Hi Folks,
Please, I would like some opinions on this BD:
7th Armoured Division "Desert Rats":
Composed of regular British Army units, the famous "Desert Rats" division was originally formed as the Mobile Division or Mobile Force (Egypt) and was one of two training commands used by the British before World War II to develop armoured warfare techniques. During this time the first divisional commander was the acclaimed tank theorist Major-General Sir Percy Hobart.
At the outbreak of war in September 1939 it was renamed the Armoured Division (Egypt) and finally 7th Armoured Division on 16 February 1940.
History:
The elements of what would become the 7th Armoured Division arrived in the Middle East in 1938 (See: the Munich crisis) to increase British strength in Egypt.
The 'Mobile Force' was established on the coast some 120 miles west of Alexandria. It was formed from the Cairo Cavalry Brigade (three armoured regiments, the 7th, 8th and 11th Hussars) and the 1st Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) supported by 3rd Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) and a company of Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) and a Field Ambulance unit. It was joined by a battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps and then its first commander, Major-General Percy Hobart later "creator" of the Funnies of the Normandy Invasion. Hobart was an armoured warfare expert and saw that his troops were properly prepared to fight in the desert despite their poor equipment.
At first it was one of only two British Imperial formations in Egypt. The other was an Indian Army formation (Indian 4th Infantry Division), which was then replaced with an Australian division. The two divisions formed the basis of the Western Desert Force (WDF).
North Africa
Composed of regular British Army units, the famous "Desert Rats" division was originally formed as the Mobile Division or Mobile Force (Egypt) and was one of two training commands used by the British before World War II to develop armoured warfare techniques. During this time the first divisional commander was the acclaimed tank theorist Major-General Sir Percy Hobart.
At the outbreak of war in September 1939 it was renamed the Armoured Division (Egypt) and finally 7th Armoured Division on 16 February 1940.
In December 1939, Major-General Sir Michael O'Moore Creagh succeeded Hobart who had fallen foul of his superiors.
The unit was meant to be equipped with 220 tanks. However, at the outbreak of war the 'Mobile Force' had only 65. Most of the unit's troops had already been deployed for 2 years by 1940 and it took as long as three months for mail to arrive.
On 16 February 1940, the Mobile Division became the 7th Armoured Division. The Desert Rat divisional flash was adopted about the same time. It originated from a sketch of a jerboa drawn by the divisional commander's wife after a visit to the Cairo Zoo.
After the Italian declaration of war, the Western Desert Force was massively outnumbered. However the Italians proved to be no match for the British. The Western Desert Force captured 250,000 Italians in the early engagements in 1940.
During the 1941 Italian retreat, WDF commander Major-General Richard O'Connor ordered the Desert Rats to travel south of the Jebel Akhdar and cut off the Italian forces at Beda Fomm, while Australian forces pushed the Italians west. As the tanks were unable to travel fast enough, the manoeuvre was led by a brigade of armoured cars, towed artillery and infantry which completed the trip in 30 hours, cutting off the Italian retreat and destroying the Italian Tenth Army.
The Italians proved so weak that Hitler was forced to send reinforcements (Afrika Korps) to stiffen them under the command of General Erwin Rommel.
The Western Desert Force later became HQ XIII Corps, one of the major parts of Eighth Army. The 7th Armoured Division took part in most of the major battles of the North African Campaign, including both Battles of El Alamein (see First Battle of El Alamein and Second Battle of El Alamein for details). It also participated in the destruction of Axis forces in North Africa in Tunisia in 1943.
Italy
The division was not an assault force in the invasion of Sicily but did participate extensively in the battle for Italy. It came ashore at Salerno on September 15, 1943,to help repel heavy German counterattacks, then as part of U.S. Fifth Army's British X Corps and supported by the 46th (North Midland) Division, drive on and took Naples. The Desert Rats, used to fighting in the desert, had to adjust to the confined Italian roads. The division crossed the river Volturno in southern Italy, constructing a pontoon bridge. This paved the way for many divisions heading north.
Northern Europe
The division formed one of the follow up formations in Normandy. After the invasion the 7th Armoured Division served with distinction in clearing routes to and then attacking Caen. Although regarded as an elite formation, by this time the units were becoming seriously burnt out. Its performances in Normandy and the rest of France did not match those of its earlier campaigns, even taking into account the unsuitability of Normandy as tank country. Within 21st Army Group it took part in the liberation of Belgium, the Netherlands and northern Germany. In January 1945 it took part in Operation Blackcock to clear the Roer Triangle.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British...oured_Division
Best regards,
Ricardo.
