The 7th Armored Division is nominally equipped with 220 tanks. However, during the war, the "mobile force" had only 65 tanks. By 1940, most armored divisions have been more than two years, and it takes three months to mail them from Britain to the division.
1940, 16 In February, the "Mobile Force" was reorganized into the 7th Armored Division and was awarded the title of "Desert Mouse". It was inspired by a flying squirrel found by the commander's wife in Cairo Zoo.
When Italy declared war, the strength of the western desert troops was far from satisfactory. However, it turns out that the fighting capacity of the Italian army in North Africa is simply not comparable to that of the British army. 1940 In the early conflict between the two sides, the western desert army captured130,000 Italian troops.
194111On October 3rd, the British 7th Armored Division launched a large-scale counterattack and entered Libya. The British army once again took "Mathilde" tank as the pioneer, first conquered the Italian army's border fortress Valdir, and then captured the famous fortress with a depth of 120 km. In World War II, the Italian army captured 75,000 people, seized 700 guns and 2 10 tanks. After that, the Italian army began to retreat. At this time, Major General Richard O 'Connor, commander of the Western Desert Army, ordered the 7th Armored Division to bypass the Green Mountain from the south, thus cutting off the Italian army in Bedafum, while the Australian army attacked from the west. 65438+1On October 7th, British troops successfully captured Benghazi. 654381October 9, reaching the throat of Aguila leading to western Libya, opened the door to attack Tripoli. The British army launched a wonderful long-distance pursuit non-stop. On February 7th, because the speed of tanks was not fast enough, the operation of cutting the Italian army was finally completed by a temporary force composed of armored vehicles for 30 hours (this temporary force called "Joint Army" was led by Lieutenant Colonel John Kombe). At this point, the retreat of the Italian Tenth Army was successfully cut off. In this three-month desert war, Britain defeated the Italian army's 10 with 40,000 troops, captured130,000 people, destroyed and seized more than 400 tanks and 1000 guns, jumped 800 kilometers to the west and seized the whole East Libya-cyrenaica. The British army, which has been repeatedly defeated since its involvement in the Great War, finally won its first victory over the Axis forces. The 7th Armored Division, the only British armored division in the Middle East, made great contributions in this battle. It won the first honor in this war for itself and the British armored forces with its swift and brave mobile combat mode.
After that, the 7th Armored Division, which had been fighting for 8 months, returned to Cairo for vehicle maintenance and withdrew from the battle sequence at that time.
Due to the low combat effectiveness of the Italian army, Hitler was forced to send the African legion led by Rommel as Italian reinforcements. 194 1 April, the allied forces were surrounded by German and Italian troops in the bloody sand fortress. In June, the 7th Armored Division, supplemented by new tanks and personnel, took part in Operation Tomahawk. During the operation, the 7th Armored Division was assigned to coastal troops and cliff troops. However, the allied attack failed, and the 7 th armored division had to start to retreat on the third day after the battle began.
A British army occupied the defensive position of Halefi Pass, and the rest of the troops crossed the desert in three ways, pointing to the bloody sand in the middle, so as to meet the defenders who had planned to break through. This part of the attack went quite smoothly, and the troops advanced to a place only 10 miles away from the port and occupied Sidi Rezeg airport. Long Mei Zen was surprised when he was suddenly attacked, but he soon realized that the purpose of the British army was to meet the defenders of Dobruk.
During the crusade 194 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year, the whole 7th armored division was ordered to be a commando. At first, the attack was very smooth, and the troops advanced to a place only 10 miles away from the bloody sand, and occupied Sidi Rezeg airport. At this time, there was a weakened German 2 1 armored division opposite the 7th armored division. However, the commander of the Corps, Nori XXX, thought that it was difficult for the 7th Armored Division to complete the breakthrough with only 200 tanks, and decided to act cautiously. On the 22nd, while the 7th armored division was waiting for the German attack, Rommel led the 2 1 armored division to attack Sidi Rezeg. The 7th Armored Division on the defensive fought bravely and tenaciously: the 7th Fire Support Group under the command of Brigadier General York Campbell won the Victoria Cross during these two days of fighting. However, although the German 2 1 Armored Division was relatively weak in armor, it won due to flexible coordinated tactics, making the 7th Armored Division airdrop more than 50 tanks (mainly from the 22nd Brigade) and finally retreat. Finally, the Germans occupied the airport. And took the opportunity to enter Egypt, until the battle of El Alamein, the German offensive was contained.
