9th Division (Australia)
9th Australian Division | |
---|---|
Gaza Airport in late 1942 | |
Active | 1940–1946 |
Country | Australia |
Branch | Second Australian Imperial Force |
Type | Infantry |
Size | ~16,000–18,000 personnel.[1] |
Nickname(s) | "The Rats of Tobruk"; "The Magnificent 9th" |
Engagements | World War II
|
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Sir Leslie Morshead George Wootten |
Insignia | |
First pattern 1940–1942 | |
Second pattern 1942–1946 |
The 9th Division was a
- in front line combat longer, cumulatively, than any other Australian division;[2]
- one of the Australian military's most decorated formations;[2]
- the only 2nd AIF division formed in the United Kingdom, from infantry brigades and support units formed in Australia;
- praised by both Allied and Axis generals, including Bernard Montgomery and Erwin Rommel, as well as non-Australian military historians,[3] and;
- like the 6th and 7th Divisions, being one of only a few Allied army units to serve in both the Mediterranean and Pacific theatres.
During 1940, the component units of the 9th Division were sent to the UK to defend it against a
History
Formation
The 9th Division was the fourth AIF division raised, being formed in the United Kingdom in late 1940. Initially it consisted of only two infantry
In January 1941 Wynter became ill and was replaced as divisional commander by
North Africa
Cyrenaica
After completing its initial training in Australia, Great Britain and Palestine, the units of the 9th Division were sent to
By late March, it became clear that German-led Axis forces planned to launch an offensive in Cyrenaica and as a result, the 9th Division commander, Leslie Morshead, ordered the 20th Brigade to withdraw from the frontier, moving 160 miles (260 km) back towards Benghazi.[10] The offensive began on 24 March, quickly forcing the British units along the frontier back as it drove towards Benghazi. Two days later the 26th Brigade took up positions in the west near the coast to support the 20th Brigade which was holding the pass at Er Regima.[10] At this stage, the division's anti-tank troops were issued with captured Italian guns in order to make up the shortfall in British weapons.[10]
As the Axis advance continued with German victories at Marsa Brega and Agedabia which threatened to outflank the units cut off in Benghazi, the 9th Division were ordered to fall back from their positions along the coast to the east to Derna.
Two days after the action at Er Regima Pass, the 9th Division was ordered to fall back along the coast road towards Tobruk in what was later called the "Benghazi Handicap". Due to the speed of the Axis advance and the division's lack of transport, confusion reigned and part of the 2/15th Battalion, including most of its headquarters and its commanding officer, were captured.[13]
Siege of Tobruk
Covered by rear guard actions at Er Regima and Mechili, the 9th Division reached Tobruk on 9 April 1941.
The first engagement came on 10 April when an Axis force approached the port from the west but was repelled. The following day, Tobruk was effectively placed under siege when German forces cut the supply road to its east, encircling the Allied garrison. On 13 April the first major attack came when the German commander,
Over the course of the next six months the 9th Division and the rest of the garrison repelled repeated attempts by Rommel's forces to capture the port.[18] The Australian defence of Tobruk was anchored on three factors: the use of the pre-existing Italian fortifications around the port, aggressive patrolling and raiding of Axis positions and the firepower of the garrison's artillery. Fighting from fixed positions, the Australian infantry successfully contained and defeated repeated German armoured and infantry attacks on the fortress.[19] After the failure of the British attempts to relieve the fortress in May and June 1941 the 9th Division was successful in gradually improving Tobruk's defences through aggressively raiding Axis positions.[20]
Upon the request of the Australian War Cabinet, the bulk of the 9th Division was withdrawn from Tobruk in September and October 1941, and handed over to the British 70th Division[18] with only the 2/13th Battalion remaining in the fortress at the time the garrison was finally relieved in December.[21] The defence of Tobruk cost the 9th Division 3,164 casualties including 650 killed, 1,597 wounded and 917 captured.[22]
El Alamein
- Syrian interlude
After its withdrawal from Tobruk the 9th Division enjoyed only a brief period of rest in Palestine before being redeployed to northern Syria where, as part of the British Ninth Army, it was responsible for guarding the Turkish–Syrian frontier.[23] Here they were rejoined by the 9th Division Cavalry Regiment, which had been detached in June 1941 to take part in the Syria–Lebanon campaign. This deployment was the first time all the elements of the division had been concentrated in one area, albeit an area that stretched 1,200 square miles (3,100 km2).[23] In addition to its garrison duties, the 9th Division also conducted some much needed training in mobile warfare during its stay in Syria.[24]
In early 1942
- First Battle of El Alamein
During early 1942 the Axis forces advanced steadily through north west Egypt. It was decided that the
