# data[].attributes.body
The 66th Infantry Division was activated April 15, 1943 at Camp Blanding, FL. The division was assigned to campaign in North France. They arrived in England in November, 1944 to help the British troops advance into Northern France. Before the attack on the Leopoldville, which is talked about in the next post, they crossed English Channel in December 1944 to Cherbourg. Their mission was to contain enemies in St. Nazaire and Lorient and to harass enemy installations. The division was deactivated November 8, 1945

# data[].attributes.body
The SS Léopoldville was an 11,500-long-ton passenger liner of the Compagnie Belge Maritime du Congo. She was converted for use as a troopship in the Second World War. Prior to the attack, the Léopoldville had made 24 cross-Channel crossings, transporting more than 120,000 troops. On Christmas Eve 1944, the ship was crossing the English Channel and was hit and sunk by a German U-Boat. They were on our way to replace the troops at the Battle of the Bulge. They lost 14 officers, including 2 battalion commanders, and 784 enlisted men. 2 days later they were assigned to fight 60,000 Nazis in the pockets along the French Atlantic coast, the Black Panther Division, the 66th Division entered combat with grim determination - to avenge those who died in the English Channel.Of the 2,235 American servicemen on board, approximately 515 are presumed to have gone down with the ship. Another 248 died from injuries, drowning, or hypothermia. Captain Charles Limbor, one Belgian and three Congolese crew members also went down with the ship. An unknown number of British soldiers died.

# data[].attributes.body
Their campaign in Northern France was to contain enemy troops and help French troops advance. They fought by repulsing attacks from the Germans. They had limited objectives, but they were important none the less. After arriving at Cherbourg the 66th Division regrouped and headed for the L’Orient and St. Nazaire sectors in Brittany to relive the 94th Division which had been guarding the German submarine base pockets that were left after the D-Day invasion. While in Brittany the 66th Division carried out daily reconnaissance patrols along the one hundred and twelve mile front and conducted periodical artillery fire on the pockets of resistance.  Upon the German surrender on May 8, 1945, the 66th Division moved to the area near Koblenz, Germany for occupation duty and to guard German POW camps. Then they sailed home October 27, 1945.

# data[].attributes.body
Maj. General Herman F. Kramer (April 1943 - August 1945)

Maj. General Walter F. Lauer (August 1945 - Inactivation)

# data[].attributes.body
The nickname for the 66th Infantry Division was the "Black Panther" Division. The insignia is a red bordered circle, containing black panther head on orange background.

# data[].attributes.body
The 66th Division consisted of the following units: 262nd , 263rd, and 264th Infantry Regiments, Headquarters Battery, 721st, 870th, 871st, and 872nd, Field Artillery Battalions, 266th Engineer Combat Battalion, the 366th Medical Battalion, 66th Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment, 66th Quartermaster Company, 66th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop, the 566th Signal Company, and Headquarters Special Troops, including a Headquarters Company and a Military Police Platoon.

# data[].attributes.body
The 66th Infantry was a National Division from all over the US. Their camp was in Blanding, FL before they were sent to England. This united them because there were people from everywhere around the US, therefore there were many stories told from all different backgrounds. The current headquarters of the 66th Infantry is in Arizona.

# data[].attributes.body
1 DSM (Distinguished Service Medal)
78 SS (Silver Stars)
9 LM (Legion of Merit)
28 SM (Solider's Medal)
127 BSM (Bronze Star Medal)
58 AM (Air Medal)

# data[].attributes.body
“World War II Divisional Combat Chronicles.” CHAPTER 23: World War II: The War Against Japan, history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/066id.htm.
“66th Division.” 66th Division, www.66thinfantrydivision.org/.

“Uboat.net.” Front Page, uboat.net/history/leopoldville.htm.
“66th Infantry Division.” US Army Divisions, www.armydivs.com/66th-infantry-division/.