The 6th Armored Division was activated on February 15, 1942 at Fort Knox Kentucky. The Division was formed using Cavalrymen from the 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions as cadre and new recruits. Shortly after activation, the Division moved to its home at Camp Chaffee Arkansas and began their training.

The first test for the Super Sixth came in August, 1942 when the Division was ordered to participate in the Louisiana Maneuvers. Despite being under-equipped and with so many raw recruits, the men of the 6th learned quickly and adapted to life in the field. After the Louisiana Maneuvers were completed, the 6th headed for Southern California for desert training. It was there that the soldiers learned the finer points of Armored warfare and had extensive gunnery practice. By the time their training was over, the 6th had "defeated" their sister division, the 4th Armored.

1943 found the 6th Armored in still more training. The practiced fighting in towns, they learned to swim both in and out of their tanks. They even went through infantry type hand-to-hand and weapons training. By years end the Division ws ready. In December 1943, the Division was alerted for overseas duty and they proceeded to Camp Shanks New York. Through January and February of 1944 the men and equipment of the 6th Armored Division boarded transports for England. Upon arrival the 6th Armored staged in areas near Oxford and Stratford-on-Avon in England and the Division continued its training for combat in the European Theater of Operations.

They did not wait long in England. On July 18, 1944 the 6th Armored Division landed on the Normandy peninsula in France and assembled near Le Mesnil, Cherbourg. On July 29, the Division crossed the Seine river near Coutances, meeting moderate resistance on the north bank. On this first day, the 6th Armored moved 26 miles into France. Over the next 2 days, the 6th Armored liberated the French towns of Granville and Brehal and captured almost 1,000 German prisoners. On the 1st of August, the 6th Armored was transferred to Patton's newly activated 3rd Army and was ordered to drive up the brittany peninsula and capture Brest. Their sister Division, the 4th Armored Division was ordered to capture Rennes and Lorient.

The 6th Armored formed into 2 columns with Combat Command A on the left, and moved out for Brest. During the movement, the Divisoion bypassed two French towns that were discovered to be heavily defended; Dinan and Carhaix, the latter being defended by 2,000 elite soldiers of the 2nd German Paratroop Division. Because these twons were bypassed, the 6th Armored was able to advance on Brest with little delay, mostly from road blocks and small minefields which were easily bypassed. Small skirmishes broke out at Pollaouen and Huelgoat but were easily defeated. The most serious delays came as the Division neared Brest. Dense hedgerows, some as high as 5 feet, awaited the Division.

On August 7, Combat Command B made the first direct assault on Brest but was forced to withdraw after encountering heavy resistance. Combat Command B pulled back and waited for reinforcements.

The attack on Brest was cancelled late on August 8th after the Division rear was attacked by a large enemy force. The Division reversed direction and within 48 hours, they had completely destroyed and entire German Infantry Division. Following this victory, the 6th Armored moved into and assembly area for rest and resupply. Plans were also made for a new attack on Brest. Those plans were also cancelled when the Division was ordered to Lorient to relieve the 4th Armored. By August 15th, the 6th had completed this mission and assumed full responsibility for the containment of the Germans in the Lorient fortress. The 6th Armored began conducting numerous patrols and establishing defensive positions against enemy patrols.

In the beginning of September, the 6th Armored was ordered into Army reserve and was relieved by the 94th Infantry Division. The 6th Armored had traveled over 230 miles and captured 6,000 soldiers and 1,000 pieces of equipment. The 6th Armored wasn't finshed however, their next mission was to head east and secure the Seille river.

As the Division approached the river, they met heavy resistance. Once their advance was slowed, the German defenders blew the bridges and retreated. After fording the river, the advancing 6th Armored attacked the village of Armaucourt. It took three hours of heavy street fighting but the defenders were routed and the village was liberated. The Division then attacked and liberated the town of Lanfricourt, meeting light resistance.

Shortly after this, the 35th Infantry Division took over the advance and the 6th Armored moved again into reserve. The Division got little rest as they were ordered forward to defeat a German counter attack near Bois de Gremecy. After several days of fierce fighting, the Corps bridgeheads were secure and the Division turned for its next mission.

