List of British mobile brigades during the Second World War

During the

By the 1930s, the British Army had identified four required tank types: the light, the medium, the cruiser, and the infantry tank. Each would be utilised in a particular and separate role from the others. Because of research and development issues, the medium tank concept was dropped and subsumed by the work that proceeded on cruiser tanks.^[4] This distinction between tanks and their roles shaped how brigades were named and what their function would be. The armoured brigade was to be equipped with cruiser tanks, while the tank brigade would be equipped with infantry tanks.^[5] Irrespective of the different roles, all brigades were commanded by a brigadier.^[6]

British tank doctrine stated that infantry tank-equipped brigades would support

In 1943, United States Lieutenant General Brehon B. Somervell, head of the Army Service Forces that oversaw the US logistical efforts and lend lease shipments, argued for the United Kingdom to cease domestic tank production and rely solely on American. Somervell reasoned that British tanks were inferior to the M4 Sherman medium tank, and that this would free up British factory space particularly for trucks, machinery, and trains (as British demands for these items via lend-lease had increased). British tank production was reduced, but domestic construction was maintained.^[17] By mid-1944, the majority of armoured brigades were equipped with the Sherman, as a result of British cruiser production being unable to meet the numbers required of the Royal Armoured Corps. The lack of quality and reliability, among the British designs, was also a factor in the increased use of American models.^[18] Of the nine British armoured brigades deployed to France, in 1944 as part of the Northwest Europe campaign, only the 22nd Armoured Brigade, of the 7th Armoured Division, was primarily equipped with British tanks (the new Cromwell).^[19] The number of brigades equipped with British tanks, in northwest Europe, doubled over the winter of 1944/45. In October 1944, the 29th Armoured Brigade, of the 11th Armoured Division, was selected to be re-equipped with the new British Comet tank. The process was started in December, but delayed through to January 1945 as a result of the Battle of the Bulge.^[20]

Simultaneously, in September and October, the US reduced the number of medium tanks that were to be delivered to the British Army. By December, as a result of decreased US tank production along with an increased need for medium tanks due to losses, the US suspended tank deliveries. The

In 1943, the 79th Armoured Division was converted to develop specialised tanks for the particular problems of a amphibious landing on the defended French coast. It was deployed to France in June 1944, as part of Operation Overlord, and fielded two armoured brigades. These brigades were equipped with the Churchill infantry tank and M4 Shermans. These tanks had been modified to tackle various obstacles that British forces would face when conducting the Normandy landings, and later fought in subsequent assault operations. These modifications included mine-clearing flails, modified Churchill tanks dubbed Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers that were equipped with an anti-fortification weapon and could carry fascines or other bridging equipment, and flamethrowers. The units of the brigade would be assigned to formations that needed their assistance, and the brigadier would act as an advisor in their use.^[33][34]

In January 1945, the British Army decided that all remaining tank brigades would be redesignated as armoured brigades, although they retained their infantry tanks and were not necessarily re-equipped with medium or cruiser tanks as the existing armoured brigades were.^[35]

Armoured Reconnaissance

The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was dispatched to France between 1939 and 1940, and was made up of 'regular' army divisions and divisions from the Territorial Army (TA). The divisions of the regular army differed from their TA counterparts, as they each contained a divisional cavalry regiment. It was a mechanised unit that included 28 light tanks, 44 scout carriers, and had around 480 personnel. Their intended role was to take over the former horse cavalry position of providing reconnaissance and flank protection to the division, as well as holding captured terrain for short periods of time.^[65][66][67] There was discussion among the BEF staff on how to use these units, and it was intended to remove them from the divisions and assign them as corps-level assets. This project was abandoned in favour of grouping the regiments into two armoured reconnaissance brigades.^[68]

The regiments assigned to the 1st Brigade were removed from their divisions and transported to

