16th Division (United States)


The 16th Division was an infantry division of the United States Army raised during World War I. It was the second formation of that name raised in the United States, the first being renamed to 37th Division in 1917.

History

The 16th Division was part of a group of six divisions that the War Department directed to be formed in mid-1918 from troops of the Regular Army augmented by draftees. It was anticipated that the divisions' training would take four months, to be completed by the end of November 1918.
Formation of the division began in August 1918 with the concentration of the 21st and 32nd Infantry Regiments and 301st and 302nd Cavalry Regiments at Camp Kearny, San Diego County, California. The division was commanded by Major General David C. Shanks, with his son-in-law Stephen J. Chamberlin, later a lieutenant general, as chief of staff. Its two Infantry brigades, the 31st and 32nd, were commanded by Peter Weimer Davison and Walter Cowen Short. The division's 16th Field Artillery Brigade was commanded by Daniel W. Hand. On 31 August, the strength of the division was approximately 6,900 officers and men, and, at the end of September, it reached a total of about 10,750 officers and men. During October and November, the strength was slightly above 12,000, the majority of drafted men being supplied by the western states. Systematic training began in September, with the 216th Engineers joining the division at Camp Kearny in October. The Armistice occurred before the 16th Division departed for France; under the command of Guy Carleton, it was briefly considered for inclusion in American Expeditionary Force Siberia, but that conflict also ended before the division could embark. On 17 January 1919, demobilization of emergency personnel and of all units, except the 21st and 32nd Infantry, was ordered. Demobilization of the division was accomplished by 8 March 1919.

Order of battle

Shoulder sleeve insignia

Because the 16th Division was in existence for such a brief period, it never officially designed or adopted a shoulder sleeve insignia or distinctive unit insignia. However, some members of the organization devised a felt shoulder patch that featured the Liberty Bell, one with the number "16" superimposed on it; neither insignia was ever officially adopted.