108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Ukraine), World War II
The division supported the 3rd Guards Army and the 8th Guards Army during the Izyum–Barvenkovo offensive, Donbas strategic offensive, Zaporozhye offensive, the Nikopol–Krivoi Rog offensive, and the Bereznegovatoye–Snigirevka offensive from the summer of 1943 to the spring of 1944. The division received the name of Zaporozhye as an honorific on 14 October 1943 in recognition of its performance during the capture of the city. During the Second Jassy–Kishinev offensive and in fighting in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, the division supported the raid of the 4th Guards Mechanized Corps.


108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Ukraine), World War II
On 7 September 1944 the 22nd was awarded the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class for "exemplary fulfillment of command tasks" in breaking through enemy defenses south of Bender and the capture of Kishinev and its "valor and courage". The division, reinforced with tanks and infantry, acted as an assault group during the battle for Belgrade, participating in the capture of the royal palace, parliament building, post and telegraph office, and the military academy.


108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Ukraine), World War II
The 22nd supported the raid of the 18th Tank Corps during the Budapest offensive and operated in conjunction with the 5th Guards Tank Army during the Vienna offensive. The division was awarded the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2nd class, on 26 April 1945 in recognition of its performance in the capture of Pápa and Devecser. From 1943 to the end of the war, the division was credited with destroying 264 aircraft, up to 3 infantry regiments, capturing up to 10,000 soldiers and officers, knocking out 45 tanks, burning three railway echelons, and suppressing the fire of 15 batteries.


108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Ukraine), Postwar
After the end of the war, the division became part of the Central Group of Forces. Danshin was transferred to become an academy instructor in August 1945, and was replaced by Colonel Ivan Plachnida. The division was reorganized as the 449th Anti- Aircraft Artillery Brigade in spring 1948 and in June of that year Plachnida transferred to command another anti-aircraft artillery division. He was replaced first by Major General Artyom Makashutin and then by Colonel Pyotr Shulga in December. By December 1948 the brigade was at Akhtyrka in the Kiev Military District.


108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Ukraine), Postwar
The division was subsequently transferred to the Special Mechanized Army and renumbered as the 98th Anti - Aircraft Artillery Brigade in November 1955. The brigade was expanded into the 86th Anti- Aircraft Artillery Division on 22 August 1956, stationed at Constanța. The Special Mechanized Army became the 1st Separate Army in 1957, and in July 1958 withdrew from Romania to the Kiev Military District. When air defense units were reorganized on 30 July 1960 due to the replacement of anti-aircraft guns by surface-to-air missiles, the division was reorganized as the 108th Anti- Aircraft Missile Brigade of the 1st Separate Army, a unit of the Air Defense of the Ground Forces. The 108th was based at Zolotonosha and as the air defense brigade of the army, which became the 1st Guards Army in 1967, for the rest of the Cold War.


108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Ukraine), Postwar
After the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, the brigade became part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in January 1992 and became a unit of the Ukrainian Air Defense Forces. It was equipped with the Buk M1 missile system. The 108th was reduced from a brigade to a regiment at some point between 2000 and 2006. The 108th Anti- Aircraft Missile Regiment was disbanded in 2012, but the planned demolition of its barracks was forestalled by city officials. The barracks were taken over by the 156th Anti - Aircraft Missile Regiment after the latter returned from the War in Donbas in 2014.


108th Aviation Regiment (United States)
The 108th Aviation Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. It is part of the Kansas Army National Guard and has served with distinction in World War II (under a different designation and configuration), Iraq and Afghanistan.


108th Aviation Regiment (United States)
The 1st Battalion (Assault), 108th Aviation Regiment not only has its assault helicopter and MEDEVAC duties around the world, it assists throughout the United States with wildfires and hurricane relief.


108th Aviation Regiment (United States)
The 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regiment wears the 35th Infantry Division patch as a subordinate unit of the Combat Aviation Brigade, 35th Infantry Division and it is assigned to the 635th Regional Support Group.


108th Battalion (Selkirk), CEF
The 108th Battalion (Selkirk), CEF, was an infantry battalion of the Great War Canadian Expeditionary Force. The 108th Battalion was authorized on 4 November 1915 and embarked for Britain on 19 September 1916, where its personnel were absorbed by the 14th Reserve Battalion, CEF,  to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field. The battalion disbanded on 4 August 1917.


108th Battalion (Selkirk), CEF
The 108th Battalion recruited throughout Manitoba and was mobilized at Selkirk.


108th Battalion (Selkirk), CEF
The 108th Battalion was commanded by Lt.-Col. G.H. Bradbury from 18 September 1916 to 15 December 1916.


108th Battalion (Selkirk), CEF
The 108th Battalion was awarded the battle honour THE GREAT WAR 1916-17.


108th Battalion (Selkirk), CEF
The 108th Battalion (Selkirk), CEF, is not perpetuated by the Canadian Army.


108th Battalion (Selkirk), CEF, Sources
Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914–1919 by Col. G. W. L. Nicholson, CD, Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Ontario, 1962


108th Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 108th Brigade was a formation of  the British Army during the First World War. It was raised as part of the new army also known as Kitchener's Army and assigned to the 36th (Ulster) Division. The brigade served on the Western Front.


108th Brigade (United Kingdom), Formation
The infantry battalions did not all serve at once, but all were assigned to the brigade during the war.


108th Cavalry Regiment
The 108th Cavalry Regiment is a Regiment of the Georgia Army National Guard and the Louisiana Army National Guard respectively


108th Cavalry Regiment, Lineage
The 108th Cavalry was constituted 1 June 1921, assigned to the 23rd Cavalry Division, allotted to the National Guard of the States of Georgia and Louisiana, and organized from new and existing units as follows:


108th Cavalry Regiment, Lineage
106th Field Signal Battalion, Major C.W. Saso, commanding, , Ga., 9 February 1918


108th Cavalry Regiment, Lineage
2nd Squadron Reconnaissance Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA), 108th Cavalry Regiment (LA ARNG) was mobilized on 5 January 2010 for deployment as part of the 256th IBCT.


108th Cavalry Regiment, Coat of arms
The 108th Cavalry Regiment has its own Coat of Arms approved by the United States Army Institute of Heraldry on 3 July 1934, composed of the following:


108th Cavalry Regiment, Present day
The 3rd Squadron, 108th Cavalry Regiment was inactivated in a ceremony on 5 March 2016 at the Atlanta Readiness Center, with personnel being used to form the 3d Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th BCT.


108th Delaware General Assembly
The 108th Delaware General Assembly was a meeting of the legislative branch of the state government, consisting of the Delaware Senate and the Delaware House of Representatives. Elections were held the first Tuesday after November 1 and terms began in Dover on the first Tuesday in January. This date was January 8, 1935, which was two weeks before the beginning of the seventh administrative year of Governor C. Douglass Buck and third administrative year of Roy F. Corley as Lieutenant Governor.


108th Delaware General Assembly
Currently the distribution of the Senate Assembly seats was made to seven senators for New Castle County and for five senators to each Kent and Sussex counties. Likewise the current distribution of the House Assembly seats was made to fifteen representatives for New Castle County and for ten representatives each to Kent and Sussex counties. The actual population changes of the county did not directly affect the number of senators or representatives at this time.


108th Delaware General Assembly
In the 108th Delaware General Assembly session both chambers had a Republican majority.


108th Delaware General Assembly, Members, Senate
About half of the State Senators were elected every two years for a four-year term. They were from a district in a specific county, with the number of districts determined by the state constitution, not the size of the population.


108th Delaware General Assembly, Members, House of Representative
All the State Representatives were elected every two years for a two-year term. They were from a district in a specific county, with the number of districts determined by the state constitution, not the size of the population.


108th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
The 108th Division (第108師団, Dai-hyakuhachi Shidan) was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Help Division (祐兵団, Yū Heidan). It was formed on 24 August 1937 in Hirosaki as a square division. The nucleus for the formation was the 8th Division headquarters. It was subordinated from the beginning to the 1st Army in North China. Part of the personnel served a second tour in 1942 with the 69th Division.


108th Division (Imperial Japanese Army), Action, First formation
The 108th Division was sent to the ongoing Beiping–Hankou Railway Operation in October 1937 and had the distinction of capturing Linfen from Chinese forces. Later it was responsible for security in Shanxi province. The division returned to Japan in January 1940 and was dissolved in February 1940.


108th Division (Imperial Japanese Army), Action, Second formation
As the situation in the Pacific War deteriorated, the 108th Division was re-established 12 July 1944 in Chengde as a triangular division. It was assigned directly to the Kwantung Army, fighting Chinese Communist forces in the Chengde area. In early 1945, the 171st Cavalry Regiment joined the division.


108th Division (Imperial Japanese Army), Action, Second formation
On 23 May 1945, the division was reassigned to the 3rd Area Army, and reinforced by a veterinary detachment plus an ordnance company. Gradually, during June 1945 the 108th Division was re-deployed to counter the Soviet threat. Some elements of the division were left behind in Chengde for a planned anti-communist offensive. On 1 August 1945, the most capable men of the infantry and cavalry regiments were assembled into an assault battalion, leaving vacancies behind. At the same time, the divisional artillery battalion was expanded to an artillery regiment. The majority of men drafted during this wave of expansion were not armed (not even with rifles or bayonets), and did not have uniforms. The 108th Division was still drafting as late as 13 August 1945.


108th Division (Imperial Japanese Army), Action, Second formation
With the start of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, the 108th Division was at Jinzhou. On 10 August 1945, the Mizunuma detachment, comprising an infantry battalion and an artillery battalion, was reassigned to the 136th Division. At the same time, the rest of the 108th Division was reassigned to the 44th Army. The Soviet invasion of Manchuria finished with the surrender of Japan before the 108th Division saw any major combat. At the termination of hostilities, the 108th Division was at Liaoyang. A total of 110 men from the 108th Division were killed during the service.


