23rd Cavalry Division (United States)

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The 23rd Cavalry Division was a cavalry formation of the United States Army National Guard during the interwar period.

It was created in the early 1920s due to the perceived need for additional cavalry units along with three other National Guard cavalry divisions, but its headquarters was not activated until 1939 as a result of funding shortages.

History[]

Constituted in 1921, the division was allocated to Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, New Mexico, and Massachusetts as part of the Third Army. Though the division was not formally activated at the time and lacked a headquarters due to funding shortages, the Texas 56th Cavalry Brigade with the 111th (New Mexico) and 112th (Texas) Cavalry Regiments was the first combat unit assigned to the division in June 1921; its commander, Brigadier General was commanding general of the division for mobilization until his November 1934 retirement. The division headquarters troops was previously organized at Birmingham on 12 April. The hitherto unallocated included the (Tennessee) and 110th (Massachusetts) Cavalry Regiments and was organized throughout the 1920s. By 1927 the 23rd's allocation was reduced to the states of the Fourth and Eighth Corps Areas.^[1]

The elements of the division conducted squad and platoon training at their armories and troop, squadron, and brigade training at annual summer camps. The majority of division units from the Fourth Corps Area held summer camp with the 6th Cavalry at Fort Oglethorpe, while the 56th Cavalry Brigade trained at Camp Wolters and the 141st Field Artillery at Camp Beauregard. Due to the concentration of its brigades at summer camps, Regular Army evaluators assessed them as among the best National Guard cavalrymen. ^[1]

Organization[]

Standard organization chart for a Cavalry Division in November 1940

The 23rd Cavalry Division was organized at some time after World War I, and was not activated in World War II. Of its component regiments, only the 106th Cavalry Regiment was activated under a cavalry designation during World War II.^[2]

• Headquarters & Headquarters Troop
• 53rd Cavalry Brigade
  • 105th Cavalry Regiment
  • 106th Cavalry Regiment (Illinois National Guard)
• 55th Cavalry Brigade
  • 108th Cavalry Regiment
• 141st Field Artillery Regiment
• 23rd Tank Company
• 23rd Reconnaissance Squadron
• 23rd Signal Troop
• 127th Ordnance Company
• 127th Engineer Squadron
• 123rd Quartermaster Squadron
• 123rd Medical Squadron

Stationing[]

• The 23rd Cavalry Division was geographically dispersed across the United States. The division was composed of personnel from the Alabama, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, & Wisconsin National Guards.

References[]

Citations[]

Bibliography[]

• Clay, Steven E. (2010a). US Army Order of Battle 1919–1941 (PDF). 2. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas: Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN 9781780399171.
• Clay, Steven E. (2010b). US Army Order of Battle 1919–1941 (PDF). 4. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas: Combat Studies Institute Press. ISBN 9780984190140.
• Sawicki, James A. (1985). Cavalry regiments of the US Army. Dumfries, Virginia: Wyvern Publications. ISBN 9780960240463.
• Wilson, John B. (1998). Maneuver and Firepower: The Evolution of Divisions and Separate Brigades (PDF). CMH Pub 60–14–1. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History. OCLC 30625000.
• [1], The Trading Post, Journal of the American Society of Military Insignia Collectors, April- June 2009, pages 20 & 21

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