British 6th Armoured Division
Encyclopedia
The 6th Armoured Division was a Second World War, British Army
formation, created on 12 September 1940. The unit was initially supplied with Matilda
and Valentine Tank
s, which were replaced by Crusader
tanks and then finally with the M4 Sherman
Tank. It participated in the Operation Torch
assault landings in Algeria
and Morocco
in November 1942, and saw its first action as part of V Corps
of the First Army in Tunisia. After Tunisia it participated in the Italian Campaign as part of the Eighth Army
, and ended the war in Austria, under the command of V Corps.
, started on the 8 November 1942.
The Allies had available only two brigade groups and some additional armour and artillery for an attack on Tunisia. Nevertheless they believed if they moved quickly, before the newly arrived Axis forces were fully organised, they would still be able to capture Tunisia at relatively little cost.
The plan called for the Allies to advance along the two roads and take Bizerte
and Tunis
. Once Bizerte was taken Torch would come to an end.
Attacking in the north towards Bizerte would be British 36th Infantry Brigade
, supported by Hart Force, a small armoured group from 6th Armoured Division, and to the south British 11th Infantry Brigade
supported on their left by "Blade Force", an armoured regimental group commanded by Colonel Richard Hull
which included the tanks of 17th/21st Lancers
, a U.S. light tank battalion plus motorised infantry, paratroops, artillery, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns and engineers. Both the Infantry Brigades were from the British 78th Infantry Division
whose commander, Major-General Vivyan Evelegh, was in overall command of the offensive. Evelegh was later to command 6th Armoured Division.
The operation narrowly failed with the modest attacking forces getting to within 10 miles (16.1 km) of Tunis before the Axis troops which had mainly been flown in were able to organise their defenses and repel the Allied advance. By the end of 1942 a stalemate had set in as both sides built up their forces.
(veterans of the Afrika Korps
) and three Italian divisions met elements of the French forces near Faïd, the main pass from the eastern arm of the mountains into the coastal plains. They over-ran them, surrounded two U.S. brigades near them. Several counterattacks were organized, including a number by the U.S. 1st Armored Division
, but all of these were beaten off with ease. After three days the Allied forces had been forced to pull back and were withdrawn into the interior to make a new forward defensive line at the small town of Sbeitla
.
The Germans and Italians started forward once again the following week to take Sbeitla. They were held up for two days, but eventually the defence started to collapse on the night of 16 February 1943, and the town lay empty by midday on the 17th (see also the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid
). This left the entirety of the interior plains in Axis hands, and the remaining Allied forces retreated further, back to the two passes on the western arm of the mountains into Algeria, at Sbiba and Kasserine.
Their offensive stopped even as the U.S. II Corps retreated in disarray. Eventually Rommel decided his next course of action was to simply take the U.S. supplies on the Algerian side of the western arm of the mountains. Although doing little for his own situation, it would seriously upset any possible US actions from that direction.
On 19 February 1943, Rommel launched what would become the Battle of the Kasserine Pass
. After two days of advances through the U.S. defences, the Afrika Korps and the Italians had suffered few casualties, while the U.S. forces lost 16,000 men and two-thirds of their tanks. During the battle the Italian 131st Centauro Armoured Division
captured more than 3000 American soldiers. On the night of 21 February 1943, British troops, the 6th Armoured
and 46th Infantry Divisions, arrived to bolster the U.S. defence, having been pulled from the British lines facing the Germans at Sbiba. Counter-attacks by Italian troops were also ordered both on the British and Americans. Two battalions of experienced Bersaglieri soldiers are recorded by the 23 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery as having made a daylight counterattack through the Ousseltia Plain, which was repelled. Nevertheless, the following day opened with yet another successful German counter-attack against the Americans until the arrival of four U.S. artillery battalions made offensive operations difficult.
