7.ª División Blindada Británica

Divisiones blindadas británicas

Guardias · 1st · 2nd · 6th · 7th "Desert Rats" · 8th · 9th · 10th · 11st · 42nd · 79th

Historial de servicio
7.ª División Blindada 7th Armoured Division
Tipo	Tropas blindadas
País	Reino Unido
Activa	1938 - 1958
Tamaño	División
Rama	Ejército Británico
Historial de combate
Vehículos	Light Tank Mk.VI, Cruiser Mk.I Mk.II Mk.III Mk.IV, Crusader, Cromwell, Challenger
Batallas principales	Campaña del Norte de África (Operación Compass, Operación Crusader, Batalla de Gazala, Segunda Batalla de El Alamein, Campaña de Túnez), Campaña de Italia, Batalla de Normandía (Operación Goodwood, Operación Bluecoat), Campaña de la Línea Sigfrido

La 7.ª División Blindada (7th Armoured Division), conocida como "Ratas del Desierto" (Desert Rats), fue una unidad blindada del Ejército Británico creada el 27 de septiembre de 1938 inicialmente, hasta febrero de 1940, con el nombre de División Móvil (Egipto) (Mobile Division (Egypt)). Fue formada después del aumento de las tensiones entre Gran Bretaña y las potencias del Eje, para reforzar la presencia británica en Egipto y defender los intereses del Imperio Británico en el Canal de Suez. Se convirtió en una de las unidades blindadas británicas más famosas de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Participó en toda la Campaña del Norte de África, en parte de la Campaña de Italia, y luego en la Batalla de Normandía y en el avance sobre Alemania desde París al río Rin.

Insignia de la división.

Comandantes

Major General Percy C. S. Hobart (3 sep. 1939 - 4 dic. 1939)
Major General Michael O'Moore Creagh (4 dic. 1939 - 3 sep. 1941)
Major General William H. E. Gott (3 sep. 1941 - 6 feb. 1942)
Major General J.C. Campbell (6 feb. 1942 - 26 feb. 1942 †)
Brigade General A.H. Gatehouse (23 feb. 1942 - 9 mar. 1942)
Major General Frank Messervy (9 mar. 1942 - 19 jun. 1942)
Major General J.M.L. Renton (19 jun. 1942 - 14 sep. 1942)
Major General John Harding (14 sep. 1942 - 20 ene. 1943)
Brigade General George Philip B. Roberts (20 ene. 1943 - 24 ene. 1943)
Major General George Erskine (24 ene. 1943 - 4 ago. 1944)
Major General G.L. Verney (4 ago. 1944 - 22 nov. 1944)
Major General L.O. Lyne (22 nov. 1944 - 1945)

Estructura

Campaña del Norte de África

Operación Compass (dic. 1940 - 9 feb. 1941)

4th Armoured Brigade
- 2nd Royal Tank Regiment
- 6th Royal Tank Regiment (hasta el 19 de enero)
- 7th Queen's Own Hussars
7th Armoured Brigade
- 1st Royal Tank Regiment
- 3rd The King's Own Hussars (hasta el 22 de enero)
- 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars (hasta el 19 de enero)
7th Support Group
- M Battery, 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (anti-tank)
- C Battery, 4th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
- 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (se incorporó el 4 de enero)
- 1st Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps
- 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade
Unidades independientes
- Divisional signals, Royal Corps of Signals
- 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)
- D Squadron, No. 2 Armoured Car Company RAF (adscrito a los 11th Hussars)
- 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (excepto M Battery) (adscrito)
- 106th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (adscrito)
- Royal Engineers
  - 2nd Field Squadron
  - 141st Field Park Troop
- No. 5, 58, 65, and 550th Companies, Royal Army Service Corps
- 4th New Zealand Reserve Company (adscrita)
- 1st Supply Issue Section, Indian Army Service Corps (adscrita)
- 2nd/3rd Cavalry Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
- 3rd/3rd Cavalry Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
- Royal Army Ordnance Corps
  - Divisional workshops
  - Divisional Ordnance Field Park
  - Divisional Forward Delivery Workshop Section
  - 1st Light Repair Section
  - 2nd Light Repair Section
  - 3rd Light Repair Section

Operación Crusader (nov. - dic. 1941)

4th Armoured Brigade Group (hasta el 19 de diciembre)
- 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
- 5th Royal Tank Regiment
- 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
- 2nd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
- 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards
7th Armoured Brigade (hasta el 27 de noviembre)
- 2nd Royal Tank Regiment
- 6th Royal Tank Regiment
- 7th Queen's Own Hussars
22nd Armoured Brigade (hasta el 22 de noviembre)
- 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
- 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
- 4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
7th Support Group (hasta el 27 de diciembre)
- 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
- 4th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
- 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 1st Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps (hasta el 25 de noviembre)
- 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade
- 60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (adscrito)
- Una batería, 51st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (adscrita)
Unidades independientes
- Royal Engineers
  - 4th Field Squadron
  - 143rd Field Park Squadron
- Royal Army Medical Corps
  - 2nd Light Field Ambulance
  - 13th Light Field Ambulance
  - 15th Light Field Ambulance
  - 7th Light Field Hygiene Section
- Royal Army Ordnance Corps
  - Divisional workshops
  - Divisional Ordnance Field Park
  - Divisional Forward Delivery Workshop Section
  - 1st Light Repair Section
  - 2nd Light Repair Section
  - 3rd Light Repair Section
- Unidad divisional del Royal Corps of Signals
- 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own)
- 4th South African Armoured Car Regiment (adscrito)
- King's Dragoon Guards (adscrito)

