British 21st Army Tank Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 21st Army Tank Brigade was a British Army
formation active during World War II
. It served with the British First Army
and the British Eighth Army during the battles in Tunisia
and Italy.
stationed in the United Kingdom. It was assigned to Eastern Command
defending the south-eastern portion of the country. Equipment shortages prevented it from receiving any significant numbers of modern tanks, obsolete Vickers Medium Mark II
and Mk II Light Tanks comprising most of the armour on hand until after the Battle of Dunkirk
. Shortly after that battle the brigade HQ was pulled back to the Salisbury Plain
although each tank battalion was detailed as a mobile reserve for the infantry divisions holding the coastline. Each regiment could only form a single mobile squadron, the remaining two serving as infantry.
In August 1940 it began to receive modern Valentine I
tanks, the first of what would be a continual change in tanks. Valentine IIs were received from April 1941 and the brigade had about a hundred Churchill tank
s on strength by the end of the year. The brigade lost 44th Royal Tank Regiment
on 11 September 1940, but 43rd Royal Tank Regiment wasn't assigned until 9 November 1940. 42nd Royal Tank Regiment was transferred away on 12 April 1941 and 43rd Royal Tank Regiment was exchanged for 12th Royal Tank Regiment on 12 April 1941. 145th Royal Armoured Corps arrived on 15 November 1941. This left the brigade with 12th and 48th Royal Tank Regiment and the 145th Royal Armoured Corps, the units which it would keep for the bulk of the war. The brigade was redesignated as the 21st Tank Brigade on 6 June 1942 when it was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division
as part of the British experiment with "Mixed Divisions". A mixed division had one tank brigade with infantry tank
s and two non-motorized infantry brigades; the idea being to better coordinate tank and infantry support.
The 4th Division, with the brigade, didn't arrive in North Africa until the end of March 1943, although it helped to break open the approaches to Tunis
in April. The battle was extremely costly, 48th RTR alone losing 38 Churchills during the fighting, and the mixed division was judged a failure for lack of infantry to fight through difficult country. The division remained behind in North Africa until another infantry brigade could be assembled to replace the 21st Tank Brigade. The brigade was finally relieved of its assignment on 12 December 1943 by the 28th Infantry Brigade, but wasn't transferred to Italy until May 1944. In the meantime it was reorganized and reequipped with new Churchill V close-support tanks and Stuart light tanks replaced the Bren Carriers in its reconnaissance troops. Most of these had their turrets removed. Many of its Churchills had their 6 pdr guns bored out to accept American 75 millimetres (3 in) ammunition or simply replaced by guns and their mounts from damaged Sherman
tanks; these were known as Churchill NA75's. A number of Shermans were put into service by the regiments of the brigade. This gave each regiment a wide variety of tanks in service. For example in September 1944 12th RTR had 6 Churchill I's, 6 Churchill V's, 23 Churchill III/IV's with the 6 pdr gun, 6 Churchill NA's and 12 Shermans.
It remained under the direct command of the Eighth Army
after it arrived in Italy until it was subrdinated to the I Canadian Corps on 7 July 1944, but saw no action until it supported the Canadian attack on the Gothic Line
on 31 August 1944. In December 48th RTR was temporarily detached to support the 43rd Gurkha Infantry Brigade while 145th RAC was disbanded and replaced by the North Irish Horse
. In January 1945 it began to receive "heavy" Churchill VIIs and converted to an all-Churchill structure. In February it came under the command of the V Corps
and supported its various units during Operation Grapeshot
, the Allied offensive in the Po Valley
.
On 11 June 1945 it reorganized as the 21st Armoured Brigade.
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 active during 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...
. It served with the British First Army
British First Army
The First Army was a field army of the British Army that existed during the First and Second World Wars. Despite being a British command, the First Army also included Indian and Portuguese forces during the First World War and American and French during the Second World War.-First World War:The...
and the British Eighth Army during the battles in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
and Italy.
History
In 1939 it was a First Line Territorial Army BrigadeBrigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
stationed in the United Kingdom. It was assigned to Eastern Command
Eastern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Fourth Army Corps and was based in London. Among the formations raised under its supervision in World War I was the 12th Division. Its headquarters was initially located at Horseguards in London. During World War II the Command relocated to...
defending the south-eastern portion of the country. Equipment shortages prevented it from receiving any significant numbers of modern tanks, obsolete Vickers Medium Mark II
Vickers Medium Mark II
The Vickers Medium Mark II was a British tank built by Vickers in the Inter-war period.The Medium Mark II, derived from the Vickers Medium Mark I, was developed to replace the last of the Medium Mark Cs still in use. Production and rebuilding ran from 1925 until 1934. The tank was phased out of...
and Mk II Light Tanks comprising most of the armour on hand until after the Battle of Dunkirk
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe from 26 May–4 June 1940.After the Phoney War, the Battle of...