Faced with stiffening defences and the news that the Eighth Army's had reached Medenine
, only a few kilometers from the Mareth Line
, Rommel decided to call off the attack and withdraw on the night of the 22 February 1943 to support the Mareth defences, hoping that the Kasserine attack had caused enough damage to deter any offensive action from the west in the immediate future. The Axis forces from Kasserine reached the Mareth the line on 25 February.
It was after the battle of Kasserine that the Division was reorganized and equipped with the M4 Sherman
Tank.
In March 1943 the division was assigned to the recently arrived British IX Corps. The Corps, commanded by Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks
, was the spearhead of First Army's final assault in May 1943, breaking through to Tunis. The division went on to take the surrender of the famous German 90th Light Infantry Division
and participated in the round up and capitulation of all Axis forces in North Africa in May 1943.
In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Gustav Line was being anchored by Germans holding the Rapido, Liri and Garigliano valleys and certain surrounding peaks and ridges, but not the historic abbey of Monte Cassino
, founded in AD
524 by St. Benedict, although they manned defensive positions set into the steep slopes below the abbey walls. On 15 February the monastery, high on a peak overlooking the town of Cassino, was destroyed by American B-17, B-25, and B-26
bombers. The bombing was based on the fear that the abbey was being used as a lookout post for the Axis
defenders (this position evolved over time to admit that Axis military was not garrisoned there). Two days after the bombing, German paratroopers
poured into the ruins to defend it. From 17 January to 18 May, the Gustav defenses were assaulted four times by Allied troops. These operations resulted in casualties of over 54,000 Allied and 20,000 German soldiers.
.
The plan was that U.S. II Corps
on the left would attack up the coast along the line of Route 7 towards Rome. The French Corps to their right would attack from the bridgehead across the Garigliano originally created by X Corps in the first battle in January into the Aurunci Mountains
which formed a barrier between the coastal plain and the Liri Valley. British XIII Corps in the centre right of the front would attack along the Liri valley whilst on the right 2nd Polish Corps , would attempt to isolate the monastery and push round behind it into the Liri valley to link with XIII Corps' thrust and pinch out the Cassino position. The division took part in the advance north through central Italy under command variously of XIII Corps and X Corps
.
defences. The Division was now part of XIII Corps which had been assigned to Fifth Army to form its right flank and fight in the high Apennine mountains
during Operation Olive in August and September 1944.
The Gothic Line, also known as Linea Gotica, formed Field Marshal
Albert Kesselring
's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II
along the summits of the Apennines
during the fighting retreat of Nazi Germany
's forces in Italy.
6th Armoured captured the San Godenzo Pass on Route 67 to Forlì on 18 September during these battles.
the next day at Finale. US IV Corps had broken through onto the plains on 19 April, bypassing Bologna on their right. Bologna was entered by the Poles advancing up the line of Route 9 on 21 April followed two hours later by US II Corps from the south.
US IV Corps had continued their northwards advance and reached the river Po at San Benedetto
on 22 April. The river was crossed the next day, and they advanced north to Verona
which they entered on 26 April. The British XIII Corps crossed the Po at Ficarolo
on 22 April while further east V Corps were crossing the Po by 25 April heading towards the Venetian Line , a defensive line built behind the line of the river Adige. British V Corps, met by lessening resistance, traversed the Venetian Line and entered Padua
in the early hours of 29 April to find that partisans had locked up the German garrison of 5,000.
As April came to an end Army Group C, the Axis forces in Italy, retreating on all fronts and having lost most of its fighting powers, was left with little option but surrender.General Heinrich von Vietinghoff, who had taken command of Army Group C , signed the instrument of surrender on behalf of the German armies in Italy on 29 April formally bringing hostilities to an end on 2 May 1945.
in Germany. It consisted of the 20th Armoured Brigade
and 61st Lorried Infantry Brigade. It was disbanded in June 1958.