The western desert army was later reorganized into the thirteenth army, which was subordinate to the British eighth army. As the main force of the group army, the 7th Armored Division participated in most major battles in North Africa. Including the aforementioned Tomahawk Action, Crusade Action and two Alamein battles (the first time in 194 1 year and the second time in 1942). And participated in the 1943 allied action to wipe out the Axis forces in Tunisia. On June 5438+0943 1 1, the 7th armored division withdrew from the Italian battlefield and returned to Britain to prepare for the Normandy landing. This is the last allied landing force to arrive in Britain. The division immediately changed into Cromwell tanks, and indirectly collected 36 Sherman firefly tanks from April to May in 1944. There are enough reloads, so each tank company has three Cromwell and 1 firefly tanks for replenishment. In the whole landing battle, the 7th Armored Division was the only British armored division with Cromwell tanks as its main battle tanks. When Normandy landed, the 7th Armored Division was one of the three follow-up divisions of two British assault regiments. 22 armored brigade boarded the ship on June 4th and landed in Jintan on June 7th. The division conducted two operations (Perch Operation and Goodwood Operation), and initially participated in the Battle of Caen. In the bass operation, the division is one of the attack arrows of the flanking defenders. Due to the change of battle plan, the division met a German armored instructor and SS heavy armored battalion 10 1 in the town of Willard-Boccacci (the battalion has German ace tank player Michael Whitman). After the Allied forces captured Caen, the 7th Armored Division cooperated with the American troops who were carrying out Operation Cobra and Operation Blue, and launched an operation called "Operation Spring". Its purpose is to support the American army to break through and stop the Germans trying to come to the rescue.
After the Battle of France, the 7th Armored Division participated in the allied attacks on Belgium and Holland. Ghent, Belgium, was liberated on September 5. In the same year, he took part in the battle across the Maas River. From June 65438 to1October 65438, 0945, the division took part in the "black chicken" operation to clean the Rolle triangle, and later participated in the "plunder" operation. In the Allied Battle against Germany, the division was responsible for crossing the Zanten River and the Vizer River to attack Hamburg.
The 7th Armored Division in France, such as Normandy, was considered to have a certain gap with North Africa, so it was questioned. At the beginning of August, 1944, erskine, commander of the 7th armored division, Hinde, brigade commander of armored brigade, etc. 100 officers were dismissed or transferred from their posts. Most historians think that this is a punishment for the division's "failure" in the town of Willer-Boccacci. Daniel taylor, a historian, believes that the result of the battle provided an excuse for dismissing these officers and "proved that the Army Command was doing something totally against the public will". Mungo Melvin, on the other hand, spoke highly of the 7th Armored Division, believing that they had a fairly flexible coordinated command system. Such a system was not accepted by other British armored forces until after Goodwood's operation.
However, the change of commander did not improve the performance of the 7th armored division after 1944+0 1. Erskine's successor, Major General ·G·L· Winnie, was dismissed because he was considered "not capable enough to adjust the habits of the Seventh Armored Division to meet the requirements of General Montgomery and Lieutenant General Dempsey".
There is no doubt that separatism has fallen into a general war-weariness mood. As Verney predicted: "There is no evidence that being familiar with war will make a person brave. This command makes a person cunning, and there is only a small difference between cunning and cowardice. " Light armored brigade
-Seventh Cavalry Regiment
-Eighth Cavalry Regiment
-1 1 cavalry regiment
Heavily armored brigade
-1 Royal Tank Regiment
Royal sixth tank regiment
Hub group
-Third Royal Cavalry Corps
-Fourth Royal Cavalry Corps
-4th Armored Brigade, 1 Royal King Rifle Regiment
-Seventh Cavalry Regiment
Royal sixth tank regiment
Seventh armored brigade
-Eighth Cavalry Regiment
-1 Royal Tank Regiment
Troops directly under the division
-1 1 cavalry regiment
-Third Royal Cavalry Corps
Division support section
-Fourth Royal Cavalry Corps
-1 Royal King Rifle Regiment
-2nd Rifle Brigade, 4th Armored Brigade
-Seventh Cavalry Regiment
-The 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (in which Camp B belongs to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment of the 7th Armored Brigade)
-6th Royal Tank Regiment (temporarily separated from the organizational system and acting alone in the operation)
An artillery company of the Royal Third Cavalry Regiment
Seventh armored brigade
-The 3rd Cavalry Corps (of which Camp B belongs to the 2nd Royal Tank Corps of the 4th Armored Brigade)
-Eighth Cavalry Regiment
-1 Royal Tank Regiment
An artillery company of the Royal Third Cavalry Regiment
Division Support Section
-Fourth Royal Cavalry Corps
-1 Royal King Rifle Regiment
-2nd Infantry Regiment
Royal engineer
-Second Engineering Battalion
-No.14 1 Field Maintenance Unit (Field Park Force)
Royal army medical corps
-Second/Third Cavalry Field Hospital
-Third/Third Cavalry Field Hospital
Royal army supply and transport service (RASC)
-Company 5, Company 58, Company 65, Company 550
-Fourth New Zealand Auxiliary Company
-1 supply station
Royal Army Quartermaster Force (RAOC)
-Sectoral seminars
-Division field weapons repair yard
-the front-line supply station of the department
-1
-Second light maintenance station
-Third light maintenance station
Troops directly under the division
-Third Royal Mounted Artillery Regiment (lack of two battalions)
-106 royal mounted artillery regiment
-1 1 cavalry regiment (including the 2nd Armored Vehicle Company of the Royal Air Force)
-Signal and communication units under the division.
