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Engagements And Campaigns Fought By The 4th Armoured Brigade (The Black Rats) As An Independent Unit

 

During the early years of Second World War the 4th Armoured Brigades fought as part of 7th Armoured Division (or under its command) and was involved in many of the major campaigns and engagements in the Western Desert. The accounts of these actions can be found as detailed below under the link for 1940 to 1943 (marked with a ), with a separate section for the engagements from the end of the North African campaign in 1942 and 1943, when although an Independent Armoured Brigade it was under the command of 7th Armoured Division and used the Divisional Badge. This page and the ones dealing with the respective years, contain as much information that I have found so far each campaign and engagement the Brigade was involved in after it left 7th Armoured Division and fought as an Independent Armoured Brigade, but I apologise if I have omitted anything.

Campaigns and engagements - 1940 :

Egypt-Libya Border Raids and Fort Capuzzo, Sid-Barrani

Campaigns and engagements - 1941 :

Bardia & Tobruk, Beda-Fomm, Rommel's First Attack, "Operation Brevity", "Operation Battle-Axe", "Operation Crusader" (including Sidi Rezegh, Rommel's Raid The Axis Withdrawal and Clearing Cyrenaica)

Campaigns and engagements - 1942 :

(as either part of 7th Armoured Division or focusing on the Brigades involvement with the rest of the Division while serving under its command)

Gazala and the Cauldron, First Alamein, Alam Halfa, El Alamein, The drive to Tripoli  

Campaigns and engagements - 1942 :

(focusing on the story of the Brigade as an Independent unit)

Holding the El Alamein Line (including Alam Halfa) El Alamein, Pursuit across the Desert 

Campaigns and engagements - 1943 :

(focusing on the Brigades involvement with the rest of 7th Armoured Division while serving under its command)

Tunisia, The Wait In North Africa

Campaigns and engagements - 1943 :

(focusing on the story of the Brigade as an Independent unit)

To Tripoli and the Push To Tunis (including the Mareth Line), Operation Husky, - The Invasion of Sicily  (including 3rd County of London Yeomanry's advance, 44th Royal Tank Regiment's advance, Operation Blackcock), Italy (including the Battles for Sangro River and later the Moro River) 

Campaigns and engagements - 1944 :

Preparations for Normandy, The Normandy Campaign (including Douvres Radar Station, Operation Epsom - River Odon, Odon Bridgehead and Hill 112, Operation Bluecoat - Vire, Closing the Falaise Pocket) and Belgium and Holland (including Operation Garden - Nijmegen, Clearing the Wilhelmina Canal and the Lower Rhine, Winter on the Maas).

Campaigns and engagements - 1945 :

Into Germany, Across the Rhine, The 'Great Swan' across Germany and Final Victory

 

 

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