108th Division (People's Republic of China)
The 108th Division (Chinese: 第108师) was created in February 1950 under the Regulation of the Redesignations of All Organizations and Units of the Army, issued by Central Military Commission on November 1, 1948, basing on the 310th Division and 2 regiments from 3rd Independent Security Brigade, 111th Corps of Republic of China Army defected on September 19, 1949 during the Chinese Civil War.


108th Field Artillery Regiment
The 1st Battalion, 108th Field Artillery Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, is the only direct support field artillery battalion in the only National Guard Stryker Brigade in the United States Army.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, Mission
The 1-108th Field Artillery's mission in support of the 56th SBCT is to provide accurate and responsive fires including close and counterfire to the maneuver units of the SBCT.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
The 108th Field Artillery was formed on December 11, 1840, at a time when many militia units were forming across the country. It was established as an infantry company in the 1st Volunteer Infantry Regiment by CPT Thomas Tustin and was called The National Guards after the Marquis de Lafayette's unit Les Guardes de Nationale, one of several in the state to use this name. It recruited for the Mexican War and volunteered for service but it was not needed since Pennsylvania had already supplied its required quota of troops.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
In 1856 the unit incorporated itself as the Infantry Corps of National Guards of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The unit eventually expanded from a company to a battalion and by 1860 it expanded into a regiment, the 2d Infantry Regiment, and paraded as such on December 11, 1860. It was part of the Reserve Brigade Militia and was known as the First Blue Reserves. On February 22, 1861, the Regiment was in Harrisburg to receive President-elect Abraham Lincoln.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
At the beginning of the Civil War, the regiment volunteered for three months' service and became the 19th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. The regiment served the majority of its time garrisoning and occupying the City of Baltimore as it harbored a large number of Confederate sympathizers. It was instrumental in the apprehension of Marshal Kane, the Sheriff of Baltimore, who was a Confederate sympathizer suspected of planning revolt. At the end of the ninety days, a large portion opted to re-enlist thus forming a new unit called the 90th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
The unit was equipped with modified Harper's Ferry .69 caliber smoothbore muskets. The 90th saw action at Second Manassas (where it suffered approximately 218 casualties), Antietam and Fredericksburg in 1862. In 1863, the regiment was lightly engaged during the battle of Chancellorsville but was in heavy fighting at Gettysburg. The 90th was part of the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, I Corps in the Army of the Potomac. It was heavily involved during the battle on July 1, 1863, and was positioned as the far right of the I Corps line. When the XI Corps was forced to retreat the regiments right flank was exposed and forced to fall back.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
It was at this time, during the retreat through town that the Regimental Chaplain was killed after visiting with the wounded of the regiment who were in a church behind enemy lines. The 90th then spent the rest of the battle in reserve arriving on the scene of Picket's Charge just as it was being repulsed. During the battle, the regiment suffered 8 killed, 45 wounded and 40 missing/captured. The majority of the casualties occurred on the first day with most of the missing captured during the retreat through town.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
After Gettysburg, the unit took part in the fall campaign in Virginia. In 1864, the regiment took part in the battles of Wilderness, Spottsylvania and Cold Harbor suffering several hundred casualties. The regiment took place in the campaign leading up to Petersburg and the early stages of the Siege of Petersburg. It was engaged at Petersburg during the fateful mine explosion on June 30, 1864.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
During a skirmish at Weedon Station on July 17–18, 1864, the regiment was heavily engaged and Confederate troops had succeeded in penetrating the unit on the 90th's right flank and were in the rear of the 90th. The 90th began to receive fire from both the Confederates and the Union Artillery to its rear. The regiment received the order to withdraw but lost approximately 90 men captured including its commander LTC Leech and around 20 dead and wounded.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
The survivors were pulled from the line and those soldiers whose enlistments had not expired were merged with the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. The 90th Regiment fought in 12 campaigns during the Civil War and earned seven Medals of Honor. During the Civil War, the unit suffered well over eight hundred casualties including 103 combat deaths; it also suffered 127 non-battle deaths in its three years of service. After the heavy fighting during the Petersburg Campaign, the unit was mustered out of Federal Service on November 26, 1864.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
After the Civil War, the unit was re-designated as the 2nd Infantry Regiment in 1867. It served in this capacity for the remainder of the nineteenth century and was activated by the Governor for the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. During the strike, violence erupted and shots were fired. Several Guardsmen were killed as well as some strikers. In 1898 the regiment was activated for the Spanish–American War but did not serve outside the United States. Instead, the unit spent the majority of their service guarding several areas vital to national security to include the Dupont Powder Works in Delaware.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
In 1916 the regiment was again activated for service on the Mexican border as part of the Mexican Punitive Expedition after Pancho Villa's raid. The regiment served in Texas the entire period. On October 23, 1916, while still in Texas, the regiment was converted from an infantry unit to a field artillery and trained on 4.7 inch howitzers. The regiment was now called the 2nd Field Artillery Regiment, PNG. The regiment trained in its new role as artillerymen until the end of the crisis in February 1917.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
The unit did not have long to practice their new skills when their country called them again. This time, for service in France during World War I. The unit was activated on July 24, 1917, and later was redesignated as the 108th Field Artillery Regiment. It was sent to Camp Hancock, GA in the late summer of 1917. It was part of the 53rd Field Artillery Brigade, which was part of the 28th Division.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
After training in Georgia for several months and receiving new recruits to bring it up to combat strength, the unit was transferred to Camp Utpton in April 1918. On May 18–19, the 108th with the rest of the 53rd FA Brigade set sail for England and arrived overseas on May 31, 1918, in Liverpool, and from there it went to Le Havre, France. After a brief stay in Le Havre, the regiment went to train on the French artillery pieces at Fort de Meucon. The 108th was equipped with, and trained heavily on, French 155 mm M1917 Schnieder howitzers.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
After extensive training with the French, the 108th and the rest of the 53rd FA Brigade rejoined the 28th Division on August 8, 1918, during fighting around Fismettes. Fismettes was taken and then lost, then retaken during late August, until the Germans retreated across the Aisne River in early September. On September 8, 1918, the whole 28th Division was relieved by the French 62nd Division and the 28th Division began to move toward Clermont-en-Argonne. During the night from September 19–20, 1918 the division re-entered the front line relieving the French 73rd and 120th Divisions in preparation for the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
On September 26, 1918, the division launched its attack as part of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The 55th Brigade captured the town of Varennes and soon after, the 108th had set up firing positions in the town and was firing in support of the divisions advance. The 108th fired missions in support of the 82nd Division after the 28th Division was withdrawn from the front. They were soon detached from the 28th Division and sent north to Belgium and fought with the 91st Division in the Ypres sector. They did not rejoin the 28th Division until the spring of 1919 in LeMans, France just prior to their departure. They earned five campaign streamers for actions in which they participated.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
After it demobilized the unit began to reorganize over the period from 1919 to 1920 and became known as the 2nd Field Artillery, Pennsylvania National Guard. On April 21, 1921, it became known as the 108th Field Artillery, Corps Troops. In late 1926, after several years of discussion on its design, the regiment Coat of Arms and Distinctive Unit Insignia were approved as currently worn by members. Also, in 1926, the 108th had as a visitor during its Annual Training the III Corps Area Commander, MG Douglas MacArthur.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
During Annual Training 1932 the 3-108th FA teamed with the 103rd Observation Squadron and used an air observer in fire missions. In 1936 the 108th updated its Schneider howitzers by getting pneumatic tires. In 1938 the regiment was once again at the forefront of joint air-ground operations when it used an auto-gyro (a forerunner to the helicopter) for fire missions and to recon firing positions.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
A little over twenty years after fighting in France the country once again called on the 108th FA, this time to fight Germany in World War II. In February 1941 the regiment was activated for one year under a call up for the national emergency as declared by President Roosevelt. On December 7, 1941, the war came and the 12-month activation became indefinite. In 1942, the regiment was split.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 108th FA became Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 193rd Field Artillery Group, 1st Battalion 108th FA became the 193rd Field Artillery Battalion and 2nd Battalion became the 108th FA Battalion.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
The 108th FA Bn fought as part of the 28th Infantry Division in Europe with M1 155mm Howitzers from Normandy Beach to the Battle of the Bulge and into Germany. The 108th trained in the US and later Wales for amphibious operations. It was originally scheduled to make an amphibious landing on the Cherbourg Peninsula but it was canceled when the peninsula was over-run. The 108th took part in the liberation of Paris and marched through the city. By September 1944 it was located along the northern Luxembourg border and Germany was within range of the guns.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
It was involved in the heavy fighting in the Battle of the Hurtegen Forrest in November 1944 where the division suffered heavy casualties. After being pulled out of the Hurtegen Forrest the unit was assigned to a quiet sector along the Our River to rest and take in replacements. On 16 December the German Wehrmacht began their Ardennes Offensive also known as the Battle of The Bulge. The Brunt of the offensive was directed against the 28th Division which was holding a front of over 20 miles.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
During the Battle of the Bulge the 108th was stationed in support of the 109th Infantry outside of the town of Diekirch alongside the 107th FA. Shortly after 1000 on December 16, 1944, elements of the German Army bypassed units of the 109th INF and were firing into A Battery of the 108th. The men had seen figures moving through the fog but thought they were American. Fierce action commenced as the gunners were forced to fight as infantry and other batteries provided support.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
As the 109th struggled to hold their line against the German attack the 108th was able to provide support from their 155mm howitzers pinning German shock troops on the bank of the Our River. The next day the Germans renewed their attack and once again A Battery 108th FA, along with A Battery 107th FA came under heavy German attack. Once again they fought as infantry while other batteries provided support. LTC James Rosboro (a former member of the 108th from World War I, who rose to command the battalion in 1942), commander of the 107th FA, gathered a force and rescued the two batteries. For his actions, LTC Rosboro was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
Although the batteries were saved, they could no longer remain in their firing positions and were forced to displace. The 109th's position had become untenable and it was forced to withdraw. The 108th and 107th provided covering fire while the infantry withdrew. The Battalion earned five campaign streamers and was awarded the Luxembourg Croix de Guerre for actions in that country.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
After World War II the 108th FA Battalion was reorganized with elements of the 108th FA Battalion and HHB 193rd FA Group in November 1946. The 193rd FA Battalion (former 1st Battalion 108th FA) was redesignated as the 235th FA Observation Battalion. Once again however, peace was shattered when in early June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea. The 28th Infantry Division and the 108th were sent to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, and later, Germany. The 235th was activated and sent to Fort Sill OK prior to shipping to Korea.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
The 235th arrived in Korea during the winter of 1953 and was assigned to the Eighth Army. The 235th served with II Corps, Republic of Korea's army during the Battle of the Komsung Bulge. For its actions, Battery C earned a letter of commendation from the commander of II Corps ROK and the ROK Army Chief of Staff. They were also awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation by General Taylor, Commander of UN Forces in Korea, and two campaign streamers.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
After the Korean War, the 108th was merged with the 235th Field Artillery Battalion in December 1954. It was known as the 108th FA Bn and was armed with 155mm Howitzers. In 1959 the Combat Arms Regimental System was begun and the 108th was named as one of the parent regiments. At this time it consisted of the 1st Rocket Howitzer Battalion. It was armed with Honest John Rockets and 8-inch Howitzers. In the mid-sixties, the unit became all rocket with 2 Honest John Rocket Batteries.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
The unit served through the 1960s and early 1970s in this capacity until 1975. At this time the 1-108th Field Artillery was deactivated and replaced with the 108th Combat Support Hospital who carried the original 108th Campaign Honors. Meanwhile, across the state, a new 1/108th FA was organized from elements of the 104th Cavalry. In 1997 the 108th Combat Support Hospital was deactivated and the 1/108th FA was given the Lineage and Honors of the 108th Field Artillery as a challenge and trust.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
With the bestowing of these honors a new unit, Detachment 1 Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, was formed by members from Headquarters Battery and former members of the Hospital. The 1-108th FA was then equipped with the M-109A5 155mm self-propelled howitzer and organized with three batteries of six guns each. It supports the 56th Brigade of the 28th Infantry Division (Mechanized). In June 2001, the 1-108th was selected as part of the 56th Brigade to transform into the Stryker Brigade Combat Team. In June 2003 Detachment 1, HHB completed its transition to become C Battery and the Lineage and Honors officially transferred. In July 2003 the 108th completed a transition to the M198 155mm towed howitzer.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
Current members of the 108th Field Artillery have contributed to the NATO peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Kosovo, as well as homeland defense missions at the airports and nuclear power plants. In December 2003, two officers were transferred to other DIVARTY units to take part in Operation Iraqi Freedom returning in 2005. Five other soldiers deployed as members of Task Force Dragoon, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, and training the Afghanistan National Army.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
In September 2005, the battalion was alerted and deployed to Louisiana in support of the relief effort in the wake of Hurricane Katrina as part of the 56th SBCT. The battalion assembled and deployed within 72 hours of alert and conducted a motor-march from their home armories to Alexandria, LA before proceeding to New Orleans. There the Battalion distributed food and conducted convoy operations transporting vital relief supplies. The unit was located at Riverdale HS renamed Forward Operating Base Red Saber for the 1-108th FA and the 2-104th Cav (RSTA).


