- 151st Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 151st Infantry Brigade
abbreviation= 151st Inf Bde
Caption=
dates=2 September 1939 -
country=Great Britain
allegiance=
branch=British Army
type= Infantry
role=
size= Brigade
command_structure= British50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
equipment=
Past Commanders=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
notable_commanders=
identification_symbol= Twin overlapping red "T T" on a black background
identification_symbol_2=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=Battle of France (1940)
Attack at Arras
Battle of Gazala
Second Battle of El Alamein
El Agheila
Operation Pugilist
Matruth Line
wadi Akarit
Enfidaville
D Day
Operation Perch
Operation Market Garden
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=The 151st Infantry Brigade was aWorld War II British Army formation. Part of theBritish 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division .Commanders
*Brig.
Viscount Downe
*Brig. J.A. Barstow
*Brig. G.W.E.J. Erskine (later C.O.British 7th Armoured Division )
*Brig. L.L. Hassall
*Brig. E.C. Cooke-Collis
*Brig. A.G.B. StanierComponent Units
*6th Bn,
Durham Light Infantry
*8th Bn, The Durham Light Infantry
*9th Bn, The Durham Light Infantry
*1st/7th Bn,Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment History
This brigade was a 1st Line
Territorial Army unit. During theBattle of France , it was involved in the only counter attack against the German forces in 1940 , the attack at Arras.Attack at Arras
A serious situation had developed to the South where the German spearheads had had pierced the Péronne –
Cambrai gap and were threatening Boulogne andCalais , cutting the B.E.F.s lines of Communication and separating it from the main French Armies. A plan byGeneral Weygand to close this gap includedFrank Force consisting of the 5th and 50th Divisions and the1st Army Tank Brigade . TheBritish 5th Infantry Division was to hold the line of the riverScarpe to the East of Arras, while the other two formations attacked to the South of that city. During the afternoon of21 May , the attack by the 50th Division and the 1st Tank Brigade was seen progressing South from Arras. This was to be the only large scale attack mounted by the B.E.F. during the campaign. The attack was supposed to be manned by two infantry divisions, comprising about 15,000 men. It was ultimately executed by just two infantry battalions, the 6th & 8th BattalionsDurham Light Infantry supporting the 4th & 7thRoyal Tank Regiment , totalling around 2,000 men, and reinforced by 74 tanks. The infantry battalions were split into two columns for the attack, which took place on21 May . The right column initially made rapid progress, taking a number of German prisoners, but they soon ran into German infantry andSS , backed by air support, and took heavy losses.The left column also enjoyed early success before running into opposition from the infantry units ofErwin Rommel 's 7th Panzer Division. French cover enabled British troops to withdraw to their former positions that night. Frankforce was over, and the next day the Germans regrouped and continued their advance. Frankforce took around 400 German prisoners and inflicted a similar number of casualties, as well as destroying a number of tanks. The operation had punched far beyond its weight - the attack was so fierce that 7th Panzer Division believed it had been attacked by five infantry divisions. The attack also made the German commanders nervous, and it may have been one of the factors for the surprise German halt on24 May , that gave the BEF the slimmest of opportunities to begin evacuation from Dunkirk. Luckily most of the Brigade and Division were fortunate enough to get out atDunkirk , but had to leave all its equipment behind. On returning home it "'151st Infantry Brigade" and the 150th Infantry Brigade were joined by the 69th Infantry Brigade , from the now disbanded23rd (Northumbrian) Division , to complete50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and become part ofIIX Corps ,British Home Forces . It remained in Britain until22 April 1941, when it was sent toNorth Africa . British home forces.cite web|url=http://www.routetovictory.info/50history.php |title=Route to Victory :: History |publisher=Routetovictory.info |date= |accessdate=2008-09-26]North africa
In April 1941 the Brigade as part of "50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division" was dispatched to the Middle East first via Cyprus, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and then into Libya as part of XIII Corps in the British Eighth Army which was one of the best-known formations in World War II.