-4th Armored Brigade, 270th Field Security Force
Royal Fourth Tank Regiment
Royal seventh tank regiment
Seventh armored brigade
Royal second tank regiment
Royal sixth tank regiment
Division Support Section
-1 Royal mounted artillery regiment
-Fourth Royal Cavalry Corps
-1 Royal King Rifle Regiment
-2nd Infantry Regiment
Troops directly under the division
-Third Royal Cavalry Corps
-106 royal mounted artillery regiment
-1 1 cavalry regiment
-Signal and communication units under the division.
Royal engineer
-Second Engineering Battalion
-14 1 field maintenance unit
Royal army supply and transport service (RASC)
-Company 5, Company 58, Company 65, Company 550
-Fourth New Zealand Auxiliary Company
-1 supply station
Royal Army Quartermaster Force (RAOC)
-Sectoral seminars
-Division field weapons repair yard
-the front-line supply station of the department
-1
-Second light maintenance station
-Third Light Repair Station, Fourth Armored Brigade
-Eighth Cavalry Regiment
Royal third tank regiment
Royal fifth tank regiment
-Second Royal Cavalry Corps
-2nd Scottish Guard (Battalion)
Seventh armored brigade
-Seventh Cavalry Regiment
Royal second tank regiment
Royal sixth tank regiment
22nd armored brigade (temporarily transferred from 13 legion)
Royal Gloucester 2nd Cavalry Regiment
-Third "London" Reserve Cavalry (London County Guard)
-Fourth "London" Reserve Cavalry Regiment
Division Support Section
-Third Royal Cavalry Corps
-Fourth Royal Cavalry Corps
-1 Royal King Rifle Regiment
-2nd Infantry Regiment
-60th Royal Field Artillery Corps
-5 1 Royal Field Artillery Corps
Troops directly under the division
-102 royal mounted artillery regiment
The dragoons of the royal king.
-1 1 cavalry regiment
-South Africa's Fourth Armored Army
-1 Royal Light Anti-aircraft Gun Corps
-Signal and communication units under the division.
Royal engineer
-Fourth Engineering Battalion
-143 field maintenance unit
Royal army supply and transport service (RASC)
-Companies 5, 30, 58, 65, 67 and 550.
Royal army medical corps
-Second Light Field Hospital
-13 Light Field Hospital
-15 Light Field Hospital
-No.7 Guangchang Sanitary Station
Royal Army Quartermaster Force (RAOC)
-Sectoral seminars
-Division field weapons repair yard
-Light anti-aircraft gun repair yard
-Subordinate to the brigade support teams
-Small repair shop
-Light maintenance station
-Fourth Armored Brigade Field Weapons Repair Yard
-Eighth Cavalry Regiment
Royal third tank regiment
Royal fifth tank regiment
-1 Royal mounted artillery regiment
-1 Royal King Rifle Regiment
7 th automobile brigade
-Seventh Cavalry Regiment
Royal second tank regiment
Royal sixth tank regiment
-Fourth Royal Cavalry Corps
-Second Rifle Brigade
-9th Rifle Brigade
Royal Ninth Rifle Regiment
Troops directly under the division
-102 royal mounted artillery regiment
The dragoons of the royal king.
-15 Royal Light Anti-aircraft Gun Corps
-Signal and communication units under the division.