Please, I would like some opinions on this BD:
7th Armoured Division "Desert Rats":
Composed of regular British Army units, the famous "Desert Rats" division was originally formed as the Mobile Division or Mobile Force (Egypt) and was one of two training commands used by the British before World War II to develop armoured warfare techniques. During this time the first divisional commander was the acclaimed tank theorist Major-General Sir Percy Hobart.
At the outbreak of war in September 1939 it was renamed the Armoured Division (Egypt) and finally 7th Armoured Division on 16 February 1940.
History:
The elements of what would become the 7th Armoured Division arrived in the Middle East in 1938 (See: the Munich crisis) to increase British strength in Egypt.
The 'Mobile Force' was established on the coast some 120 miles west of Alexandria. It was formed from the Cairo Cavalry Brigade (three armoured regiments, the 7th, 8th and 11th Hussars) and the 1st Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) supported by 3rd Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) and a company of Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) and a Field Ambulance unit. It was joined by a battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps and then its first commander, Major-General Percy Hobart later "creator" of the Funnies of the Normandy Invasion. Hobart was an armoured warfare expert and saw that his troops were properly prepared to fight in the desert despite their poor equipment.
At first it was one of only two British Imperial formations in Egypt. The other was an Indian Army formation (Indian 4th Infantry Division), which was then replaced with an Australian division. The two divisions formed the basis of the Western Desert Force (WDF).
North Africa
Composed of regular British Army units, the famous "Desert Rats" division was originally formed as the Mobile Division or Mobile Force (Egypt) and was one of two training commands used by the British before World War II to develop armoured warfare techniques. During this time the first divisional commander was the acclaimed tank theorist Major-General Sir Percy Hobart.
At the outbreak of war in September 1939 it was renamed the Armoured Division (Egypt) and finally 7th Armoured Division on 16 February 1940.
In December 1939, Major-General Sir Michael O'Moore Creagh succeeded Hobart who had fallen foul of his superiors.
The unit was meant to be equipped with 220 tanks. However, at the outbreak of war the 'Mobile Force' had only 65. Most of the unit's troops had already been deployed for 2 years by 1940 and it took as long as three months for mail to arrive.
On 16 February 1940, the Mobile Division became the 7th Armoured Division. The Desert Rat divisional flash was adopted about the same time. It originated from a sketch of a jerboa drawn by the divisional commander's wife after a visit to the Cairo Zoo.
After the Italian declaration of war, the Western Desert Force was massively outnumbered. However the Italians proved to be no match for the British. The Western Desert Force captured 250,000 Italians in the early engagements in 1940.
During the 1941 Italian retreat, WDF commander Major-General Richard O'Connor ordered the Desert Rats to travel south of the Jebel Akhdar and cut off the Italian forces at Beda Fomm, while Australian forces pushed the Italians west. As the tanks were unable to travel fast enough, the manoeuvre was led by a brigade of armoured cars, towed artillery and infantry which completed the trip in 30 hours, cutting off the Italian retreat and destroying the Italian Tenth Army.
The Italians proved so weak that Hitler was forced to send reinforcements (Afrika Korps) to stiffen them under the command of General Erwin Rommel.
The Western Desert Force later became HQ XIII Corps, one of the major parts of Eighth Army. The 7th Armoured Division took part in most of the major battles of the North African Campaign, including both Battles of El Alamein (see First Battle of El Alamein and Second Battle of El Alamein for details). It also participated in the destruction of Axis forces in North Africa in Tunisia in 1943.
Italy
The division was not an assault force in the invasion of Sicily but did participate extensively in the battle for Italy. It came ashore at Salerno on September 15, 1943,to help repel heavy German counterattacks, then as part of U.S. Fifth Army's British X Corps and supported by the 46th (North Midland) Division, drive on and took Naples. The Desert Rats, used to fighting in the desert, had to adjust to the confined Italian roads. The division crossed the river Volturno in southern Italy, constructing a pontoon bridge. This paved the way for many divisions heading north.
Northern Europe
The division formed one of the follow up formations in Normandy. After the invasion the 7th Armoured Division served with distinction in clearing routes to and then attacking Caen. Although regarded as an elite formation, by this time the units were becoming seriously burnt out. Its performances in Normandy and the rest of France did not match those of its earlier campaigns, even taking into account the unsuitability of Normandy as tank country. Within 21st Army Group it took part in the liberation of Belgium, the Netherlands and northern Germany. In January 1945 it took part in Operation Blackcock to clear the Roer Triangle.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British...oured_Division
Best regards,
Ricardo.
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