The division consisted of approximately 11,000 soldiers, and was composed of tank, field artillery, motorized infantry battalions and other support units.

[b][8] While at Camp Barkeley, the 44th Tank Battalion was sent to the Pacific Theater of Operations on a special mission and later distinguished itself as the first unit to enter Manila.

After completing training the division left Abilene and departed from Camp Shanks, New York, for the European Theater of Operations on 20 September 1944.

It crossed the English Channel from Southampton, arrived at Le Havre, France, on 11 November 1944 and then traveled up the Seine River to Rouen to join the Seventh Army under Lieutenant General Alexander Patch.

Advance elements met the enemy near Weisslingen in Alsace on 5 December, and the entire division moved against the Maginot Line fortifications two days later.

After a short period of rehabilitation and maintenance, the 12th rolled against the Rhine bridgehead at Herrlisheim that the Germans had established as part of their Operation Nordwind offensive.

The division's attacks at Herrlisheim failed to use combined-arms tactics and were defeated in detail, resulting in two tank and two armored infantry battalions taking heavy losses.

Poor tactics were compounded by terrain that was almost tabletop-flat, offering the German defenders excellent fields of fire.

[19][20] In a lightning drive, the 12th effected junction with French forces at Rouffach, on 5 February, sealing the Colmar Pocket and ending German resistance in the Vosges Mountains.

[16] The soldiers were ordered to remove their identifying unit insignias, and vehicle markings were painted over,[21] disguising the fact that Patton had an additional armored division under his command.

Maintaining the rapid pace, the 12th crossed the Rhine River at Worms on 28 March over pontoon bridges, advanced toward Würzburg, and captured that city along with elements of the famed 42nd Infantry Division (United States).

For leading the successful rescue of these prisoners, Lee was promoted to captain and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

[29] The 12th Armored Division engaged in security duty around Ulm[21] until 22 November 1945, when it left Marseille, France, for home.

[47] Website: https://sites.google.com/view/12tharmoreddivisionassociation The Hellcat News, the newspaper of the 12th Armored Division, was first published in 1942 as an information sheet.

After many months of mail delivery problems, Colonel Guy W. Chipman requested that the address be changed to Camp Campbell, Kentucky.

[48] The Hellcat News is one of two U.S. military newspapers that has been continuously published since World War 2, the other being the older "Stars and "Stripes", which began publication on 9 November 1861 in Bloomfield, Missouri.

These messages contain information about the division's Medal of Honor recipient, Staff Sergeant Edward A. Carter Jr.

The Museum holds collections of the 12th Armored Division, World War II archives, memorabilia, and oral histories, along with selected equipment and material loaned or donated by others.

The education plan focuses on expanding academic access to World War II historical materials, veterans, and their families; preserving the history of the 12th Armored Division for study, research, and investigations by future generations; providing training in public history professions, developing new education programs for students and establishing a technology bridge between the 12th Armored Division Historical Collection and the public."

Website: https://www.12tharmoreddivisionmuseum.com/ As part of an ongoing venture to become a larger part of the West Texas community and the greater Abilene area, 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum has partnered with the West Texas Digital Archives,[53] providing access to copies of the "Hellcat News" from first edition to 2012.