22nd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 22nd Armoured Brigade was an armoured brigade of the British Army that saw service during and after the Second World War. The brigade was formed on the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939 from Territorial Army armoured regiments. It saw a considerable amount of action during the war, beginning with the Western Desert Campaign where it was engaged in Operation Crusader and at the Battles of Gazala, Mersa Matruh, First Alamein and Alam el Halfa. It then joined the 7th Armoured Division for the Second Battle of El Alamein. It remained part of 7th Armoured for the rest of the war, including the campaigns in Tunisia, Italy and North West Europe. It continued in the postwar TA until 1956. The brigade was re-established, made up of regular regiments in Germany, between 1981 and 1993.
Mobilisation
22nd Heavy Armoured Brigade was formed at the outbreak of the Second World War on 3 September 1939 with the mobilisation of three part-time Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army : 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars, 3rd County of London Yeomanry and 4th County of London Yeomanry . On 15 January 1940 it joined 2nd Armoured Division in Northern Command. Because 1st Armoured Division in France with the British Expeditionary Force had first call on scarce resources, the equipment of 2nd Armoured Division and its units proceeded slowly during the Phoney War period.When the Battle of France was lost and the BEF was being evacuated from Dunkirk at the end of May, the incomplete 2nd Armoured Division was the only armoured formation available to Home Forces. It was moved into the area between Northampton and Newmarket, Suffolk, to be ready to counter-attack in the event of invasion.
As the threat of invasion of the United Kingdom receded, it became possible to spare more troops and equipment to reinforce Middle East Forces facing the Italians. Most of 2nd Armoured Division was sent out on 26 October 1940, but 22nd Armoured Brigade remained in the UK, having been transferred to 1st Armoured Division. It adopted the new organisation for an armoured brigade, which included a battalion of motorised infantry. 10th Company Royal Army Service Corps provided the brigade's transport.
North Africa
By the summer of 1941 the Italians in Libya had been reinforced by General Rommel's Afrika Korps and the tide had turned against the British forces. The Defence Committee of the British War Cabinet decided to send out 22nd Armoured Brigade as soon as possible. It was recognised that the brigade had been trained in an anti-invasion role and would require a certain amount of preparation on arrival – in desert navigation, for instance. Its new Crusader tanks would also require modification for desert conditions. But the Defence Committee hoped that the brigade would reach Egypt by mid-September and be ready for action by 1 November. In fact, the convoy carrying 22nd Armoured Brigade sailed on 15 August, and after rounding the Cape of Good Hope it finally arrived in Egypt on 2 October. The start of Eighth Army's counter-offensive had to be put off until mid-November.Operation Crusader
The brigade joined 7th Armoured Division for Operation Crusader. Reinforced by C Battery, 4th Royal Horse Artillery and a Troop of D Battery, 102nd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, the brigade's role was to find and destroy the enemy armour. Eighth Army's advance began at dawn on 18 November and had approximately reached its first day's objectives by evening, but mechanical breakdowns had already reduced 22nd Armd Bde's tank strength from 155 to 136 runners. Next day it was reconnoitring forward towards Bir el Gub when the divisional commander arrived and ordered it to attack the Italian Ariete Division. The inexperienced Yeomanry attacked impetuously, and after driving in the Italian covering troops came under heavy fire from the prepared positions behind and was forced to break off the attack. The brigade had lost 52 tanks, had destroyed 34 Italian medium tanks, damaged 12 others and knocked out 12 guns but was unable to carry the Ariete position.On 20 November the Afrika Korps counter-attacked and 22nd Armoured Bde was recalled from Bir el Gub to take part in the imminent armoured battle. It arrived too late to influence the indecisive battle. The garrison of Tobruk began its breakout next day, and the Afrika Korps hurried north to prevent this, pursued by Eighth Army's armour, including 22nd Armoured Bde. However the pursuers were held up by rearguards, boggy ground, and the need to refuel. Over the next few days there was confused fighting round Sidi Rezegh airfield that reduced 22nd Armd Bde's fighting strength from 79 to 34 tanks by the end of 22 November. Next day it did its best to hold off a renewed Axis attack, but lost another third of its tanks. The fighting round Sidi Rezegh ended when Rommel sent the Afrika Korps on a 'Dash to the Wire', driving eastwards behind Eighth Army towards the Egyptian frontier. The crippled British armoured formations could do little about it, though Tobruk was relieved.