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
It was located here when Hurricane Rita hit and immediately after this that the Battalion re-located to Lafayette where is assisted South Central LA and established a Regional Supply Area. The unit remained there from late September until early October 2005 when it returned home. For their efforts, members of the Battalion were awarded the LA Emergency Service Medal and the Battalion as a whole was awarded the Governors Unit Citation.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, History
The battalion was the first National Guard unit to be issued and fire the M777A2 howitzer in 2008 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. The battalion deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 09-11 to Camp Taji, Iraq. Battery B, 1st Battalion, 109th Field Artillery Regiment also deployed to support the 1-108th Battalion. They increased the indirect firing capabilities of the Battalion by establishing Firebase Arrowhead at JSS Istiqlal, Iraq.


108th Field Artillery Regiment, Organization
The doctrinal organization of an Artillery Battalion in a Stryker Brigade Combat Team is 1 Headquarters & Headquarters Battery and 3 firing batteries. The firing batteries are in a 3x6 (3 batteries, 6 howitzers per battery) 155mm towed howitzer composition. The 1-108th FAR is organized of the following units:


108th Field Artillery Regiment, Honors
The official record of unit honors and awards is retained by the United States Army Center of Military History


108th Grey Cup
The 108th Grey Cup will be played to decide the Canadian Football League (CFL) championship for the 2021 season. The game is scheduled to be played on December 12, 2021 at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario. It will be the 11th time that Hamilton has hosted the Grey Cup, with the most recent coming in 1996, and the first to be played at the new Tim Hortons Field.


108th Grey Cup, Background, Host city selection
The 108th (2020) and 109th (2021) Grey Cup were awarded to Regina, Saskatchewan and Hamilton, Ontario respectively on February 21, 2019. Litigation over the construction of Tim Hortons Field was settled on May 31, 2018, which had prevented the Tiger-Cats from bidding on a Grey Cup game prior to then.


108th Grey Cup, Background, Host city selection
The game was originally awarded as the 109th Grey Cup; the 2020 CFL season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, marking the first time the Grey Cup was not awarded since 1919. As a result, Regina's hosting of the Grey Cup was deferred to 2022.


108th Grey Cup, Background, Date
It was speculated with the 108th Grey Cup that the date for this game could come at least one week sooner than in previous years. Currently, the Grey Cup is played on the fourth or fifth Sunday of November, as has been the case since 2007. During the CFL's State of the League address on November 24, 2017, League Commissioner Randy Ambrosie suggested that the league could potentially move the date to the third week of October.


108th Grey Cup, Background, Date
On November 23, 2018, Commissioner Ambrosie confirmed that the league schedule would start one week earlier, suggesting that the 108th Grey Cup game would be on November 15, 2020. However, in the dual 2020 and 2021 announcement, it was revealed that the earlier start meant that it would be played on the third Sunday of November, which is still the earliest start since the November 19 game in 2006.


108th Grey Cup, Background, Date
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the date of this game was delayed from November 21, 2021 to December 12, 2021. This would be the first time that the Grey Cup game would be played in December since the 1972 Grey Cup (also in Hamilton) and it would be the latest that a Grey Cup game would ever be played (the previous latest in a calendar year was on December 11, 1937).


108th Guards Kuban Cossack Air Assault Regiment
The 108th Guards Kuban Cossack Air Assault Regiment is a regiment of the Russian Airborne Troops' 7th Guards Airborne Division, based at Novorossiysk. The regiment fought in the suppression of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, the War in Abkhazia, the First Chechen War, the War of Dagestan and the Second Chechen War.


108th Guards Kuban Cossack Air Assault Regiment, History
The regiment was formed on 20 September 1948 from the 1st Airborne Battalion of the 322nd Guards Air Landing Regiment of the 103rd Guards Airborne Division in Polotsk. After the formation, the 108th was moved to Kaunas and became part of the 7th Guards Airborne Division. On 17 July 1949, the regiment was presented with its battle flag.


108th Guards Kuban Cossack Air Assault Regiment, History
The regiment fought in the crushing of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Operation Whirlwind. On 3 November, it air-assaulted into Tököl.


108th Guards Kuban Cossack Air Assault Regiment, History
On 23 February 1968, the regiment was awarded the Order of the Red Star. In August 1968, the regiment fought in Operation Danube, the crushing of the Prague Spring. On 20 August, it landed in the Prague area.


108th Guards Kuban Cossack Air Assault Regiment, History
On 23 June 1969, the 6th Airborne Company boarded an An-12BP transport to take a flight to display their BMD-1 infantry vehicles to Defence Minister Andrei Grechko. The transport collided with an Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-14M over Yukhnov. All 91 paratroopers were killed.


108th Guards Kuban Cossack Air Assault Regiment, History
During exercises in 1972, the regiment displayed courage and valor, for which it was awarded the pennant of the Minister of Defence. On 29 October 1978, the regiment was given the honorific "60th Anniversary of the Komsomol" for its high performance in an exercise marking the 60th anniversary of the Komsomol. The regiment participated in the "Zapad-84" exercises and was awarded the pennant of the Minister of Defence for its actions. During 1988 and 1989, it conducted operations in the Transcaucasian Military District. In 1993, the regiment fought in the War in Abkhazia.


108th Guards Kuban Cossack Air Assault Regiment, History
In 1993, the regiment moved to Maykop. A year later it moved to Novorossiysk and was awarded the honorific "Kuban Cossack". Between 1995 and 1996, the regiment fought in the First Chechen War. In 1996, it returned to Abkhazia. In August 1999, the regiment fought in the War in Dagestan. It fought in the Battle for Donkey's Ear Height during the war. Between 2000 and 2003, the regiment fought in the Second Chechen War.


108th Guards Rifle Division
The 108th Guards Rifle Division was formed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in July 1943, based on the 4th Guards Rifle Brigade and the 10th Guards Rifle Brigade and was the first of a small series of Guards divisions formed on a similar basis. It was considered a "sister" to the 109th Guards Rifle Division and they fought along much the same combat paths until the spring of 1945.


