US Army 12th Armored Division shoulder sleeve patch with tank, gun, and red lightning bolt

Shoulder sleeve insignia, 12th Armored Division, United States Army, known as the Hellcat Division, of the type used during World War II. The patch design was used by all Armored divisions, with the division number, in this case 12, at the apex of the triangle. The colors represent the military branches that form an armored division: yellow for cavalry, blue for infantry, and red for artillery. The symbols represent the characteristics: the tank track, mobility and armor protection; the cannon, fire power; and the red flash of lightning, shock action. The 12th Division landed in Le Havre, France, on November 11, 1944, and liberated Colmar. They moved into Germany, capturing several cities and the first intact bridge over the Danube River at Dillingen. The 12th and the 101st Airborne Division liberated Kaufering IV concentration camp, a subcamp of Dachau in the Landsberg area, on April 27, 1945. They discovered sick prisoners who had been left behind when the camp was evacuated to Dachau. The Division had reached Austria when Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945. The Division was placed on occupation duty until inactivated on December 3, 1945. This Division was active only during WWII.