Before dawn on 10 July, as Rommel focused his efforts on the southern flank of the battlefield, the 9th Division attacked the north flank of the enemy positions and captured the strategic high ground around Tel el Eisa. In the days following, Rommel redirected his forces against them, in a series of intense counterattacks, but was unable to dislodge the Australians.[30] On 22 July, the 24th and 26th Brigades attacked German positions on the ridges south of Tel el Esia, suffering heavy casualties taking positions on Tel el Eisa Ridge and Makh Khad Ridge.[31]
The final phase of the First Battle of El Alamein was a disaster for the Allies and the 2/28th Battalion in particular: an attempt to capture Sanyet el Miteiriya, known as "Ruin Ridge", on 27 July.[32] The operation was part of a complex series of night attacks. The 2/28th suffered significant casualties and vehicle losses in its advance, but achieved its objective. However, the battalion was soon surrounded by German infantry. A planned advance by British tanks failed and German tanks arrived. The 2/28th's positions came under a prolonged and methodical attack by the Axis forces. By the time they surrendered, 65 Australians had been killed.[33] Although the vast majority of the 2/28th had become prisoners of war, 93 members of the battalion remained behind Allied lines and it was subsequently rebuilt.[29]
- Second Battle of El Alamein
Following the fighting in July, the 9th Division remained in front-line positions around El Alamein, but were engaged in mainly static defensive duties for the next three months.[34] Nevertheless, patrols were maintained and some raiding was undertaken, including a raid on 1 September undertaken by the 2/15th Battalion to seize a point 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south-west of Tel el Eisa in which 150 Germans were killed and another 140 taken prisoner, against which the Australians lost 39 killed, 109 wounded and another 25 missing.[35]
By late October 1942, the Eighth Army, now commanded by
As events unfolded, it was on the 9th that Montgomery, the Eighth Army commander, pinned his hopes on a breakthrough.[38] Before this breakthrough was attempted, however, the 9th Division was subjected to numerous counter-attacks by German forces and many of the division's units suffered so many casualties that they were described as "mere skeletons".[36] By the night of 31 October/1 November Morshead decided to relieve his forward brigade, the 26th Brigade, with the relatively fresh 24th Brigade, however, the following day two German divisions attacked the brigade.[40]
On 2 November, Operation Supercharge—as the breakout was named—began and the final phase of the battle began.[41] The British armoured formations suffered heavily in the initial stages, before on the second day the 51st Division managed to force a gap through the Axis lines, creating a gap of over 6 miles (9.7 km) through which the armour was redirected. The result of this was that the pressure was taken off the 9th Division as the focus of the fighting shifted to the south of Tel el Eisa. After this the 9th Division ceased offensive action,[41] although they continued patrolling operations until 4 November when Rommel ordered a general withdrawal.[42] The four months that the 9th Division had been involved in the fighting around El Alamein cost them 1,225 killed, 3,638 wounded and 946 captured, for a total of 5,809 casualties.[22]
South West Pacific
In October 1942 the Australian government requested that the 9th Division be released from service in the Middle East and returned to Australia to be utilised against the Japanese in the Pacific.[43] Although both the British prime minister, Winston Churchill and the American president Franklin Roosevelt advised against this, the Australian prime minister John Curtin insisted and by mid December the decision to bring the division back to Australia was confirmed.[43] In late December the division concentrated around Gaza, where a divisional parade was held[43] before preparations for embarkation began.[44]
The 9th Division began embarking for its return to Australia on 24 January 1943.
New Guinea
- Lae
The 9th Division's first task in New Guinea was to
At 0630 hours on 4 September the 20th Brigade launched the initial assault under the cover of naval bombardment. Two battalions were landed on the main beach, codenamed Red Beach, while one more was landed 3 miles (4.8 km) west at Yellow Beach. Experiencing no opposition on the beaches, patrols were sent out to effect a link up along the beachhead. 35 minutes later as the 26th Brigade came ashore, they were attacked by nine Japanese aircraft which inflicted a number of casualties on the Australians in the LCIs, with eight personnel being killed, including the commanding officer of the 2/23rd Battalion, while another 20 were wounded.[52] The following day, the 26th Brigade passed through the perimeter that had been set up by the 20th Brigade and began to advance along the coast towards Lae, crossing the Buso river before nightfall on 5 September. That night, the 24th Brigade, which had been held back as the divisional reserve, landed at the beachhead.[53]
After establishing their supply bases the two Australian divisions raced each other to Lae. The 7th Division entered the town several hours ahead of the 9th Division on 16 September.[54] The 9th Division's advance had been held up by Japanese resistance and difficulties with crossing the rivers between the landing beaches and Lae.[55]
- Huon Peninsula campaign
The capture of Lae ahead of schedule meant that the focus of Allied operations could then be shifted upon an advance up the Huon Peninsula, which was strategically important to the Allies as it would allow them to establish air and naval bases for future operations.