108th Guards Rifle Division
Following a further abortive offensive against the German Gotenkopfstellung on the Taman Peninsula that month the division was moved into reserve and then sent northwest to join the 44th Army in Southern Front. During the advance to the Dniepr River in early November that Army was disbanded and the division, along with its 10th Guards Rifle Corps, was briefly reassigned to 28th Army.


108th Guards Rifle Division
During the winter the division took part in the battles along the Dniepr bend until the front broke open in March 1944 and the 108th Guards advanced to the Southern Bug River, winning an honorific in the process. After taking part in the takeover of Odessa the division fought along the Dniester as part of 5th Shock Army but was brought to a halt in heavy fighting west of the river.


108th Guards Rifle Division
A new offensive began in August when the division was part of 46th Army and each of its rifle regiments won battle honors during the advance through eastern Romania and into Hungary. By November it was at the outer defenses of Budapest but remained engaged in fighting for that city until it finally fell on February 13, 1945. During the last months of the war the 108th Guards played a minor part in beating back the German Army's final offensive in Hungary before advancing on Vienna as part of the 27th Army. The division compiled a fine record of service but was disbanded in 1947.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Formation
By mid-1943 most of the Red Army's remaining rifle brigades were being amalgamated into rifle divisions as experience had shown this was a more efficient use of manpower.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Formation, 4th Guards Rifle Brigade
This brigade began service as the 1st formation of the 38th Rifle Brigade, formed as a "student" brigade in the Central Asia Military District in November 1941. In December it was shipped to the Moscow Defence Zone before joining the 2nd Guards Rifle Corps in the reserves of Kalinin Front in January 1942. It saw combat in the Toropets–Kholm offensive as part of 3rd Shock Army and inflicted heavy casualties on the German forces around Kholm in March; on March 17 it was redesignated as the 4th Guards.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Formation, 4th Guards Rifle Brigade
After redesignation the Brigade returned to the Kalinin Front reserves where it added a fourth rifle battalion. In August it was moved south by rail to the North Caucasus where it joined the 10th Guards Rifle Corps and it remained under this command until it was reformed. For nearly a year it took part in battles against German Army Group A in the Caucasus region, eventually facing the defenses of 17th Army in the Kuban Bridgehead in the early summer of 1943.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Formation, 10th Guards Rifle Brigade
The 10th Guards was formed from July 30 to August 10, 1942 from the 4th Reserve Airborne Regiment in the Transcaucasus Military District and was immediately assigned to the 11th Guards Rifle Corps. By early August it was fighting along the Terek River as the 1st Panzer Army advanced eastward, but as the momentum of this advance ebbed the Red Army began planning counterattacks.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Formation, 10th Guards Rifle Brigade
When it went on the attack on November 6 it was supported by elements of the 63rd Tank Brigade, the 98th Guards Corps Artillery Regiment, the 52nd Mortar Battalion, and the 68th Guards Heavy Artillery Regiment, far more support than most rifle divisions received at this stage of the war. The 10th Guards never formed a fourth rifle battalion but by mid-1943 it did have a submachine gun battalion, a heavy machine gun battalion and large reconnaissance and sapper companies. By July it was also facing the German defenses on the Taman Peninsula.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Formation, 10th Guards Rifle Brigade
On July 5, 1943 the combined brigades officially became the 108th Guards at Krasnodar in the North Caucasus Military District; as they were already Guards formations there was no presentation of a Guards banner. Once the division completed its reorganization its order of battle was as follows:


108th Guards Rifle Division, Formation, 10th Guards Rifle Brigade
The division remained under the command of Col. Sergei Illarionovich Dunaev who had led the 4th Guards Brigade since March 20. Roughly 64 percent of the division's personnel came from the 4th Guards while 33 percent were from the 10th Guards. The 108th Guards inherited the Order of the Red Banner from both Brigades which they had received on December 13, 1942.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Kuban Bridgehead
In the late May fighting near Moldavanskoye both Brigades had been in 10th Guards Corps of 56th Army and made only minor gains before the offensive bogged down. By the beginning of July the 10th Brigade was still in this Corps but the 4th Brigade was a separate unit under direct Army Command.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Kuban Bridgehead
A new offensive began on July 16 after a massive artillery preparation at 0400 hours and initially involved only the 10th and 11th Guards Corps on a 7km-wide sector on the boundary between the 97th Jäger and 98th Infantry Divisions but this was almost immediately halted with heavy losses. On July 22 the effort expanded to include the rest of 56th Army but with no greater success.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Kuban Bridgehead
At the beginning of August the 108th Guards was serving as a separate division in the reserves of North Caucasus Front, and on August 22 the STAVKA decided to cut its losses and ordered the Front to transfer seven of its divisions, including the 108th Guards, to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for redeployment.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine
As of the start of September the 108th and 109th Guards constituted the 10th Guards Corps, still in North Caucasus Front, but it soon began moving north to reinforce the small 44th Army in Southern Front (as of October 20 4th Ukrainian Front) by the beginning of October adding the 49th Guards Rifle Division to its composition. By this time the German Army Group South had largely fallen back to the Dniepr River but south of the Dniepr bend at Zaporozhe the rebuilt German 6th Army was still tasked with holding along the Molochna River to the east.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine
On September 26 Maj. Vasilii Yakovlevich Antropov was leading his battalion of the 311th Guards Rifle Regiment toward the village of Voroshilovka in the Tokmak Raion. Under cover of an artillery bombardment the battalion crept up to the village undetected, crossed an antitank ditch, broke through the defenses and seized the objective. Under Antropov's leadership over 200 German soldiers and officers were killed or wounded and two ammunition depots, a mortar battery and four guns were captured. In later fighting he suffered a head wound and despite being admitted to hospital on October 3 he died four days later. On November 1 he was posthumously made a Hero of the Soviet Union.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine
On October 9 the Front resumed its offensive against 6th Army with a significant superiority of strength in all categories. The attack began on a 32km-wide front straddling Melitopol. By the 12th the 51st Army had pushed into the city from the south but the battle continued for another 12 days. Following this victory the Front began a general advance.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine
44th Army was making a dash to capture Nikopol on November 9 when its commander, Lt. Gen. V. A. Khomenko, and his chief of artillery, S. A. Bobkov, mistakenly took a road that led into German positions; Bobkov was killed and Khomenko mortally wounded. Based on German radio reports Stalin believed the two officers had deserted. In a rage he ordered the disbandment of 44th Army. 10th Guards Corps (now consisting of 108th Guards, 109th Guards and 77th Rifle Divisions) was reassigned to 28th Army, still in 4th Ukrainian Front.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, Into Western Ukraine
The assignment to 28th Army was short-lived as on December 5 the division was moved back to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command for rebuilding. Along with three other rebuilding Guards divisions it joined the 31st Guards Rifle Corps in 69th Army. It left the Reserve on February 1, 1944 while still in 69th Army but soon came under command of the 3rd Guards Rifle Corps in 5th Shock Army in 3rd Ukrainian Front. During the Uman–Botoșani offensive on March 28 forces of this Front liberated the city of Nikolaev and the division was awarded an honorific:


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, Into Western Ukraine
NIKOLAEV (Nikolaev Oblast)... 108th Guards Rifle Division (Col. Dunaev, Sergei Illarionovich)... The troops who participated in the liberation of Nikolaev, by the order of the Supreme High Command of 28 March 1944, and a commendation in Moscow, are given a salute of 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, Into Western Ukraine
In a further change of assignment in the last days of March the division joined the 37th Rifle Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. S. F. Gorokhov, still in 5th Shock Army, and it would remain under this command for the duration of the war.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, Odessa Offensive
Immediately following the victory at Nikolaev the left (south) wing of 3rd Ukrainian Front continued its advance on the city of Odessa, which was expected to be taken at the earliest around April 5. This was led by Pliyev's Cavalry-Mechanized Group, followed by the 8th Guards and 6th Armies to envelop the city from the northwest and west while the 5th Shock was to advance on its defenses directly from the east.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, Odessa Offensive
On April 4 Pliyev's Group and the lead elements of 37th Army signalled the beginning of the final phase of the Odessa offensive by capturing the town of Razdelnaia, 60km northwest of the city, thus once again splitting German 6th Army into two distinct parts. Once this was accomplished Malinovskii ordered Pliyev to race south as fast as possible to cut the withdrawal routes of the German forces from the Odessa region. At the same time the three combined-arms armies were to move in to take the city.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, Odessa Offensive
After heavy fighting on its northern and eastern approaches the forward detachments of 5th Shock entered its northern suburbs on the evening of April 9. Overnight the remaining Soviet forces approached Odessa's inner defenses from the northwest and west. With the trap closing shut the remainder of the defending LXXII Army Corps began breaking out to the west, allowing the Soviet forces to occupy the city's center at 1000 hours on April 10 after only minor fighting. For its part in the takeover of Odessa, on April 20 the 108th Guards would be awarded the Order of Suvorov, 2nd Degree.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
Following the battle for Odessa, the STAVKA ordered 3rd Ukrainian Front to mount a concerted effort to force the Dniester, capture Chișinău, and eventually occupy all of eastern Bessarabia. 5th Shock and 6th Armies were engaged in mopping up Odessa and were unable to join the pursuit for at least a week, when they were to reinforce the forward armies wherever required. The initial efforts to force the river were only partially successful, with a series of small and tenuous bridgeheads being seized.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
On the night of April 12/13 it was decided to reinforce 8th Guards Army with part of the 5th Shock's forces, but this would not take place until April 18-20 due to the state of the roads. The Army was expected to be required to overcome German strongpoints at Cioburciu and Talmaza before advancing westward.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
By April 19 the 37th Corps had reached the Dniester northwest of Cioburciu but the Front commander, Army Gen. R. Ya. Malinovskii, delayed the 5th Shock and 6th Armies' main offensives until the 25th largely due to the failures of the 5th Guards and 57th Armies' crossings near Tașlîc and the difficulty of ammunition supply.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
When the preliminary assault finally began it was in cooperation with 46th Army in and around Cioburciu. 5th Shock's commander, Col. Gen. V. D. Tsvetaev, arrayed his two rifle corps in a single echelon; 37th Corps was to attack on the right wing while the 10th Guards Corps attacked on the left. The history of the 108th Guards describes the following events:


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
The commander of 37th Rifle Corps assigned our division the mission of forcing the Dniester on the night of 18-19 April, seizing the flatlands along the river, and subsequently capturing the central part of the town of Talmazy. The 97th Jäger Division's 204th and 207th Regiments defended the main sector of the defense opposite the division's assault. The 308th and 311th Rifle Regiments, which were in first echelon, forced the river by handmade means, each with a reinforced battalion in advance. Three artillery battalions and two batteries of antitank artillery supported each regiment.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
A total of 74 guns and mortars per kilometre of front, which supported the crossing, reliably suppressed the enemy's defenses in the immediate region of the river's western bank and his artillery batteries situated in the depths. By the next morning, both regiments had successfully forced the Dniestr and, after destroying the enemy's covering subunits, rapidly overcame the flood plains and reached the old branch of the river, along which the enemy's main defenses were situated...


