By regulation every numbered unit was required to submit a report to the Adjutant General’s Office. There was a specific required format of 11 items: These reports are the best source of information on specific units available. They go into great detail, and are used as the basis for writing a history of the unit or campaign. They are housed in the National Archives at College Park in Record Group 308 along with other records kept by the specific unit.  

1. The original unit (normally would not change unless there was a redesignation).
2. Any changes in organization
3. Unit strength
4. Stations (locations of the headquarters).
5. Marches
6. Campaigns involved in this month
7. Battles
8. Commanding officers.
9. Losses in action
10. Members of the unit who have distinguished themselves this month.
11. Photographs (these are not common in most reports)

Battles were generally a narrative report attached as an appendix, as were the list of casualties and decorated soldiers.

Six or eight digit numbers, grid coordinates, were used to identify specific locations.

Unless otherwise noted, all AARs on this website were found in Record Group 308 at the National Archives at College Park MD. They are easily located under the unit name as listed in the 8th Infantry Division folder. Non divisional units are listed by branch and unit number.

One thing that will be found in the same file are maps and map overlays. These have been folded and stored for a very long time and can be very difficult to open and copy.

An overlay is a way of marking map information without actually writing on the map itself. A thin peice of semi-transpant paper is placed on the map, and at least two grid coordinates are labeled so it can easily be aligned on the same or other copy of that map.

The information is then drawn directly onto the overlay. This preserves the map from markings that may not be needed int he future, and allows the information to be easily transfered to someone else with the same version of map. If the overlay is captured, it is useless with out the map to line it up on.