1940'S
Sgt'Ned'Dunford
6th Support Group
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, created on 12 September 1940. The unit was initially supplied with Matilda
Matilda tank
The Infantry Tank Mark II known as the Matilda II was a British infantry tank of the Second World War. It was also identified from its General Staff Specification A12....
and Valentine Tank
Valentine 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, which were replaced by Crusader
Crusader tank
The Tank, Cruiser, Mk VI or A15 Crusader was one of the primary British cruiser tanks of the early part Second World War and perhaps the most important British tank of the North African Campaign...
tanks and then finally with the M4 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...
Tank. It participated in the Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
assault landings in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in November 1942, and saw its first action as part of 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...
of the First Army in Tunisia. After Tunisia it participated in the Italian Campaign as part of 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....
, and ended the war in Austria, under the command of V Corps.
Operation Torch
Operation Torch (initially called Operation Gymnast) was the joint Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War during the North African CampaignNorth African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
, started on the 8 November 1942.
The run for Tunis
On 22 November the North African Agreement finally placed Vichy French North Africa on the allied side, allowing the Allied garrison troops to be sent forward to the front. By this time the Axis had been able to build up their forces resulting in them outnumbering their Allied counterparts in almost all ways.The Allies had available only two brigade groups and some additional armour and artillery for an attack on Tunisia. Nevertheless they believed if they moved quickly, before the newly arrived Axis forces were fully organised, they would still be able to capture Tunisia at relatively little cost.
The plan called for the Allies to advance along the two roads and take Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
and Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
. Once Bizerte was taken Torch would come to an end.
Attacking in the north towards Bizerte would be British 36th Infantry Brigade
British 36th Infantry Brigade
The 36th Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation.This brigade fought in both the First and Second World Wars. The brigade was a 2nd Line Territorial Army brigade.-World War I:...
, supported by Hart Force, a small armoured group from 6th Armoured Division, and to the south British 11th Infantry Brigade
British 11th Infantry Brigade
The 11th Infantry Brigade is a British Army regular formation that served in both the First and Second World Wars. Deactivated in 1958 it was reactivated in 2008 to assume command of the planned Operation Herrick deployment to Afghanistan in late 2009....
supported on their left by "Blade Force", an armoured regimental group commanded by Colonel Richard Hull
Richard Amyatt Hull
Field Marshal Sir Richard Amyatt Hull, KG, GCB, DSO, DL was the last Chief of the Imperial General Staff and the first Chief of the General Staff , and as such the professional head of the British Army...
which included the tanks of 17th/21st Lancers
17th/21st Lancers
The 17th/21st Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1922 to 1993.It was formed in 1922 in England by the amalgamation of the 17th Lancers and the 21st Lancers . From 1930 to 1939 it was deployed overseas; first in Egypt for two years, and then in India for seven...
, a U.S. light tank battalion plus motorised infantry, paratroops, artillery, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns and engineers. Both the Infantry Brigades were from the British 78th Infantry Division
British 78th Infantry Division
The British 78th Infantry Division, also known as the Battleaxe Division, fought in the Second World War in North Africa and Italy.- History :...
whose commander, Major-General Vivyan Evelegh, was in overall command of the offensive. Evelegh was later to command 6th Armoured Division.
The operation narrowly failed with the modest attacking forces getting to within 10 miles (16.1 km) of Tunis before the Axis troops which had mainly been flown in were able to organise their defenses and repel the Allied advance. By the end of 1942 a stalemate had set in as both sides built up their forces.
Kasserine
On 30 January 1943, the German 21st Panzer DivisionGerman 21st Panzer Division
The 21st Panzer Division was a German armoured division best known for its role in the battles of the North African Campaign from 1941–1943 during World War II when it was one of the two armoured divisions making up the Afrika Korps.-Origins:...
(veterans of the Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps
The German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
) and three Italian divisions met elements of the French forces near Faïd, the main pass from the eastern arm of the mountains into the coastal plains. They over-ran them, surrounded two U.S. brigades near them. Several counterattacks were organized, including a number by the U.S. 1st Armored Division
U.S. 1st Armored Division
The 1st Armored Division—nicknamed "Old Ironsides"—is a standing armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Bliss, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S...
