page_title: Tanks in the Australian Army
section_title: Armoured formations and campaigns
hierarchical_section_title: Tanks in the Australian Army / Second World War / Armoured formations and campaigns
caption_attribution_description: English: 1943-01-02. PAPUA, GIROPA POINT. AUSTRALIAN MANNED M3 GENERAL STUART TANKS ATTACKING JAPANESE PILLBOXES IN THE FINAL ASSAULT ON BUNA. MEN OF D COMPANY, 2/12TH BATTALION, FIRE ON 25 JAPANESE (NOT SEEN), USING BREN MK 1 MACHINE GUNS AND SMLE NO 1 MKIII* RIFLES, WHO ARE FLEEING FROM A WRECKED PILLBOX 150 YARDS AWAY. THE PILLBOX WAS DESTROYED BY THE GENERAL STUART TANK SHOWN HERE. IN THE FOREGROUND ARE PRIVATE J. SEARLE AND CORPORAL G. G. FLETCHER. THIS PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN DURING THE ACTUAL FIGHTING. Australian War Memorial, copyright expired, public domain. Image 014001.
context_page_description: The Australian Army has used tanks from after the First World War, through the interwar period, the Second World War, the Cold War and to the present day. Throughout this period the Army has primarily been a light infantry force, with its tanks mainly being used in the direct support role. The Australian Army's tanks have seen combat during the Second World War and the Vietnam War, where they proved successful despite some of the designs employed being considered obsolete. The first Australian tanks were a small number of British medium and light tanks which were operated mainly for training purposes during the 1920s and 1930s.
  The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 led to a significant expansion of Australia's armoured force. From 1942 large numbers of American light and medium tanks were delivered to Australia, along with British Matilda IIs. In addition, a small number of Australian-designed Sentinel tanks were delivered to the Army during 1942 and 1943, but the type was never issued to combat units. Three armoured divisions capable of independent operations were formed during the Second World War, but none were deployed outside Australia.
context_section_description: The outbreak of war in 1939 led to a significant expansion of Australia's armoured force. At the start of the war, due to the limitations of the Defence Act (1903), which prevented the government from sending the Militia to fight outside Australian territory, it was decided to raise an all-volunteer force to serve overseas. This force was known as the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), and many of the 1st Light Horse (Machine Gun) Regiment's members volunteered and were assigned to the 2/2nd Machine Gun Battalion, they took part in the fighting in the Mediterranean theatre. With the Australian Army only possessing a total of fourteen tanks – 10 Mark VIs and four Mark IIs – orders for modern types were quickly placed in Britain and the United States. Thirteen M3 light tanks arrived in September 1941, while another 400 more were soon delivered. However, 140 British Matilda tanks would not begin to arrive until July 1942. Meanwhile, as steps were made to form the 1st Armoured Division in 1941 the armoured vehicles of the 1st and 2nd Light Tank Companies had been withdrawn to equip the newly formed AFV School at Puckapunyal, Victoria. The 1st Light Tank Company was subsequently expanded to form the 3rd Armoured Regiment, while the 2nd Light Tank Company was disbanded.
  At the same time each of the four divisions in the 2nd AIF was authorised a cavalry reconnaissance regiment equipped with light tanks and scout carriers. While all four divisions were authorised a divisional cavalry regiment, only three regiments were eventually formed as it was believed that the 8th Division did not need armoured support in Malaya due to concerns about operating tanks in the jungle. The cavalry regiments of the 2nd AIF divisions operating in Mediterranean theatre against Italian and German forces were initially equipped with the Universal Carrier and unarmoured trucks before being progressively mechanised using British Army equipment, while carriers were also operated by the infantry battalions. A light armoured tracked vehicle they were armed with Bren light machine guns and Boys anti-tank rifles and were widely used by British Commonwealth forces during the World War II. Meanwhile, the Australian Tank Corps was superseded following the formation of the Australian Armoured Corps in July 1941. In October 1941 two independent light tank squadrons had been formed for service in Malaya; however, neither was deployed due to a lack of vehicles to equip them.
  In North Africa in 1941, Australian troops were part of the force which captured Tobruk on 22 January as part of Operation Compass, yielding over 25,000 prisoners along with 236 field and medium guns, 23 medium tanks and more than 200 other vehicles. During the capture of the town Australians from the 6th Division Cavalry Regiment had used a number of captured Italian M11 tanks which had been pressed into service due to a lack of their own tanks, painting kangaroos on the side so they would not be attacked by their own side. The regiment's use of tanks in this fighting was significant, representing the first time that Australian forces had operated tanks in action. The 6th Division Cavalry Regiment later saw service in Syria against the Vichy French. Meanwhile, the 7th Division Cavalry Regiment had been sent to Cyprus in May 1941, before relieving the 6th Division Cavalry Regiment in July. The regiment subsequently fought a number of actions using a variety of armoured personnel carriers, light tanks, and 2-pounder anti-tank guns before returning to Australia in March 1942. The 9th Division Cavalry Regiment later also served in Syria and was the first Australian armoured unit to be equipped with modern vehicles, receiving British Crusader Mark II medium tanks and M3 Stuart light tanks. A number of captured French Renault R35 tanks were also used. The regiment returned to Australia in early 1943. Between mid-1942 and early 1944 the Divisional Cavalry Regiments were converted to commando units and subsequently fought in the Pacific against the Japanese as dismounted infantry.
  The Austral
caption: Australian assault on a pillbox with a M3 Stuart tank at Giropa Point, during the assault on Buna
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