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
The terrain was swampy with a great number of lakes, and, therefore, each formation operated along its own axis without close contact with its neighbor. We attempted to penetrate the defensive lines several times but without any results. The enemy had a high density of firing means [weapons], a trench system, and, first and foremost, favorable terrain conditions. There was a water barrier, the old branch of the river, in front of his forward edge, and it was up to 15 metres wide and two metres deep, which was difficult to overcome.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
The 97th Jäger was able to concentrate its forces with the arrival of reinforcements from the 306th Infantry Division around Talmaza. This strongpoint was to be enveloped from the north and northwest while the 10th Guards Corps did the same from the south. Additional reinforcements from the 9th Infantry Division also arrived south of the village. As a result, and as described above, Tsvetaev's offensive collapsed of exhaustion after three days of heavy fighting and five more days of local battles for position before 5th Shock went over to the defense on May 4.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
Prior to a new effort to drive into Bessarabia General Malinovskii carried out an extensive regrouping of his Front. Among other measures the 37th Rifle Corps was transferred to 46th Army, where it would remain until the last months of the war. This Army was on the left flank of 5th Shock and while the 37th Corps remained in mostly the same positions other corps of both Armies redeployed to the north. The STAVKA specified that the renewed offensive was to begin no later than May 25, although difficulties with the regrouping and unexpected German actions would force a postponement to May 30.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
One of these unexpected actions began on May 13. While in 5th Shock Army, the 320th Rifle Division had crossed the river at Cioburciu. Due to the Front regrouping that division was now in 37th Corps, holding a bridgehead between 1–2km deep and 3km wide in low-lying marshlands, with German forces in possession of the high ground. The 108th Guards was on the division's right flank and its left was on the river itself, with the remainder of 46th Army still on the east bank.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
Before dawn a powerful 50-minute artillery preparation struck the 320th's defenses, followed by an attack by elements of 6th Army's XXIX and XXX Army Corps. The division beat off the first reconnaissance-in-force, but after a further bombardment the full assault began at 0700 hours. The 478th and 481st Rifle Regiments, in the front line, began to give ground grudgingly. A battlegroup of the German 3rd Mountain Division split the bridgehead and drove a wedge between the two Soviet divisions, making it impossible for the Guardsmen to support their Corps-mates.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Ukraine, First Jassy–Kishinev Offensive
By 0800 hours the men of the 320th found themselves literally with their backs to the river, with no room to maneuver and increasingly vulnerable to enemy fire. At 0930 hours their only river crossing was destroyed, and the defenders were effectively encircled. During the next four hours, while defending heroically, the rifle regiments were destroyed, with only a few stragglers managing to swim the river. This disaster finally forced Malinovskii to suspend offensive operations for the next three months.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans
At the start of the Second Jassy–Kishinev Operation 37th Corps had the 59th and 108th Guards plus the rebuilt 320th Division under command. 46th Army was on the Front's left (south) flank covering a frontage of 111km but its main attack would be along an 8km-wide sector between Talmaza and Cioburciu.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans
The 37th and 31st Guards Corps, both deployed in two echelons, made up the main shock force attacking in the direction of Volintiri while the 34th Rifle Corps would make a supporting attack toward Slobozia; 10th Guards Corps, which had also been assigned to 46th Army, would serve as the Front reserve. The shock group would be supported by 200-250 guns and mortars per kilometre of the Corps' attack frontage. In direct fire support the 46th Army also had a battalion of 23 captured self-propelled guns. The 4th Guards Mechanized Corps formed the mobile group to exploit the Army's breakthrough.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans
The offensive began on August 20. On that first day the two Corps broke through the German XXIX Corps' defense along the boundary with XXX Corps, helped inflict a heavy defeat on the 4th Romanian Mountain Division and forced 21st Romanian Infantry Division out of its defenses while the German 306th Infantry suffered heavy casualties. 37th Corps also captured the town of Cioburciu and penetrated up to 12km into a gap as much as 40km wide jointly with 31st Guards Corps. During the next day all three divisions of 37th Corps reached a line south of Khadzhailar and Slobozia.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans
By the end of August 22 advance elements of 37th Corps advanced as far as Zabar, and 3rd Ukrainian Front had torn a gap in the enemy front 130km wide and as much as 70km deep. On the next day 46th Army continued the operations that encircled the Akkerman group of Romanian Third Army, and 37th Corps forced a crossing of the Cogâlnic River.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans
As a result of this offensive on August 26 the 311th Guards Rifle Regiment (Col. Rudko, Yosif Petrovich) would be awarded the battle honor "Izmail", while on September 7 the 305th Guards Regiment was given the honorific "Lower Dniestr". As the advance continued into the Balkans on October 11 the 308th Guards Regiment (Col. Tatarchuk, Kondratii Safronovich) would win a similar honor for its part in the capture of the Hungarian city of Szeged.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Budapest Campaign
By the beginning of October the 46th Army had come under command of 2nd Ukrainian Front; at this time 37th Corps contained only the 108th Guards and the 320th Rifle Divisions. The offensive into Hungary continued apace and on November 4 the division took part in the capture of the city of Szolnok on the Tisza River, for which the 311th Guards Rifle Regiment and the 245th Guards Artillery Regiment each received the Order of the Red Banner on November 19.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Budapest Campaign
With the taking of Szolnok the 46th Army had arrived at the outer ring of the Budapest fortifications; it was now directed to assist in the destruction of the German and Hungarian forces between the Tisza and the Danube with the assistance of the 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps. The Axis command was determined to hold the Hungarian capital and concentrated about 200 tanks of the III Panzer Corps on this axis, along with considerable artillery. Over the following days the 46th Army was halted along the line Monor–Üllő–Rakocziliget by intensive counterattacks and heavy antitank defenses.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Budapest Campaign
It became clear that further efforts to take Budapest from the south would be unsuccessful and so the STAVKA began planning a renewed offensive on a broad front to outflank and encircle the city and 46th Army was ordered to temporarily go over to the defense on November 8. The offensive was to be renewed on November 11.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Budapest Campaign
For this effort the 108th Guards had the 1897th Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (SU-76s) in direct support of its attack toward Pánd. The Army went over to the offensive at 0850 hours with its right-flank Corps but with little success on the first day. On November 12 these Corps gained as much as 10km but failed to make further progress the next day, although the left-flank Corps captured the Axis strongpoints at Solt and Dunaegyháza. During November 14 the Army's forces cleared part of the eastern bank of the Danube but this was the end of its immediate successes.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Budapest Campaign
On the night of November 21/22 the 37th Corps, in conjunction with the 316th Rifle Division of 23rd Rifle Corps, forced a crossing of the Ráckevei-Duna River. This operation was carried out in darkness, without an artillery preparation, along a front of about 25km and largely took the defenders by surprise, leading to the capture of Tököl, Szigetcsép and Ráckeve on Csepel Island. By the end of November 26 the 46th Army was fighting along a line from outside Tápiósüly to Szigetszentmiklós and then along the river as far as Baja.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Budapest Campaign
Following a regrouping the 37th and 23rd Corps were ready for an assault crossing on the Danube itself near Ercsi on the night of December 4/5. Again this was intended as a "silent" crossing without artillery preparation, although a fire plan was prepared in case of heavy resistance. During this operation two men of the 167th Guards Signal Battalion distinguished themselves sufficiently to be made Heroes of the Soviet Union. Cpt. Grigorii Yakovlevich Yamushev was the battalion commander.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Budapest Campaign
As the boat containing himself and three of his field phone operators neared the west bank it took a near-miss from an artillery shell and capsized; Yamushev himself was wounded. Despite this he led his men to the shore by swimming and they soon established wire communications with Colonel Dunaev's headquarters. During the following day this connection was broken four times but restored under Yamushev's leadership. One of the men who carried out this work was Sen. Sgt. Ivan Alekseevich Shchipakin. After landing with the first boat he established contact with a rifle battalion.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Budapest Campaign
When the wire was broken by artillery fire he recrossed the Danube; while returning his boat was damaged and the wire became entangled in the propeller so Shchipakin entered the water to unwind it. Upon again reaching the west bank he reestablished contact with the battalion and maintained it. Yamushev retired from the Red Army in December 1945 due to his injuries but worked in several jobs, including editor of a district newspaper, before his death in 1978 at the age of 59. Shchipakin rose to the rank of major in the Soviet Army before moving to the reserve in 1971. He then served for many years as an elected deputy for Stavropol in regional government. He died in that city in February 2016 at the age of 92.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Encirclement of Budapest
Later in December 46th Army returned to the command of 3rd Ukrainian Front and the division would remain in that Front for the remainder of the war. On December 20 the Front began a new operation to complete the encirclement of the Axis forces in Budapest. Its commander, Marshal F. I. Tolbukhin, chose to make a simultaneous breakthrough with the 46th and 4th Guards Armies.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Encirclement of Budapest
46th Army was assigned a sector from northwest of Baracska to Kápolnásnyék with two rifle corps and was backed by 2nd Guards Mechanized; from here it was to advance to the area of Etyek–Zsámbék–Bicske and be prepared to take the western part of the city. The Army's shock group consisted of the 37th and the 10th Guards Corps on a 10km-wide front. 37th Corps had the artillery of its divisions in support plus the 87th Guards Mortar Regiment, 1505th Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (SU-76s), 25th Howitzer, 11th Light Artillery, 9th and 17th Cannon-Artillery Brigades. The Corps had the 108th Guards and the 320th in first echelon and the 59th Guards in second.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Encirclement of Budapest
The new offensive began with a 40-minute airpower and artillery preparation before the rifle divisions attacked at 1145 hours. The Army's shock group broke into the first Axis trench line and occupied it after an hour of fighting. Despite fire resistance and counterattacks the second and third lines were taken by the middle of the afternoon at which point the 59th Guards was committed in the direction of Kajaszoszentpeter. By day's end the Corps had penetrated to a depth of 4-6km. Overnight the fighting continued as the artillery was brought up to resume the advance in the morning.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Encirclement of Budapest
As the success of the rifle divisions attacking along Lake Velence became clear the 2nd Guards Mechanized was committed into the gap at 1000 hours. Despite 11 counterattacks by up to two battalions of infantry and 30-40 armored vehicles each the Army advanced another 6km and widened the gap to 12km. During the night another 3km was gained to the northwest and reached the approaches to Székesfehérvár, which the Axis forces were determined to retain.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Encirclement of Budapest
The Army continued to develop the offensive on the morning of December 22 as the 18th Tank Corps was introduced into the breach. 2nd Guards Mechanized left the 37th and 10th Guards Corps in the rear as it raced forward to take the village of Vál by surprise. The two rifle Corps made a fighting advance of up to 8km during the day and 37th Corps, in cooperation with 23rd Corps, captured Martonvásár.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Encirclement of Budapest
The next day the offensive accelerated as the mobile corps in particular cut several routes west out of the city and the Army's main forces advanced on Bicske. From December 24-26 the 46th and 4th Guards Armies continued to march toward a linkup with 2nd Ukrainian Front in the vicinity of Esztergom. As the encirclement was completed on December 26 the 37th and 23rd Rifle and 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps began street fighting along the western and southwestern outskirts of Budapest.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Siege of Budapest
The battle for the city continued from January 1 - February 13, 1945 and the 108th Guards was heavily involved in the fighting for Buda along with the rest of its Corps and the 75th Rifle Corps while the main forces of 46th Army and, indeed, much of the rest of 3rd and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts fought off several German relief attempts.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Siege of Budapest
On the first day the division, supported by the 1897th S-P Regiment, operating from the St. Janos Hospital area, launched its first attack on the Városmajor park, but this was unsuccessful due to resistance from the Hungarian Vannay Battalion and elements of the 22nd SS Cavalry Division Maria Theresia. Further efforts over the coming days made no further progress and it was not until January 19 that the 320th Rifle Division took the park.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Siege of Budapest
The 297th Rifle Division was now committed between the 108th Guards to the north and the 320th to the south for a renewed drive toward the Danube, backed by T34-85 tanks of the 21st Guards and 3rd Tank Brigades. This advance ran into the 13th Panzer Division around the Ganz factory and halted. On January 20 the two Corps were subordinated to 2nd Ukrainian Front after other forces of that Front took the eastern (Pest) sector of the city. During the first week of February the Axis forces were largely confined to the Citadella and held as best they could given an extreme lack of food and ammunition.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into the Balkans, Siege of Budapest
On February 12 the remnants of the encircled Axis forces undertook a desperate attempt to break out. Small groups managed to filter through the positions of the besiegers and began to spread to the northwest into the rear of 3rd Ukrainian Front's right-flank units. Owing to the rapid movement of reserves all but a small number of these groups were again encircled and eventually destroyed near Pilisvörösvár. On February 13 the 308th Guards Rifle Regiment (Lt. Col. Nastagunin, Vasilii Stepanovich) and the 110th Guards Antitank Battalion (Cpt. Mishchenko, Pavel Fyodorovich) were both granted the honorific "Budapest" for their roles in the siege.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Austria and Postwar
By the beginning of March the division, along with the rest of 37th Corps, had returned to 3rd Ukrainian Front, but now as part of 27th Army. On March 10 Colonel Dunaev was sent to study at the Voroshilov Academy; he would be made a Hero of the Soviet Union on April 28, largely for his leadership of the division in the battle for the Ercsi bridgehead. He was replaced the next day bu Maj. Gen. Dmitrii Grigorevich Piskunov, who had previously commanded the 66th Rifle Division and served as the deputy commander of the 41st Guards Rifle Division. He would remain in command of the 108th Guards into the postwar.