, but all of these were beaten off with ease. After three days the Allied forces had been forced to pull back and were withdrawn into the interior to make a new forward defensive line at the small town of Sbeitla
Sbeitla
Sbeitla is a small town in north-central Tunisia. Nearby are the Roman ruins of Sufetula, containing the best preserved Forum temples in Tunisia...
.
The Germans and Italians started forward once again the following week to take Sbeitla. They were held up for two days, but eventually the defence started to collapse on the night of 16 February 1943, and the town lay empty by midday on the 17th (see also the Battle of Sidi Bou Zid
Battle of Sidi Bou Zid
The Battle of Sidi Bou Zid was a World War II battle that took place during the Tunisia Campaign. The battle was fought between forces of Nazi Germany and forces of the United States. The German forces included the 10th Panzer Division and the 21st Panzer Division of the Fifth Panzer Army...
). This left the entirety of the interior plains in Axis hands, and the remaining Allied forces retreated further, back to the two passes on the western arm of the mountains into Algeria, at Sbiba and Kasserine.
Their offensive stopped even as the U.S. II Corps retreated in disarray. Eventually Rommel decided his next course of action was to simply take the U.S. supplies on the Algerian side of the western arm of the mountains. Although doing little for his own situation, it would seriously upset any possible US actions from that direction.
On 19 February 1943, Rommel launched what would become the Battle of the Kasserine Pass
Battle of the Kasserine Pass
The Battle of the Kasserine Pass was a battle that took place during the Tunisia Campaign of World War II in February 1943. It was a series of battles fought around Kasserine Pass, a wide gap in the Grand Dorsal chain of the Atlas Mountains in west central Tunisia...
. After two days of advances through the U.S. defences, the Afrika Korps and the Italians had suffered few casualties, while the U.S. forces lost 16,000 men and two-thirds of their tanks. During the battle the Italian 131st Centauro Armoured Division
131 Armoured Division Centauro
The 131st Armoured Division Centauro was an armoured division of the Italian Army during World War II. It was formed in February 1939, by upgrading the 1st Armoured Brigade . It took part in operations in Albania, Greece and Yugoslavia before returning to Italy...
captured more than 3000 American soldiers. On the night of 21 February 1943, British troops, the 6th Armoured
British 6th Armoured Division
The 6th Armoured Division was a Second World War, British Army formation, created on 12 September 1940. The unit was initially supplied with Matilda and Valentine Tanks, which were replaced by Crusader tanks and then finally with the M4 Sherman Tank...
and 46th Infantry Divisions, arrived to bolster the U.S. defence, having been pulled from the British lines facing the Germans at Sbiba. Counter-attacks by Italian troops were also ordered both on the British and Americans. Two battalions of experienced Bersaglieri soldiers are recorded by the 23 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery as having made a daylight counterattack through the Ousseltia Plain, which was repelled. Nevertheless, the following day opened with yet another successful German counter-attack against the Americans until the arrival of four U.S. artillery battalions made offensive operations difficult.
Faced with stiffening defences and the news that the Eighth Army's had reached Medenine
Medenine
Medenine is the major town in southeastern Tunisia, south of the port of Gabès and the Island of Djerba, on the main route to Libya. It is the capital of Medenine Governorate.- Overview :...
, only a few kilometers from the Mareth Line
Mareth Line
The Mareth Line was a system of fortifications built by the French between the towns of Medenine and Gabès in southern Tunisia, prior to World War II...
, Rommel decided to call off the attack and withdraw on the night of the 22 February 1943 to support the Mareth defences, hoping that the Kasserine attack had caused enough damage to deter any offensive action from the west in the immediate future. The Axis forces from Kasserine reached the Mareth the line on 25 February.
It was after the battle of Kasserine that the Division was reorganized and equipped with the M4 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...
Tank.
