The 473d Infantry Regiment was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

that served on the Italian Front during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. It was created on 14 January 1945 from existing anti-aircraft units that were no longer needed to defend against enemy aircraft. In August 1945 it was deactivated in Italy.

History

The 473rd Infantry was first constituted in the Army of the United States as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Tank Group, and activated on 1 March 1942 at Camp Bowie,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. It was redesigned the 2nd Armored Group on 19 March 1944, and was disbanded on 19 December 1944 at Montecatini, Italy, and concurrently reconstituted as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 473rd Infantry. The 435th Antiaircraft Automatic Weapons Battalion was concurrently disbanded and reconstituted as the 1st Battalion, 473rd Infantry, the 532nd Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion as the 2nd Battalion, 473rd Infantry, and the 900th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion as the 3rd Battalion, 473rd Infantry Most of the elements of the 473d had been parts of Task Force 45. This was a division-sized unit built around the U.S. 45th Antiaircraft Artillery Brigade with attached British, Brazilian, and Italian elements. The 473rd Infantry, a white unit, was assigned for some time to the black 92d Infantry Division starting from 24 February 1945 until 17 May 1945. It was used to replace the black 365th Infantry Regiment, which was reassigned to U.S. IV Corps.

Components

Colonel Willis D. Cronk of Headquarters Company, 2d Armored Group was placed in command during the reorganization but was soon replaced by Col. William P. Yarborough. Units:
Headquarters Company, 473d * 1st Battalion / 473d Inf Regt (CO: Lt. Col. Peter L. Urban, Lt.Col. Phelan, Maj Verhuel) * 2d Battalion / 473d Inf Regt (CO: Lt. Col Hampton H. Lisle, Maj. Crandall) * 3d Battalion / 473d Inf Regt (CO: Maj. Paul Woodward)

References

*http://www.custermen.com/ItalyWW2/Units/Division92.htm *FLAKFEET, History of the 473rd US Infantry Regiment, Vol. 1 and 2, by Marcello Biava United States Army in World War II

473 __NOTOC__ Year 473 ( CDLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Leo without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1226 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominat ...

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