23rd Hussars
Encyclopedia
The 23rd Hussars was a cavalry regiment
of the British Army
from 1940 to 1946. It had no lineal connection with the earlier 23rd Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (1794–1802).
and the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars
, and was assigned to 29th Armoured Brigade
of 11th Armoured Division
.
The 11th Armoured Division landed in France in June 1944, taking heavy casualties in the Battle of Normandy
. It spearheaded Operation Epsom
, reaching the Odon river between Mouen and Mondrainville. It was again embroiled in Operation Goodwood
, its assault on Bourguébus Ridge on the first day of the operation being brought to a halt. After Goodwood, the losses of armour within the division were so high that the 24th Lancers
were disbanded and its remnants absorbed by the 23rd Hussars. The Regiment then took part in Operation Bluecoat
, intended to secure the key road junction of Vire
and the high ground of Mont Pinçon
, allowing the American exploitation of their breakout on the western flank of the Normandy beachhead. The 11th Armored Division was then attached to XXX Corps, which captured Flers
, Putanges and Argentan
in the battle of the Falaise pocket
.
Once the Falaise pocket was sealed, the Regiment remained with the 11th Armoured Division as it liberated L'Aigle
on 23 August. It crossed the Seine
on 28 August and, after an advance of 60 miles in one day, liberated Amiens
on 1 September and Antwerp on 4 September. It was not directly involved in the ground operations of Operation Market Garden
, but covered the right flank of the advancing XXX Corps.
It was in reserve, being re-equipped with Comet tank
s, at the time of the Ardennes Offensive, but was rapidly deployed into a defensive line along the Meuse
with its old tanks. In 1945, it took part in Operation Veritable
and Operation Blockbuster
and liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
before crossing the Elbe
and capturing Lübeck
. It was disbanded at the end of January, 1946.
Battle Honours
The Second World War: The Odon, Bourguébus Ridge, Le Perier Ridge, Amiens 1944, Antwerp, Venraij, Venlo Pocket, Ourthe, North-West Europe 1944-45
Cavalry regiments of the British Army
There are currently nine regular cavalry regiments of the British Army, with two tank regiments provided by the Royal Tank Regiment, traditionally classed alongside the cavalry, for a total of eleven regiments. Of these, five serve as armoured regiments, and five as formation reconnaissance...
of the British Army
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...
from 1940 to 1946. It had no lineal connection with the earlier 23rd Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (1794–1802).
History
The regiment was raised in December 1940 from a cadre of personnel taken from the 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)
The 10th Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1715 to 1969.-Early history:In response to the Jacobite Rebellion, the regiment was raised in 1715 as Humphrey Gore's Regiment of Dragoons...
and the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars
15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars
The 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was created as part of the reduction in the cavalry in the aftermath of World War I. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 15th The King's Hussars and the 19th Royal Hussars on 11 April 1922, becoming the...
, and was assigned to 29th Armoured Brigade
British 29th Armoured Brigade
- History :Created in 1940 it served mainly with the 11th Armoured Division, notably in the Battle of Normandy and the campaign in Western Europe.- Component Units :*22nd Dragoons - Until Jan '41...
of 11th Armoured Division
British 11th Armoured Division
The 11th Armoured Division, known as The Black Bull, was a British Army division formed in 1941 during the Second World War. The Division was formed in response to the unanticipated success of German panzer divisions...
.
The 11th Armoured Division landed in France in June 1944, taking heavy casualties in the Battle of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. It spearheaded Operation Epsom
Operation Epsom
Operation Epsom, also known as the First Battle of the Odon, was a Second World War British offensive that took place between 26 and 30 June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy...
, reaching the Odon river between Mouen and Mondrainville. It was again embroiled in Operation Goodwood
Operation Goodwood
Operation Goodwood was an attack launched on 18 July 1944, during the Second World War, by the British army to the east of the city of Caen...
, its assault on Bourguébus Ridge on the first day of the operation being brought to a halt. After Goodwood, the losses of armour within the division were so high that the 24th Lancers
24th Lancers
The 24th Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1940 to 1944.- Origins :The regiment was raised in December 1940 from a cadre of personnel taken from the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers and the 17th/21st Lancers, and was assigned to 29th Armoured Brigade of 11th Armoured Division...
were disbanded and its remnants absorbed by the 23rd Hussars. The Regiment then took part in Operation Bluecoat
Operation Bluecoat
Operation Bluecoat was an attack by the British Second Army at the Battle of Normandy during the Second World War, from 30 July – 7 August 1944. The geographical objectives of the attack were to secure the key road junction of Vire and the high ground of Mont Pinçon...
, intended to secure the key road junction of Vire
Vire
Vire is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.- History :In 1123, Henri I Beauclerc, King of England and Duke of Normandy, had a redoubt constructed on a rocky hill top, which was surrounded by the Vire river...
and the high ground of Mont Pinçon
Mont Pinçon
Mont Pinçon is the highest point of the département of Calvados, in Normandy, with an elevation of . It is in the west of Swiss Normandy about to the south-west of Caen, near the village of Plessis-Grimoult....
, allowing the American exploitation of their breakout on the western flank of the Normandy beachhead. The 11th Armored Division was then attached to XXX Corps, which captured Flers
Flers
Flers is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Flers, Orne, in the Orne département* Flers, Nord, a former commune of the Nord département, now part of Villeneuve d'Ascq...
, Putanges and Argentan
Argentan
Argentan is a commune, and the seat of two cantons and of an arrondissement in the Orne department in north-western France.Argentan is located NE of Rennes, ENE of the Mont Saint-Michel, SE of Cherbourg, SSE of Caen, SW of Rouen and N of Le Mans....
in the battle of the Falaise pocket
Falaise pocket
The battle of the Falaise Pocket, fought during the Second World War from 12 to 21 August 1944, was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy...
.
Once the Falaise pocket was sealed, the Regiment remained with the 11th Armoured Division as it liberated L'Aigle
L'Aigle
L'Aigle is a commune in the Orne department in Basse-Normandie in north-western France.This commune used to be known as Laigle. According to Orderic Vitalis, the nest of an eagle was discovered during the construction of the castle....
on 23 August. It crossed the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
on 28 August and, after an advance of 60 miles in one day, liberated Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
on 1 September and Antwerp on 4 September. It was not directly involved in the ground operations of Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
, but covered the right flank of the advancing XXX Corps.
It was in reserve, being re-equipped with Comet tank
Comet tank
The Tank, Cruiser, Comet I was a British cruiser tank that first saw use near the end of World War II. It was designed to provide greater anti-tank capability to Cromwell tank squadrons. It was armed with a 77mm HV, a derivative of the 17 pounder, with the result it was one of the few British...
s, at the time of the Ardennes Offensive, but was rapidly deployed into a defensive line along the Meuse
Meuse
Meuse is a department in northeast France, named after the River Meuse.-History:Meuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
with its old tanks. In 1945, it took part in Operation Veritable
Operation Veritable
Operation Veritable was a Second World War pincer movement conducted by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group to clear and occupy the land between the Rhine and Maas rivers. It took place between 8 February and 11 March 1945. It was a part of General Dwight Eisenhower's "broad front"...
and Operation Blockbuster
Operation Blockbuster
Operation Blockbuster was the completion of the larger Operation Veritable by the Canadian 1st Army, reinforced by the British XXX Corps. It took place in late February and early March, 1945...
and liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
before crossing the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
and capturing Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
. It was disbanded at the end of January, 1946.