After the Battle of France, the reconnaissance brigade concept was not readopted. New reconnaissance units were formed, which eventually became part of the Reconnaissance Corps, and were assigned to each infantry division. For the armoured divisions, reconnaissance was provided by armoured car regiments. As the war progressed, the latter became an asset of an army corps. Within the armoured division, they were replaced by a medium or cruiser tank-equipped armoured reconnaissance regiments. However, by July 1944, these regiments were largely being used as a regular combat unit rather than for reconnaissance purposes.^[69][70]

Cavalry

The British Army began the war with two cavalry brigades (5th and 6th)^[b]. Each were made up of three regiments and were part of the Territorial Army's part-time reserve. A third brigade, also of three regiments, was formed after the outbreak of the war. These three brigades were grouped together in the 1st Cavalry Division.^[76][77] The army's doctrine called for the brigades to function as mounted infantry: moving from place to place on horseback, and then dismounting to engage opposing forces with rifles, machine guns, and supported by artillery.^[78][79]

In early 1940, the three brigades left the United Kingdom for France. They then moved across the country to the port of Marseille, where they boarded ships and travelled to Palestine.^[80] While based in Palestine, it was intended that all three brigades would be motorised. By May 1941, only the 4th Cavalry Brigade had received enough vehicles for this to happen, as the others had been used as a pool from which to draw materiel for other formations based in the Middle East. The 4th Brigade subsequently fought as a motorised infantry brigade in several campaigns.^[81][82] Two of the brigades, along with the divisional headquarters, were slowly converted into armoured formations as additional equipment arrived in the Middle East.^[76][83]

Motor Machine Gun

In June 1940, the British Army had retreated from mainland Europe following the

The support group included the supporting arms that were assigned to an armoured division. The numerical designation of the group corresponded to the armoured division to which it was allocated.

British armoured doctrine dictated that the infantry were not to supplement the tanks. Rather, they were to protect them at leaguer, hold a position occupied by the administrative and supply vehicles, or secure a location that the tanks had captured.^[93][96] This idea was not re-examined until after Operation Crusader, which was fought in North Africa and ended in January 1942. Consequently, the support groups were abolished, and the armoured divisions were reorganised around two brigade groups: one composed of three armoured regiments and a motorised infantry battalion, and the other based around three motorised infantry battalions. The change also saw an additional artillery regiment assigned. The units previously assigned to the support groups were either broken-up and allocated to each brigade group or assigned to their own respective command, such as a divisional artillery headquarters. Following the lessons learnt in North Africa, the armoured divisions based within the United Kingdom were also reorganised, but without implementing the use of brigade groups. Despite the authorised change, it took several months for these lessons to be absorbed and the first support groups to be disbanded.^[97][98]

Tank

The tank brigade was an independent formation that would be assigned to a corps level command and be allocated to provide support to an infantry division as the need arose. The brigades were equipped primarily with infantry tanks and would assist the infantry division in penetrating the enemy's defensive line. The intent was that any subsequent gap would then be exploited by the faster moving tanks of an armoured division.^[7] In 1942, the British Army experimented with the format of their infantry divisions. Several were converted into "mixed divisions", which saw the removal of one infantry brigade that was replaced with a tank brigade. The concept was deemed unsuccessful and was abandoned the following year.^{[106][107][c]}

In 1939, it was intended that each brigade would have 150 infantry and 25 light tanks, with total personnel of around 1,500 men. In 1941, the war establishment of the brigade was changed to 178 tanks and around 1,800 men. The following year, the establishment was further increased to 202 tanks and around 1,900 men. A final organisational change took place in November 1943. Each brigade would have 240 tanks, which included 18 tanks equipped with close support howitzers, 33 light tanks for reconnaissance, 18 tanks equipped with anti-aircraft guns, eight tanks outfitted as artillery observation posts, and three tanks with bridge-laying equipment. In January 1945, the British Army decided that all remaining tank brigades would be redesignated as armoured brigades.^[35]

See also

• British Army during the Second World War
• List of British brigades of the Second World War

Notes

Footnotes