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Austria and Postwar
During Operation Spring Awakening, which began on March 6, the 27th Army was in the Front's second echelon and in the event saw little action before the Soviet forces went over to the offensive on March 16. As the Vienna Offensive continued the division took part in the recapture of Székesfehérvár and the capture of Mór, Veszprém and other towns and on April 26 the 305th and 311th Guards Rifle Regiments would each receive the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2nd Degree, for their roles in these successes. The Front crossed into Austria on March 30 and the division ended the war in western Austria with the full title of 108th Guards Rifle, Nikolaev, Order of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Division. (Russian: 108-я гвардейская стрелковая Николаевская Краснознамённая ордена Суворова дивизия.)


108th Guards Rifle Division, Into Austria and Postwar
27th Army was withdrawn to eastern Romania by August 20 and by November the 108th Guards had been transferred to the 35th Guards Rifle Corps. Shortly afterward the Army was again moved, now to the Carpathian Military District. The Army headquarters was disbanded there in August 1946 and sometime after the division was transferred to the Odessa Military District where it was itself disbanded in 1947.


108th Guards Rifle Division, In Popular Culture
The 108th Guards Rifle Division is featured extensively in Multi-Man Publishing's 2011 Historical Advanced Squad Leader module Festung Budapest.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment
The 108th Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Service
The 108th Illinois Infantry was organized in Peoria, Illinois, and mustered in for three years service on August 28, 1862, under the command of Colonel John Warner.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Service
2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Army of Kentucky, Department of the Ohio, to November 1862.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Service
2nd Brigade, 10th Division, XIII Corps, Department of the Tennessee, to December 1862.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Service
2nd Brigade, 1st Division, Sherman's Yazoo Expedition, to January 1863.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Service
2nd Brigade, 10th Division, XIII Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to May 1863.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Service
Post of Corinth, Mississippi, 2nd Division, XVI Corps, to January 1864.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Service
2nd Brigade, Sturgis' Expedition, June 1864. 1st Brigade, Memphis, Tennessee, District of West Tennessee, to February 1865.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Service
3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, XVI Corps, Military Division of West Mississippi, to August 1865.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Service
The 108th Illinois Infantry mustered out of service on August 5, 1865, at Vicksburg, Mississippi.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Detailed service
Moved to Memphis, Tennessee, November 21–26, and duty there until December 20.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Detailed service
Sherman's Yazoo Expedition December 20, 1862, to January 2, 1863.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Detailed service
Assault and capture of Fort Hindman, Arkansas Post, January 10–11.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Detailed service
Moved to Young's Point, Louisiana, January 17–24, and duty there until March 10.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Detailed service
Detached to guard prisoners from Big Black River to Memphis, Tennessee, May 16–30.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Detailed service
At Young's Point, Louisiana, during siege of Vicksburg and until July 18.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Detailed service
Moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and duty there until February 1865.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Detailed service
Ripley June 11. Repulse of Forrest's attack on Memphis August 21, 1864.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Detailed service
Moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, then to Dauphin Island, Alabama, February 28-March 16.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Detailed service
Siege of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely March 26-April 8.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Detailed service
March to Montgomery April 13–25, and duty there until July 18.


108th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Casualties
The regiment lost a total of 214 men during service; 1 officer and 8 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 3 officers and 202 enlisted men died of disease.


108th Infantry
The 108th Infantry were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment traces their origins to 1768, when they were raised as the 1st Battalion, Bombay Sepoys.


108th Infantry
The regiments first action was during the Mysore Campaign in the Third Anglo-Mysore War. The Battle of Hyderabad followed in 1843, then the Second Afghan War. During World War I they remained in India with the 9th (Secunderabad) Division on training and internal security duties.


108th Infantry
After World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. In 1922, the 108th Infantry became the 3rd Battalion 4th Bombay Grenadiers. After independence they were one of the regiments allocated to the Indian Army.


108th Infantry Division (German Empire)
The 108th Infantry Division (108. Infanterie-Division) was a formation of the Imperial German Army in World War I. The division was formed in May 1915 as "Division Beckmann" (named for its commander, Max Beckmann) and became the 108th Infantry Division on November 7, 1915. It was part of a wave of new infantry divisions formed in 1915. The division was disbanded in September 1918 and its assets distributed to other units.


108th Infantry Division (German Empire)
The division was formed primarily from the excess infantry regiments of existing divisions which were being triangularized. The division's 97th Infantry Regiment came from the 42nd Infantry Division; the 137th Infantry Regiment came from the 31st Infantry Division; and the 265th Reserve Infantry Regiment came from the 80th Reserve Division.