Nevertheless, after a week of heavy fighting against well-entrenched Japanese troops, the Australians captured the town and airfield of Finschhafen, declaring it liberated on 2 October.[58]
However, most of the Japanese that had been around Finschhafen managed to retreat to a 1,000-metre-high (3,300 ft) mountain around Sattelberg. On 16 October they launched a counterattack from there.[58] In response to this, the 26th Brigade was brought up to relieve the 20th, and by 25 October the Japanese counterattack was beaten off. The 9th Division then went on the offensive against Sattelberg on 7 November. With intermittent and sometimes heavy air support, the Australian troops worked to uproot the Japanese from the strategically important peak. It fell to the 9th Division on 25 November 1943, after the 2/48th Battalion reached the summit.[59] It was during this final assault that Sergeant Tom Derrick carried out the actions that led to him receiving the Victoria Cross.[60]
Borneo
In January 1944 the 9th Division was relieved by the
Due to rapid developments in the war and strategic uncertainty over the role of Australian forces in the Pacific, the 9th Division remained in Australia for over a year before seeing action once more. While the
- Tarakan
The 26th Brigade group was assigned the task of capturing
Although initially Japanese opposition to the landing was light, as the Australians advanced inland from the landing beach, the resistance grew in its intensity and it was mid June by the time that the main Japanese force was broken up and mopping up operations began.[70] These operations continued throughout July until starvation forced the majority of those remaining to surrender.[70] The Australians lost 250 killed and 670 wounded in this operation, while the Japanese lost around 1,500 personnel killed and another 250 captured trying to defend the island.[70][71]
- Brunei and Labuan
The remainder of the 9th Division landed in the Labuan and Brunei area on 10 June 1945.[72] Tasked with securing Brunei Bay in order to establish a naval base and secure vital oil and rubber production facilities, 14,079 personnel from the division took part, just under half of a total of 30,000 that were assigned to the operation.[73] Following a preliminary naval and aerial bombardment, the 24th Brigade landed at the southern end of Labuan island, which situated as it was at the entrance of Brunei Bay, commanded the approach to northern Borneo. At the same time, the 20th Brigade landed near Brooketon, on a small peninsula in the southern end of the bay.[74] A third, albeit smaller, landing was made by one of the 20th Brigade's battalions—the 2/15th—on the small island of Muara. The island had not been garrisoned by the Japanese and all the Australian landings went in unopposed.[74]
The 20th Brigade rapidly secured Brunei town against relatively light opposition, suffering only 40 casualties in this campaign.[75] The 24th Brigade, however, encountered greater opposition in taking the island of Labuan,[75] where the defenders withdrew to an inland stronghold where they held out along dense jungle covered ridges and muddy swamps.[74] In order to subdue the Japanese resistance an intense naval and artillery bombardment was laid down over the course of a week before an assault was put in by two companies of infantry supported by tanks and flamethrowers.[74]
After securing Labuan, the 24th Brigade was landed on the northern shore of Brunei Bay on 16 June, while the 20th Brigade continued to consolidate the southern lodgement by advanced south-west along the coast towards Kuching and securing the hinterland as well.[76] The 2/32nd Battalion landed at Padas Bay and seized the town of Weston, before sending out patrols towards Beaufort, 23 kilometres (14 mi) inland. Held by 800–1,000 Japanese, on 27 June an attack was carried out there by the 2/43rd Battalion.[76] Amid a torrential downpour and encountering difficult terrain, the 2/32nd Battalion secured the south bank of the Padas River, while one company from the 2/43rd was sent to take the town and another marched to the flanks, to take up ambush positions along the route that the Japanese were expected to withdraw along. The 2/28th Battalion secured the lines of communication north of the river.[77] On the night of 27/28 June the Japanese launched six counterattacks which devolved into hand-to-hand combat. Amid appalling conditions, one company became isolated and the next morning another was sent to its aid to attack the Japanese from the rear. Fighting its way through numerous Japanese positions, the company killed at least 100 Japanese and one of its members, Private Tom Starcevich, was later awarded the Victoria Cross for his efforts.[78]
Following this, the Japanese began to withdraw from Beaufort and the Australians began a slow, cautious advance using indirect fire to limit casualties. By 12 July they occupied Papar,[79] and from there sent out patrols to the north and along the river until the cessation of hostilities.[80] By August the fighting came to an end. The division's total casualties in this operation were 114 killed and 221 wounded, while the Japanese lost at least 1,234 personnel.[76][81]
Disbandment
Following the end of the war the 9th Division remained in Borneo and performed emergency relief and occupation duties until the arrival of
Casualties
The 9th Division suffered a total of 2,732 killed in action, 7,501 wounded and 1,863 captured. These 12,096 casualties represent approximately one quarter of the personnel who served with the division.[22]
Decorations
The 9th Division was the most highly decorated of the four AIF divisions raised during the war.[2] Seven of its members received the Victoria Cross,[17] the nation's highest award for gallantry, these were (in alphabetical order by surname):
- Tom Derrick;[Note 1]
- John Hurst Edmondson(posthumous);
- Percival Eric Gratwick(posthumous);
- Arthur Stanley Gurney(posthumous);
- William Henry Kibby(posthumous);
- John Bernard Mackey(posthumous); and
- Leslie Thomas Starcevich.
