British 23rd Armoured Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 23rd Armoured Brigade was originally formed as the 23rd Army Tank Brigade, a second-line Territorial Army unit of the British Army
during Second World War. It was later reorganized and redesignated as the 23rd Armoured Brigade when it was assigned to the 8th Armoured Division, although it never operated under that division's command.
s beginning about that same time. By November 1941 the brigade had approximately 18 Matildas and 120 Valentines on hand.
The division remained in the United Kingdom until May 1942 when it was sent to the Middle East to join the Eighth Army
, becoming active there in early July. In mid-July the brigade was detached from 8th Armoured Division and with the addition of the 5th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
became known as the 23rd Armoured Brigade Group. After only 14 days of acclimatisation and without any infantry support training the Brigade was chosen to reinforce XXX Corps's attack during the Second Battle of Ruweisat Ridge. The regiments failed to locate the lanes cleared by the leading units through the Axis minefields and were virtually annihilated by German anti-tank fire while trying to find the lanes. The brigade mustered 122 Valentines and 18 Matildas for this attack, but at day's end had lost a total of 116 of those tanks. More importantly 44% of its tank crews had been killed or wounded in the days fighting.
The brigade was rebuilt by cannibalizing men and tanks from the newly-arrived 24th Armoured Brigade and it was retrained in the infantry support role, although it wasn't redesignated as an Army Tank Brigade as would have been appropriate. On 11 August 1942 the 7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade was transferred away from the brigade. During the Battle of Alam el Halfa in September the brigade was initially in XXX Corps' reserve, but was transferred to the command of XIII Corps
' 10th Armoured Division. Before the Second Battle of El Alamein
the brigade was reinforced by the addition of 8th Royal Tank Regiment
up to strength of approximately 186 Valentines and the 5th RHA was exchanged for the 107th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
equipped with sixteen Bishop
self-propelled guns. During that battle most of the brigade's regiments were tasked to support the infantry divisions of XXX Corps. 8th RTR was attached to 1st South African Division, 40th RTR was attached to 9th Australian Division and 50th RTR was attached to 51st (Highland) Infantry Division. The brigade suffered heavily during the battle and it remained in Egypt to refit and reorganize. 8th RTR was transferred to Palestine in early November after having turned over all its surviving tanks while 46th RTR was removed from the brigade, as was 107th Field Regiment.
In December elements of the brigade began to move forward, but it saw no combat until it entered Tunisia on 17 February 1943. For the Tunisian Campaign the brigade served as an independent armoured formation under XXX Corps within the Eighth Army and fought in most of the battles of the campaign. On 3 May 50th RTR was withdrawn to convert to Sherman
tanks. After the end of the campaign the 46th RTR was reassigned to the brigade, although it was still in the process of converting to Shermans as well and 40th RTR began to convert as well.
23rd Armoured Brigade took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily
in July 1943 although only 50th RTR and B Squadron, 46th RTR participated in the initial landings. The remainder of 46th RTR was still converting to Shermans and didn't land in Sicily until 23 July. The brigade didn't fight as such during the Sicilian Campaign, its units being detached to support other formations. Only the 40th RTR participated in the initial landings at Salerno
during Operation Avalanche. It was assigned to assist the 46th (North Midland) Infantry Division. The brigade took command of various units from both the British and American Armies during the heavy German counter-attacks on 12—14 to defend the boundary are between the two armies. It continued to command both American and British units up through the occupation of Naples on 1 October 1943. By October 1943 the brigade had consolidated once more and had joined X Corps
, on the left wing of American Fifth Army, taking part in the fighting from the Volturno Line
to the Gustav Line.
In March 1944 the brigade was transferred to V Corps
which had a holding role on the eastern side of the Gustav Line by the Adriatic Sea
while Eighth and Fifth Armies combined to launch Operation Diadem
in the Cassino sector and finally break the German defences there after three unsuccessful attempts
since January. In late May 1944 the brigade was withdrawn from Italy and returned to Egypt. In August 1944 the brigade was redesignated as Force 140, later Arkforce, and dismounted from its tanks. 40th and 50th RTR were retrained as infantry, but 46th RTR was reorganized with one squadron of armoured cars and one squadron of infantry, this being attached to 50th RTR, but kept one squadron of Shermans. It arrived at Piraeus
on 12 October 1944 as part of the peacekeeping force keeping order in Greece when the Germans withdrew. The brigade remained in Greece until the end of the war, having been restored to their tanks in by the end of January 1945.