Segunda Batalla de El Alamein

4th Armoured Brigade (se retiró el 3 de marzo de 1943, aún organizada como Brigade Group)
- 4th/8th Hussars
- Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons)
- 1st Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps
- 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (regresó a la 7th Division el 3 de marzo de 1943)
- Destacamento de la 42nd Battery, 15th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
- Destacamento de la 21st Field Squadron R.E.
- 5th, 58th Support Companies R.A.S.C.
- 14th Light Field Ambulance R.A.M.C.
22nd Armoured Brigade (se incorporó el 26 de julio de 1942)
- 1st Royal Tank Regiment
- 5th Royal Tank Regiment
- 4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
- 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade
131st Lorried Infantry Brigade (se incorporó el 1 de noviembre de 1942)
- 1/5th Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
- 1/6th Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
- 1/7th Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
Unidades independientes
- 7th Division Signals
- 11th Hussars (en reserva)
- 1st Household Cavalry Regiment (adscrito)
- 44th Reconnaissance Regiment (adscrito desde la 44th Division con dos tropas de Scorpion Tanks)
- 2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry (adscrito)
- Royal Artillery
  - 4th Field Regiment (se incorporó el 16 de septiembre - se retiró el 10 de diciembre de 1942)
  - 97th (Kent Yeomanry) Field Regiment (se incorporó el 13 de septiembre - se retiró el 1 de diciembre de 1942)
  - 65th (Suffolk & Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment (se incorporó el 13 de septiembre de 1942)
  - 15th (Isle of Man) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (se incorporó el 2 de agosto de 1942)
- Royal Engineers
  - 4th Field Squadron (se incorporó el 24 de agosto de 1942)
  - 21st Field Squadron
  - 143rd Field Park Squadron
- R.A.M.C.
  - 2nd Light Field Ambulance

Campaña de Italia

22nd Armoured Brigade
- 1st Royal Tank Regiment
- 5th Royal Tank Regiment
- 4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
- 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade
131st Infantry Brigade
- 1/5th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
- 1/6th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
- 1/7th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
- 'C' Company, 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (Machine Gun) (se incorporó el 1 de agosto de 1943)
Unidades independientes
- 7th Division Signals
- 11th Hussars (se retiró el 3 de noviembre de 1943)
- Royal Artillery
  - 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
  - 5th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (se incorporó el 1 de diciembre de 1942)
  - 15th (Isle of Man) Light AA Regiment Royal Artillery
  - 65th (Suffolk & Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti Tank Regiment
  - 24th Field Regiment (adscrito)
  - 69th Medium Regiment (adscrito)
  - 146th (Pembroke & Cardiganshire) Field Regiment (adscrito)
- Royal Engineers
  - 4th Field Squadron
  - 621st Field Squadron
  - 143rd Field Park Squadron

Campaña de Europa Occidental

22nd Armoured Brigade
- 1st Royal Tank Regiment
- 5th Royal Tank Regiment
- 4th County of London Yeomanry (se retiró el 29 de julio de 1944)
- 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards (se incorporó el 29 de julio de 1944)
- 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade

131st Infantry Brigade
- 1/5th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
- 1/6th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) (se retiró el 3 de diciembre de 1944)
- 1/7th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) (se retiró el 3 de diciembre de 1944)
- 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment (se incorporó el 1 de diciembre de 1944)
- 9th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (se incorporó el 2 de diciembre de 1944)
Unidades independientes
- 7th Division Signals
- 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars (se incorporó el 16 de diciembre de 1943)
- 3rd Independent Machine Gun Company
- Royal Artillery
  - 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
  - 5th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
  - 15th (Isle of Man) Light AA Regiment Royal Artillery
  - 65th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti Tank Regiment Royal Artillery
- Royal Engineers
  - 4th Field Squadron
  - 621st Field Squadron
  - 143rd Field Park Squadron
  - 7th Bridging Troop
- R.A.S.C.
  - 58th Armoured Brigade Company
  - 67th Infantry Brigade Company
  - 507th Armoured Divisional Troops Company
  - 133rd Armoured Divisional Transport Company
- R.A.M.C.
  - 2nd Light Field Ambulance
  - 131st Light Field Ambulance
  - 29th Field Dressing Station
  - 70th Field Hygiene Section
  - 134th Mobile Dental Unit Army Dental Corps

Galería de imágenes

Tanques ligeros Mk.VIB de la 7.ª División Blindada durante una patrulla en el desierto norteafricano, agosto de 1940.
El 8.º Regimiento de Húsares probando sus nuevos tanques estadounidenses Stuart en el Desierto Occidental, agosto de 1941.
Tanques Sherman Mark III con camuflaje de la 7.ª División Blindada Británica, en noviembre de 1942 durante la Segunda Batalla de El Alamein.
Un Cromwell y un Challenger del 8.º Regimiento de Húsares (unidad de reconocimiento de la 7.ª División Blindada) en Hamburgo, 5 de mayo de 1945.

Referencias

Este artículo fue redactado por Adrián Hermida para WikiTanks.

7.ª División Blindada Británica

Sumario

Comandantes