Military decorations awarded to members of the 9th Division include:
- 7 Victoria Crosses (VC);[17]
- 41 Companion of the Distinguished Service Orders(DSO);
- Order of the British Empire: 9 Officers of the Order (OBE) and 29 Members of the Order (MBE);[17]
- 119 Military Crosses (MC);[17]
- 57 Distinguished Conduct Medals (DCM);[17]
- 212 Military Medals (MM);[17]
- 9 British Empire Medals (BEM);[17]
- 611 Mentioned in Despatches (MID – not a post-nominal).[17]
Structure
The 9th Division's structure was as follows:[84]
- Infantry units
- 18th Brigade – to 7th Division, 1941
- 7th Division, 1941.
- 2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion, New South Wales (NSW)
- 2/15th Australian Infantry Battalion, Queensland (Qld)
- 2/17th Australian Infantry Battalion, NSW
- 8th Division, 1940
- 2/25th Australian Infantry Battalion, Qld (to 25th Infantry Brigade, 1940)
- 2/28th Australian Infantry Battalion, Western Australia (WA)
- Victoria(Vic.)
- 2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion, South Australia (SA)
- 25th Brigade – to 7th Division, 1941
- 26th Brigade
- 2/23rd Australian Infantry Battalion, Vic.
- 2/24th Australian Infantry Battalion, Vic.
- 2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion, Vic. (to 24th Brigade, 1940)
- 2/48th Australian Infantry Battalion, SA
- 2/4th Commando Squadron (from Aug 1943)
- Artillery regiments
- 2/7th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
- 2/8th Field Regiment, RAA
- 2/12th Field Regiment, RAA (ex 2/2nd Medium Reg., Corps Artillery)
- 2/3rd Anti-Tank Regiment, RAA (from 8th Div., 194?)
- Engineer companies
- 2/3rd Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers, Tasmania/WA/SA (from 6th Div., 194?)
- 2/13th Field Company, RAE, Qld (ex 2/1st Field Park Company)
- 2/15th Field Company, RAE. Attached to 9th Division in 1945 for the Operation Oboe. (See Beach groupsfor more information)
- 2/16th Field Company
- 2/7th Field Company, RAE, Qld (ex Corps Troops)
- 2/4th Field Park Company, RAE, WA (ex 8th Division)
- Other units
- 2/3rd Australian Machine-Gun Battalion (Vic.)
- 2/3rd Australian Pioneer Battalion (from 7th Division, 1942)
- 2/4th Australian Pioneer Battalion
- 9th Australian Divisional Cavalry (from 8th Division, 1941)
Commanders
- Major General Henry Wynter (October 1940 – February 1941)
- Major General Sir Leslie Morshead (February 1941 – March 1943)
- Major General George Wootten (March 1943 – October 1945).[4]
Quotes
- [A] batch of some 50 or 60 Australian prisoners were marched off close behind us—immensely big and powerful men, who without question represented an elite formation of the British Empire, a fact that was also evident in battle.Battle of Tobruk, 1941.
- We could not have won the battle [i.e. the Second Battle of El Alamein, 1942] in twelve days without the magnificent 9th Australian Division.[86]
—General Bernard Montgomery, writing about the Allied breakthrough in North Africa. - My God, I wish we had [the] 9th Australian Division with us this morning [Allied Land-force Headquarters Europe, 1944.
Notes
- Footnotes
- ^ Derrick's VC was not awarded posthumously, although he was killed later in the war.
- Citations
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. xi.
- ^ a b c Johnston (2002), p. ix.
