Leland Hobbs

Leland Stanford Hobbs (February 4, 1892 – March 6, 1966) was a highly decorated Major General in the United States Army, who commanded 30th Infantry Division during the World War II.

Early years
He was born on February 4, 1892 in Gloucester, Massachusetts and was raised in New Jersey. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York from which he graduated in June 1915, in the same class as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar N. Bradley, James Van Fleet, Henry Aurand or Stafford LeRoy Irwin ("The class the stars fell on").

He was subsequently commissioned a Second lieutenant of Infantry and assigned to the 12th Infantry Regiment in Nogales, Arizona. He saw there his first action in the skirmishes with the Mexican bandits during the Pancho Villa Expedition.

He then saw service in California and Maryland, until he was ordered to the France during World War I with the 11th Infantry Division. However the armistice with Germany was signed before the division could saw some action. Division was ordered back to the United States and then disbanded at Camp Meade, Maryland. Hobbs was then assigned at United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he served as an Assistant instructor of tactics until the 1924.

In the interwar era, Hobbs served on the various assignments and also attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas or Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

In 1935, Hobbs was appointed quartermaster in the Fourth Corps area and in 1937, he was appointed a Chief of Staff of the Third U.S. Army under the command of Lieutenant general Stanley D. Embick.

At the beginning of the 1940, Hobbs was transferred to the Washington, D.C., where he was appointed an Executive officer of the 3rd Infantry Regiment. He served in this capacity for a brief time and after his promotion to the temporary rank of Colonel, he was made a Commander of the regiment.

World War II
With the United States entry into the World War II, Hobbs served as a chief of staff of the Trinidad Base Command at Fort Read. In July 1942, Hobbs was appointed a commanding general of the 30th Infantry Division stationed at Camp Blanding, Florida. Hobbs succeeded general William Hood Simpson, who was appointed commander of XII Corps.

In November 1943, Hobbs was transferred together with his division to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, where it continue in training for its deploying within European Theater of Operations. The 30th Infantry division arrived in England on February 22nd 1944, and trained until June of that year. General Hobbs landed on the Omaha Beach with his division on June 11th and secured the Vire-et-Taute Canal, crossed the Vire River, July 7, and, beginning on July 25 spearheaded the St. Lô break-through.

Hobbs subsequently commanded the 30th Infantry Division until the end of World War II. Hobbs commanded the division during the Battle of Normandy, Mortain Counter-offensive, Battle of the Bulge or Battle of Aachen. He was succeeded by major general Albert C. Smith in September 1945. Major general Hobbs was highly decorated for his leadership of the 30th Division during the World War II (see his ribbon bar below).

Postwar Life and Retirement
Hobbs was then transferred back to the United States, where he was appointed a Commanding General of Fort Dix, New Jersey. He served in this capacity until October 1946, when he was assigned to the 2nd Armored Division as its commanding general. He succeeded in command his West Point classmate, major general John W. Leonard.

In August 1947, he was transferred to Fort McPherson, Georgia, where he was appointed the Deputy Commanding General of the Third United States Army under the command of lieutenant general Alvan C. Gillem.

At the beginning of 1949, he was transferred to Japan, where he took command of the IX Corps at Camp Sendai. Hobbs performed the regular occupation duties with his unit until August 1950, when he was replaced by general Frank W. Milburn.

His last military assignment was a Deputy Commanding general of the First United States Army, stationed at Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York under the command of lieutenant general Willis D. Crittenberger.

He retired from the army in 1953 and became vice president of the Colonial Trust Bank in New York City. Major General Leland Stanford Hobbs died on March 6, 1966 at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. and was buried together with his wife Lucy Davis Hobbs (1892 - 1980) at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.

Decorations
Here is Major general Hobbs´s ribbon bar: