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= British 50th (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 a World War II British Army formation. Part of the British 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. Stanier

Component 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 the Battle 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 and Calais , cutting the B.E.F.s lines of Communication and separating it from the main French Armies. A plan by General Weygand to close this gap included Frank Force consisting of the 5th and 50th Divisions and the 1st Army Tank Brigade. The British 5th Infantry Division was to hold the line of the river Scarpe to the East of Arras, while the other two formations attacked to the South of that city. During the afternoon of 21 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 Battalions Durham Light Infantry supporting the 4th & 7th Royal 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 on 21 May. The right column initially made rapid progress, taking a number of German prisoners, but they soon ran into German infantry and SS, backed by air support, and took heavy losses.The left column also enjoyed early success before running into opposition from the infantry units of Erwin 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 on 24 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 at Dunkirk, 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 disbanded 23rd (Northumbrian) Division, to complete 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and become part of IIX Corps, British Home Forces. It remained in Britain until 22 April 1941, when it was sent to North 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 while 2nd 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 the El 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, On 27 June 1942 south of Mersa 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 from October 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 and 1st 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 the British Eighth Army under General Bernard Montgomery now part of 18th Army Group , assaulted the Mareth Line. The 69th Infantry Brigade part of "50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division", with difficulty, penetrated the Italian held line near Zarat. The terrain and heavy rain, however, prevented deployment of tanks and anti-tank guns and the 15th Panzer Division's counter-attack on 22 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 on 23 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 the Mareth Line in the night of 19 March/20 March 1943. Elements of the British 50th Infantry Division penetrated the line and established a bridgehead west of Zarat on 20 March/21 March, but a determined counterattack by 15th Panzer Division destroyed the pocket and established the line once again during 22 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 at Pachino. Its XIII 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 of Passero, where the British 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 at Avola 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 and 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, to prepare for the invasion of North-West Europe

Operation 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 on Gold Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944, together with the 151st Infantry Brigade ,the 231st Infantry Brigade (previously an independent unit formed from regular troops stationed on Malta) permanently attached to the Division , and the 56th 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 linking Caen with Bayeux.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 capture Port-en-Bessin and link-up with U.S. forces landed on Omaha Beach.The 50th Infantry Division was also meet up with Canadian troops coming from Juno Beach.

Gold Beach

Gold Beach was the Allied codename for the centre invasion beach during the World War II Allied invasion of Normandy, June 6, 1944. It lay between Omaha Beach and Juno 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 tanks from the The Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers), the infantry assault battalions that attacked in the West were; the 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment, and the 1st Battalion Dorset Regiment. On the East 69th Brigade , followed by 151st Brigade, again a regiment of DD tanks was attached, they were from the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, the infantry assault battalions that attacked in the East were; the 5th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment, and the 6th Battalion The Green Howards. Their primary objective was to seize the town of Bayeux, the Caen-Bayeux road, and the port of Arromanches with the secondary objectives being to make contact with the Americans landing at Omaha Beach to the West and the Canadians landing at Juno Beach to the East. The 716th Static Infantry Division commanded by Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter, and elements of the 1st Battalion of the German 352nd Infantry Division commanded by Generalleutnant Dietrich 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 in World 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 of Eindhoven at Son and Veghel. The 82nd Airborne Division,would drop northeast of them to take the bridges at Grave and Nijmegen, and the British 1st Airborne Division, and the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade would drop at the extreme north end of the route, to take the road bridge at Arnhem and rail bridge at Oosterbeek.

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 near Uden , 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 of Eindhoven 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 capturing Bremmel , a village north of the river. This the 5th East Yorks achieved on the 25 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 occupy Halderen , but ran in to opposition, and failed to capture there objective. The 69th Brigade now attacked in the direction of Halderen continued throughout the 27 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 against 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division across the Nederijn.

References

External links

*
*http://www.greenhowards.org.uk/bill-cheall/cheall05.htm
*http://www.routetovictory.info/50history.php
*http://www.unithistories.com/units_british/50InfDiv.html
*