In March 1943 the division was assigned to the recently arrived British IX Corps. The Corps, commanded by Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks
Brian Horrocks
Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, KCB, KBE, DSO, MC was a British Army officer. He is chiefly remembered as the commander of XXX Corps in Operation Market Garden and other operations during the Second World War...
, was the spearhead of First Army's final assault in May 1943, breaking through to Tunis. The division went on to take the surrender of the famous German 90th Light Infantry Division
German 90th Light Infantry Division
The 90th Light Infantry Division was a German Army division during World War II.- History :The 90th Light Infantry Division was created in August 1941 as Division z.b.V. Afrika, from units already in Africa under the control of Divisions-Kommando z.b.V. Afrika. The abbreviation z.b.V...
and participated in the round up and capitulation of all Axis forces in North Africa in May 1943.
Italy
Italy was to prove a completely different from North Africa. No more mobile warfare in wide open spaces. The Division would spend much of its time supporting the Infantry as the Allies came across defensive line after defensive line.Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino (also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino) was a costly series of four battles.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Gustav Line was being anchored by Germans holding the Rapido, Liri and Garigliano valleys and certain surrounding peaks and ridges, but not the historic abbey of Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, Italy, c. to the west of the town of Cassino and altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944...
, founded in AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
524 by St. Benedict, although they manned defensive positions set into the steep slopes below the abbey walls. On 15 February the monastery, high on a peak overlooking the town of Cassino, was destroyed by American B-17, B-25, and B-26
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
bombers. The bombing was based on the fear that the abbey was being used as a lookout post for the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
defenders (this position evolved over time to admit that Axis military was not garrisoned there). Two days after the bombing, German paratroopers
Fallschirmjäger
are German paratroopers. Together with the Gebirgsjäger they are perceived as the elite infantry units of the German Army....
poured into the ruins to defend it. From 17 January to 18 May, the Gustav defenses were assaulted four times by Allied troops. These operations resulted in casualties of over 54,000 Allied and 20,000 German soldiers.
Operation Diadem
Operation Diadem was the final battle at Cassino, during which the Division was a part of the British XIII CorpsXIII 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...
.
The plan was that U.S. II Corps
U.S. II Corps
The II Corps was a corps of the United States Army and the first US formation of any size to see combat in Europe or Africa during World War II.-World War I:...
on the left would attack up the coast along the line of Route 7 towards Rome. The French Corps to their right would attack from the bridgehead across the Garigliano originally created by X Corps in the first battle in January into the Aurunci Mountains
Aurunci Mountains
The Aurunci Mountains is mountain range of southern Lazio, in central Italy. They are part of the Antiappennini, a group running from the Apennines chain to the Tyrrhenian Sea, where they form the promontory of Gaeta...
which formed a barrier between the coastal plain and the Liri Valley. British XIII Corps in the centre right of the front would attack along the Liri valley whilst on the right 2nd Polish Corps , would attempt to isolate the monastery and push round behind it into the Liri valley to link with XIII Corps' thrust and pinch out the Cassino position. The division took part in the advance north through central Italy under command variously of XIII Corps and 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 :...
.
Gothic Line
The next major engagements were along the Gothic LineGothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
defences. The Division was now part of XIII Corps which had been assigned to Fifth Army to form its right flank and fight in the high Apennine mountains
Apennine mountains
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains or Greek oros but just as often used alone as a noun. The ancient Greeks and Romans typically but not always used "mountain" in the singular to mean one or a range; thus, "the Apennine mountain" refers to the entire chain and is translated "the Apennine...
during Operation Olive in August and September 1944.
The Gothic Line, also known as Linea Gotica, formed Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Albert Kesselring
Albert Kesselring
Albert Kesselring was a German Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. In a military career that spanned both World Wars, Kesselring became one of Nazi Germany's most skilful commanders, being one of 27 soldiers awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords...
