AMERICAN COMMANDS OF
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
1941-1945

Useful summaries of the World War II assignments of Dwight D. Eisenhower are given in Washington Command Post by Ray S. Cline and in volume 9 of Cullum's Biographical Register.

At the start of World War II (December 7, 1941), Eisenhower was assigned to the Third Army at San Antonio, Texas. He was serving as Chief of Staff to General Walter Krueger, the commanding general of the Third Army. He had been assigned to this position by War Department Special Orders No. 183 dated August 7, 1941.

December 18, 1941 - Eisenhower was relieved from duty with the Third Army and assigned to the office of the Chief of Staff in Washington, DC. This was done by War Department Special Orders No. 295, dated December 19, 1941. Eisenhower in Crusade in Europe and Ray Cline in Washington Command Post both state that George Marshall, the Chief of Staff, put Eisenhower to work in the War Plans Division of the War Department where he served as an expert on the Pacific Theater. This appears to have been done on Marshall's own authority as Eisenhower's orders state only that he was assigned to the office of the Chief of Staff.

February 16, 1942 - Eisenhower was promoted to head the War Plans Division of the War Department. This was done by orders issued by the Adjutant General's office on February 15, 1942. Eisenhower replaced Leonard T. Gerow who had been assigned to duty in Europe. Eisenhower's title was Assistant Chief of Staff, War Plans Division.

March 23, 1942 - The War Plans Division was renamed the Operations Division and was given expanded duties. Eisenhower remained as head of the division. His new title was Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations Division. This assignment was confirmed by War Department Special Orders No. 84, dated April 2, 1942.

June 24, 1942 - Eisenhower became commander of the European Theater of Operations of the U.S. Army. He had been given the new assignment by orders issued by the Adjutant General's office on June 17, 1942 and assumed command by General Orders No. 6 of the European Theater of Operations dated June 24, 1942. His new title was Commanding General, European Theater of Operations.

February 4, 1943 - The North African Theater of Operations was created out of the southern part of the European Theater of Operations. Eisenhower was appointed commander of the North African Theater and Frank Andrews succeeded Eisenhower as commander of the European Theater. The War Department notified Eisenhower of this change in cables dated February 3, 6 & 7, 1943. Eisenhower activated the North African Theater and assumed command by General Orders No. 1 dated February 4, 1943. His new title was Commanding General, U.S. Army Forces in the North African Theater of Operations.

December 31, 1943 - Eisenhower was relieved from his assignment as commander of the North African Theater and sent to London to become commander of the European Theater. This was done by a cable dated December 31, 1943. Eisenhower arrived in London and assumed command of the European Theater on January 16, 1944 by General Orders No. 4. His new title was Commanding General, U.S. Forces, European Theater of Operations.

June 27, 1945 - The European Theater of Operations of the U.S. Army (ETOUSA) was redesignated U.S. Forces, European Theater (USFET). Eisenhower remained as commander. He was also designated the commander of the U.S. occupation forces in Germany. This was done by a cable dated June 29, 1945. Eisenhower's new title was Commander in Chief, U.S. Forces of Occupation in Germany. He also retained his title Commanding General, U.S. Forces, European Theater. Eisenhower held these posts until November 1945 when he returned to the U.S. to become Army Chief of Staff.


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