infantry division australian_army existing periods considered longest serving australian_army division formed world war infantry division saw service western france belgium time fought major battles war division raised based central victoria 1920s 1930s division establishment fluctuated effects great depression general military matters world war division war december initially undertook defensive duties australia deployed new_guinea took campaign japanese returning australia rest reorganisation late sent final campaign war undertook series advances island war came end august following end hostilities division disbanded december process later raised subsequently served cold war reserve formation division disbanded final time australian_army focus australian field force operations shifted divisional level brigades history world war formation training early following unsuccessful gallipoli campaign decision expand size time divisions egypt 1st 2nd 1st split provide raise 4th time decision raise fifth division fresh volunteers australia result officially raised february formation division drew personnel australian states consisted battalion infantry brigades 9th 10th 11th number supporting elements including engineers artillery medical personnel rudimentary initial training undertaken elements division began process june moved united_kingdom individual sub units concentrated time received arms equipment began task undertaking training hill july division artillery component formed consisting batteries pounders inch battery process raising training took time consequently division transferred france mid november prior division endured proposals break provide reinforcements australian divisions france threats passed early september following losses men transferred october likely drafts away division occur early november divisional exercises undertaken finally november crossed arrived france command major general division assigned years major battles australians fought western initially deployed quiet sector line gained experiences trench warfare conducting patrols minor raids german trenches opposite winter months early engagements january artillery reorganised consisted field artillery brigades consisted gun pounder batteries inch brigades 7th consisting 25th 26th 27th batteries 8th 29th 30th 31st batteries april division moved section line belgium taking position extreme right left early june division undertook major engagement war committed fighting tasked 9th 10th brigades provide assault force operation act divisional reserve division assault units began approach march line departure late evening june german artillery opened gas bombardment severely hindered march breaking assaulting units men lost suffering casualties battle began division assault units reached assembly points men arrived time appointed hour number mines exploded positions assault began exploding mines destroyed large german line result initial resistance quickly overcome division lead battalions 33rd 34th 38th 39th division gained crest ridge began digging defend possible counter attack engagements followed division largely played supporting role following division major engagement came october took time held reserve 10th 11th brigades led division forward attacking left australian 2nd division right early morning scheduled start attack german artillery opened division assaulting infantry battalions stood open ready step artillery main attack supporting allied artillery provided limited counter battery fire division suffered heavily forced endure hour long barrage zero hour came 37th 43rd battalions led advance german lines supported small teams machine gunners germans launched attack australian assault taken surprise initial resistance german assault troops began fall surrender follow battalions exploited ground gained initial assault advance continued 3rd division carried ridge begun dig having advanced yards counterattack late day 11th brigade position turned sealing stunning success division casualties high men killed wounded actions attack lewis gunner attached anti aircraft duties received victoria_cross personally led assault number german positions held line days withdrawn rest reorganisation october division returned began preparations assault advance yards heavy rain turned battlefield thick muddy result transportation resupply efforts hampered attempts supporting artillery consequence attack went october 9th 10th brigades limited fire support fraction guns required limited ammunition artillery supposed provide barrage infantry advance provide thin bombardment mud thick infantry unable barrage unable maintain required rate advance eventually fell barrage lost cover provided reaching assaulting infantry caught open barbed wire german positions suffered heavily hands german artillery able fire answer british batteries run ammunition 10th brigade managed reach objective 9th pushed second began receive fire left flank attack ground halt germans began counterattack australian positions quickly division right flank gap begun develop lost contact australian 4th division result order retire passed returned start line assault units relieved formed divisional reserve end day division lost men killed wounded played offensive role battle eventually removed line october canadians took fighting proved division offensive actions spent winter months rear training undertaking defensive duties reasonably quiet sectors line reformed brought strength time australian divisions western reorganised unified command structure german spring offensive march germans launched spring offensive near saint allied line collapsed german forces advanced swiftly valley believing attack directed forces flanders sector effort reinforce british forces allied commanders recalled recalled quiet sector sent attack came march division transferred south help stem advance defend approaches important temporarily placed command british vii corps division took position east lacking reserves possessing limited artillery support division engineers prepared bridges rivers march onwards minor actions fought line german advance began reach australians march attempt penetrating line held broken german losses assessed half brigades roughly men april attempts confusion charges placed bridge fired dropped canal attempt beaten 10th brigade following australians able begin taking initiative began slowly recapture ground lost earlier undertook series peaceful penetration operations june commander promoted command result major general took divisional commander battle august allies launched days offensive tasked leading attack stage divisional artillery consisted field brigades cover heavy artillery bombardment provided field brigades organised supporting sub groups supported tanks gas attack began weight