's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
along the summits of the Apennines
Apennine mountains
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains or Greek oros but just as often used alone as a noun. The ancient Greeks and Romans typically but not always used "mountain" in the singular to mean one or a range; thus, "the Apennine mountain" refers to the entire chain and is translated "the Apennine...
during the fighting retreat of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
's forces in Italy.
6th Armoured captured the San Godenzo Pass on Route 67 to Forlì on 18 September during these battles.
Spring 1945 Offensive
In the fertile plains of Northern Italy the mountains gave way to ditches, canals and flood banks. As wet winter weather, which had turned the rivers into torrents and made the ground into quagmires, receded the Allied Fifth and Eighth Armies were able to launch their final offensive in Italy in March 1945. 6th Armoured Division had been reattached to Eighth Army as part of V Corps. On the right wing of the armies, V Corps attacked across the Senio river and then the Santerno river. Elements of 78th Infantry Division and 56th then drove on towards the town of Argenta where the dry land narrowed to a front of only 3 miles (4.8 km) bounded on the right by Lake Comacchio, a huge lagoon running to the Adriatic coast, and on the left by marshland. By 19 April the Argenta Gap had been forced, and 6th Armoured , were released through the left wing of the advancing 78th Division, to swing left to race north west along the line of the river Reno to Bondeno and link up with units of the Fifth Army advancing north from west of Bologna to complete the encirclement of the German divisions defending Bologna. On all fronts the German defense continued to be determined and effective, but Bondeno was captured on 23 April. 6th Armouredlinked with US IV Corp's 10th Mountain Division10th Mountain Division
The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the only division-sized element of the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under harsh terrain and weather conditions...
the next day at Finale. US IV Corps had broken through onto the plains on 19 April, bypassing Bologna on their right. Bologna was entered by the Poles advancing up the line of Route 9 on 21 April followed two hours later by US II Corps from the south.
US IV Corps had continued their northwards advance and reached the river Po at San Benedetto
San Benedetto
San Benedetto in Perillis is a town and comune in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, central Italy. The town is situated 43 kilometers away from the regional capital, L'Aquila.-History:...
on 22 April. The river was crossed the next day, and they advanced north to Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
which they entered on 26 April. The British XIII Corps crossed the Po at Ficarolo
Ficarolo
Ficarolo is a comune in the Province of Rovigo in the Italian region Veneto, located about 90 km southwest of Venice and about 30 km southwest of Rovigo...
on 22 April while further east V Corps were crossing the Po by 25 April heading towards the Venetian Line , a defensive line built behind the line of the river Adige. British V Corps, met by lessening resistance, traversed the Venetian Line and entered Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
in the early hours of 29 April to find that partisans had locked up the German garrison of 5,000.
As April came to an end Army Group C, the Axis forces in Italy, retreating on all fronts and having lost most of its fighting powers, was left with little option but surrender.General Heinrich von Vietinghoff, who had taken command of Army Group C , signed the instrument of surrender on behalf of the German armies in Italy on 29 April formally bringing hostilities to an end on 2 May 1945.
Post war
The Division was reformed in May 1951 in the UK and later assigned to the British Army of the RhineBritish Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
in Germany. It consisted of the 20th Armoured Brigade
British 20th Armoured Brigade
The British Army's 20th Armoured Brigade is an armoured formation currently based in Sennelager, northern Germany, as part of the 1st Armoured Division.- World War II :...
and 61st Lorried Infantry Brigade. It was disbanded in June 1958.
