The United States Army raised a large number of tank destroyer units during World War II.

For most of the war US Army doctrine called for tank destroyers to primarily operate as concentrated tank destroyer battalions during combat. These battalions were to be concentrated in regiment-sized groups and brigades when needed to combat large forces of enemy tanks. However, combat experience in North Africa and Europe demonstrated that units larger than battalions were not needed. Tank destroyers were usually parcelled out to other units, and were rarely concentrated in battalions. The thirteen tank destroyer group headquarters dispatched to Europe never led massed units of tank destroyers, and nor did the 1st Tank Destroyer Brigade.

Brigades Two tank destroyer brigades were formed in November 1942. The initial role of these units was to oversee the training of the large number of tank destroyer battalions that had been previously formed. The 1st Tank Destroyer Brigade was dispatched to Europe in January 1944 and the 2nd Tank Destroyer Brigade was disbanded in the United States during March that year. In August and September 1944 the 1st Tank Destroyer Brigade commanded the ad-hoc Task Force A which was tasked with seizing ports in Brittany. Its staff subsequently served as advisers in the headquarters of the Third Army. 1st Tank Destroyer Brigade 2nd Tank Destroyer Brigade

Groups

Twenty four tank destroyer groups were formed. US Army doctrine called for at least one tank destroyer group to be attached to each corps and army. In practice, tank destroyer battalions were usually attached directly to infantry divisions and there was no need for the group headquarters to command them. The tank destroyer group headquarters which were dispatched overseas were often used as advisers to corps headquarters to provide advice on anti-tank issues, or for other purposes, such as traffic management and controlling units in rear areas. Group headquarters only occasionally undertook combat missions.

+ Tank Destroyer Groups Unit Activated Inactivated Notes 1st Tank Destroyer Group 30 March 1942, Camp Bowie, Texas 5 November 1945, Germany Served as VII Corps traffic control section 2nd Tank Destroyer Group 15 March 1942, Fort Sam Houston, Texas 5 November 1945, Germany Served as XIX Corps antitank section 3rd Tank Destroyer Group 30 March 1942, Camp Bowie, Texas 22 November 1946, Camp Kilmer, New Jersey Served as V Corps antitank section 4th Tank Destroyer Group 1 September 1942, Camp Hood, Texas 26 October 1945, Fort Jackson, South Carolina Served as XX Corps antitank section 5th Tank Destroyer Group 1 September 1942, Camp Hood, Texas 5 December 1945, Camp Shanks, New York Served as XV Corps antitank section 6th Tank Destroyer Group 1 September 1942, Camp Hood, Texas 1 May 1946, Germany (redesignated 5th Constabulary Regiment) Served as XIII Corps antitank section 7th Tank Destroyer Group 1 September 1942, Camp Hood, Texas 25 March 1946, Germany Served as VIII Corps antitank section 8th Tank Destroyer Group 13 October 1942, Camp Hood, Texas 20 October 1945, Camp Bowie, Texas Served as III Corps antitank section 9th Tank Destroyer Group 13 October 1942, Camp Hood, Texas 1 November 1945, Camp Hood, Texas Served as XII Corps Advanced Information Center 10th Tank Destroyer Group 13 February 1943, Camp Bowie, Texas 25 May 1944, Camp Howze, Texas 11th Tank Destroyer Group 20 February 1943, Camp Bowie, Texas 25 May 1944, Camp Howze, Texas 12th Tank Destroyer Group 27 February 1943, Camp Bowie, Texas 1 November 1945, Camp Hood, Texas Served as XVI Corps antitank section 13th Tank Destroyer Group 6 March 1943, Camp Bowie, Texas 12 November 1945, Philippines 14th Tank Destroyer Group 13 March 1943, Camp Bowie, Texas 20 May 1944, Camp Campbell, Kentucky 15th Tank Destroyer Group 20 March 1943, Camp Bowie, Texas 25 August 1944, Camp Gruber, Oklahoma 16th Tank Destroyer Group 3 April 1943, Camp Bowie, Texas 10 November 1945, Camp Swift, Texas Served as XXI Corps antitank section 17th Tank Destroyer Group 10 April 1943, Camp Bowie, Texas 30 August 1944, Camp Swift, Texas 18th Tank Destroyer Group 17 April 1943, Camp Bowie, Texas 20 February 1945, Fort Knox, Kentucky 19th Tank Destroyer Group 1 May 1943, Camp Hood, Texas 20 May 1944 Camp Rucker, Alabama 20th Tank Destroyer Group 8 May 1943, Camp Hood, Texas 23 November 1945, Camp Gruber, Oklahoma Served as United States Ninth Army Rear Detachment 21st Tank Destroyer Group 15 May 1943, Camp Hood, Texas 22 November 1945, Camp Shelby, Mississippi 22nd Tank Destroyer Group 5 June 1943, Camp Hood, Texas 20 February 1945, Fort Knox, Kentucky 23rd Tank Destroyer Group 12 June 1943, Camp Hood, Texas 26 October 1945, Fort Bragg, North Carolina 24th Tank Destroyer Group 19 June 1943, Camp Hood, Texas 23 December 1944, Camp Hood, Texas

Battalions Each tank destroyer battalion was assigned 36 self-propelled or towed anti-tank guns. They also included reconnaissance and anti-aircraft elements. From a high of 220 battalions, the number was reduced in April 1943 to 106 because of concerns over the value of the tank destroyer concept and competing demands for manpower. In late 1943, the War Department received permission to inactivate twenty-five tank destroyer battalions.

The personnel from inactivating battalions were either assigned to existing tank destroyer battalions still in training, or to other types of units. Beginning in 1944, they were also assigned to nine non-divisional infantry regiments or the Replacement and School Command for retraining as infantry replacements. whereupon they were assigned to understrength infantry divisions still stateside, or were sent overseas as individual replacements.

Eleven tank destroyer battalions, one of which was overseas, were converted en bloc to other types of units that were more in demand, such as chemical, tank, armored field artillery or amphibian tractor units. The tank destroyer battalions that had been formed from National Guard infantry antitank battalions and the antitank assets of field artillery units in National Guard infantry divisions and field artillery brigades were allotted to states in 1942, but with the disbandment of the tank destroyer branch after the war, these allotments were withdrawn.

Campaign credit key

+ Campaign Credit Key Number Campaign 3 Bismarck Archipelago 13 Leyte 14 Luzon 15 New Guinea 17 Papua 21 Western Pacific 23 Algeria-French Morocco 24 Anzio 25 Ardennes-Alsace 26 Central Europe 29 Naples-Foggia 30 Normandy 31 North Apennines 32 Northern France 33 Po Valley 34 Rhineland 35 Rome-Arno 36 Sicily 37 Southern France 38 Tunisia

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