4th Armoured Brigade (Australia)

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Australian 4th Armoured Brigade
4th Australian Armoured Brigade formation sign
Active	1943-1946
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Armoured
Role	Infantry support
Equipment	Matilda II and M3 Grant tanks

4th Armoured Brigade Matilda II and M3 Grant tanks firing small calibre weapons during a demonstration

The Australian 4th Armoured Brigade was formed in January 1943 to provide armoured support for Australian Army units operating in the South West Pacific Area. The Brigade was never intended to serve as a single formation, rather its role was to provide a pool of armoured units from which units and sub-units could be provided to augment infantry forces. The Brigade was also responsible for developing doctrine and specialised armoured vehicles for armoured warfare in tropical terrain.

In keeping with the Brigade's task of providing armoured units to other formations, the Brigade's armoured regiments were organised into self-supporting regimental groups and the Brigade did not possess the reconnaissance, infantry and other supporting elements which were common in Second World War era armoured brigades.

The 4th Armoured Brigade was disbanded in March 1946.

[edit] Composition

Upon formation

• 4th Armoured Brigade HQ (previously 6th Armoured Brigade HQ)
• 1st Army Tank Battalion (Australia) (Matilda II) (ex-3rd Army Tank Brigade)
• 2/6th Armoured Regiment (M3 Stuart) (previously independent)
• 2/9th Armoured Regiment (M3 Grant) (ex-3rd Armoured Division)
• Signals, engineers and service troops

Upon disbandment

• 4th Armoured Brigade HQ
• 1st Armoured Regiment (Matilda II)
• 2/4th Armoured Regiment (Matilda II) ((ex-3rd Armoured Division)
• 2/6th Armoured Regiment (M3 Grant)
• 2/9th Armoured Regiment (M3 Grant)
• 1st Armoured Amphibious Squadron (LVT) (newly raised)
• Armoured Squadron (Special Equipment) (specialised Matilda II variants) (newly raised)
• Signals, engineers and service troops

[edit] Elements of the Brigade in action

Two Matilda tanks of 1 Armoured Regiment engage a Japanese strong point in the Balikpapan suburb of Pandesari

• A and C Squadrons of the 1st Army Tank Battalion saw action attached to the Australian 9th Division in the Huon Peninsula campaign of 1943-1944
• C Squadron of 2/4th Armoured Regiment saw action attached to the Australian 6th Division in Wewak from October 1944 until the end of the war.
• A and B Squadrons of 2/4th Armoured Regiment were deployed to Bougainville as part of Australian II Corps in 1945.
• C Squadron of the 2/9th Armoured Regiment was attached to the 26th Brigade Group during the invasion of Tarrakan in May 1945.
• The remainder of the 2/9th Armoured Regiment was attached to the 9th Division during its operations in British North Borneo from June 1945 until the end of the war.
• 1st Armoured Regiment and the Armoured Squadron (Special Equipment) were attached to the Australian 7th Division during its operations in Balikpapan from July 1945 until the end of the war.

See also: Australian Armoured Units of World War II

Source: Major General R.N. Hopkins (Retired). Australian Armour. A History of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps 1927-1972. Australian Government Publishing Service. 1978.