The New Zealand Army use of tanks from after the First World War, through the interwar period, the Second World War, the Cold War and to the present day has been limited, but there is some history. The New Zealand armed forces developed in the early twentieth century but served alongside the British and other Empire and Commonwealth nations in World War I and World War II.
The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 led to an expansion of New Zealand's armoured force and the New Zealand Armoured Corps was formed in January 1942. From 1942 small numbers of American light and medium tanks were supplied to and used by the New Zealand Army, along with British tanks. Throughout this period the Army has primarily been a light infantry force, but New Zealand did design its own tanks such as the Schofield tank named after its designer, and the Bob Semple tank designed by New Zealand Minister of Works Bob Semple during World War II.
Overview
Originating out of the need to build military hardware from available materials in New Zealand, the New Zealand designed Bob Semple tank was built from corrugated iron on a tractor base. Built early in the second World War, these tanks were a civilian effort to design and create a means to protect New Zealand.
Designed and built without formal plans or blueprints, it had numerous design flaws and practical difficulties, and was never put into mass production or used in combat. Working from an American postcard depicting the conversion of a tractor to a 'tractor-tank', Bob Semple and TG Beck (Christchurch District Works Engineer), improvised the design of the tanks. Using resources available to Bob Semple as Minister of Public Works, the tanks were quickly produced in their Christchurch workshops.
The Vickers Mk VI British Light Tank was initially supplied to the New Zealand forces and used as a scout tank in North Africa, to gather up scattered troops, leaving the main attacks to the heavier tanks. The New Zealand forces also were supplied with the M3 Stuart Tank, an American light tank, which was used by the reconnaissance force of the New Zealand Division in North Africa. The New Zealand Division fought in Greece, Crete, the Western Desert and Italy. In the Western Desert Campaign, the division was given the new American M3 Lee/Grant tanks and played a prominent role in the defeat of German and Italian forces in the Second Battle of El Alamein and the British Eighth Army's advance to Tunisia.
In June 1942 twenty-two M3 Hybrid Light Stuart Tanks were the first to arrive in New Zealand, and in October 1941 twenty Valentine Mk II tanks arrived in New Zealand, they were issued to the 1st Army Tank Brigade. More British Valentine tanks arrived and New Zealand received 98 Mk IIs, 80 Mk IIIs and 77 Mk Vs. A total of 18 Mk IIIs were converted with heavier 3 pounder guns. The New Zealand armoured forces also received and operated with the M4 Sherman and Firefly tank in Italy in 1944 with the 2nd New Zealand Division. Later in the war the Valentine infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom with the 2-pounder gun was sent to the Pacific theater and used by the 3rd New Zealand Division.
Design and construction
New Zealand, like its neighbour Australia, had no indigenous armoured fighting vehicle industry, and so it had to allow makeshift tanks such as the Schofield tank. It was expected that armoured fighting vehicles would be provided from the UK. Australia and New Zealand did have some heavy industry that could be turned to the production of armour and armoured vehicles but little had been done. The idea of mechanising the New Zealand Army had been suggested before the war but there hadn't been much progress. The use of the US Disston "Six Ton Tractor Tank" a 1937 vehicle constructed of an armoured box on a Caterpillar Model 35 chassis which had been sold to Afghanistan and China was suggested.
New Zealand had built some improvised armoured trucks and unable to get any tracked carriers from Australia were building their own with armour plate imported from Australia. After the Fall of France in mid-1940, and the loss of most British tanks there, there was no likelihood of production being spared for New Zealand. Rather than obtain the armoured superstructures from the US, it was felt they could produce their own using local materials and resources.
Armoured formations
2nd New Zealand Division
The 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade came into being on 5 October 1942 after the 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade was converted into an armoured brigade. They were part of the 2nd New Zealand Division, which had already seen action in the Battle of Greece, the Battle of Crete and in the North African Campaign, having a leading part in the Second Battle of El Alamein.
The brigade arrived in Italy in October 1943 and took part in a number of battles over the course of a sixteen-month campaign in Italy. Upon formation the 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade was initially composed only of one regiment, the 19th Armoured Regiment. However, by the time it deployed to Italy in October 1943 it was composed of the following units:
18th New Zealand Armoured Regiment 19th New Zealand Armoured Regiment 20th New Zealand Armoured Regiment 22nd New Zealand Motor Battalion (October 1943 – November 1944).
The armoured regiments were organized along British lines although with fewer tanks than their British counterparts. A New Zealand armoured regiment consisted of 52 Sherman tanks. These composed a Regimental HQ troop of four tanks and three Squadrons of sixteen tanks. In addition the regiment contained a Recce Troop equipped with Stuart V light tanks in both turreted and turret less configurations and an Intercommunication troop equipped with Lynx light scout cars. Each Squadron consisted of a Squadron Headquarters with four tanks and four troops each of three tanks.
They took part in many battles and together with units of the U.S. 1st Armored Division and Commonwealth troops, formed the New Zealand Corps and were tasked with the capture of the town of Cassino, its skyline dominated by a 13th Century Monastery.
