Australian 4th Armoured Brigade
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Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
units operating in the South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific theatres of World War II, during 1942–45...
. The Brigade was never intended to serve as a single formation, rather its role was to provide a pool of armoured units from which units and sub-units could be provided to augment infantry forces. The Brigade was also responsible for developing doctrine and specialised armoured vehicles for armoured warfare in tropical terrain.
In keeping with the Brigade's task of providing armoured units to other formations, the Brigade's armoured regiments were organised into self-supporting regimental groups and the Brigade did not possess the reconnaissance, infantry and other supporting elements which were common in Second World War era armoured brigades.
The 4th Armoured Brigade was disbanded in March 1946.
Composition
Upon formation- 4th Armoured Brigade HQ (previously 6th Armoured Brigade HQAustralian 2nd Armoured DivisionThe Australian 2nd Armoured Division was established on 21 February 1942 by redesignating and reorganising the 2nd Motor Division . As an armoured division the division was equipped with M3 Grant medium tanks and M3 Stuart light tanks...
) - 1st Army Tank Battalion (Matilda II) (ex-3rd Army Tank BrigadeAustralian 3rd Army Tank BrigadeThe 3rd Army Tank Brigade was an armoured brigade of the Australian Army during the Second World War. The Brigade was formed in May 1942 and disbanded in September 1943.-History:...
) - 2/6th Armoured Regiment2/6th Armoured Regiment (Australia)The 2/6th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army that served during World War II. Raised in 1941 the Regiment took part in the Battle of Buna–Gona in 1942–43, however, it did not see further action during the war and was disbanded in September 1945.-History:The 2/6th...
(M3 Stuart) (previously independent) - 2/9th Armoured Regiment2/9th Armoured Regiment (Australia)The 2/9th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army. Raised for service during World War II, the regiment was formed in August 1941 and spent most of the war in Australia...
(M3 Grant) (ex-3rd Armoured DivisionAustralian 3rd Armoured DivisionThe Australian 3rd Armoured Division was an armoured unit of the Australian Army that was established on 15 November 1942 by redesignating the 1st Motor Division . As an armoured division the 3rd Armoured was equipped with M3 Grant medium tanks and M3 Stuart light tanks...
) - Signals, engineers and service troops
Upon disbandment
- 4th Armoured Brigade HQ
- 1st Armoured Regiment1st Royal New South Wales LancersThe 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers was a former Australian Army light cavalry regiment. Its complicated lineage includes the New South Wales Lancers which were first formed as a colonial unit in 1885, and subsequently saw action in the Second Boer War, and later during First World War at...
(Matilda II) - 2/4th Armoured Regiment2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia)The 2/4th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. The regiment was formed in November 1942 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force by amalgamating a number of previously existing armoured units and was disbanded in September 1946...
(Matilda II) ((ex-3rd Armoured DivisionAustralian 3rd Armoured DivisionThe Australian 3rd Armoured Division was an armoured unit of the Australian Army that was established on 15 November 1942 by redesignating the 1st Motor Division . As an armoured division the 3rd Armoured was equipped with M3 Grant medium tanks and M3 Stuart light tanks...
) - 2/6th Armoured Regiment (M3 Grant)
- 2/9th Armoured Regiment (M3 Grant)
- 1st Armoured Amphibious Squadron (LVTLanding Vehicle TrackedThe Landing Vehicle Tracked was a class of amphibious vehicles introduced by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Army during World War II. Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they rapidly evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles as well...
) (newly raised) - Armoured Squadron (Special Equipment) (specialised Matilda II variants) (newly raised)
- Signals, engineers and service troops
Elements of the Brigade in action
- A and C Squadrons of the 1st Army Tank Battalion saw action attached to the Australian 9th DivisionAustralian 9th DivisionThe 9th Division was a division of the Australian Army that served during World War II. It was the fourth division of the Second Australian Imperial Force and was formed in the United Kingdom in late 1940 from infantry brigades and support units which had been previously raised in Australia and...
in the Huon Peninsula campaign of 1943-1944 - C Squadron of 2/4th Armoured Regiment saw action attached to the Australian 6th DivisionAustralian 6th DivisionThe 6th Division of the Australian Army was a unit in the Second Australian Imperial Force during World War II. It served in the North African campaign, the Greek campaign and the New Guinea campaign, including the crucial battles of the Kokoda Track, among others...
in Wewak from October 1944 until the end of the war. - A and B Squadrons of 2/4th Armoured Regiment were deployed to BougainvilleBougainville IslandBougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
as part of Australian II CorpsAustralian II CorpsThe Australian II Corps was an Australian Army corps. II Corps was established in early 1942 to command Australian Army units deployed to protect the Sydney region and later commanded operational units in New Guinea, Bougainville and New Britain...
in 1945. - C Squadron of the 2/9th Armoured Regiment was attached to the 26th Brigade Group during the invasion of TarrakanBattle of Tarakan (1945)The Battle of Tarakan was the first stage in the Borneo campaign of 1945. It began with an amphibious landing by Australian forces on 1 May, code-named Operation Oboe One...
in May 1945. - The remainder of the 2/9th Armoured Regiment was attached to the 9th DivisionAustralian 9th DivisionThe 9th Division was a division of the Australian Army that served during World War II. It was the fourth division of the Second Australian Imperial Force and was formed in the United Kingdom in late 1940 from infantry brigades and support units which had been previously raised in Australia and...
during its operations in British North Borneo from June 1945 until the end of the war. - 1st Armoured Regiment and the Armoured Squadron (Special Equipment) were attached to the Australian 7th DivisionAustralian 7th DivisionThe 7th Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army. It was formed in February 1940 to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force...
during its operations in BalikpapanBattle of Balikpapan (1945)The Battle of Balikpapan was the concluding stage of the Borneo campaign . The landings took place on 1 July 1945. The Australian 7th Division, composed of the 18th, 21st and 25th Infantry Brigades, with support troops, made an amphibious landing, codenamed Operation Oboe Two a few miles north of...
from July 1945 until the end of the war.