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The 3rd Armored Division (also known as "Spearhead", 3rd Armored, and 3AD) was an armored division of the United States Army. Unofficially nicknamed the "Third Herd", the division was first activated in 1941 and was active in the European Theater of World War II .
Jun 10, 2021 · 10 June, 2021. Soldiers of the 3rd Armored Division on the roll in Europe in late 1944. The “Third Herd,” as it was affectionately known, often found itself leading the charge across Europe, thereby earning itself another nickname: The Spearhead. (Image source: WikiMedia Commons)
Association of 3d Armored Division Veterans. The 3d Armored Division. Born in 1941, the division earned through hard fighting significant “firsts of its kind” honors in Europe thus the name on the patch and the greeting of its members.
Created in 1941, the 3rd Armored Division landed on the Normandy beaches of France in late June 1944, just weeks after D-Day (June 6), the massive Allied invasion of western Europe. The "Spearhead" division advanced rapidly eastward, reaching the German border by mid-September.
3d ARMORED DIVISION. "Spearhead" The mixture of insignia and distinctive colors of several arms incorporated in the Armored Force symbolize integrity and esprit. It is an interlocked...
By Steve Ossad. After leading his U.S. 3rd Armored “Spearhead” Division on the longest, one-day, enemy-opposed mechanized advance in American history, Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose was killed in action on March 30, 1945, one of 30 flag officers who fell in World War II, and the only armored division commander ever lost in combat.
By mid-December 1944, the 3rd Battalion, 33rd Armored Regiment, Third Armored Division “Spearhead” had seen plenty of action. Led by 28-year-old West Pointer Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Hogan, the 54 tanks and 400-plus men had participated in most of the major battles—often at the tip of the proverbial “Spearhead.”.