allied fire support intense artillery pieces opened german defences assaulting infantry battalions assigned frontage yards assaulted companies forward support thick smoke meant attackers found difficult maintain supporting armour delayed attack proved successful australians overwhelmed german defenders end day division achieved objectives rest august continued offensive operations launching daylight raids german positions august attacked advancing village capturing number german prisoners brief fighting continued advance august capturing end week taking september september germans began withdraw line took operations undertaken follow harass rearguard casualties phase high result division pioneers infantry led advance september operations continued month casualties critical decision 3rd division battalions use reinforce remaining units decision saw reduction strength division infantry brigades battalions bringing australians line british similar decision earlier war decision popular soldiers received order attempt rejected personnel order result proposed reorganisation postponed division final offensive actions fought early october came canal division attacked line concert american troops 27th division lead assault attack went lead assault units failed adequately clear forward positions subsequently committed came fire immediately instead passing american positions complete process advance nightfall october division captured northern end tunnel ran canal october majority removed line rest reorganisation number artillery batteries continue support operations withdrawn following continued participate fighting support 27th battery fired division shot war november division line news armistice came november following end hostilities process began men repatriated australia division eventually disbanded inter war years following end war disbanded focus australia military forces units process completed force existed state planning post war army finally completed raised victoria 3rd military district formation consisted battalion brigades 4th brigade 15th brigade supporting units including artillery engineers signals transport medical time existing infantry battalions redesignated numerical designations attempt designations based regional considerations ultimately possible ultimately established component battalions 37th 39th battalions previously assigned division peacetime establishment personnel division brought strength compulsory training scheme initially system worked number division reported establishment long signed theoretically australia security concerns japanese expansion pacific result army budget scope compulsory training scheme scaled authorised strength infantry battalion reduced men ranks division artillery reduced field battery artillery brigade disbanded time result subsequent reorganisation artillery consisted artillery brigades 2nd 4th 8th compulsory training scheme suspended following election government place new system introduced maintained time voluntary basis renamed militia time decision suspend compulsory training coupled economic great depression meant manpower militia units dropped considerably result number units amalgamated process division reduced infantry battalions battalions merged form new amalgamated units 29th 22nd 37th 52nd 57th 60th battalions large extent hollow structures overall establishment men ranks 1930s number active personnel remained low necessity training opportunities limited army attempted improve conditions service members training program individual units began undertake recruiting campaigns tensions grew europe prospect war likely attempt expand establishment militia time effort determine readiness militia expand continuous training camps undertaken component unit assessed mixed results following year saw expansion end april year division posted strength grown personnel expansion divisional artillery expanded raising batteries disbanded world war home duties september australia found war attempts finding diplomatic solution german invasion poland failed following outbreak world war began slowly government called force militia personnel undertake security duties days following declaration war short time later decision raise volunteer force overseas service known 2nd necessary provisions defence act deploying militia outside australian territory result government decided use militia provide small 2nd raised provide training compulsory training scheme established early time large numbers officers senior non commissioned officers volunteered service 2nd units lost large experienced personnel time militia called periods continuous training consisting 4th 10th 15th brigades undertook series training camps victoria march division artillery reorganised bring line british system artillery brigade converted field regiment numerical designations stayed late division completed transition saw infantry brigades reduced battalions supporting elements inserted brigade level training time rudimentary limited mainly individual skills division establishment recorded half authorised wartime establishment shortage modern equipment japan entry war following attacks pearl harbor malaya likely division called undertake active service overseas division war early january experienced officer commanded 17th brigade combat germans middle_east earlier war took command division set task preparing division combat began removing officers think physically fit competent lead battle replacing men gained experience units comprehensive training program established april division assigned australian corps order enable divisional exercises begin moved victoria order men decided march foot new camp following month relocated time queensland undertook training exercises defensive duties coast brisbane heads new_south_wales border time army began deficiencies division equipment lists battalions began receiving new machine guns motor transport carriers situation new_guinea grew worse decision august battalions amalgamated 37th 52nd september 10th brigade disbanded battalions 4th 15th brigades october 29th 46th battalions amalgamated leaving division infantry battalions brigades new_guinea early division new_guinea 15th brigade sent 4th brigade going bay point reassigned later replaced division 29th brigade division stay port brief april began moving units assigned including 17th brigade 2nd formation began operations campaign initially operations limited area immediately surrounding division established headquarters shifted brigades pushed defensive patrols undertaken stretched miles june division reinforced following division took primary responsibility allied operations new_guinea eventually fell september soon elements moved sent support 7th division campaign advance august brigades withdrawn australia leave