This day in Beale history: 13th Armored Division arrives in France 1945

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Allen Pollard
  • 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The 13th Armored Division Black Cats arrived in France on Jan. 29, 1945, to serve in the European Theater of Operations earning campaign streamers for Central Europe and Rhineland as part of Third Army in World War II.

The division spent 16 days in combat and suffered 1,176 casualties.

On May 2, 1945, the Division smashed into Braunau am Inn, Austria, and set up a command post in the house where Adolf Hitler was born.

Camp Beale was originally established as a training post for the 13th Armored Division.

The 13th Armored Division reconstructed the old mining town of Spencerville, Calif., as a German village to use as a combat in cities training scenario. The mission of the scenario was to capture the village.

In 1948 Camp Beale became Beale Air Force Base.