40th Armored Division (United States)

40th Armored Division
40th Armored Division shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	1954–67
Country	United States
Allegiance	California
Branch	United States Army
Type	Armor
Role	Armored warfare
Size	Division
Part of	California Army National Guard
Nickname(s)	"Grizzly" [1]
Commanders
Notable commanders	Charles A. Ott Jr.

Main article: 40th Infantry Division (United States)

The 40th Armored Division was a division of the United States Army National Guard from July 1954 until 1967.

History

Division soldiers direct traffic away from an area of South Central Los Angeles burning during the Watts riots.

After its return from the Korean War, the 40th Infantry Division was reorganized on 1 July 1954 as the 40th Armored Division, along with elements of the 111th Armored Cavalry Regiment. ^{[2] [3]}

In August 1965 the division was deployed to help suppress the Watts riots. ^{[4] : 169–70}

40th Armored Division "nickname" unauthorized SSI

On 1 December 1967, a major reorganization of the National Guard reduced the Guard to eight combat divisions, with the 40th Armored Division as one of the units designated for inactivation. On 29 January 1968, the Division was eliminated and the 40th Infantry Brigade and 40th Armored Brigade were organized. ^[5]

1954-1959 order of battle

Also can be referred to as the Pre-Pentomic structure of the 40th Armored Division. ^{[6] [7]}

• Division Headquarters
• 40th Military Police Company
• 40th Armored Signal Company
• 140th Replacement Company
• 132d Armored Engineer Battalion
• 40th Armored Division Train
  • 40th Armored Quartermaster Battalion
  • 40th Armored Ordnance Battalion
  • 40th Armored Medical Battalion
  • 40th Armored Division Band

• Combat Command A
  • 111th Reconnaissance Battalion
  • 160th Armored Infantry Battalion
  • 161st Armored Infantry Battalion

• Combat Command B
  • 133d Tank Battalion
  • 134th Tank Battalion
  • 224th Armored Infantry Battalion

• Combat Command C
  • 139th Tank Battalion
  • 140th Tank Battalion
  • 223rd Armored Infantry Battalion

• Division Artillery
  • 215th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion
  • 143d Armored Field Artillery Battalion
  • 214th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
  • 215th Armored Field Artillery Battalion
  • 225th Armored Field Artillery Battalion

1967 order of battle

• Division Headquarters
• 132nd Engineer Battalion
• 240th Signal Battalion
• 140th Aviation Battalion
• 40th Armored Division Band
• 1st Brigade
  • 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry
  • 2nd Battalion, 160th Infantry
  • 3rd Battalion, 160th Infantry
  • 1st Battalion, 185th Armor
  • 3rd Battalion, 185th Armor
• 2d Brigade
  • 4th Battalion, 160th Infantry
  • 2d Battalion, 185th Armor
  • 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, 18th Armored Cavalry
  • 1st Squadron, 111th Cavalry
• 3d Brigade
  • 4th Battalion, 185th Armor
  • 5th Battalion, 185th Armor
  • 6th Battalion, 185th Armor
• Division Artillery
  • 1st Battalion, 144th Field Artillery
  • 2d Battalion, 144th Field Artillery
  • 3d Battalion, 144th Field Artillery
  • 4th Battalion, 144th Field Artillery
  • 5th Battalion, 144th Field Artillery
• Division Support Command
  • 40th Medical Battalion
  • 40th Maintenance Battalion
  • 123d Maintenance Company
  • 40th Supply and Transportation Battalion
  • 540th Administration Company
  • 40th Military Police Company

Notes

1. Nathaniel T. Robertson (17 February 2001). "The 40th Infantry Division's March to the Korean War". California State Military Museum. California State Military Department. Retrieved 21 March 2013. The next day on 1 July 1954, the 40th Infantry Division, California Army National Guard, combined with the 111th Armored Cavalry Regiment, California Army National Guard, and formed the 40th Armored Division (*Grizzly*), California Army National Guard.
2. "40th Armoured Division Order of Battle, 1956". The California State Military Museum. Archived from the original on 6 February 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
3. Biennial report of the Adjutant General, State of California Military Department 1954-1956. California Military Department. p. 29.
4. Scheips, Paul (2005). The Role of Federal Military Forces in Domestic Disorders, 1945–1992 (PDF). US Army Center of Military History. ISBN   9781517253783. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2015. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
5. "40th Infantry Division (Mechanized)". Military. GlobalSecurity.org. 17 July 2006. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
6. "Grizzly: 40th Armored Division, September-October 1955" (PDF). The Grizzly (official magazine of the 40th Armored Division). 1955. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
7. Biennial report of the Adjutant General, State of California Military Department 1954-1956. California Military Department. pp. 237–242.

References

• Wilson, John B. (1997). Maneuver and Firepower: The Evolution of Divisions and Separate Brigades. Washington, DC: Center of Military History.