108th Infantry Division (German Empire), Combat chronicle
The 108th Infantry Division initially served on the Eastern Front, serving in the Baltic region until June 1916. It then went south to the front in Ukraine on the Styr River where it faced the Brusilov Offensive and then remained in the line until the armistice on the Eastern Front in December 1917. The division was then sent to the Western Front, entering the line north of the Ailette River, where it remained until April 1918. It then fought in the Somme region until it was dissolved on September 19, 1918. Allied intelligence rated the division as third class.


108th Infantry Division (German Empire), Order of battle on formation
The 108th Infantry Division was formed as a triangular division. The order of battle of the division on October 3, 1915, was as follows:


108th Infantry Division (German Empire), Late-war order of battle
The division underwent relatively few organizational changes over the course of the war. Cavalry was reduced, artillery and signals commands were formed, and combat engineer support was expanded to a full pioneer battalion. The order of battle on April 26, 1918, was as follows:


108th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 108th Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the New York Army National Guard. It was first formed in 1898 and has been in continuous existence since 1907. As National Guardsmen, Soldiers of the 108th Infantry can be called upon to serve the state and federal governments. The 108th has served in the Spanish–American War, the Mexican Border War, World War I, World War II, Iraq, and Afghanistan.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), Spanish–American War
The 108th Infantry Regiment was originally called the 3rd New York Volunteer Infantry. When the Spanish–American War broke out in April 1898, a new regiment was organized from twelve separate National Guard companies from the 4th Brigade. (Regiments called the 3rd New York and 108th New York Infantry had both served in the Civil War; these were different units with no connection to the later 108th.) The 3rd New York, headquartered in Rochester, mustered into service on 17 May 1898. They were involved in drilling, provost, and camp duty in Virginia and Pennsylvania.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), Spanish–American War
The brief war with Spain ended before the regiment could be sent into action, and the Guardsmen were mustered out of federal service by companies between 30 November and 10 December 1898. Thirty-three members of the 3rd New York died of disease during its short service, with several more dying afterward of typhoid fever contracted while on active duty. The state historian called the 3rd New York Regiment "unquestionably one of the best that New York sent into the service," noting that not a single member had to be disciplined in its first three months of duty.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), 1898–1925
After the war the 3rd New York was dissolved and the companies returned to the peacetime National Guard duties of drilling and supporting the state and local authorities. The regiment was reformed on 30 March 1907. In April 1913 the 3rd served in Buffalo during rioting caused by a streetcar workers' strike. It was also deployed for guard duty at Pharr, Texas on the Mexican border in 1916 during the U.S. Army's expedition against the guerrilla commander Pancho Villa.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), 1898–1925
On October 1, 1917, as New York National Guardsmen trained at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, the 108th Infantry Regiment was formed pursuant to a general order. By the same order, 1,350 men were transferred in from the 74th New York Infantry (Buffalo) and 293 men from the 12th New York Infantry (New York City). In November 1917 the regiment was organized into the 54th Infantry Brigade as part of the 27th Division. By 31 May 1918 the whole regiment had arrived in France.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), 1898–1925
The 27th Division (minus division artillery) was attached to British forces for training and issued British rifles and machine guns. The Division ended up fighting alongside the British and Australians for its entire combat service. The Regimental Scout Officer of the 108th noted that "we were supposed to leave behind the customs and traditions of the U.S. Army, in which we had been so carefully brought up, in order that we might study and adapt ourselves to those of our Allies, the British, with whom our lot had been cast for the duration of the war." This included living on the British Tommy's relatively scanty rations.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), 1898–1925
The 27th Division initially served in the trenches around Ypres alongside the British from July to September 1918. In September, the New Yorkers joined the British Fourth Army in the infamous Somme region, facing the Germans' formidable Hindenburg Line. Ordered to advance on 27 September, the 27th Division was unable to hold its gains.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), 1898–1925
Several members of the 108th Infantry Regiment were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for their actions in the area of Ronssoy on 28–29 September: Private Daniel Moskowitz, Co. F, Private Morris Silverberg, Co. G, Private (First Class) Edward P. Pierce, Co. D, Corporal James Paul Clark, Co. F, and Sgt. Martin M. Smith, Co. G. The 54th Brigade attacked as part of the Hundred Days Offensive on 29 September. German artillery, poison gas, and machine guns took a heavy toll as the Americans struggled through barbed wire and shell holes to reach the Hindenburg Line.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), 1898–1925
The 108th penetrated the German defenses at Quennemont Farm, although they were stalled by severe casualties and an enemy counterattack, and Australian units were sent in to complete the assault. Many leaderless Americans joined in the Australian attack without orders. This engagement is officially called the Battle of St. Quentin Canal. Private First Class Frank Gaffney of Company G later received a Medal of Honor for his heroism. The 108th joined in the pursuit of the retreating Germans, engaging them at Jonc de Mer Ridge, the Selle River, and Catillon. The 500 survivors still on duty were pulled out of the line to rest on 21 October, three weeks before the Armistice ended the fighting.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), 1898–1925
The 108th Infantry suffered 1,763 casualties—including 331 dead—in three months of combat out of 3,056 men in the ranks. Most of these casualties occurred in the Hindenburg Line attack. Reasons for the heavy losses included a lack of experienced leadership and the eagerness of the Doughboys, who often made frontal assaults on enemy machine gun nests.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), 1898–1925
Additionally, Allied artillery did not "soften up" the Germans with a preparatory bombardment before the attack, for fear of hitting Americans lying wounded from an earlier assault. Nevertheless, as 27th Division commander Major General John F. O'Ryan remarked: "That the 108th Infantry ... should have broken through the maze of wire that existed and in the face of machine guns firing from every trench and nest, lodged one battalion in the main position, now seems an extraordinary feat."


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), 1898–1925
In March 1919 the 27th Division returned to New York and was mustered out of federal service. The 108th once again became the 3rd New York Infantry, although it was designated the 108th Infantry for a second time in October 1921. In 1925 the 108th adopted a distinctive unit insignia featuring a fasces held by two lions.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), World War II, Composition in 1940
The 27th Division became part of the garrison of Hawaii in April 1942. It was here that the 108th parted ways with the New York Division. An Army-wide reorganization cut divisions from four regiments to three, and the 108th Infantry was transferred to the 40th Infantry Division (California National Guard) on 1 September 1942. The 40th Division remained on Hawaii for fourteen more months.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), World War II, Composition in 1940
In January 1944 the division landed on the South Pacific island of Guadalcanal, which had been largely secured by U.S. forces a year earlier. That April they moved to Cape Gloucester on New Britain, with the 108th being stationed at Arawe in the south. This was a more active area where the regiments of the 40th conducted combat patrols, since there were still many Japanese troops on the island. As they did on Guadalcanal, however, the men of the 108th found that their most dangerous enemy on Cape Gloucester was not the Japanese Army but the harsh jungle climate.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), World War II, Composition in 1940
On 28 November the 40th Infantry Division was concentrated at Borgen Bay to prepare for the invasion of Luzon, the largest and most strategically important of the Philippine Islands.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), World War II, Composition in 1940
The 108th Regimental Combat Team—composed of the 108th Infantry Regiment, the 164th Field Artillery Battalion, Co. C of the 115th Engineer Combat Battalion, and Co. C of the 115th Medical Battalion—was in reserve on S-Day—9 January 1945, when the Sixth Army landed at Lingayen Gulf. Japanese resistance intensified as the GIs moved south toward Manila, and the 108th fought brutal battles for possession of Fort Stotsenburg, Clark Field, Top of the World, Hill 7, and Sacobia Ridge. The 43rd Infantry Division relieved the 40th on 2 March. Six days later the 108th was detached and sent to the island of Leyte to assist in mopping up defeated Japanese forces. The regiment's 2nd Battalion also cleared Masbate and other local islands. On Leyte and Masbate the 108th lost an estimated 19 troops killed and 49 wounded.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), World War II, Composition in 1940
On 10 May—code-named Q-Day—the 108th joined in the battle for Mindanao. The regiment made an unopposed landing at Macajalar Bay near Bugo and moved south to clear the Sayre Highway with the assistance of Filipino guerrillas. From 13–18 May the 108th fought tenacious Japanese defenders at the Mangima River canyon, which became known as Purple Heart Canyon. The regiment linked up with the 31st Infantry Division coming up from the south on 23 May. Securing the Sayre Highway cost the 108th about 15 men killed and 100 wounded. (Non-combat casualties from battle fatigue, sickness, and heat exhaustion were probably heavier.) The troops then moved east to combat more Japanese resistance. After six weeks of enduring thick jungle, heavy rains, knee-deep mud, and tall, razor-sharp grass—not to mention Japanese resistance—the 108th rejoined the 40th Division on Panay. The 108th RCT lost 45 members killed and 148 wounded in northern Mindanao.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), World War II, Composition in 1940
With the war against Japan nearly over, the 108th Infantry was sent to garrison Korea on 29 June. Their homeward journey began on 15 March 1946, when they left Korea bound for San Francisco. The regiment arrived on 5 April and was deactivated two days later at Camp Stoneman. The National Guardsmen of the 108th Infantry had been some of the first U.S. troops to deploy after Pearl Harbor, and the 108th was one of the last Guard units to return to the continental United States. Its long, grueling service in the Pacific Theater earned the 108th Infantry four campaign streamers and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. During the war, the 108th reportedly lost 191 men killed in action. 59 were awarded the Silver Star.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), Recent history
Only the 2nd Battalion of the 108th Infantry is still in existence. In recent years it has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. On 1 May 2004, while providing security for a pipeline repair crew west of Balad, Iraq, soldiers of the battalion helped to rescue American truck driver Thomas Hamill, who had been held captive by insurgents since 9 April. The battalion played an instrumental role in the Battle of Samarra in October 2004. In 2008, elements of the battalion deployed to Afghanistan with the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. In 2012 the unit deployed as a separate battalion assigned to RC West in Afghanistan.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), Recent history
2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry, headquartered in Utica, is part of the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and has companies and detachments stationed in eight Upstate New York towns.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), Distinctive unit insignia
A Gold color metal and enamel device 1+1⁄8 inches (2.9 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Azure, a fasces in pale, the rods Argent banded of the first, the axe Or, supported by two lions the dexter rampant guardant, the sinister rampant, both of the last. Attached below and to the sides of the shield a Blue scroll inscribed "VIRTUTE NON VERBIS" in Gold letters.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), Distinctive unit insignia
The shield is Infantry blue; in the center the fasces representing France and on either side and supporting it the lions of Great Britain and Belgium in gold. The motto translates to "By Valor, Not By Words."


