Activated as Headquarters, 3rd Armored Division on 15 April 1941, the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) earned the Special Designation “Spearhead” for its role in leading the way for First Army across France and Belgium and into Germany during World War. By the war’s end, the Division had taken part in five campaigns and its HHC honored with a Presidential Unit Citation, a French Croix de Guerre with Palm, and the Belgian Fourragere 1940 for two citations in the Order of the day of the Belgian Army. (Its brigades and other smaller components also earned credit for some of these awards as well as some additional ones).
In keeping with the “Spearhead” nickname, the 3rd Armored Division was commanded by Major General Maurice Rose, one of the finest tank commanders of the war and an Officer who led from the front—a preference that ultimately contributed to his tragic death on 30 March 1945. Riding at the front of an armored column that day, Rose and his staff received reports that German forces were cutting them off, which was soon verified as they began to take heavy fire. Leaving their vehicles and jumping into a ditch, they saw the lead tank in the column destroyed by anti-tank fire and decided to get back in their vehicles and try to speed past the closing forces.
When Rose and his staff were trapped during this gambit, a German tank commander shot Rose as he reached toward his holster, nor knowing if Rose was surrendering or preparing to go down shooting; Rose was struck by 14 bullets, including several in the head. Ironically, all the other passengers who were riding with Rose managed to escape into a forest and hide overnight, reuniting with friendly units the next day. The incident made Major General Rose the highest-ranking Officer killed by enemy fire in the entire European Theater of Operations.
Related Items
3rd Armored Division Unit Crest (DUI)
3rd Armored Division Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)