The brigade was disestablished in May 1946, but was reformed when the Territorial Army itself was reformed in 1947. However it was disbanded in the late 1950s.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during Second World War. It was later reorganized and redesignated as the 23rd Armoured Brigade when it was assigned to the 8th Armoured Division, although it never operated under that division's command.
History
The brigade was formed as the 23rd Army Tank Brigade on the outbreak of World War II as a second-line Territorial Army unit and had only a few light armoured vehicles during its existence as an Army Tank Brigade. It was reorganized and redesignated as the 23rd Armoured Brigade on 1 November 1940 when it was assigned to the newly-formed 8th Armoured Division. As part of this reorganization it was reinforced with the 1st Battalion, London Rifle Brigade, although this motor battalion was renamed the 7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade on 19 January 1941. It finally began to receive significant numbers of tanks as a consequence of its assignment to the 8th Armoured Division, deliveries of the close-support version of the Matilda II and Valentine tankValentine tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk III, Valentine was an infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. More than 8,000 of the type were produced in 11 different marks plus various purpose-built variants, accounting for approximately a quarter of wartime British tank production...
s beginning about that same time. By November 1941 the brigade had approximately 18 Matildas and 120 Valentines on hand.
The division remained in the United Kingdom until May 1942 when it was sent to the Middle East to join the Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
, becoming active there in early July. In mid-July the brigade was detached from 8th Armoured Division and with the addition of the 5th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
became known as the 23rd Armoured Brigade Group. After only 14 days of acclimatisation and without any infantry support training the Brigade was chosen to reinforce XXX Corps's attack during the Second Battle of Ruweisat Ridge. The regiments failed to locate the lanes cleared by the leading units through the Axis minefields and were virtually annihilated by German anti-tank fire while trying to find the lanes. The brigade mustered 122 Valentines and 18 Matildas for this attack, but at day's end had lost a total of 116 of those tanks. More importantly 44% of its tank crews had been killed or wounded in the days fighting.
The brigade was rebuilt by cannibalizing men and tanks from the newly-arrived 24th Armoured Brigade and it was retrained in the infantry support role, although it wasn't redesignated as an Army Tank Brigade as would have been appropriate. On 11 August 1942 the 7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade was transferred away from the brigade. During the Battle of Alam el Halfa in September the brigade was initially in XXX Corps' reserve, but was transferred to the command of XIII Corps
XIII Corps (United Kingdom)
XIII Corps was a British infantry corps during World War I and World War II.-World War I:XIII Corps was formed in France on 15 November 1915 under Lieutenant-General Walter Congreve to be part of Fourth Army. It was first seriously engaged during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. On the First day on...
' 10th Armoured Division. Before the Second Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
the brigade was reinforced by the addition of 8th Royal Tank Regiment
8th Royal Tank Regiment
The 8th Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1960. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It originally saw action as H Battalion, Tank Corps in 1917....
up to strength of approximately 186 Valentines and the 5th RHA was exchanged for the 107th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
equipped with sixteen Bishop
Bishop (artillery)
The Bishop was a British self-propelled artillery vehicle based on the Valentine tank. A result of a rushed attempt to create a self-propelled gun armed with the 25 Pounder gun-howitzer, the vehicle had numerous problems, was produced in limited numbers and was soon replaced by better...
self-propelled guns. During that battle most of the brigade's regiments were tasked to support the infantry divisions of XXX Corps. 8th RTR was attached to 1st South African Division, 40th RTR was attached to 9th Australian Division and 50th RTR was attached to 51st (Highland) Infantry Division. The brigade suffered heavily during the battle and it remained in Egypt to refit and reorganize. 8th RTR was transferred to Palestine in early November after having turned over all its surviving tanks while 46th RTR was removed from the brigade, as was 107th Field Regiment.
