DIVISION HISTORY SUMMARY
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Forgotten by filmmakers and sometimes neglected by historians, the journey of the 4th Infantry Division in the Second World War nonetheless stands as an incredible tale of perseverance and sacrifice. By war's end, the division suffered nearly 250% casualties due to its involvement in the most brutal campaigns of Western Europe. The unit was the first ashore the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, thereafter liberating the vital port city of Cherbourg in late June. The division was the first into Paris and the first into Germany.
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In the fall and winter of 1944-1945, the "Ivy Men" were nearly annihilated in the Hurtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge. That spring, the division struck at the heart of Nazi Germany. According to Army records, "It had moved fast, and had hit hard, but, like most of our combat divisions, had to pay a heavy price for its gains. By V-E Day, the Ivy Division had suffered 21,550 casualties." More than seventy-five years later, The Furious Fourth pays tribute to those soldiers who helped vanquish totalitarianism and preserve democracy.
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Members of the 4th Infantry Division's 22nd Regiment ride a tank destroyer in Belgium on September 8, 1944.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The summaries below were published by the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division in 1946. They have been edited for online viewing.
The 4th Infantry Division's progression of battle from Normandy to Germany.
