US 8th Armored Division WWII
Thundering Herd

The 8th Armored Division was established in April 1942 at Fort Knox Kentucky. The Division was shipped to England in November 1944 and landed in France on 5 January 1945. Due to the German Operation Nordwind aiming for Strausburg the 8th Armored Division was assigned to the 3rd Army and rushed to that area. They went into action against the Moselle-Saar salient fighting at Nennig, Berg, and Sinz. In February the Division was assigned to the 9th Army and moved into Holland. They crossed the Roer River and fought their way to the Rhine River in early March. The Division's 18th Tank Battalion crossed the Rhine on 18th March, the first tank unit on the East side of the Rhine for the 9th Army. The 8th AD then took part in the reduction of the Ruhr Pocket. The Division was in Germany when Germany surrendered on May 8th.