9th Division (Australia)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Australian 9th Division


caption=Members of the 9th Division parade at Gaza Airport in late 1942
dates=1940-1946
country=Australia
allegiance=
branch=Army
type=Infantry
role=
size=
command_structure=
garrison=
current_commander=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
notable_commanders=Lieutenant General Sir Leslie Morshead
Major General Sir George Wootten
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_2=
nickname=Rats of Tobruk
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=World War II
*Siege of Tobruk
*First Battle of El Alamein
*Second Battle of El Alamein
*New Guinea campaign
*Borneo campaign (1945)
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=The 9th Division of the Australian Army was formed to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF). The division was raised from regular army units and volunteer infantry brigades, from October 1940 onwards. In common with several other Australian divisions, the 9th Division was one of only a few Allied army units to serve with distinction against both Nazi Germany (in North Africa) and the Empire of Japan (in New Guinea and Borneo).

History

Formation

The 9th Division was formed in the United Kingdom in late 1940, with the 18th and 25th Infantry Brigades as its nominal founding units. [ [http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_13042.asp Australian War Memorial, "9th Division"] ] However, only the 18th Brigade was actually in the UK. The 24th Brigade was also assigned to the division. These three infantry brigades had all been formed in Australia.

By February 1941, 9th Division headquarters had been relocated to the Middle East. As part of a reorganisation of the AIF, the 18th and 25th Brigades became part of the 7th Division. The 26th and 28th Infantry Brigades replaced them as part of the 9th Division.

North Africa

Cyrenaica

After completing its initial training in Australia, the UK and Palestine, the 9th Division was sent to Cyrenaica in Libya in early March 1941 to complete its training and equipping as part of the garrison of this region. When the German-led Axis forces launched an offensive, on March 24, the Allied forces were not sufficiently prepared for action and they were quickly driven out of Cyrenaica, an event nicknamed the "Benghazi Handicap" by the Australians. The division suffered relatively light casualties in this retreat and was fortunate to escape without severe loss.

iege of Tobruk

On 6 April 1941 the retreating 9th Division was ordered to enter and defend the important port town of Tobruk which General Wavell, the commander of the British Middle East Command, had ordered be held for at least two months. Reinforced by the 18th Brigade of the Australian 7th Division and British artillery and armoured regiments the 9th Division successfully defended the port for over 6 months.

The Australian defence of Tobruk was anchored on three factors: the use of the pre-existing Italian fortifications around the port, aggressive patrolling and raiding of Axis positions and the firepower of the garrison's artillery. Fighting from fixed positions, the Australian infantry successfully contained and defeated repeated German armoured and infantry attacks on the fortress. After the failure of the British attempts to relieve the fortress in May and June 1941 the 9th Division was successful in gradually improving Tobruk's defences through aggressively raiding Axis positions.

Upon the request of the Australian War Cabinet, the bulk of the 9th Division was withdrawn from Tobruk in September and October 1941 with only the 2/13th Battalion remaining in the fortress at the time the garrison was finally relieved in December. The defence of Tobruk cost the 9th Division 3,164 casualties (650 killed, 1,597 wounded and 917 captured).

El Alamein

yrian interlude

After its withdrawal from Tobruk the 9th Division enjoyed only a brief period of rest in Palestine before being redeployed to northern Syria where, as part of the British 9th Army, it was responsible for guarding the Turkish-Syrian frontier. This deployment was the first time all the elements of the Division had been concentrated in the one area. In addition to its garrison duties, the 9th Division also conducted some much needed training in mobile warfare during its stay in Syria.

While the Australian I Corps, including the 6th and 7th Divisions, was withdrawn to Australia in early 1942 the Australian government agreed to British requests to retain the 9th Division in the Middle East in exchange for an additional American division being sent to Australia. Following the withdrawal of the I Corps the 9th Division was the only Australian Army unit in the Middle East and the last Australian Army unit to see action against the German and Italian armies.

First Battle of El Alamein

During early 1942 the Axis forces advanced steadily through north west Egypt. It was decided that the Eighth Army should make a stand just over 100km west of Alexandria, at the railway siding of El Alamein, where the coastal plain narrowed between the Mediterranean Sea and the inhospitable Qattara Depression.