Battle of Gazala
The "Gazala Line" was a series of occupied "boxes" each of brigade strength set out across the desert with minefields and wire watched by regular patrols between the boxes. The Free French were to the south at the
Bir Hakeim box. The line was not equally staffed with a greater number of troops covering the coast leaving the south less protected.By late May Rommel was ready. Facing him on the Gazala defences were
1st South African Division , nearest the coast,50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division (on their left) and 1st Free French Brigade furthest left at Bir Hakeim. The British 1st and 7th Armoured Divisions waited behind the main line as a mobile counter-attacking force while2nd South African Division formed a garrison at Tobruk and Indian 5th Infantry Division (which had arrived in April to relieve Indian 4th Infantry Division) were held in reserve.The "Brigade" position at the start of the battle can be seen in the map (right) , it was during this battle that there sister brigade the "150th Infantry Brigade" was destroyed in The Cauldron by the
Afrika Korps and never reformed. The "151st Brigade" and the remaining units of "50th Northumbrian Division" had to escape by attacking west througth the enemy lines then sweeping back east to the south of the enemy forces, eventually they reached theEl Alamein line by the 1st July. [cite web|url=http://www.ramsden.info/Ramsdens/GeneralRamsden.htm |title=Ramsden.info – General Ramsden |publisher=Ramsden.info |date= |accessdate=2008-09-26]Adam Wakenshaw VC
Adam Herbert Wakenshaw VC (9 June 1914 -27 June 1942 )Was 28 years old, and a private in the 9th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, On27 June 1942 south ofMersa Matruh ,Egypt , Private Wakenshaw was a member of a crew of a 2 pounder (907 g) anti-tank gun, when the enemy attacked, silencing the gun and killing or seriously wounded all the crew. Private Wakenshaw's left arm was blown off but he crawled back to his gun, loaded it with one arm and fired five more rounds with considerable effect. He was then blown away from the gun by an enemy shell and was again severely wounded, but he still managed to crawl back and was preparing to fire again when a direct hit on the ammunition killed him and destroyed the gun.El Alamein
The Battle of El Alamein is usually divided into five phases, consisting of the break-in (
October 23 -24), the crumbling (October 24 -25), the counter (October 26 -28), Operation Supercharge (November 1 -2) and the breakout (November 3 -7). No name is given to the period fromOctober 29 to the 30th when the battle was at a standstill.In the 2nd Battle of El Alamein,69th Infantry Brigade and "5Oth (Northumbrian) Division " , was initially deployed in the south (see map) , where it was to attack the Italian
185th Parachute Division Folgore , supported by elements of the British 7th Armoured Division. Since the Division was understrength, owing to the loss of the "150th infantry Brigade" , the 1st Free French Brigade and1st Greek Infantry Brigade were attached to it for the battle. It was then transferred north to take part in Operation Supercharge.Tunisia , Operation Pugilist
First assault on the Mareth Line
On
19 March 1943 XXX Corps of theBritish Eighth Army under General Bernard Montgomery now part of18th Army Group , assaulted theMareth Line . The 69th Infantry Brigade part of "50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division", with difficulty, penetrated the Italian held line nearZarat . The terrain and heavy rain, however, prevented deployment of tanks and anti-tank guns and the 15th Panzer Division's counter-attack on22 March recaptured much of the bridgehead.Soon after, XXX Corps prepared a new attack towards Tallouf. The
4th Indian Infantry Division was detailed to make a night attack on23 March around the left-hand end of the Line. This would coincide with the wide "left hook" manoeuver Montgomery was planning.The division fought in
Tunisia , where Montgomery launched his major attack,Operation Pugilist , against theMareth Line in the night of19 March /20 March 1943 . Elements of theBritish 50th Infantry Division penetrated the line and established a bridgehead west of Zarat on20 March /21 March , but a determined counterattack by 15th Panzer Division destroyed the pocket and established the line once again during22 March .Gabes
Both the Eighth Army and the U.S. II Corps continued their attacks over the next week, and eventually the 8th broke the lines and the DAK was forced to abandon Gabes and retreat to join the other Axis forces far to the north. On the night of