Royal engineer
-Fourth Engineering Battalion
-143 field maintenance unit
Royal army supply and transport service (RASC)
-Company 5, Company 30, Company 58, Company 67, Company 432 and Company 550.
Royal army medical corps
-Second Light Field Hospital
-No.7 Guangming Field Hospital
-14 Light Field Hospital
-15 Light Field Hospital
Royal Army Quartermaster Force (RAOC)
-Sectoral seminars
-Division field weapons repair yard
-15 light anti-aircraft gun warehouse
-Each brigade-level support group has a repair station, the Fourth Armored Brigade.
The first battalion of the eighth cavalry regiment
-Fourth Cavalry Regiment (4/8 Mixed Regiment and Eighth Cavalry Regiment)
Royal Scottish grey.
-Derbyshire 2nd Reserve Cavalry Regiment
-Third Royal Cavalry Corps
-1 Royal King Rifle Regiment
22nd armored brigade (from June 1942 1 1 to February 1943 18 temporarily replaced the 8th armored brigade, which is being changed).
-1 Royal Tank Regiment
Royal fifth tank regiment
-Fourth "London" Reserve Cavalry Regiment
-Fourth Royal Field Artillery Corps (seconded from the 44th Infantry Division)
-97th Royal Field Artillery Corps
-1 Rifle Brigade
13 1 (Queen) Brigade
-1/5 Queen's Guards Corps (1/5 Queen's Royal Corps)
-1/6 Queen's Guard
-1/7 Queen's Guard
-53rd Royal Field Artillery Corps (seconded from troops directly under the Middle East Army)
-Two battalions of the 57th Royal Anti-tank Artillery Corps (seconded from the 44th Infantry Division)
-No.1 1 Royal Field Engineering Company
Troops directly under the division
-1 1 cavalry regiment (seconded from the 4th Light Armored Brigade to the end of 1942, 1 1 October)
-15 Royal Light Anti-aircraft Gun Corps
-Signal and communication units under the division.
-65th Royal Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Norfolk County Regiment)
-The 44th reconnaissance mission
Royal engineer
-Fourth Engineering Battalion
-265438 Battalion +0
-143 field maintenance unit
Royal army supply and transport service (RASC)
-5th Company (seconded from 4th Light Armored Brigade)
Royal army medical corps
-Second Light Field Hospital
-No.7 Guangming Field Hospital
-14 Light Field Hospital (seconded from the 4th Light Armored Brigade)
-15 Light Field Hospital
Royal Army Quartermaster Force (RAOC)
-Sectoral seminars
-Division field weapons repair yard
-Light anti-aircraft gun repair yard
-Subordinate to the brigade support teams
A repair station
An ordnance repair station.
Eighth armored brigade (change clothes)
Royal third tank regiment
-Nottinghamshire cavalry
Staffordshire cavalry
-East Kent 65438 Regiment +0 Battalion
-Fifth Royal Cavalry Corps
-146 Royal Field Artillery Corps
Free France 1 Brigade (belonging to the 7th Armored Division at the beginning of the Battle of El Alamein) and the 4th Armored Brigade (established as an independent brigade under the division at this time).
Royal dragoons
-The king's dragoons.
-Third Royal Cavalry Corps
Royal Second Rifle Regiment
22nd armored brigade
-1 Royal Tank Regiment
Royal fifth tank regiment
-Fourth "London" Reserve Cavalry Regiment
-5th Royal Cavalry Corps (directly under the division, temporarily strengthened into 22nd armored brigade)
-1 Rifle Brigade
13 1 (Queen) Brigade
-1/5 Queen's Guard
-1/6 Queen's Guard
-1/7 Queen's Guard
-No.1 1 Royal Field Engineering Company
Troops directly under the division
-1 1 cavalry regiment
-15 Royal Light Anti-aircraft Gun Corps
-Signal and communication units under the division.
-65th Royal Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Norfolk County Regiment)
-146 Royal Field Artillery Corps
Royal engineer
-Fourth Engineering Battalion
-265438 Battalion +0
-143 field maintenance unit
Royal army supply and transport service (RASC)
-5th Company (seconded from 4th Light Armored Brigade)
Royal army medical corps
-Second Light Field Hospital
-No.7 Guangming Field Hospital
-14 Light Field Hospital (seconded from the 4th Light Armored Brigade)
-15 Light Field Hospital
Royal Army Quartermaster Force (RAOC)
-Sectoral seminars
-Division field weapons repair yard
-Light anti-aircraft gun repair yard
-Subordinate to the brigade support teams
A repair station
Ordnance repair station of the 22nd armored brigade.