On 26 June 1942 the 9th Division was ordered to begin moving from northern Syria to El Alamein. The lead elements of the Division arrived at El Alamein on 6 July and the Division was assigned the most northerly section of the Commonwealth defensive line.

The Axis leader, Erwin Rommel made a major attack on July 1, hoping to dislodge the Allies from the area, take Alexandria, and open the way to Cairo and the Suez Canal. However the Eighth Army had regrouped sufficiently to repel the Axis forces and launch counterattacks.

Before dawn on July 10, as Rommel focused his efforts on the southern flank of the battlefield, the 9th Division attacked the north flank of the enemy positions and captured the strategic high ground around Tel el Eisa. Rommel redirected his forces against them, in a series of intense counterattacks, but was unable to dislodge the Australians.

The final phase of the First Battle of El Alamein was a disaster for the Allies and the 2/28th Battalion in particular: an attempt to capture Sanyet el Miteiriya, known as "Ruin Ridge", on July 26. The operation was part of a complex series of night attacks. The 2/28th suffered significant casualties and vehicle losses in its advance, but achieved its objective. However, the battalion was soon surrounded by German infantry. A planned advance by British tanks failed and German tanks arrived. The 2/28th's positions came under a prolonged and methodical attack by the Axis forces. By the time they surrendered, 65 Australians had been killed. Although the vast majority of the 2/28th had become POWs, 105 members of the battalion remained behind Allied lines and it was subsequently rebuilt.

econd Battle of El Alamein

outh West Pacific

The 9th Division began embarking for its return to Australia on 24 January 1943. The division arrived at Fremantle in Western Australia on 18 February whereupon all members of the division were granted three weeks leave. The division reformed in April 1943 in the semi-tropical Atherton Tableland region of Far North Queensland where it began re-organising and re-training for jungle warfare. As part of the conversion to a Jungle Division many of the division’s units were either separated from the division, reorganised into new roles or disbanded. After completing amphibious training near Cairns the 9th Division departed for Milne Bay in New Guinea in late July and early August 1943.

New Guinea

Lae

The 9th Division's first task in New Guinea was to liberate the town of Lae in a joint operation with the 7th Division. On 4 September 1943 the 9th Division successfully conducted an amphibious landing to the east of the town, while the 7th Division was flown into the recently secured Nadzab airfield, to the west of Lae, from September 7.

After establishing their supply bases the two Australian divisions raced each other to Lae. The 7th Division entered the town several hours ahead of the 9th Division on 16 September. The 9th Division's advance had been held up by Japanese resistance and difficulties with crossing the rivers between the landing beaches and Lae.

Huon Peninsula campaign

Led by Australian Brigadier J. V. Windeyer's 20th Brigade, the 9th Division made an amphibious landing at Scarlet Beach, 10km (6 mi) north of Finschhafen, on September 22, 1943. After a week of heavy fighting against well-entrenched Japanese troops, the Australians captured the town and airfield of Finschhafen, declaring it liberated on October 2.

However, as most of the initial 4,000 Japanese personnel had retreated to a 1,000 metre (3,000 ft) high mountain called Sattelberg, following the Allied landing. The Japanese launched a counterattack from there on October 16. The 9th Division went on the offensive against Sattelberg on November 7. With intermittent and sometimes heavy air support, the Australian troops worked to uproot the Japanese from the strategically important peak. It fell to the 9th Division on November 25, 1943.

Borneo

The 9th Division returned to Australia between January and March 1944. After a period of leave the division once again re-formed on the Atherton Tableland. Due to high personnel turnover in this period many of the division's units had to be virtually rebuilt.

While the Australian I Corps (of which the 9th Division was part) had originally been intended to participate in the liberation of the Philippines, these plans were dropped, and the Corps was instead tasked with the liberation of Borneo.

Tarakan

The 9th Division's role in Borneo was the liberation of Tarakan Island and British North Borneo.

The 26th Brigade Group landed on Tarakan on May 1, 1945. Resistance from the Japanese was unexpectedly fierce, and it took six weeks to secure the island. The 26th Brigade Group suffered most of the 900 Australian casualties in this operation.

