignominy of being the only U.S. division in the ETO to surrender and GEN Smith would be dismissed in shame.