British 2nd Armoured Division
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Armoured Division was a British Army
formation during the Second World War, created on 15 December 1939 and disbanded on 10 May 1941 after most of the division was captured at Mechili
in Libya
by German and Italian forces.
light tanks. The 22nd Armoured Brigade was forced to make do with trucks and a few light tanks.
As the threat of invasion receded after the Battle of Britain
the division was reorganized and reinforced for service in the Middle East. It exchanged the 22nd Armoured Brigade for the veteran 3rd Armoured Brigade from the 1st Armoured Division and each brigade exchanged regiments to ensure that it had both cruisers
and light tanks.
The following table lists tank strengths before departure in October 1940:
In addition the division and each brigade headquarters had three Mk VI and seven cruiser (mainly A 10) tanks.
The division was sent to Cyrenaica
in early 1941 to guard the lines of communication, its 1st Armoured Brigade was detached to Greece
at this time. It was sent to the Western Desert front to reinforce troops under General Wavell who, at the time, was on the verge of defeating Italian forces. However, shortly upon arrival in Libya, Wavell was ordered to send half his troops to Greece, not knowing that Germany had sent reinforcements to support the Italians. Immediately upon arrival at the front, both the 2nd Armoured Division and Wavell's troops were ordered to retreat. Unfortunately, most of the Division was captured in an pincer movement on 8 April 1941 by the Italian 10th Bersaglieri Regiment, the 5th Light Division, and the 15th Panzer Division. Some of its units escaped and were evacuated from Tobruk
. On 10 May 1941 the division was officially disbanded and not reformed.
The 2nd Armoured Division also had an RAMC Brigade, but World War II records identifying the unit number are currently unavailable.
Following re-organisation, 2nd Infantry Division was reformed as an armoured formation in I (BR) Corps in Germany from 1976 to 1983. In this incarnation it had two armoured regiments, each nominally with 74 tanks, and three mechanised infantry battalions, and probably incorporated Task Force Charlie and Task Force Delta. Following further reorganisation in 1983 it was converted back into an infantry division.
The Division had three General Officers Commanding during its existence in the late 1970s and early 1980s:
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...
formation during the Second World War, created on 15 December 1939 and disbanded on 10 May 1941 after most of the division was captured at Mechili
Mechili
Mechili is a small village in Cyrenaica, Libya and the former site of a turkish fort. It’s nearly east of Benghazi, and west of Timimi.-Geography:Because of its location in the desert, Mechili suffered in the past from isolation...
in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
by German and Italian forces.
History
This division had a short and unlucky history; formed in December 1939 it wasn't until the following month that it received any troops to command when the 1st Light Armoured Brigade and the 22nd Heavy Armoured Brigade were assigned. Similarly the 2nd Support Group formed in February, but no troops were assigned until March. The 1st Armoured Division had priority for equipment so the 2nd was forced to use whatever was available. The 1st Armoured Brigade was the most combat-ready element of the division during most of 1940 with its 150-odd Mk VILight Tank Mk VI
The Tank, Light, Mk VI was a British light tank, produced by Vickers-Armstrongs in the late 1930s, which saw service during World War II.- Development history :...
light tanks. The 22nd Armoured Brigade was forced to make do with trucks and a few light tanks.
As the threat of invasion receded after the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
the division was reorganized and reinforced for service in the Middle East. It exchanged the 22nd Armoured Brigade for the veteran 3rd Armoured Brigade from the 1st Armoured Division and each brigade exchanged regiments to ensure that it had both cruisers
Cruiser tank
The cruiser tank was a British tank concept of the inter-war period. This concept was the driving force behind several tank designs which saw action during the Second World War....
and light tanks.
The following table lists tank strengths before departure in October 1940:
| Number | Tank Type | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 169 | Mk VI Light Tank Mk VI The Tank, Light, Mk VI was a British light tank, produced by Vickers-Armstrongs in the late 1930s, which saw service during World War II.- Development history :... |
52 each in KDG 1st King's Dragoon Guards The 1st King's Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1685 as The Queen's Regiment of Horse, named in honour of Queen Mary, consort of King James II. It was renamed The King's Own Regiment of Horse in 1714 in honour of George I... , 3rd Hussars 3rd The King's Own Hussars The 3rd Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own Hussars in 1958.-The Glorious Revolution:... , 4th Hussars 4th Queen's Own Hussars The 4th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958.... , 4 with 1st RHA 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the armoured field artillery role, and is equipped with the AS-90 self-propelled gun... |
| 6 | A 9 CS Cruiser Mk I The Tank, Cruiser, Mk I was a British cruiser tank of the interwar period. It was the first cruiser tank: a fast tank designed to bypass the main enemy lines and engage the enemy's lines of communication, along with enemy tanks... |
2nd Royal Tank Regiment 2nd Royal Tank Regiment The 2nd Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It is part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps... |
| 12 | A 10 CS Cruiser Mk II The Tank, Cruiser, Mk II , was developed alongside the A9, and was intended to be a heavier, infantry tank version of that type. In practice it was not deemed suitable for the infantry tank role and was classified as a "heavy cruiser".... |
6 each in 3rd and 5th RTR Royal Tank Regiment The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment... |
| 74 | A 10 | Two squadrons in 2nd RTR, one squadron each in 3rd and 5th RTR |
| 83 | A 13 Cruiser Mk III The Tank, Cruiser, Mk III was a British cruiser tank of the Second World War. It was the first British cruiser tank to use the Christie suspension system which gave higher speeds and better cross-country performance, previous models of cruiser tanks having used triple wheeled bogie... |
One squadron in 2nd RTR, two squadrons each in 3rd and 5th RTR |
In addition the division and each brigade headquarters had three Mk VI and seven cruiser (mainly A 10) tanks.