Brunei and Labuan

The remainder of the 9th Division landed in Labuan and Brunei area on June 10, 1945. The 20th Brigade rapidly secured Brunei against relatively light opposition, suffering only 40 casualties in this campaign. The 24th Brigade, however, encountered greater opposition in taking the island of Labuan. After securing Labuan, the Brigade was landed on the northern shore of Brunei Bay and liberated this area against only light opposition. The division's total casualties in this operation were 114 killed.

Disbandment

Following the end of the war the 9th Division remained in Borneo and performed emergency relief and occupation duties until the arrival of Indian troops in January 1946. The 9th Division began gradually demobilising on 1 October 1945 with soldiers with dependants or long service being the first to be discharged. The division's headquarters was disbanded on 10 February 1946 and the last unit of the division was disbanded in May 1946.

Casualties

The 9th Division suffered a total of 2,732 killed in action, 7,501 wounded and 1,863 captured. These 12,096 casualties represent approximately one quarter of the men who served with the division.

Structure

Infantry units (with state of origin, where applicable)

* Australian 20th Brigade – from 7th Division, 1941.
** 2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion, New South Wales (NSW)
** 2/15th Australian Infantry Battalion, Queensland (Qld)
** 2/17th Australian Infantry Battalion, NSW

* Australian 24th Brigade – from 8th Division, 1940
** 2/25th Australian Infantry Battalion, Qld (to 25th Infantry Brigade, 1940)
** 2/28th Australian Infantry Battalion, Western Australia (WA)
** 2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion, Victoria (Vic.)
** 2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion, South Australia (SA)

* Australian 25th Brigade - to 7th Div., 1941

* Australian 26th Brigade
** 2/23rd Australian Infantry Battalion, Vic.
** 2/24th Australian Infantry Battalion, Vic.
** 2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion, Victoria (Vic.) (to 24th Brigade, 1940)
** 2/48th Australian Infantry Battalion, SA

* Australian 27th Brigade – to 8th Div., 1941

* Artillery regiments
** 2/7th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
** 2/8th Field Regiment, RAA
** 2/12th Field Regiment, RAA (ex 2/2nd Medium Reg., Corps Artillery)
** 2/3rd Anti-Tank Regiment, RAA (from 8th Div., 194?)

* Other units
** 2/3rd Australian Machine-Gun Regiment (Vic.)
** 2/4th Australian Pioneer Battalion
** 9th Australian Divisional Cavalry (from 8th Div., 1941)
** Engineer companies
*** 2/3rd Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers, Tasmania/WA/SA (from 6th Div., 194?)
*** 2/13th Field Company, RAE, Qld (ex 2/1st Field Park Company)
*** 2/7th Field Company, RAE, Qld (ex Corps Troops)
*** 2/4th Field Park Company, RAE, WA (ex 8th Division)

Commanders

*Major General Henry Wynter (October 1940 - February 1941)
*Major General Leslie Morshead (February 1941 - March 1943)
*Major General George Wootten (March 1943 - October 1945).

Quotes

*" [A] batch of some 50 or 60 Australian prisoners were marched off close behind us — immensely big and powerful men, who without question represented an elite formation of the British Empire, a fact that was also evident in battle." [http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/download/csipubs/9thaustr/9th_part1.pdf]
Lt. Gen. Erwin Rommel, Commander, German "Afrika Korps", Battle of Tobruk, 1941.

*"My God, I wish we had [the] 9th Australian Division with us this morning."
Maj. Gen. Freddie de Guingand, Chief of Staff, Allied Land-force Headquarters Europe, D-Day, 1944.

External links

* [http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/el_alamein/reading.htm Australian War Memorial Encyclopedia, "El Alamein" ]
* [http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/remembering1942/alamein/transcript.htm Peter Stanley (Australian War Memorial), 2002, "Ruin Ridge, 26–27 July 1942" ]

References

* Chris Coulthard-Clark (2001) "The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles". Allen & Unwin. Sydney.
* Mark Johnston (2002). "That Magnificent 9th". Allen & Unwin. Sydney.
* Jon Latimer (2002), "Alamein", John Murray. London.
* Colonel Ward A. Miller [http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/miller/miller.asp The 9th Australian Division Versus the Africa Corps: An Infantry Division Against Tanks--Tobruk, Libya, 1941]