The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment was attached to the 101st Airborne Division from Sept 15, 1943 to March 1, 1945
1942
July 20 – Activated at Camp Toombs GA, which was renamed Camp Toccoa one month later.
Dec 9 – moved to Ft Benning GA where the 506th was attached to Airborne Command
1943
Feb 26 – Transferred to Camp MacKall, NC
June 1 – Attached to the 101st Airborne Division
Jun 6 – Relocated to Sturgis Army Airfield KY
July 23 – Relocated to Ft Bragg, NC
Aug 29 – Staged at Camp Shanks, NY
Sept 5 – Departed New York P/E, arrived England Sept 15
1944
June 6 – Assaulted Normandy, France
July 13 – Returned to England
Sept 17 – Assaulted Nijmegen-Arnhem, Holland
1945
April 4 – Entered Germany
May 3 – Detached from 101 Airborne Div, attached to 4th Infantry Division
May 30 – The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment was inactivated
Aug 1945 – The 4th Infantry Division was located in Zell-am-see, Austria
Campaigns: Normandy, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe
101st Airborne Division Combat Narrative
The division air-assaulted into the Normandy France region 6 June 1944 and secured the beach exits in the St Martin-deVarreville-Pouppeville area. The next day the 506th Prcht Inf moved south from Cauloville but was stopped near St Come-dur-Mont. The division began the battle for Carentan on 8 Jun and the 502nd Prcht Inf engaged in heavy combat on the causeway as envelopment operations continued through 10 Jun. As the 502nd Prcht Inf and 327th Glider Inf moved to the outskirts of Carentan on 11 Jun the German defenders withdrew, allowing the 506th Prcht Inf to seize it the following day. The division repulsed counterattacks and maintained its positions until relieved by the 83rd Inf Div on 27 Jun. It moved to Cherbourg and relieved the 4th Inf there 30 Jun. The division returned to England 13 Jul 44 for rehabilitation.
The division air-assaulted in Holland on 17 Sep 44 to seize the bridges at Veghel and Zon, north of Eindhoven. The former was captured but the Germans demolished the Zon Bridge as the paratroopers approached it. A footbridge was improvised at Zon and the division then advanced toward Eindhoven which it cleared the next day. It contacted the British Guard Armed Division, but failed to take the bridge intact over the Wilhelmina Canal southeast of Best. The division contained counterattacks towards Zon on 19 September 44 and maintained its positions at Eindhoven, Zon, St Oedenrode and Veghel. After heavy combat the division advanced to take Schijndel 21 September 44, and forced the German defenders to withdraw from Veghel 22 September 44. The 506th parachute infantry reopened the Veghel-Uden highway on 23 September 44, which had been cut the previous day. It then forced the German defenders to abandon the Koevering roadblock on 25 September 44 in an enveloping attack. The division was relieved of its positions and withdrew to France for rehabilitation on 28 November 44.
The division was released from reserve 17 December 44 in response to the German Ardennes Counteroffensive, and arrived at Bastogne 19 December 44. There it established defensive lines as the city was encircled the next day. The division refused the German demand for surrender, although surrounded, on 22 December 44. It continued to hold its perimeter against repeated attacks. The 4th Armored Div reached the division lines on 26 December 44. The division continued to maintain its positions and on 9 January 45 the 506th attacked out to take Recogne. The Bois Jaques was cleared after that, and by 13 January 45 to 506th had captured Foy as the 327th Glider Inf moved toward Bourcy. Neville fell to the 506th 15 January 45, and the division moved on to seize Rachamps the following day as the 502nd Prcht Inf fought towards Bourcy. Bourcy and Hardigny were both taken by the division on 17 January 45. By 22 January 45 it closed in to the Drulingen-Sarraltroff area and by 26 January 45 moved into the Hochfelden zone. The following day the division assumed defensive lines along the Moder river.
The division was relieved by the 36th Infantry Division on 25 February 45, and assembled at Mourmelon France for rehabilitation. It was then moved to the Ruhr Pocket on 31 March 45 and took over the 97th Infantry Division sector 4 April 5. The division next moved to the Memmingen region 27 April 45 and on 30 April 45 was given the task of policing the Kaufbeuren-Saulgrub-Wertach-Kempten zone. It moved to the Miesbach area 1 May 45 and relieved the 4th infantry division on 4 May 45. The division reached Berchtesgaden when hostilities were declared ended on 7 May 45.