On October 8, with the 80th and 35th Infantry Divisions on their flanks, the 6th Armored crossed the Seille River and assaulted the German defenders on Mt. Toulon and Mt. St. Jean. Within several hours the towns of Moivron and Jeandealincourt had been liberated. Over the next several days, the Germans had been routed from their positions and several key villages had been secured. The 6th Armored was pulled back into Reserve and sent to gaurd the newly-constructed bridges over the Moselle and Meurthe rivers. For almost a month, the 6th Armored rested and resupplied in reserve and the soldiers were allowed a few hours in the town of Nancy where they were able to find hot showers, hot food and even a movie.

On November 8, the 6th Armored crossed the Seille River and began their advance. Their objective was to cross the Saar river and secure a bridgehead near Saarbrucken. In the first few days the 6th Armored captured numerous towns and destroyed tons of enemy equipment. Over the next several weeks, the 6th Armored captured several towns and secured bridgeheads over 2 small rivers. After capturing Falquemont, the 6th Division was ordered to support the attack on the Saar by the 26th Infantry Division and the 35th Infantry Division. In addition to german resistance, the attacking soldiers fought tank ditches, minefields and mud. Between November 19 and 26, the 6th Armored captured 10 towns and had penetrated the now German held Maginot Line. By December 5, the 6th Armored had reached the Saar River and had driven the Germans fromSaareguemines and Mt. Canderbonn.

Between December 6 and 19, the division prepared for its next offensive, but those preparations were cut short when the Germans launched their December Ardennes Offensive. The 6th Armored was relieved by the 103rd Infantry Division and ordered to proceed north to Metz. The Division arrived in Metz on Christams day and proceeded north to relieve the 10th Armored near Mersch Luxembourg. 2 days later the Division was pulled back into the assembly area to prepare for operations near Bastogne.

On New Years Eve, the 6th armored attacked the German forces East of Bastogne. The Division forced the Germans away from Bastogne and began the first major counter-offensive to drive back the German offensive. For the next several days the 6th Armored fought stiff German resistance and bitter cold for each small gain. At one point the Germans had 6 Divisions attacking the 6th Armored. The Division halted and consolidated its position on January 3 1945. For the next week, the Division drove off wave after wave of attacking German units.

With the help of massed artillery and fighter-bomber support, the 6th Armored went back on the offensive. With the 35th Infantry Division in support, the 6th Armored drove back the German defenders and recaptured several towns and key roads. By the end of January, the German's Ardennes offensive had been beaten and the 6th Armored pulled into Corps reserve.

In February 1945, the Division crossed the Our river and began their advance on the Siegfried line. For three days the Division assaulted and destroyed over 250 pillboxes, captured 32 towns and took over 1,000 prisoners. On February 25, the Division forded and secured bridgeheads across the Prum river, capturing still more towns. On March 2 and 3 the 6th Armored captured 3 bridges across the Nims river. The Division was then relieved by the 90th Infantry Division and moved back to France into Force Reserve.

The Division was given a week of rest and resupply and then ordered forward to support the Rhineland campaign. On March 20, the Division moved through the lines of the 3rd Infantry Division, which had breached the German lines, and then began their drive into germany. By the end of the first day, 5 towns had fallen to the 6th Armored's tanks. 2 days later the Division was relived by 2 Infantry Divisions who established three bridgheads across the Rhine river.

On the 25th of March, the 6th Armored crossed the Rhine and moved forward to capture bridges across the Main river. After securing the Main, the Division continued on and established the first bridghead across the Frankfurt River. Over the course of the next several days, the 6th Armored drove further and further into Germany and encountered more Germans surrendering than fighting. In the first week of April, the Division crossed the Werra, Fulda, and Kassel rivers. They continued to meet light to moderate resistance and captured many towns without firing a shot. On April 11, the Division captured and liberated Allied POWs from a German camp near Bad Sulza. Also on that day, the 6th Armored liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp.

On April 18, the Division was relieved in place and performed military government duties in the newly captured areas. They were still on this duty when Germany surrendered in May 1945. From July 1944 to May 1945, the 6th Armored Division had covered over 3,000 miles. 2 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor and 15 the Distinguished Service Cross. The Division captured 62,000 prisoners. 1,172 Soldiers of the Super Sixth were killed in action and 4,280 were wounded.

Later in 1945, the Division returned to the States and was later deactivated but during their 9 months in action, the 6th Armored Division became a legendary Armored force.