By the time the brigade rejoined the fighting on 22 December it had received fresh tanks: 3rd and 4th CLY had 80 Crusaders between them, while 2nd RGH had 30 M3 Stuart light tanks. It was now under the direct command of XIII Corps. 22 to 25 December was spent regaining contact with the enemy's new positions. Then on 27 December Gen Ludwig Crüwell commanding the armour of the Afrika Korps noticed a gap between 22nd Armd Bde at Chor es Sufan and 22nd Guards Brigade north of Agedabia. Rommel approved Crüwell's proposal to defeat the British armour in detail, and he attacked the following day with 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions comprising 60 tanks, against 22nd Armd Bde's 90 available tanks. 22nd Armoured Brigade also had under its command 2nd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery , 102nd Anti-Tank Regiment, 122 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery and the motorised infantry of 9th Battalion Rifle Brigade. The German attack was a notable success, 22nd Armd Bde being driven back across the Wadi Faregh with the loss of 37 tanks against only seven German tanks knocked out. The brigade with its supporting troops was attacked again on 30 December and was again mauled, losing another 23 tanks. Having won a respite the Germans withdrew to El Agheilia, while 22nd Armd Bde, having lost nearly all its Crusaders, was also withdrawn to refit.
Battle of Gazala
On 4 March 1942 22nd Armd Bde was reorganised as an independent Brigade Group, with supporting artillery, engineer, transport and medical units. It returned to the front on 17 April 1942 under XXX Corps, coming under the command of 1st Armd Division on 23 April. The Battle of Gazala began on 26 May when Rommel tried to outflank the Gazala Line of defensive 'boxes'. XXX Corps moved south to give battle the following day. Before 22nd Armd Bde had got far it was attacked by both of the Afrika Korps' Panzer divisions, and it was ordered to fall back to the 'Knightsbridge' box, with the loss of 30 tanks and several guns. From Knightsbridge the brigade was able to attack the Germans' right flank, dealing some sharp blows. 22nd Armoured Bde spent the next day watching the immobile 15th Panzer Division. On 29 May the Axis armour began to close in around Knightsbridge, and 22nd Armd Bde sent two regiments to help 2nd Armd Bde in a fierce armour and artillery action fought in a sandstorm. By evening both sides were battered and exhausted. On 30 May 22nd Armd Bde made unsuccessful attacks on the enemy anti-tank screen. By now the battle had become a succession of confused armoured actions in the 'Cauldron' amidst the defensive boxes occupied by the infantry. Eighth Army made a new attack on the Cauldron on 4/5 June: 22nd Armd Bde had simultaneously to attack enemy armour and assist 9th Indian Infantry Bde. The attack began in moonlight at 02.50 and at first went well, 9th Indian Bde and 107th Rgt RHA of 22nd Armd Bde taking its opening positions, but the Axis positions were further back than realised, and the brigade's armour ran into the concentrated fire of the enemy's artillery and a panzer counter-attack. The tanks could give no aid to 9th Indian Bde, which was pushed off its objectives, and at the end of the day 22nd Armd Bde withdrew to Leaguer with the loss of some 60 tanks. The following day the infantry and artillery, including 107th Rgt RHA, were overrun in the Cauldron.Replacing tanks after the Cauldron battle was complicated by the different tank types used by different regiments in the armoured brigades. By 12 June 22nd Armd Bde had 27 Grants, 5 Stuarts and 34 Crusaders. Disruption was also caused by the frequent exchanges of brigades between different armoured division HQs – 22nd Armd fought under the command alternately of 1st and 7th Armd Divisions. The final phase of the Battle of Gazala began on 12 June, and British tank losses were again heavy. The following day Eighth Army began to withdraw. In a rearguard action 22nd Armd Bde foiled Rommel's attempt to cut the coast road, but the retreat went back to position around Mersa Matruh.
Mersa Matruh and First Alamein
1st Armoured Division, including 22nd Armd Bde, was positioned a few miles south west of Mersa Matruh when Rommel began probing the position on the evening of 26 June. 22nd Armoured Bde only had 3rd and 4th CLY in the line, though it was reinforced by the re-equipped 2nd Dragoon Guards of 2nd Armd Bde on 28 June while the Battle of Mersa Matruh continued. Rommel got between the Eighth Army's formations and forced them to retreat again, and by 30 June they were back at the El Alamein position.The Axis advance was halted by the British armoured brigades and artillery on 1–2 July in the First Battle of El Alamein. By 3 July 22nd Armd Bde was down to 20 Grants, 29 Stuarts and 8 Crusaders, but with 4th Armd Bde it awaited the enemy attack south of the Ruweisat Ridge and stopped it after a sharp engagement lasting half an hour. Eighth Army was counter-attacking by 15 July, 22nd Armd Bde supporting the 2nd New Zealand Division. In this attack the brigade consisted solely of 3rd CLY, but was joined during the afternoon by the newly-arrived Royal Scots Greys in their first tank action, giving a total of 31 Grants, 21 Stuarts and 23 Crusaders. The fighting died down by the end of July.