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), Distinctive unit insignia
The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 108th Infantry Regiment on 29 April 1925. It was amended to delete the motto on 1 October 1925. It was redesignated for the 108th Armored Infantry Battalion and amended to add the motto on 22 March 1957. The insignia was redesignated for the 108th Infantry Regiment on 19 March 1962.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), Coat of arms, Blazon
Azure, a fasces in pale, the rods Argent banded of the first, the axe Or, supported by two lions the dexter rampant guardant, the sinister rampant, both of the last, armed and langued Gules.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), Coat of arms, Blazon
That for the regiments and separate battalions of the New York Army National Guard: On a wreath Argent and Azure, the full-rigged ship "Half Moon," all Proper. Motto:   "Virtue Non Verbis" (By Valor, Not By Words).


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), Coat of arms, Symbolism
The shield is Infantry blue; in the center the fasces representing France and on either side and supporting it the lions of Great Britain and Belgium in gold.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), Coat of arms, Symbolism
The crest is that of the New York Army National Guard.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), Coat of arms, Background
The coat of arms was originally approved for the 108th Infantry Regiment on 30 June 1924. It was amended to correct and clarify the blazon of the shield on 1 October 1925. It was redesignated for the 108th Armored Infantry Battalion on 22 March 1957. The insignia was redesignated for the 108th Infantry Regiment and amended to correct the blazon of the crest to restore the colors of the wreath on 19 March 1962.


108th Infantry Regiment (United States), In popular culture
The male protagonist of the 2015 video game Fallout 4 served in the 2nd Battalion of the 108th Infantry Regiment.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
The 108th Light Anti- Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, (108th LAA Rgt) was an air defence unit of the British Army during World War II. Initially raised as an infantry battalion of the Green Howards in 1940, it transferred to the Royal Artillery in 1942. It served with 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division, training for mountain warfare and airlanding operations, but finally went into action at sea level in the Battle of the Scheldt in the autumn of 1944. It fought through the battles in the Rhineland and Germany in 1945 until the end of the war, after which it was disbanded.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 9th (Garrison) Battalion, Green Howards
The 9th (Garrison) Battalion, Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), was formed on 23 March 1940 at Dover as part of the rapid expansion of the Army with wartime conscripts. By 7 April 1941 the battalion had joined the Shetlands garrison in the Orkney and Shetland Defence Force (OSDEF).


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 9th (Garrison) Battalion, Green Howards
On 31 October 1941 it returned to England and joined 216th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), a static coast defence formation serving in the Northumberland County Division. On 14 November it transferred within the division to 202nd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home). However, the brigade was broken up during December as its units were  converted to other roles.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
On 1 January 1942, 9th Green Howards transferred to the Royal Artillery (RA) to begin retraining in the light anti-aircraft (LAA) role as 108th LAA Regiment, consisting of Regimental HQ (RHQ) and 354, 355 and 356 LAA Batteries equipped with the Bofors 40 mm gun. It immediately joined Anti- Aircraft Command, but left in February before it had been assigned to a brigade.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Training
The regiment joined 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division in Scottish Command on 12 March 1942, and remained with that formation for the rest of its existence. In May 1942 52nd (L) Division began training in mountain warfare in the Grampian Mountains. This training reached high intensity after Major-General Neil Ritchie took command of the division in September, following his return from Eighth Army in the Western Desert. The training culminated in Exercise Goliath II, which lasted for three weeks in October 1943 under harsh conditions. After this training the division was considered by some to be the 'toughest, fittest and hardest in the British Army'.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Training
Although the training was genuine, the division also played a significant role in Allied deception plans, such as Operation Tindall, designed to convince the German high command that a mythical 'Fourth Army' under General Sir Andrew Thorne was gathering in Scotland to invade Occupied Norway. This was developed into Operation Fortitude North to divert German attention away from the genuine Allied plans to invade Normandy (Operation Overlord).


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Training
This pretence was kept up for some time after the Normandy invasion began on D Day (6 June 1944). In August 1944 the division was transferred to First Allied Airborne Army and began training in airlanding operations. 157th Brigade Group, including 354 LAA Bty of 108th LAA Rgt, was organised as the seaborne follow-up echelon of the division, and landed in North West Europe on 9 September in readiness for the rest of the division to be used in an airborne operation. A number of such operations were planned and cancelled before Operation Market Garden was given the go-ahead.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Training
This was to use three parachute divisions to seize an 'airborne carpet' of bridges ahead of 21st Army Group as far as Arnhem across the Nederrijn. When Market Garden was launched on 17–25 September 1944, 52nd (L) Division was scheduled to be airlifted to Arnhem as soon as 1st Airborne Division had secured landing strips north of the town. However, the failure of Market Garden meant that 52nd (L) Division was never used in this role. Instead, it was sent by sea to reinforce 21st Army Group fighting its way through the Netherlands.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Scheldt
52nd (L) Division sailed to Ostend between 13 and 20 October, when it was rejoined by 157th Bde Group, which had been operating under 3rd Canadian Division. From 23 October until December, 52nd (L) Division was assigned to First Canadian Army, serving first under II Canadian Corps and then I British Corps. The division's first operation would be the Battle of the Scheldt to help open the vital port of Antwerp – ironically, not in mountainous terrain or deployed by air for which it had trained, but fighting below sea level among the flooded polders around the Scheldt Estuary.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Scheldt
The division made an amphibious assault across the West Scheldt to South Beveland in the early hours of 26 October in  Operation Vitality II. It then helped the Canadians and Commandos to capture the island of Walcheren in Operation Infatuate, by making an amphibious assault on Flushing on 1 November, followed by an amphibious assault on Middelburg on 6 November, after which the German defenders surrendered.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Scheldt
Since the Allies had achieved air superiority, there was little call for AA defence, and AA units became increasingly used to supplement the divisional artillery to support ground operations. LAA units fired tracer to guide night attacks onto their objectives, and the Bofors guns were much in demand for infantry support. They could give useful close-range fire to help infantry working from cover to cover; the rapid fire was good for suppressing enemy heavy weapons, the 40 mm round's sensitive percussion fuze providing an airburst effect among trees.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Scheldt
It was also used for 'bunker-busting', though the lack of protection made the gun detachment vulnerable to return fire. LAA units also provided 'refuge strips' for Air Observation Post aircraft spotting for the field guns: a Bofors Troop deployed with Local Warning radar and ground observers could alert the pilot to the presence of enemy aircraft and provide protection for him. (The guns of 76th AA Brigade on the banks of the Scheldt had also taken part in the massive bombardment for Operation Infatuate.)


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Scheldt
On 5 December, the division was transferred to XXX Corps of Second British Army. Most LAA units now saw more action in ground firing roles than for AA defence, but from 17 December the Luftwaffe was more active than for many months. This was in support of the Germans' Ardennes Offensive (the Battle of the Bulge). Bad weather then grounded the Luftwaffe until the battle was almost over, but on 1 January 1945 it launched Operation Bodenplatte against Allied airfields. Aircraft appeared all over 21st Army Group's area, suffering heavy casualties: GHQ AA Troops reported that '40 mm LAA had the time of its life'.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Rhineland
In January 1945, 52nd (L) Division participated in Operation Blackcock, the clearing of the Roer Triangle between the rivers Meuse (Dutch: Maas) and Roer beginning on 18 January. The air and artillery support was massive, including the use of the 'Pepperpot', in which divisional guns and mortars of all calibres including the LAA regiments' Bofors were used to saturate the enemy positions in front of the assaulting infantry. Once the defensive crust had been forced, the weather was as much of a hindrance as the German defenders. Supported by 43rd (Wessex) Division coming into line alongside, 52nd (L) Division took its successive objectives codenamed 'Crown', 'Bear', 'Eagle' and 'Fleece' and the Roer bridgehead was eliminated by 26 January. As a result, the 52nd became the first British formation to be based in a German town.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Rhineland
21st Army Group's next offensive was Operation Veritable to clear the Reichswald between the Maas and the Rhine. XXX Corps launched its attack on 8 February, and as the operation developed, 52nd (L) Division came in on the flank on 15 February. While the field and medium artillery concentrated on the enemy's batteries, command posts and communication centres, the divisional LAA regiments took part in the 'Pepperpots' preceding infantry attacks.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Rhineland
By this stage of the war divisional LAA regiments had started receiving quadruple 0.5-inch Browning machine guns on Self-Propelled (SP) mountings (the M51 Quadmount) in place of a proportion of their Bofors guns, to improve their capability against 'snap' attacks by the new German jet fighter-bombers. Under this arrangement a troop comprised four SP or towed Bofors and two quadruple SP Brownings. 52nd (L) Division finished clearing the banks along the Maas from Gennep on 18 February after some bitter fighting for Bleijenbeek Castle.


108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, 108th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Rhineland
The final part of 'Veritable', Operation Blockbuster, completed the clearance up to the banks of the Rhine. 52nd (L) Division took Afferden after heavy fighting, and then pushed on to link up with US forces by 4 March; it took Haus Loo fort, one of the last German outposts west of the Rhine, on 8 March.