. Shortly after that battle the brigade HQ was pulled back to the Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
although each tank battalion was detailed as a mobile reserve for the infantry divisions holding the coastline. Each regiment could only form a single mobile squadron, the remaining two serving as infantry.
In August 1940 it began to receive modern Valentine I
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...
tanks, the first of what would be a continual change in tanks. Valentine IIs were received from April 1941 and the brigade had about a hundred Churchill tank
Churchill tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV was a heavy British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, and its use as the basis of many specialist vehicles. It was one of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war...
s on strength by the end of the year. The brigade lost 44th Royal Tank Regiment
44th Royal Tank Regiment
The 44th 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....
on 11 September 1940, but 43rd Royal Tank Regiment wasn't assigned until 9 November 1940. 42nd Royal Tank Regiment was transferred away on 12 April 1941 and 43rd Royal Tank Regiment was exchanged for 12th Royal Tank Regiment on 12 April 1941. 145th Royal Armoured Corps arrived on 15 November 1941. This left the brigade with 12th and 48th Royal Tank Regiment and the 145th Royal Armoured Corps, the units which it would keep for the bulk of the war. The brigade was redesignated as the 21st Tank Brigade on 6 June 1942 when it was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division
4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
as part of the British experiment with "Mixed Divisions". A mixed division had one tank brigade with infantry tank
Infantry tank
The infantry tank was a concept developed by the British and French in the years leading up to World War II. Infantry tanks were tanks designed to support the infantry in the attack. To achieve this they were generally heavily armoured compared to the cruiser tanks, to allow them to operate in...
s and two non-motorized infantry brigades; the idea being to better coordinate tank and infantry support.
The 4th Division, with the brigade, didn't arrive in North Africa until the end of March 1943, although it helped to break open the approaches to 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....
in April. The battle was extremely costly, 48th RTR alone losing 38 Churchills during the fighting, and the mixed division was judged a failure for lack of infantry to fight through difficult country. The division remained behind in North Africa until another infantry brigade could be assembled to replace the 21st Tank Brigade. The brigade was finally relieved of its assignment on 12 December 1943 by the 28th Infantry Brigade, but wasn't transferred to Italy until May 1944. In the meantime it was reorganized and reequipped with new Churchill V close-support tanks and Stuart light tanks replaced the Bren Carriers in its reconnaissance troops. Most of these had their turrets removed. Many of its Churchills had their 6 pdr guns bored out to accept American 75 millimetres (3 in) ammunition or simply replaced by guns and their mounts from damaged 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; these were known as Churchill NA75's. A number of Shermans were put into service by the regiments of the brigade. This gave each regiment a wide variety of tanks in service. For example in September 1944 12th RTR had 6 Churchill I's, 6 Churchill V's, 23 Churchill III/IV's with the 6 pdr gun, 6 Churchill NA's and 12 Shermans.
It remained under the direct command 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....
after it arrived in Italy until it was subrdinated to the I Canadian Corps on 7 July 1944, but saw no action until it supported the Canadian attack on the Gothic Line
Gothic 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...
on 31 August 1944. In December 48th RTR was temporarily detached to support the 43rd Gurkha Infantry Brigade while 145th RAC was disbanded and replaced by the North Irish Horse
North Irish Horse
The North Irish Horse is a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War...
. In January 1945 it began to receive "heavy" Churchill VIIs and converted to an all-Churchill structure. In February it came under the command of the 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...
and supported its various units during Operation Grapeshot
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the Allied attack by Fifth United States Army and British 8th Army into the Lombardy Plain which started on 6 April 1945 and ended on 2 May with the surrender of German forces in Italy....
, the Allied offensive in the Po Valley
Po Valley
The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain is a major geographical feature of Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of 46,000 km² including its Venetic extension not actually related to the Po River basin; it runs from the Western Alps to the...
.
On 11 June 1945 it reorganized as the 21st Armoured Brigade.
Organisation 1945
- 48th Royal Tank Regiment48th Royal Tank RegimentThe 48th 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....
- 12th Royal Tank Regiment
- North Irish HorseNorth Irish HorseThe North Irish Horse is a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War...