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MAJ Mark E Cooper
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Andrus, Clift, MG.
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Contact Info
Last Address Washington, D.C.
Date of Passing Sep 30, 1968
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
GENERAL CLIFT ANDRUS, 77, IS DEAD; EX-COMMANDER OF 1ST DIVISION Artilleryman Took Over in Battle of the Bulge – Later Deputy Chief of 2nd Army
WASHINGTON, October 1, 1968 – Major General Clift Andrus, USA, retired, who commanded the First Infantry Division in its final campaigns of World War II, died Sunday in Walter Reed Army Medical Center of a heart ailment. He was 77 years old.
General Andrus was known as Mr. Chips in uniform, a reference to James Hilton’s fictional schoolmaster. The general had a small mustache, graying, sandy hair and gray eyes and smoked a pipe, played chess and read Dickens and Mark Twain in the field. He was said to give orders in the calm tones of a teacher addressing a class and was renowned for his coolness under fire.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, General Andrus was commanding the 24th Infantry Division Artillery. His units were credited with being the first to roll, being emplaced and ready to defend the beached within 35 minutes after the first bomb dropped.
Later he commanded the First Infantry Division’s artillery in all of its World War II campaigns – in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium and Germany – until he was named division commander in December 1944.
The General led the “Fighting First” from the Battle of the Bulge to its last combat action in Falkenau, Czechoslovakia.
General Andrus, born at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the son of an Army Colonel, attended Cornell University, but left in 1911 to join the Army. He was an instructor at the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in World War I, then attended the Command General Staff School, the Army War College and the Naval War College.
After World War II, General Andrus commanded Fort Sill from 1945 to 1949, was Assistant Army Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations at the Pentagon in 1949, and was named Deputy Commander of the Second Army at Fort Meade, Maryland, in 1950. He retired from that post in October 1952.
In 1951 he received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Drexel Institute of Technology.
General Andrus was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Soldier’s Medal and the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster.
Surviving are his widow, the former Marion Lightfoot; a daughter, Mrs. Marion Seferlis of Garrett Park, Maryland; a brother, Cowles Andrus of Lake Shawnee, New Jersey, and a grandchild.
Other Comments:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Clift Andrus, Brigadier General, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with an Artillery Battalion of the 1st Infantry Division, in action against enemy forces in July 1943.
Brigadier General Andrus' intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 1st Infantry Division, and the United States Army.
Headquarters, Seventh U.S. Army, General Orders No. 33 (1943)
WWII - European Theater of Operations/Sicily Campaign (1943)/Operation Husky
From Month/Year
July / 1943
To Month/Year
August / 1943
Description The decision to invade Sicily was agreed by the Western Allies at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943. 'Operation Husky' was to be a combined amphibious and airborne attack scheduled for that summer under the supreme command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The Allies began air attacks on targets in Sicily and Italy in the early summer of 1943. They also attacked the Italian island of Pantellaria, which surrendered to the British 1st Division who arrived there on 11 June.
The Allied convoys concentrated near Malta on the 9 July and headed for Sicily's southern beaches. The careful planning of the landings was slightly hindered by a storm, which slowed down the landing craft. The Italian defenders believed such weather conditions would deter any attempt of an invasion and were on a low state of alert.
The British 1st Airlanding Brigade mounted in 137 gliders, were the first to land. They were to seize the Ponte Grande Bridge south of Syracuse. These landings were, on the whole, unsuccessful. Of the 137 gliders, 69 came down in the sea, drowning some 200 men. A further 56 landed in the wrong area of Sicily and just 12 reached the target area and managed to take the bridge. The US paratroopers had difficulties too, the pilots were inexperienced and dust and anti-aircraft fire resulted in the 2,781 paratroopers being scattered over an area 80km radius.
The main amphibious landings involved three British divisions in the east and two US divisions in the west, all supported by heavy fire from off shore warships.
The British did not meet strong resistance from the Italian coastal troops and were able to bring tanks and artillery ashore ahead of schedule. By the end of the day 13th Corps had taken Syracuse and 30th Corps had secured Panchino.
The US divisions had a far more difficult landing, with stiff resistance from the Italians and German air attacks. Later in the day the Hermann Goering Panzer Division, with it's 56 ton Tiger tanks, joined the defence, but the US 2nd Armored Division and US 18 Regimental Combat Team landed in the evening and the Americans managed to stand firm against the fierce fighting. Eventually, naval supporting gunfire forced the tanks to disperse.
The sudden appearance of so many paratroopers gave the appearance of a much greater invasion and the Axis defenders called for reinforcements.
By 12 July, the British had captured Augusta and Montgomery decided to head northwards, to the east of Mount Etna, to take Messina. The Commander of the US 7th Army, Lieutenant-General George S Patton, unhappy with this change of plan, was to fight westwards, towards Palermo. The Americans advanced well. They captured 53,000 prisoners and also the port of Palermo on July 22. This enabled the US 9th Division to land there, instead of on the southern beaches, and was valuable for receiving Allied supplies. Alexander ordered Patton to advance to Messina.
Meanwhile the British Eighth Army was making slow progress. The German paratroopers, with 88mm anti-tank guns, were a formidable enemy and the mountainous Sicilian countryside was hard to negotiate. The Highlanders fought hard for Biancavilla and the XIII Corps eventually took Catania and then Paterno.
The Canadians of Lord Tweedsmuir's Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment managed to take the hill town of Assoro by scaling a cliff and taking their enemy completely by surprise and advanced to Leonforte, which fell to them on 22 July.
By August, the invasion of Sicily was almost complete. The race for Messina continued; the British were helped greatly by airborne forces landing ahead and saving bridges from destruction by the Axis troops. On 17 August, the US 3rd Division entered Messina at 10am, just 50 minutes before the arrival of the British Army. The Germans had been evacuated, but had left huge amounts of weapons, ammunition and fuel. The historic city of Messina had been ravaged by Allied bombs and after the invasion, by shells from the Italian mainland.
Operation Husky was a success. The Allies achieved their goal - the 'soft underbelly' of Europe had been exposed and the Mediterranean could be fully used as a sea route. The cost of casualties was high, though less than anticipated. The Allies lost more than 16,000 men and estimated that 164,000 Axis troops were either killed or taken prisoner.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
July / 1943
To Month/Year
August / 1943
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories Later he commanded the First Infantry Division's artillery in all of its World War II campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, France, Belgium and Germany until he was named division commander in December 1944.
