New York Times
                     1 October, 44

       With First Army in Germany. September 30.

  General Hodges took security off another of his divisions
today and disclosed for publication that the 5th Armored Division
("Victory" Division) was one of his ace outfits which  stormed across
France after the American break though near St. Lo. This division 
entering combat for the first time in the drive across France was in 
forefront of the spectacular American operation and helped make a lot
of tank history.
  In the first twenty days of combat the 5th drove 400 miles to the 
Seine River and was one of the divisions which swept south from COUTANCES
and then hooked north from LEMANS to set the FALAISE-ARGETAN trap which
gave Von Klug's Seventh Army such a terrific mauling. Military men will
be charting that armored capaign for years. The 5th Armored Division
started its operations from assembly area in Normandy's hedge bordered
fields on August 1. Tanks plunged through St. Lo gap and reared south
to drive deep into enemy held territory. The Division proudly boasted
that this operation was the first time a full American Armored Division
had been used in exploitation mission behind enemy lines.
  To accomplsh mission the division thrust 140 miles south, then
continued 100 miles to LEMANS, then turned and drove 50 miles north to 
Argentan. Tanks of the 5th were first into both LEMANS and ARGETAN and 
were the first armor astride the main highway to PARIS. Between Argentan 
and Gage the 5th had one of the toughest battles of the drive. They 
fought Germans for three days as pincers of trap closing in on the Seventh
Army struggling to escape to the east. Then the armor wheeled and pushed
on to the SEINE. In this drive the division lists 2800 Germans killed
and 4300 prisoners of war, with its own casualties extremely light.
  Across the Seine, the Victory division kept wheeling to the east,
and foughts its way into LUXEMBOURG, and when tanks rolled into the city, 
the Prince of Luxmbourg rode with the Division Commande, MAJOR GENERAL
LUNSFORD E. OLIVER. Luxembourgers gave the Tank men a rousing welcome
along with the Armored Infantry, and quickly recognized the Prince of
the Grand Duchy. They stormed his jeep and carried him on their shoulders
through the streets.