Major General Albert Cowper Smith (June 5, 1894 – January 24, 1974) was an officer in the United States Army. He is most noted for his service as Commanding General of the 14th Armored Division during the later part of World War II. Smith and his division liberated Prisoner-of-war camps, Oflag XIII-B and Stalag VII-A in April 1945.
Following the war, Smith held several important assignments including several divisional commands or as acting Commanding General of the Fifth United States Army and completed his career as Chief of the Office of Military History in September 1955.
Early years
Albert C. Smith was born on June 5, 1894, in Warrenton, Virginia, as the son of Eugene Albert and Blanch Baker Smith. Following the graduation from the Gordon Military Institute in Barnesville, Georgia, he sought for an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, but it was hard to come by, so he entered the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia, instead.
Smith completed almost three years there and finally received an appointment to West Point in June 1913. He was a member of the class which produced more than 55 future general officers, including two Army Chiefs of StaffJoseph L. Collins and Matthew B. Ridgway. Other classmates include: Clare H. Armstrong, Aaron Bradshaw Jr., Mark W. Clark, John T. Cole, Norman D. Cota, John M. Devine, William W. Eagles, Theodore L. Futch, Charles H. Gerhardt, Augustus M. Gurney, Ernest N. Harmon, William Kelly Harrison Jr., Robert W. Hasbrouck, Frederick A. Irving, Laurence B. Keiser, Charles S. Kilburn, Bryant E. Moore, Daniel Noce, Onslow S. Rolfe, Herbert N. Schwarzkopf, George D. Wahl, Raymond E. S. Williamson, and George H. Weems.
He graduated with Bachelor of Science degree on April 20, 1917, shortly following the American entry into World War I and was commissioned second lieutenant in the Cavalry Branch of the United States Army. Smith completed his basic training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, while attached to 3rd Cavalry Regiment and was promoted to the permanent rank of first lieutenant on May 15, 1917, and to the temporary rank of captain on August 5 that year. He embarked for France in October 1917 and his regiment was tasked with the operation of three major horse remount depots. The three squadrons were charged with the purchase of horses, mules and forage, the care, conditioning, and training of remounts before issue, and the distribution and issue of remounts to the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).
Smith was later transferred to the headquarters of the newly formed U.S. First Army, under General John J. Pershing (who also simultaneously commanded the entire AEF), and became Secretary of the General Staff, VII Corps under Major generals Omar Bundy and William G. Haan. While in this capacity, he took part in the Meuse-Argonne offensive in the final weeks of the war and, following the armistice with Germany, Smith participated in the occupation of the Rhineland, while stationed at the corps headquarters in the town of Wittlich.
He was later ordered to Montabaur and assumed duty as aide-de-camp to the commanding general, 1st Infantry Division, Edward F. McGlachlin. Smith remained in this capacity until September 1919, when he was ordered back to the United States.
Interwar period
Upon his return stateside, Smith was reverted to his permanent rank of first lieutenant and attached to the 14th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He remained with that outfit until November that year and joined the headquarters of Southern Army Department for duty in the Plans and Training Division. While in this capacity, Smith was promoted again to Captain on April 13, 1920, and finally left this assignment in January 1921 in order to rejoin 14th Cavalry at Fort Des Moines, Iowa.
After several months in Iowa, Smith was transferred to the staff of United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and served as an instructor in the department of natural and experimental philosophy until September 1926, when he entered the Army Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas. He graduated in June 1927 and joined 13th Cavalry Regiment located at Fort Riley. His tenure with 13th Cavalry lasted until April 1929, when he returned to the United States Military Academy at West Point as assistant professor in the department of natural and experimental philosophy. Smith was promoted to major on October 1, 1932.