2/11th Armoured Car Regiment (Australia)

Australian Army armoured reconnaissance regiment October 2013 July 2023 2/11th Armoured Car Regiment Puckapunyal-Rover-LAC-2.jpg 300px A Rover Light Armoured Car in the 2/11th Armoured Car Regiment's markings 1941–1944 Australia 23px Australian Army Armoured 1st Armoured Division 2nd Infantry Division None The 2/11th Armoured Car Regiment was an Australian Army armoured reconnaissance regiment of World War II. The regiment was formed in mid-1941 and was intended to be deployed to the Middle East. In late 1941, in response to the growing threat posed by Japan's entry into the war in the Pacific, it was employed in a defensive role to guard against a possible invasion of mainland Australia. It was disbanded in early 1944 without seeing action as part of the reduction of Australia's armoured forces and the reallocation of manpower to other formations more suited to jungle warfare. History The 2/11th Armoured Car Regiment was formed in Cowra, New South Wales,Handel 2003 160 during August 1941 as part of the 1st Armoured Division.Hopkins 1993 104 Its first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Edward Sheehan. The regiment was gradually brought up to full strength and was expanded to four "sabre" squadrons following the outbreak of the Pacific War, by which time Lieutenant Colonel Oliver Rennick took command,Handel 2003 160 serving in that position for the remainder of the unit's existence.Hopkins 1993 318–319 It had an authorised strength of over 1,000 personnel.Handel 2003 160 On paper, it was allocated 12 scout cars and 58 armoured cars;Hopkins 1993 52 however, or the first 11 months of its existence the regiment was equipped with a small number of obsolete Australian-built armoured cars which were suitable only for training purposes. In July 1942, these vehicles were replaced with more modern Australian designed vehicles such as the Rover Light Armoured Car and Dingo scout car.Handel 2003 160Hopkins 1993 95–96 Upon formation, the 1st Armoured Division was intended to serve in the Middle East, but following Japan's entry into the war following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the invasion of Malaya in December 1941, it was retained in Australia, as a key part of Australia's defensive plans to resist a potential invasion.Lambert 2012 90 The regiment participated in the 1st Armoured Division's large-scale exercises which were held near Narrabri, New South Wales in late 1942, at which time the division reached operational readiness.Lambert 2012 95 Following the Allied naval victory during the Battle of the Coral Sea and the successes elsewhere such as at Buna–Gona,Hopkins 1993 108 & 125 the threat posed by Japanese forces to the Australian mainland decreased, and as a result the need for large armoured formations diminished. By this then, the Australian Army was suffering a manpower shortage, which resulted in a reallocation of resources and the gradual reduction of Australia's armoured units.Hopkins 1993 125 In October 1942, the regiment was reduced in size when 'D' Squadron was used to form the 2/4th Armoured Regiment in Queensland.Handel 2003 160 In November 1942, the 2/11th Armoured Car Regiment moved to Western Australia (WA) with the 1st Armoured Division departing from Gunnedah and travelling via rail through Adelaide and crossing the Nullarbor Plain.Hopkins 1993 106 During 1943, the regiment conducted reconnaissance patrols across much of WA. The regiment survived the 1st Armoured Division's disbandment in September 1943 and became part of the 2nd Infantry Division.Hopkins 1993 129 Although the regiment was re-equipped with Staghound armoured cars in early 1944 it was disbanded in New South Wales in March or April 1944 at which time its personnel were transferred to other units more suitable for jungle warfare.Handel 2003 160Hopkins 1993 140 References Citations Bibliography Paul Handel 2003 Dust, Sand & Jungle: A History of Australian Armour During Training and Operations, 1927–1948 RAAC Memorial and Army Tank Museum Puckapunyal, Victoria 1-876439-75-0 Ronald Hopkins 1978 1993 Australian Armour: A History of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps 1927–1972 Royal Australian Armoured Corps Tank Museum Puckapunyal, Victoria 0-642-99414-5 Lambert Zach The Birth, Life and Death of the 1st Australian Armoured Division https://www.army.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1846/f/aaj_2012_1.pdf 2012 Australian Army Journal Land Warfare Studies Centre Canberra IX 1 89–103 1448-2843 1 July 2017 3 January 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180103011556/https://www.army.gov.au/sites/g/files/net1846/f/aaj_2012_1.pdf dead External links Australian-armour.com http://www.australian-armour.com/2_11ACR.html 2nd/11th Australian Armoured Regiment 22 April 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070831111832/http://www.australian-armour.com/2_11ACR.html 31 August 2007 dead 11th Armoured Car Regiment Category:Armoured car units and formations Category:Military units and formations established in 1941 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1944