General Officer Commanding
Commanders included:| Appointed | General Officer Commanding |
| 27 September 1940 | Major-General John Crocker John Crocker General Sir John Tredinnick Crocker GCB, KBE, DSO, MC was a British Army officer and corps commander during the Second World War.- First World War :... |
| 9 January 1941 | 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.... E.D. Fanshawe Evelyn Fanshawe Sir Evelyn Dalrymple Fanshawe CB, CBE was a British Major General and the Director of the International Refugee Organisation in the British Zone of Germany from 1948-1952.... (acting) |
| 22 February 1941 | Major-General John Crocker |
| 15 October 1941 | Major-General Herbert Lumsden Herbert Lumsden Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden, CB, DSO, MC, psc was a British Army general during World War II.-Early career:... |
| 29 October 1941 | Major-General Charles Gairdner Charles Gairdner General Sir Charles Henry Gairdner, GBE, KCMG, KCVO, CB was a British Army general during World War II and was Governor of Western Australia from 1951 to 1963, and Governor of Tasmania from 1963 to 1968.-Early life:... |
| 19 May 1942 | Major-General Charles Keightley Charles Keightley General Sir Charles Frederic Keightley, GCB, GBE, DSO was a senior officer in the British Army during and following World War II.-Military career:... |
| 19 December 1943 | Major-General Vyvyan Evelegh Vyvyan Evelegh Major-General Vyvyan Evelegh CB OBE DSO was a British army officer during World War II.-Miitary career:Evelegh was appointed an Instructor at the Staff College, Camberley in 1940, Commander of 11th Infantry Brigade in 1941 and Assistant Commandant at the Staff College, Camberley in 1942... |
| 15 February 1944 | Brigadier W.E.G. Hemming (acting) |
| 19 March 1944 | Major-General V. Evelegh |
| 24 July 1944 | Major-General Gerald Templer Gerald Templer Field Marshal Sir Gerald Walter Robert Templer KG, GCB, GCMG, KBE was a British military commander. He is best known for his defeat of the guerrilla rebels in Malaya between 1952 and 1954... (wounded 5 August 1944) |
| 5 August 1944 | Brigadier C.A.M.D. Scott (acting) |
| 13 August 1944 | Brigadier F.N. Mitchell Francis Mitchell (British Army officer) Major-General Francis Neville Mitchell CB CBE DSO was a British Army officer who commanded 6th Armoured Division.-Military career:Mitchell was commissioned into the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars in 1924... (acting) |
| 21 August 1944 | Major-General Horatius Murray Horatius Murray General Sir Horatius Murray GCB KBE DSO was a British Army General during World War II.-Military career:Horatius Murray was commissioned into the Cameronians in 1923.... |
| 27 July 1945 | Brigadier A. C. Gore |
| Appointed | General Officer Commanding |
| 1951 | Major-General George Prior-Palmer George Erroll Prior-Palmer Major-General George Erroll Prior-Palmer CB DSO was a British Army officer and business man of Anglo-Irish origins.... |
| October 1953 | Major-General Francis Mitchell Francis Mitchell (British Army officer) Major-General Francis Neville Mitchell CB CBE DSO was a British Army officer who commanded 6th Armoured Division.-Military career:Mitchell was commissioned into the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars in 1924... |
| 1955 | Major-General Roderick McLeod Roderick McLeod Lieutenant General Sir Roderick William McLeod GBE KCB was a British Army General who achieved high office in the 1950s.-Military career:... |
| 1957 | Major-General Denis O'Connor Denis O'Connor (British Army officer) Lieutenant General Sir Denis Stuart Scott O'Connor KBE CB was General Officer Commanding Aldershot District.-Military career:O'Connor was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1927 and was deployed in India from 1929 to 1935.... |
1940'S
Sgt'Ned'Dunford
20th Armoured Brigade (1940–42)
- Royal Gloucestershire HussarsRoyal Gloucestershire HussarsThe Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was a unit of the British Army.Raised in 1795 following William Pitt's 1794 order to raise volunteer bodies of men to defend Great Britain, through various re-organisations, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars remain today on the establishment of the Territorial...
- 1st Northamptonshire YeomanryNorthamptonshire YeomanryThe Northamptonshire Yeomanry was a unit of the British Army formed in 1794 as volunteer cavalry, it later served in an armoured role before being reduced to squadron level in 1956...