In December elements of the brigade began to move forward, but it saw no combat until it entered Tunisia on 17 February 1943. For the Tunisian Campaign the brigade served as an independent armoured formation under XXX Corps within the Eighth Army and fought in most of the battles of the campaign. On 3 May 50th RTR was withdrawn to convert to Sherman
M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
tanks. After the end of the campaign the 46th RTR was reassigned to the brigade, although it was still in the process of converting to Shermans as well and 40th RTR began to convert as well.
23rd Armoured Brigade took part in the Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
in July 1943 although only 50th RTR and B Squadron, 46th RTR participated in the initial landings. The remainder of 46th RTR was still converting to Shermans and didn't land in Sicily until 23 July. The brigade didn't fight as such during the Sicilian Campaign, its units being detached to support other formations. Only the 40th RTR participated in the initial landings at Salerno
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
during Operation Avalanche. It was assigned to assist the 46th (North Midland) Infantry Division. The brigade took command of various units from both the British and American Armies during the heavy German counter-attacks on 12—14 to defend the boundary are between the two armies. It continued to command both American and British units up through the occupation of Naples on 1 October 1943. By October 1943 the brigade had consolidated once more and had joined X Corps
X Corps (United Kingdom)
The X Corps was a British Army formation in the First World War and was later reformed in 1942 during the North African campaign of the Second World War as part of the Eighth Army.- First World War :...
, on the left wing of American Fifth Army, taking part in the fighting from the Volturno Line
Volturno Line
The Volturno Line was a German defensive position in Italy during the World War II.The line ran from Termoli in the east, along the Biferno River through the Apennine Mountains to the Volturno River in the west....
to the Gustav Line.
In March 1944 the brigade was transferred to V Corps
V Corps (United Kingdom)
V Corps was an army corps of the British Army in both the First and Second World War. It was first organised in February 1915 and fought through World War I on the Western front...
which had a holding role on the eastern side of the Gustav Line by the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
while Eighth and Fifth Armies combined to launch Operation Diadem
Operation Diadem
Operation Diadem, also referred to as the Fourth Battle of Monte Cassino was an offensive operation undertaken by the Allies in May 1944, as part of the Italian Campaign. It was launched at 2300 Hours on 11 May 1944 to break the German defenses on the western half of the Winter Line and open up...
in the Cassino sector and finally break the German defences there after three unsuccessful attempts
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
since January. In late May 1944 the brigade was withdrawn from Italy and returned to Egypt. In August 1944 the brigade was redesignated as Force 140, later Arkforce, and dismounted from its tanks. 40th and 50th RTR were retrained as infantry, but 46th RTR was reorganized with one squadron of armoured cars and one squadron of infantry, this being attached to 50th RTR, but kept one squadron of Shermans. It arrived at Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
on 12 October 1944 as part of the peacekeeping force keeping order in Greece when the Germans withdrew. The brigade remained in Greece until the end of the war, having been restored to their tanks in by the end of January 1945.
The brigade was disestablished in May 1946, but was reformed when the Territorial Army itself was reformed in 1947. However it was disbanded in the late 1950s.
Commanders
- Brig. W. F. Murrough 3 September 1939
- Brig. L. E. Misa 16 December 1941
- Brig. G. W. Richards 31 July 1942
- Brig. R.H.E. ArkwrightRobert ArkwrightMajor-General Robert Harry Bertram Arkwright CB DSO & Bar was a British Army officer who commanded 2nd Division.-Military career:Arkwright was commissioned into the 12th Royal Lancers in 1924...
23 July 1943 - Brig. R. A. Hermon 4 December 1944 (acting)
- Brig. R.H.E. Arkwright 8 January 1945
- Col. R. A. Hermon 1 April 1945 (acting)
- Brig. R.H.E. Arkwright 22 April 1945
Component Units 1945
- 40th Royal Tank Regiment
- 46th Royal Tank Regiment
- 50th Royal Tank Regiment50th Royal Tank RegimentThe 50th Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army during the Second World War. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps....
- 11th Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps
- 463rd Battery, 104th Regiment, Royal Horse ArtilleryRoyal Horse ArtilleryThe regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...