- ^ Miller (1986) passim
- ^ a b "9th Division". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
- ^ a b c Johnston (2002), p. 2.
- ^ Johnston (2002), pp. 2–3.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 12.
- ^ Johnston (2002), pp. 12–13.
- ^ a b Johnston (2002), p. 13.
- ^ a b c Johnston (2002), p. 14.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 16.
- ^ a b c Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 182.
- ^ a b Johnston (2002), p. 17.
- ^ a b Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 183.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 18.
- ^ a b Johnston (2002), p. 26.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Johnston (2002), p. 253.
- ^ a b Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 185.
- ^ Miller (1986), passim.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 184.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 186.
- ^ a b c Johnston (2002), p. 251.
- ^ a b Johnston (2002), p. 65.
- ^ a b Johnston (2002), p. 67.
- ^ Maughan (1966), pp. 537–538.
- ^ Maughan (1966), p. 542.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 72.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 73.
- ^ a b "2/28th Battalion". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
- ^ Maughan (1966), pp. 558–562.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 87.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 221.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 222.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 92.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 229.
- ^ a b Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 230.
- ^ Bierman & Smith (2002), p.254 & 262.
- ^ a b Bierman & Smith (2002), p.312.
- ^ Bierman & Smith (2002), p.319.
- ^ Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 231.
- ^ a b Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 232.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 131.
- ^ a b c Johnston (2002), p. 135.
- ^ a b Johnston (2002), p. 138.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 140.
- ^ a b Johnston (2002), p. 143.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 304.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 146.
- ^ Keogh (1965), p. 305.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 147.
- ^ a b Keogh (1965), p. 306.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 148.
- ^ Keogh (1965), p. 307.
- ^ a b c Johnston (2002), p. 153.
- ^ Keogh (1965), pp. 310–311.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 154.
- ^ Keogh (1965), p. 315.
- ^ a b Johnston (2002), p. 159.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 180.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 181.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 184.
- ^ a b c Johnston (2002), p. 186.
- ^ Keogh (1965), pp. 395–396.
- ^ Keogh (1965), p. 431.
- ^ Keogh (1965), pp. 432–433.
- ^ Long (1963), p. 406.
- ^ Keong (1965), p. 436.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 194.
- ^ Keogh (1965), p. 441.
- ^ a b c Keogh (1965), p. 443.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 219.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 220.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 221.
- ^ a b c d Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 252.
- ^ a b Johnston (2002), p. 228.
- ^ a b c Coulthard-Clark (1998), p. 253.
- ^ Keogh (1965), p. 454.
- ^ Johnston (2002), pp. 235–236.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 237.
- ^ Keogh (1965), p. 455.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 238.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. 243.
- ^ Chinn 2008, p. 5.
- ^ Johnston (2002), p. xiii.
- ^ Miller (1986), p. 3.
- ^ Neave & Smith (2009), p. 276.
- ^ Johnston (2007), p. 50.
References
- Bierman, John; Smith, Colin (2002). Alemein: War Without Hate. London: Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-91109-7.
- Chinn, David (2008). "Raising a Regular Infantry Force". In Horner, David; Bou, Jean (eds.). Duty First: A History of the Royal Australian Regiment (2nd ed.). Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. pp. 1–18. ISBN 978-1-74175-374-5.
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1998). The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles. Sydney, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-86448-611-7.
- ISBN 978-1-86508-654-5.
- Johnston, Mark (2007). The Australian Army in World War II. Elite. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-123-6.
- OCLC 7185705.
- Latimer, Jon (2002). Alamein. London: John Murray. ISBN 978-0-674-01016-1.
- OCLC 1297619.
- Maughan, Barton (1966). Tobruk to El Alamein. Australia in the War of 1939–1945, Series 1—Army. Volume III (1st ed.). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 954993.
- Miller, Ward (1986). The 9th Australian Division Versus the Africa Corps: An Infantry Division Against Tanks—Tobruk, Libya, 1941. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas: US Army Command and Staff College. OCLC 14129655. Archived from the originalon 28 December 2009. Retrieved 9 January 2006.
- Neave, Denny; Smith, Craig (2009). Aussie Soldier Prisoners of War. Newport, New South Wales: Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9803251-5-7.
External links
- Australian 9th Division Vehicle Marking
- Australian War Memorial Encyclopedia, "El Alamein" Archived 24 November 2005 at the Wayback Machine
- Peter Stanley (Australian War Memorial), 2002, "Ruin Ridge, 26–27 July 1942" Archived 1 March 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- Unit Colour Patches May 1941 Archived 23 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- Australian Formations, Middle East @ BritishMilitaryHistory