Interestingly, black and white combat troops did serve together in the same units in World War II. During the spring of 1945, a severe shortage of riflemen existed in the ETO. Army Ground Forces training centers had been working to retrain basic soldiers from all the branches as infantry, but this was not enough. Even before the Battle of the Bulge, (based off of a survey taken on December 8) there was a shortage of 29,000 men. General John C.H. Lee, the commander of the Communications Zone, had planned to scrape up 20,000 personnel from his service units and train them as infantry replacements. General Lee then proposed adding African-American troops as well, and top army commanders such as Brigadier General Henry J. Matchett (Ground Force Reinforcement Command) and Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis (Special Adviser and Coordinator to the Theater Commander on Negro Troops, and later the first African-American general officer in the US Air Force) agreed. The gathering of African-American replacements for training as infantry was restricted so that it would not reduce the complement of any service unit by more than 3.5 percent. By February 1945, 4,562 African-American troops had volunteered, accepting a reduction in rank to private to do so. Of the personnel that volunteered, 38 percent came from engineer units, 29 percent came from quartermaster units, 26 percent came from transportation units, 9 percent came from signal units, 2 percent from ordnance, and the remaining 2 percent from units of other branches. Of the white riflemen in the ETO, 41 percent were high school graduates (10 percent were over 30) and 71 percent were in AGCT classes I, II, and III; of the African-American infantry reinforcements, 22 percent were high school graduates and 29 percent were in classes I, II, and III; of all African-American soldiers in the ETO, 18 percent were high school graduates and 17 percent were in Classes I, II, and III.
The first 2,800 men reported to the 16th Replacement Depot at Compiègne by January 10, 1945, after which the flow of volunteers was stopped. There were fewer disciplinary problems and less absenteeism among the African-American troops being retrained as infantry than among white troops undergoing the same training. By the beginning of March, the first men were ready, and were formed into 37 platoons of about 50-60 men each. The platoons were overstrength to provide replacements to themselves. An additional 16 platoons were later made, to provide for the lack of reinforcements due to the limited number of volunteers. It was up to the receiving divisions to provide platoon leaders, platoon sergeants, and if necessary, squad leaders. The platoons were distributed as follows. A total of ten infantry and armored divisions would eventually receive the volunteer reinforcements:
| Platoons | 6th Army Group | 12th Army Group |
|---|---|---|
| First Group | 12 | 25 |
| Second Group | 4 | 12 |
| Infantry/Armored Division | Platoons Received |
|---|---|
| 1st Infantry Division | 3 |
| 2nd Infantry Division | 3 |
| 8th Infantry Division | 3 |
| 9th Infantry Division | 3 |
| 12th Armored Division | 12 |
| 14th Armored Division | 4 |
| 69th Infantry Division | 3 |
| 78th Infantry Division | 3 |
| 99th Infantry Division | 3 |
| 104th Infantry Division | 3 |
The infantry platoons in 12th Army Group were assigned three per division, with one platoon going to each infantry regiment. They were then sent as a fourth rifle platoon to an infantry company. Divisions that received platoons included the veteran 1st, 2nd, 8th and 9th Infantry Divisions, and the 69th, 78th, 99th, and 104th Infantry Divisions.
In 6th Army Group, the first twelve platoons arrived in early March and went to the 12th Armored Division, who organized them into three companies, (Seventh Army Provisional Rifle Companies nos. 1, 2, and 3) one per armored infantry regiment, usually designated Company D. The four platoons of the second group went to the 14th Armored Division, who also made them into a company, (Seventh Army Provisional Rifle Company no. 4) and they served in Combat Command R.
The first platoons reached 12th Army Group immediately before the Rhine crossing and made an excellent account of themselves in the vicious fighting. In the vast majority of units, keeping the white and black troops from mingling was simply an afterthought. When the African-American platoon in Company B, 16th Infantry Regiment fell to squad strength due to losses, it was organized as a squad within a white platoon.
Known companies that received or utilized African-American fourth platoons at any point included:
| Infantry Division | Companies |
|---|---|
| 1st Infantry Division | B/16, B/18 |
| 2nd Infantry Division | C/9 |
| 9th Infantry Division | G/39, E/60 |
| 69th Infantry Division | K/271, F and K/272, G/273 |
| 99th Infantry Division | E/393, K/394 |
| 104th Infantry Division | G/413 |
The assignments were not fixed, and the platoons were often moved between companies and battalions as needed.
Morale: Excellent. Manner of performance: Superior. Men are very eager to close with the enemy and to destroy him. Strict attention to duty, aggressiveness, common sense and judgment under fire has won the admiration of all the men in the company. The colored platoon after initial success continued to do excellent work. Observation discloses that these people observe all the rules of the book. When given a mission they accept it with enthusiasm, and even when losses to their platoon were inflicted the colored boys accepted these losses as part of war, and continued on their mission. The Company Commander, officers, and men of Company "F" all agree that the colored platoon has a calibre of men equal to any veteran platoon. Several decorations for bravery are in the process of being awarded to the members of colored platoons.
The Negro platoons of the 99th Division, characterized as employed "just as any other platoon,"
. . . performed in an excellent manner at all times while in combat. These men were courageous fighters and never once did they fail to accomplish their assigned mission. They were particularly good in town fighting and [were often used as the assault platoon with good results. The platoon assigned to the 393rd Infantry is credited with killing approximately 100 Germans and capturing 900. During this action only three of their own men were killed and fifteen wounded."
The 104th Division, whose platoons had joined while the division was defending the west banks of the Rhine at Cologne, commented: "Their combat record has been outstanding. They have without exception proven themselves to be good soldiers. Some are being recommended for the Bronze Star Medal."
General Edwin P. Parker of the 78th Infantry Division expressed a wish to obtain more African-American troops. After V-E Day, the provisional African-American units were disbanded, and the troops redistributed to units that were not scheduled to be shipped home immediately. This made many men upset, because they feared they eventually would be returned to segregated service units, and they were not allowed to remain with the men they had fought with. The Army worked out a compromise by allowing most of the higher-point African-American men to return home with the 69th Infantry Division.
Sources:
African-American Troops in World War II, by Alexander Bielakowski
G.I.: The American Soldier in World War II, by Lee B. Kennett