5 April ,Wadi Akarit , was attacked and the "Tobruk" Battalion of the Italian San Marco Marines , was destroyed. [url=http://www.greenhowards.org.uk/bill-cheall/cheall12.htm}]"When we were about ten yards away we had reached the top of the slit trench and we killed any of the survivors," recalled British infantryman Bill Cheall , who had just seen his section leader shot down by a San Marco Marine. "It was no time for pussy footing, we were intoxicated with rage and had to kill them to pay for our fallen pal." [cite web|url=http://www.greenhowards.org.uk/bill-cheall/cheall11.htm |title=The Green Howards Regimental History, - Bill Cheall's Story |publisher=Greenhowards.org.uk |date= |accessdate=2008-09-26]
"German General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim later said of the San Marco Marines fighting abilities in Tunisia in 1943, that they were "the best soldiers I ever commanded"." [cite web|url=http://www.avalanchepress.com/Italy_marines.php |title=Avalanche Press |publisher=Avalanchepress.com |date= |accessdate=2008-09-26]
Eighth Army's attack along the eastern coast of Tunisia ,lead eventually to the surrender of Axis forces in Africa. 250,000 men were taken prisoner, a number equal to that at
Stalingrad .Operation Husky , Sicily Invasion
After
Tunisia the Brigade still part of "50th Northumbrian Division" was involved in the Sicily landings of 1943,Eighth Army , The latter was to operate in the eastern sector, and had as its objectives the port of Syracuse and the airfield atPachino . ItsXIII Corps , (which included 50th (Northumbrian) Division) , was to land south of Cap Murro Di Porco with 5th Division on a two-brigade front, 50th (Northumbrian) Division on a one-brigade front.XXX Corps , would operate on three sides ofPassero , where theBritish 231st Infantry Brigade , who had joind the Division to replace the destroyed "150th Infantry Brigade"would advance on a one brigade front. When it landed atAvola there objective was the hills above the landing beaches.After Sicily the Brigade and Division was then recalled from the 8th Army in Italy, on the wishes of the 8th Army's ex-commander, General
Bernard Law Montgomery , together with 7th Armoured Division and51st (Highland) Infantry Division , to prepare for the invasion of North-West EuropeOperation Overlord , D-Day
On
19 October 1943 the Brigade as part of "50 Northumbrian Division" was withdrawn to Britain for reforming and training before landing onGold Beach onD-Day ,6 June 1944 , together with the 151st Infantry Brigade ,the 231st Infantry Brigade (previously an independent unit formed from regular troops stationed onMalta ) permanently attached to the Division , and the56th Infantry Brigade temporarily attached.Objectives
The 50th (Northumbrian)Infantry Division was to establish a beachhead between Arromanches and
Ver-sur-Mer and then head south towards Route Nationale 13 linkingCaen withBayeux .The first wave is made of the 231st Infantry and "'69th Infantry Brigades". Once the initial assault is over and the beachhead established, the follow-up brigades the "56th and 151st" will push inland to the south-west towards RN 13 supported by the tanks of the 8th Armoured Brigade.To the west, the 47 Royal Marine Commando's mission is to capturePort-en-Bessin and link-up with U.S. forces landed onOmaha Beach .The 50th Infantry Division was also meet up with Canadian troops coming fromJuno Beach .Gold Beach
Gold Beach was the Allied
codename for the centre invasion beach during theWorld War II Allied invasion of Normandy,June 6 ,1944 . It lay betweenOmaha Beach andJuno Beach , was 8 km wide and divided into four sectors. From West to East they were How, Item, Jig, and King.The beach was assaulted in multiple brigades of the "50th Northumbrian Division" , on the West was the 231st Brigade, followed by the 56th Brigade, attached to this was a regiment of
DD tank s from the The Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers), the infantry assault battalions that attacked in the West were; the 1st BattalionHampshire Regiment , and the 1st BattalionDorset Regiment . On the East 69th Brigade , followed by 151st Brigade, again a regiment of DD tanks was attached, they were from the4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards , the infantry assault battalions that attacked in the East were; the 5th BattalionEast Yorkshire Regiment , and the 6th BattalionThe Green Howards . Their primary objective was to seize the town ofBayeux , theCaen -Bayeux road, and the port of Arromanches with the secondary objectives being to make contact with the Americans landing atOmaha Beach to the West and the Canadians landing atJuno Beach to the East. The 716th Static Infantry Division commanded by GeneralleutnantWilhelm Richter , and elements of the 1st Battalion of theGerman 352nd Infantry Division commanded by GeneralleutnantDietrich Kraiss , defended the Channel coast for the Germans.H-Hour for the Gold beach landing was set for 0725 hours,Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden (
September 17 ,1944 –September 25 ,1944 ) was an Allied military operation inWorld War II in the Netherlands and Germany.Market
Market would employ three Airborne Divisions. The U.S.