reorganisation preparations began division campaign time adopted jungle divisional establishment reorganised infantry brigades 7th 15th 29th brigades assigned australian late decided australians responsibility operations japanese americans november december independent brigades 11th 23rd began relieve units transferred pacific allied intelligence japanese strengths island varied time believed japanese later proved incorrect allies believed japanese formations area despite strength capable carrying effective combat operations result decided offensive order clear japanese island campaign planned northern central southern sectors island division supported number artillery units including 2nd 4th field regiments 2nd mountain battery anti aircraft units later transferred 11th field regiment order provide organic fire support advance decision time place divisional artillery assets directly underneath supporting outset division allocation engineers consisted field companies 5th 11th course campaign arrived including 10th 15th 7th arrive june ultimately division engineers field companies supporting plant park units represented largest engineer contingents australian division war initially division deployed armoured support december squadron 4th armoured regiment equipped tanks arrived subsequently took operations island attached elements division supported commence operations launched surprise attack central sector island japanese outpost little george hill november following month battalion seized control 29th brigade began patrolling operations southern sector following capture focus operations shifted northern southern sectors independent assumed control drive north 3rd division concentrated drive south main japanese force concentrated rotating brigades division commander advanced south river crossing japanese launched significant counterattack eventually beaten early april april 15th brigade took 7th brigade resumed advance rivers early july 29th brigade relieved 15th continued advance attempted cross japanese launched ferocious counter attack 15th battalion turned desperate defence following advance came halt torrential rain turned axis advance sea mud bridges australian supply system dependent washed away situation worse briefly patrolling operations stopped patrols resumed late july august isolated pockets japanese began attack 3rd division supply lines support units preparations resume advance dropping atomic bombs hiroshima nagasaki japan subsequent surrender brought fighting end cease fire came effect following end hostilities process began eventually disbanded december division campaign soldiers earned victoria_cross actions fighting cold war australia wartime army complete decision raise time forces militia albeit new reduced establishment infantry divisions armoured brigade corps level support units time raised based nucleus infantry brigades 4th 6th 9th brigades based central victoria based south_australia tasmania division component units bore little resemblance fought world wars service post war initially voluntary basis recruitment remained poor conscription introduced effort improve readiness australian military korean war deployed time national service instituted service korea undertaken voluntary basis conscription means expand provide base achieved proved necessary resulting influx manpower point 1950s division experienced remarkable level manning resources saw units achieve strength equipment march divisional parade conducted bringing division victorian based units concentration force seen division following year division conducted live fire exercise based 4th brigade involving men tanks artillery aircraft supporting arms despite success demonstrated exercise time division mounted similar national service scheme modified limit size yearly intake size reduced men effort free regular personnel raise 1st brigade reforms achieve required order free regular personnel meet strategic requirements maintain regular field force ready respond cold war result decision suspend national service realised changes required expand size regular army changes came introduction divisional establishment australian_army saw reduction army divisions 1st division reorganised battalion plus sized battle groups resulted removal brigade level formations disbandment amalgamation number smaller based infantry battalions larger units state based regiments authorised peacetime establishment personnel included formations different military command districts including queensland new south wales western_australia south_australia tasmania victoria main infantry components time royal queensland regiment australian_army experiment establishment long created number planning issues including lack western allies result abandoned late early reorganised resulting changes saw establishment brigade level formations briefly known task forces planning considerations raised time consisting infantry battalions time australian government announced national service scheme implemented instead focusing expanding scheme set national servicemen serve limited terms service units view service overseas vietnam malaysia highlighted changing focus australia military planning regular forces negative impact division essentially forced compete manpower gains men chose serve longer national service terms order service units arguably limited quality government decision deploy units conflicts meant division experienced personnel chose transfer units order gain operational experience attempts situation offering officers opportunity undertake short attachment unit serving vietnam number officers took opportunity saw combat national service scheme ended following election late lost large number personnel time division artillery assets included artillery field regiments medium regiment divisional locating battery paper division large combined arms formation reality units hollow equipped decades following division general underwent period uncertainty government attempted solve issues organisation faced pressing question role strategic relevance concerning conditions service training access equipment division combat strength dropped extent brigade group formation possessing infantry battalions field artillery regiments medium regiment locating battery result february division headquarters merged headquarters redesignated time position formation commander downgraded rank brigadier major general remained case april divisional headquarters established late 1980s division given task vital asset protection doctrine division undertook number exercises north australia including personnel took june following force structure review finally removed australian_army order battle remaining units transferred command commanding officers following list commanding officers
3rd Division (Australia)