page_title: Divisional Cavalry Regiment (New Zealand)
section_title: Tunisia
hierarchical_section_title: Divisional Cavalry Regiment (New Zealand) / North Africa and Syria / Tunisia
context_page_description: The Divisional Cavalry Regiment, was an armoured cavalry regiment of the 2nd New Zealand Division during the Second World War and was New Zealand's first armoured unit. It served as a reconnaissance force for the 2nd New Zealand Division. Formed on 29 September 1939, the regiment embarked for Egypt on 4 January 1940. It fought with the division, as part of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, in Greece, Crete, North Africa and Italy. The regiment formed part of J Force, New Zealand's contribution to the occupation of Japan at the end of the war.
  Initially stationed at Maadi, the regiment was moved to Garawla in July and participated in the defence of the Baggush Box two months later. In January 1941, it moved to Helwan for training. In March, the regiment became part of W Force, the British contingent sent to Greece to defend the country from Nazi Germany. It took up positions on the Aliakmon Line before the regiment was scattered during the British retreat from the country. Most of the regiment ended up in Crete, where it faced a German paratroop attack in May and evacuated with the remainder of the British force.
context_section_description: The Divisional Cavalry Regiment left Castel Benito on 2 March as part of the attack on the Mareth Line. On 3 March the regiment was in Tunisia, camped near the road at Medenine. The next morning it was put under command of the 4th Light Armoured Brigade, in preparation for a German assault, and moved forward, behind the 5th New Zealand Brigade positions. After the Axis repulse, A Squadron was sent south to probe the eastern end of the hills while B and C Squadrons harassed the German retreat on 7 March. The regiment patrolled the area between the 11th Hussars and the Free French Flying Column for the next five days and moved back to Foum Tatahouine on 13 March, where the New Zealand Division assembled for a flanking movement inland. Div Cav advanced south-west and then north, guarding the divisional right flank. On 21 March, contact was made with the Germans and elements of the division attacked during the night. C Squadron advanced behind the infantry in the morning before being stopped by shellfire near Point 201, a battlefield elevation. As the shelling decreased, A and HQ Squadrons advanced to the C Squadron position. B Squadron arrived from night patrol, and the regiment laagered behind Point 201. On the morning of 23 March, B and C Squadrons advanced, capturing fifteen 77 mm guns and several prisoners. From 24 to 26 March, the regiment patrolled the left flank of the line in preparation for an assault by the 1st Armoured Division. When close air support preparation for the assault began, Div Cav marked the bomb line with smoke canisters and advanced on the flank when the ground assault began. The regiment laagered next to the Kebili-El Hamma road during the night.
  On 27 March, B and C Squadrons made contact with the 1st Armoured Division. The next day, the regiment maintained contact with the retreating Germans, entering Gabes the following day. Div Cav stopped at a wadi to determine where the division could cross on a nine-vehicle front. A location was found on 30 March and C Squadron pressed ahead near the Wadi Akarit. The wadi was strongly defended; the regiment patrolled and probed until 5 April, before an attack by XXX Corps infantry in which the 2nd New Zealand would be in reserve. The assault did not break through the Axis resistance on the first day but succeeded on the second morning and the division pursued.  The regiment advanced with the division, capturing 1,300 PoWs. On 8 April, it became part of a battlegroup consisting of the 8th Armoured and 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigades and the 1st King's Dragoon Guards (KDG). The regiment advanced another 20 mi (32 km), halting in the afternoon. Resuming its advance that evening, it reached the head of the division late at night. Div Cav guarded the eastern flank the following day, with orders not to attack substantial German forces. The advance towards Sousse resumed on 10 April, with A and B Squadrons reaching El Djem. The regiment, pursuing the retreating Germans at dawn, was past Sousse by 08:30. As A Squadron advanced up the main road, B and C Squadrons swung west. The regiment was within 10 mi (16 km) of Enfidaville by 13 April and probed the German positions until the 19th.
  Div Cav was withdrawn on 24 April and was sent back to a rest area two days later. The regiment moved forward west of Enfidaville on 4 May, moving near the town on 8 May, to exploit a breakthrough by tanks the following day. The breakthrough was forestalled by the First Army drive across Tunisia, and the Axis forces in North Africa surrendered on 13 May. Three days later, the regiment began moving back to Maadi, arriving on 1 June. At Maadi the regiment received replacements, while some personnel who had served with the first three echelons received three-month leaves in New Zealand. On 5 July, new personal weapons were issued and the regiment began training on the rifle and light machine gun ranges. A month later the regiment was one of the first units equipped with Staghound armoured cars. Five troops in each squadron received T17s and one troop in each was equipped with a Daimler
caption: The campaign in Tunisia, 10 January to 10 April 1943
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