101st Airborne Division , would drop in two locations just north of XXX Corps to take the bridges northwest ofEindhoven at Son andVeghel . The 82nd Airborne Division,would drop northeast of them to take the bridges at Grave andNijmegen , and the British1st Airborne Division , and thePolish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade would drop at the extreme north end of the route, to take the road bridge atArnhem and rail bridge atOosterbeek .Garden
Garden consisted primarily of XXX Corps and was spearheaded by the
Guards Armoured Division , with the 43rd Wessex and 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division including 69th Infantry Brigade , in reserve.17 September 1944 at 13.30hrs the 50th Division watched as one of the largest air armadas of the war pass overhead. The division's field artillery 74th, 90th and 124th Fd Regts RA and the Morters of Cheshire Regiment took part in the opening barrage. At 14:35hrs the Sherman’s of the Irish Guards crossed the start line and despite heavy fighting reached Valkenswaard five miles (8 km) south of Eindhoven by dusk.22 September , 69th Brigade was in trouble when two battalions of infantry and a regiment of tanks cut the main Corps centre-line nearUden , eight miles (13 km) south of the bridge at Grave. The brigade was cut in half with East Yorkshires in the north while the Green Howards where in the south.23 September ,151st" and 231st Brigades were ordered to move north and east ofEindhoven to guard the right flank while 69th Brigade, with 124th Fd Regt RA continued onward towards Nijmegen. On arrival there they came under command of the Guards Armoured Division"' with the task of capturingBremmel , a village north of the river. This the 5th East Yorks achieved on the25 September ,, but the Germans were not happy at losing this village, and kept them under heavy artillery fire for days. cite web|url=http://www.routetovictory.info/50history.php |title=Route to Victory :: History |publisher=Routetovictory.info |date= |accessdate=2008-09-26]26 September the 6th Green Howards were ordered to occupyHalderen , but ran in to opposition, and failed to capture there objective. The 69th Brigade now attacked in the direction of Halderen continued throughout the27 September . During the day the East Yorks gained some ground as they were supported by a quick barrage.The airborne troops farther north at Arnhem had by now been withdrawn. The attempt to reach them by land had clearly failed, and attempts to supply them by air had been only partially successful. Thus the final objective of Operation "Market Garden" Arnhem and the crossing of the Rhine defences had not been achieved.
30 September All of 50th Division was tasked with guarding the bridge and bridgehead north of Nijmegen called the Island. The first German counter attack came when seventy tanks and the equivalent of an infantry division was unleashed on the division. 69th Brigade and the 5th Guards Brigade were holding the line, while another attack was put in against43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division across the Nederijn.References
External links
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*http://www.greenhowards.org.uk/bill-cheall/cheall05.htm
*http://www.routetovictory.info/50history.php
*http://www.unithistories.com/units_british/50InfDiv.html
*
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