Roderick R. Allen

Roderick Random Allen
Born(1894-01-29)January 29, 1894
Marshall, Texas, United States
DiedFebruary 1, 1970(1970-02-01) (aged 76)
Washington, D.C., United States
Buried
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1916–1954
Rank Major General
Service number0-4652
Commands32nd Armored Regiment
20th Armored Division
12th Armored Division
1st Armored Division
3rd Armored Division
XVI Corps
9th Infantry Division
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
Korean War
AwardsDistinguished Service Medal (2)
Silver Star
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star

Major General Roderick Random Allen[1] (January 29, 1894 – February 1, 1970) was a senior United States Army officer, who commanded the 20th and 12th Armored Divisions during World War II. Under his command of the 12th AD, the division defended Strasbourg from recapture; it provided the armored contingent in the closure of the Colmar Pocket and the liberation of Colmar; it spearheaded General George Patton's drive to the Rhine; captured intact the remaining bridge over the Danube River and broke the German defense line; and played a major part in blocking the Brenner Pass, thereby trapping over a million German soldiers in Italy as the war ended. En route to the Brenner Pass it overran eleven concentration camps at Landsberg, Germany.[2]

During the Korean War, he served on General Douglas MacArthur's general staff, was Director of Intelligence for the Army Ground Forces and commanded XVI Corps and the 9th Infantry Division.[3][4]

  1. ^ "Officers of the US Army, 1939-1945". unithistories.com. 2010-07-04. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  2. ^ Saks, Julian. "Indescribable Horror" (PDF). 12th Armored Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  3. ^ Monroe-Jones, Edward (2010). Crossing the Zorn: The January 1945 Battle at Herrlisheim as Told by the American and German Soldiers Who Fought It. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786447121.
  4. ^ Bradstreet, Ken (1987). Hellcats. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Company. ISBN 0-938021-09-5. Retrieved 25 March 2016.

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