- 2nd Northanmptonshire Yeomanry
- 2nd (Rangers) , Kings Royal Rifle Corps (until March 1941)
- 10th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps (from March 1941)
26th Armoured Brigade (1940–45)
- 16th/5th Lancers
- 17th/21st Lancers17th/21st LancersThe 17th/21st Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1922 to 1993.It was formed in 1922 in England by the amalgamation of the 17th Lancers and the 21st Lancers . From 1930 to 1939 it was deployed overseas; first in Egypt for two years, and then in India for seven...
- 2nd Lothian and Border HorseLothian and Border HorseThe Lothians and Border Horse was a Yeomanry regiment, part of the British Territorial Army. It was ranked 36th in the Yeomanry order of precedence, and based in the Scottish Lowland area, recruiting in the Lothian and along the border with England.-Origins:...
- 10th The Rifle Brigade
6th Support Group6th Support Group (United Kingdom)- History :This was a brigade size formation attached to the 6th Armoured Division.In the early days of the Second World War the support group was what its name suggested...
(1940–42)
- 12th 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...
- 72nd 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:...
- 51st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment ,Royal Artillery
- 9th Battalion Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade (1942–43)
- 2nd Battalion London Irish RiflesLondon Irish RiflesThe London Irish Rifles is now known more formally known as "D Company, London Regiment" and is a volunteer Rifle Regiment with a distinguished history...
- 1st Battalion Royal Irish FusiliersRoyal Irish FusiliersThe Royal Irish Fusiliers was an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of the 87th Regiment of Foot and the 89th Regiment of Foot in 1881. The regiment's first title in 1881 was Princess Victoria's , changed in 1920 to The Royal Irish Fusiliers...
- 6th Battalion Inniskilling Fusiliers
1st Infantry Brigade (Guards) (1943–44)
- 3rd Battalion Grenadier GuardsGrenadier GuardsThe Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
- 2nd Battalion Coldstream GuardsColdstream GuardsHer Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
- 3rd Battalion Welsh GuardsWelsh GuardsThe Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division.-Creation :The Welsh Guards came into existence on 26 February 1915 by Royal Warrant of His Majesty King George V in order to include Wales in the national component to the Foot Guards, "..though the order...
61st Infantry Brigade (1944–45)
- 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade
- 7th Battalion Rifle Brigade
- 10th Battalion Rifle Brigade
Divisional Troops
- 1st Derbyshire YeomanryDerbyshire YeomanryThe Derbyshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, which served as a cavalry regiment and dismounted infantry regiment in the First World War and provided two reconnaissance regiments in the Second World War, before being amalgamated into The Leicestershire...
(Reconnaissance) - 5th Field Squadron , Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
- 8th Field Squadron , Royal Engineers
- 625th Field Squadron , Royal Engineers
- 144th Field Park Squadron , Royal Engineers
- 6th Bridging Troop , Royal Engineers
- 6th Armoured Division Signal Regiment
- 12th (HACHonourable Artillery CompanyThe Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
Regiment , Royal Horse Artillery - 152nd (The Ayrshire Yeomanry) ,Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 72nd Anti-Tank Regiment , Royal Artillery
- 51st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment , Royal Artillery
These Brigades were at times attached
- British 36th Infantry BrigadeBritish 36th Infantry BrigadeThe 36th Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation.This brigade fought in both the First and Second World Wars. The brigade was a 2nd Line Territorial Army brigade.-World War I:...
- 201 Guards Motor BrigadeBritish 22nd Guards BrigadeThe British 22nd Guards Brigade was a British Army unit during the Second World War .-History:The 22nd Infantry Brigade was formed by the conversion of the 29th Infantry Brigade on 3 September 1939 and in March 1940 became responsible for all the troops in the Mersa Matruh Garrison area...
- British 24th Infantry Brigade (Guards)British 24th Infantry Brigade (Guards)The 24th Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation from the First World War to the late 1990s.- 1914 - 1918 :The Brigade was first formed as part of the 8th Infantry Division by battalions returning from overseas stations to reinforce British forces on the Western Front in France...
- Indian 21st Infantry Brigade
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...