Royal Naval Division

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The Royal Naval Division ( RND; dt .: Royal Naval Division) and later in 63rd (Royal Naval) Division renamed, was a British division in the First World War .

history

Deployment in Belgium 1914

Promotional poster calling for volunteers

It was set up at the beginning of the war in August 1914 by order of the First Lord of the Admiralty , Winston Churchill , and consisted of naval members who were not used on the ships of the Navy. The division experienced its first major mission in the defense of the Belgian fortress of Antwerp . The first brigade was unloaded in Ostend on August 26, 1914 . The division was under the command of Major General Paris and reinforced the Belgians under General Guise in early October to defend the fortress of Antwerp. The massive attack of the German III. Reserve Corps forced the crew to vacate the fortress on October 9th.

Gallipoli 1915

The Royal Naval Division during a pre- battle exercise before the Battle of Gallipoli , 1915

Outline (May 1915)

1st (Royal Naval) Brigade

  • 1st (Drake) Battalion
  • 2nd (Hawke) Battalion
  • 3rd (Benbow) Battalion
  • 4th (Collingwood) Battalion
  • 12th (Deal) Battalion

2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade

  • 5th (Nelson) Battalion
  • 6th (Howe) Battalion
  • 7th (Hood) Battalion
  • 8th (Anson) Battalion

3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade

  • 9th (Chatham) Battalion
  • 10th (Portsmouth) Battalion
  • 11th (Plymouth) Battalion

After the withdrawal of the UK troops were first to Egypt embarked before as a British initially two divisions to support the landing of the ANZAC (Australia / New Zealand) associations in Gallipoli (April 1915) and the later battles at Bright and Krithia was used . The RND suffered such high losses in these skirmishes, especially in the originally seafaring personnel, that the unit was used as a pure infantry force after the evacuation of the British and ANZAC troops .

Western Front 1916–1918

The unit was moved to the western front in northern France, where it was used in the final phase of the Somme battle (1916). On July 19, 1916, the Naval Division took over the numbering from the abandoned 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division , and the previous three Marine Brigades were also renamed in parallel:

188th Brigade

  • 1st Royal Marines
  • 2nd Royal Marines
  • 6th (Howe) Battalion
  • 8th (Anson) Battalion
  • 188th Trench Mortar Battery

189th Brigade

  • 1st (Drake) Battalion
  • 2nd (Hawke) Battalion
  • 5th (Nelson) Battalion
  • 7th (Hood) Battalion
  • 189th Trench Mortar Battery

190th Brigade

  • 7th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
  • 4th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment
  • 10th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers
  • 190th Machine Gun Company
  • 190th Trench Mortar Battery

The 63rd Division was deployed in the Battle of the Ancre between November 13 and 18, 1916. On October 17, 1916, General Paris was seriously wounded in the fighting on the Ancre , the leadership of the division then passed to Major General Cameron Shute . In the spring of 1917 the division was involved in the Battle of Arras . The attacks on the Scarpe (April 23/24) were followed by the capture of Gavrelle and fighting near Arleux (April 28/29). In the Third Battle of Flanders , the division was involved in the fighting at Passchendaele from October 26, 1917 .

At the beginning of the German spring offensive in 1918, the 63rd Division was part of the V Corps (General Edward Fanshawe) defeated between March 21 and 23 at St. Quentin . On 24./25. On March 1st, the Germans tried in vain to stop near Bapaume and were forced to retreat towards Albert . After the Hundred Days Offensive , the division fought in the Battle of Drocourt-Queant (September 2-3), participated in the crossing of the Canal du Nord (September 27 to October 1) and in the second Battle of Cambrai (September 8th / 3rd) 9th October). The troops, unique in their history, were demobilized in France in April 1919.

guide

  • Major General Archibald Paris (September 1914 - October 17, 1916)
  • Major General Cameron Shute (October 17, 1916–1917)
  • Major General Charles Edward Lawrie (1917 - August 1918)
  • Major-General Cyril Aubrey Blacklock (from August 1918)

Web links

Commons : Royal Naval Division  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files