-1 Royal Tank Regiment
Royal fifth tank regiment
-Fourth "London" Reserve Cavalry Regiment
-1 Rifle Brigade
13 1 (Queen) Brigade
-1/5 Queen's Guard
-1/6 Queen's Guard
-1/7 Queen's Guard
—— 1 Company C, Team II (seconded from Team X)
Troops directly under the division
-1 1 cavalry regiment
-The King's dragoons (seconded from the 10th Corps)
-Signal and communication units under the division.
Division artillery
-Third Royal Cavalry Corps
-Fifth Royal Cavalry Corps
-15 Royal Light Anti-aircraft Gun Corps
-24th Royal Field Artillery Corps (seconded from 10 Army)
-65th Royal Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Norfolk County Regiment)
-69th Royal Medium Artillery Regiment
-146 Royal Field Artillery Corps
Royal engineer
-Fourth Engineering Battalion
-6265438 Battalion +0
-143 field maintenance unit
Royal army supply and transport service (RASC)
-5th Company (seconded from 4th Light Armored Brigade)
-Companies 58th, 67th, 287th, 432nd and 507th.
Royal army medical corps
-Second Light Field Hospital
-13 1
-No.70 health clinic
-2 1 mobile wounded soldier health station
-Third site handwriting team
-Seventh Field Blood Transfusion Team
-mobile dental team 132
-mobile dental team 135
Royal Army Quartermaster Force and Mechanical Engineering Force
-22nd Armored Brigade Repair Shop
-13 1 brigade workshop
-15 light antiaircraft gun repair workshop
-22nd Armored Brigade, Division Field Weapon Repair Yard
-1 Royal Tank Regiment
Royal fifth tank regiment
-Fourth "London" Reserve Cavalry Regiment
-1 Rifle Brigade
13 1 (Queen) Brigade
-1/5 Queen's Guard
-1/6 Queen's Guard
-1/7 Queen's Guard
Royal northumberland Firearms Regiment, Third Support Company.
Troops directly under the division
-Eighth Cavalry Regiment
-1 1 cavalry regiment (1944 belonged to the eighth regiment before August)
-Signal and communication units under the division.
Division artillery
-Third Royal Cavalry Corps
-Fifth Royal Cavalry Corps
-15 Royal Light Anti-aircraft Gun Corps
-65th Royal Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Norfolk County Regiment)
Royal engineer
-Fourth Engineering Battalion
-6265438 Battalion +0
-143 field maintenance unit
Royal army supply and transport service (RASC)
-Company 58, Company 67 and Company 507.
Royal army medical corps
-Second Light Field Hospital
-13 1
-29th Battlefield Bandaging Station
-No.70 health clinic
-mobile dental team 134
Royal Army Quartermaster Force and Mechanical Engineering Force
-Workshop of the 7th Armored Brigade
-22nd armored brigade workshop
-22nd Armored Brigade Weapons Repair Shop
-13 1
-15 light antiaircraft artillery workshop
-Division field weapons repair yard
Royal armored forces
-22nd armored brigade of the 263rd frontline dispatching squadron.
-1 Royal Tank Regiment
Royal fifth tank regiment
-Fifth Royal Cavalry Guard
-1 Rifle Brigade
13 1 infantry brigade
-1/5 Queen's Guard
-The 2nd Derbyshire Regiment
-9th Durham Light Infantry Division
Royal northumberland Firearms Regiment, Third Support Company.
Troops directly under the division
-Eighth Cavalry Regiment
-1 1 cavalry regiment
-Signal and communication units under the division.
Division artillery
-Third Royal Cavalry Corps
-Fifth Royal Cavalry Corps
-15 Royal Light Anti-aircraft Gun Corps
-65th Royal Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Norfolk County Regiment)
Royal engineer
-Fourth Engineering Battalion
-6265438 Battalion +0
-143 field maintenance unit
Royal army supply and transport service (RASC)
-Company 58, Company 67, 133, Company 507.
Royal army medical corps
-Second Light Field Hospital
-13 1
-29th Battlefield Bandaging Station
-No.70 health clinic
-mobile dental team 134
Royal Army Quartermaster Force and Mechanical Engineering Force
-Workshop of the 7th Armored Brigade
-22nd armored brigade workshop
-22nd Armored Brigade Weapons Repair Shop
-13 1
-15 light antiaircraft artillery workshop
-Division field weapons repair yard
Royal armored forces
-The 263rd Front Dispatching Squadron