Division Cavalry

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In the first design of the US Armored Division the division consisted of 4 regiments (2 armor, 1 infantry, and 1 artillery). This design was known as the “heavy” division and included an Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (ARB). In 1943 all armored divisions were converted to a “light” design which eliminated the regiments and replaced them with combat commands. This new design reduced the number of tank battalions by half and included redesignating the ARB as Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized). Two divisions, the 2nd and 3rd Armored, remained in the “heavy” organization throughout the war, and their ARBs (the 82nd and 83rd) were not redesignated as cavalry during the war.  Thus each of the Army's armored division had an organic cavalry squadron to do the reconnaissance work for the division.