The division was sent to Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
in early 1941 to guard the lines of communication, its 1st Armoured Brigade was detached to Greece
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
at this time. It was sent to the Western Desert front to reinforce troops under General Wavell who, at the time, was on the verge of defeating Italian forces. However, shortly upon arrival in Libya, Wavell was ordered to send half his troops to Greece, not knowing that Germany had sent reinforcements to support the Italians. Immediately upon arrival at the front, both the 2nd Armoured Division and Wavell's troops were ordered to retreat. Unfortunately, most of the Division was captured in an pincer movement on 8 April 1941 by the Italian 10th Bersaglieri Regiment, the 5th Light Division, and the 15th Panzer Division. Some of its units escaped and were evacuated from Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
. On 10 May 1941 the division was officially disbanded and not reformed.
The 2nd Armoured Division also had an RAMC Brigade, but World War II records identifying the unit number are currently unavailable.
Following re-organisation, 2nd Infantry Division was reformed as an armoured formation in I (BR) Corps in Germany from 1976 to 1983. In this incarnation it had two armoured regiments, each nominally with 74 tanks, and three mechanised infantry battalions, and probably incorporated Task Force Charlie and Task Force Delta. Following further reorganisation in 1983 it was converted back into an infantry division.
General Officers Commanding
The 2nd Armoured Division had five General Officers Commanding during its Second World War existence, with the final officer being taken prisoner.| Appointed | General Officer Commanding |
| 15 December 1939 | Major-General F.E. Hotblack Frederick Hotblack Major General Frederick Elliot Hotblack DSO and Bar MC was a British Army officer who fought in the First World War as an early member of the Tank Corps and commanded the 2nd Armoured Division in the early part of World War II.-Military career:... |
| 17 April 1940 | Brigadier Brigadier Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general.... C.W.M. Norrie (acting) |
| 10 May 1940 | Major-General J.C. Tilly Justice Tilly Major General Justice Crosland Tilly DSO MC was a British Army officer who commanded 2nd Armoured Division.-Military career:... (Died on 5 January 1941) |
| 16 January 1941 | Brigadier H.B. Latham (acting) |
| 12 February 1941 | Major-General M.D. Gambier-Parry Michael Gambier-Parry Major General Michael Denman Gambier-Parry MC DL was a British Army officer who commanded 2nd Armoured Division.- Early life and family :... (captured on 8 April 1941) |
The Division had three General Officers Commanding during its existence in the late 1970s and early 1980s:
| Appointed | General Officer Commanding |
| 1977 | Major-General Frank Kitson Frank Kitson General Sir Frank Edward Kitson GBE, KCB, MC and Bar, DL is a retired British Army officer and writer on military subjects, notably low intensity operations... |
| February 1978 | Major-General Alexander Boswell Alexander Boswell (British Army officer) Lieutenant General Sir Alexander Crawford Simpson Boswell KCB CBE DL is a former British Army officer. He joined the Army as junior officer in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders shortly after the Second World War, and after a series of regimental and staff postings was second-in-command of his... |
| March 1980 | Major-General Martin Farndale Martin Farndale General Sir Martin Baker Farndale KCB was a British Army General who reached high office in the 1980s.-Military career:... |
3rd Armoured Brigade
- 5th Royal Tank Regiment5th Royal Tank RegimentThe 5th Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1969. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps...
- 6th Royal Tank Regiment6th Royal Tank RegimentThe 6th Royal Tank Regiment was a regiment of the Royal Tank Regiment, of the British Army, until 1959. It originally saw action as 6th Battalion Tank Corps in 1917.-First World War:...
- 1st King's Dragoon Guards1st King's Dragoon GuardsThe 1st King's Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1685 as The Queen's Regiment of Horse, named in honour of Queen Mary, consort of King James II. It was renamed The King's Own Regiment of Horse in 1714 in honour of George I...
- 3rd (The King's Own) Hussars
3rd Indian Motor Brigade
( 6 April 1941 - 8 April 1941 )- 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)The 2nd Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army raised in 1809. It served in the Nepal and First World Wars. During the reconstruction of the British Indian Army in 1922 it was amalgamated with the 4th Cavalry....
- 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force)11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force)The 11th Cavalry also known as PAVO Cavalry, is an armoured regiment of the Pakistan Army. It was previously known as the 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry and was a regular cavalry regiment of the old British Indian Army...
- 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry18th King Edward's Own CavalryThe 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry was a regular cavalry regiment in the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1922 by the amalagamation of the 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry and the 7th Hariana Lancers...
2nd Support Group
- 1st The Tower Hamlets Rifles, The Rifle Brigade
- 104th (Essex YeomanryEssex YeomanryThe Essex Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army raised in 1797. The regiment recruited volunteers from the county of Essex in the East of England.-Origins:...
) 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...
- (Until 4 April 1941) - 102nd (Northumberland HussarsNorthumberland HussarsThe Northumberland Hussars is a Squadron of The Queen's Own Yeomanry is an armoured Squadron of the British Territorial Army. It is part of a Formation Reconnaissance Regiment, equipped with the FV107 Scimitar and FV103 Spartan type armoured reconnaissance vehicles...
) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe 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:...
(1941)
See also
- British Armoured formations of the Second World WarBritish Armoured formations of the Second World WarThe British Armoured formations of the Second World War refers to the Armoured Divisions and Independent Armoured and Tank Brigades deployed by the British Army during the Second World War. They had two types of armoured vehicle. The Infantry tank which was heavily armoured and slow, designed to...
- British Divisions in WWII