Then they took part Spring 1945 offensive in Italy and the New Zealand armoured brigade advanced to the city of Trieste, where they accepted the surrender of the German garrison. Members of Josip Broz Tito’s Yugoslav partisan army had also occupied the city and the presence of the New Zealanders in an area the Yugoslavs considered their spoils of war was not welcome. Tensions remained high, at one point escalating to a face off between 25 Yugoslav T-34s, which had entered the city, and the 19th Armoured Regiment.
In 1944 the 7th Anti-Tank Regiment, which had previously only operated towed anti-tank guns, was partially equipped with M10 tank destroyers. The regiment contained three batteries, each equipped with four M10s (as well as four towed 17 pounder anti tank guns) and also received a single 17 pounder variant of the M10. The regiment primarily acted in a fire support role during the latter stages of the Italian campaign.
An armoured engineer squadron, 28th Assault Squadron, New Zealand Engineers was also formed in March 1945. The squadron was equipped with specialist armoured vehicles including 3 Stuarts, 2 Sherman Kangaroos, 4 Sherman dozers, 4 Sherman fascine carriers, 4 Sherman ARKs and 4 Valentine Bridge layers. It was initially intended for the squadron to receive Churchill ARVEs and ARKs, but they were not available and Sherman fascine carriers and Sherman ARKs were used instead.
3rd New Zealand Division
The 3rd New Zealand Division was a division of the New Zealand Military Forces. Formed in 1942, it saw action against the Japanese in the Pacific Ocean Areas during the Second World War. After completing its initial training in New Zealand the 3rd NZ Division moved to New Caledonia for garrison duty and further training in December 1942 and January 1943. The division saw action in the Solomon Islands campaign during 1943–44 with its tanks being used in Guadalcanal. The 3rd NZ Division moved to Guadalcanal in August 1943 with its Tank Squadron with Valentine Mk V tanks who provided armoured support for 3rd NZ Division. From this base, as part of the U.S. I Marine Amphibious Corps (I MAC), the division provided the ground component for three campaigns against small island groups in the Northern Solomons (in all operations the United States Navy provided the naval forces while squadrons from the Royal New Zealand Air Force formed only a small part of the US dominated air forces). While the islands were only lightly held by the Japanese and New Zealand casualties were relatively light, the New Zealand ground troops had to overcome challenging terrain and climatic conditions in these operations. After 1944 it was disbanded and around 4,000 men were sent to Italy to reinforce the 2nd Division.
Light Armoured Fighting Vehicle Regiments
At the beginning of the Second World War the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Regiments were still primarily horse mounted units. At the outbreak of the war three of the regiments were converted to motorised units, but in December 1941 all nine regiments were converted to Light Armoured Fighting Vehicle (LAFV) Regiments. The regiments were initially equipped with locally produced Beaverette armoured cars, Universal Carriers and impressed civilian vehicles, but from June 1942 began to receive M3 Stuart tanks. In December 1942 the regiments were reorganised, with five (2nd, 3rd, 5th, 9th and 11th) organised as armoured regiments and four as recee regiments (1st, 4th, 6th and 10th). The armoured regiments were organised with two squadrons of Stuart tanks and one squadron of Valentines, while the recee regiments were organised with one squadron of Stuarts, one of Beaverettes and one (mortar) squadron with Universal Carriers. The regiments also utilized bridging variants of the Valentine and Covenantor tank. In July 1943 all nine regiments were reduced to training cadres and then amalgamated into three regiments in March 1944.
1st New Zealand Army Tank Brigade
The 1st New Zealand Army Tank Brigade was formed in October 1941 and consisted of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Tank Battalions. Initially it was intended for the brigade to join the 2nd New Zealand Division in North Africa, but after Japan's entry into the war was instead held in New Zealand. The tank battalions were initially equipped with Valetines tanks but in December 1942 they were reorganised with two squadrons of Stuarts and one of Valentines. At the same time the brigade was disbanded and the battalions assigned to other formations. The battalions were themselves were disbanded in June 1943, although some of the 2nd Tank Battalion was used to form the 3rd New Zealand Division Tank Squadron.
New Zealand tanks
Bob Semple tank
Due to the limitations of requirements and resources, the Bob Semple tank was a functional failure. By using a large tractor as a base, and bolting on a hastily designed and poorly constructed tank superstructure, the resultant tanks were inadequately armored, extremely heavy (20–25 ton), unstable, restricted by tractor gearing to slow speeds, and had to stop to change gears. Furthermore, due to the shape of the underlying tractor and undue vibrations, shooting from the tank was both difficult and inevitably inaccurate and it never saw action in the field. The Bob Semple was intended more for national morale than practicable combat.
Schofield Tank
The Schofield tank was a New Zealand indigenous design built in 1940 when it seemed certain the war might reach New Zealand but did not enter service. It was designed to run on either tracks or wheels.
Vickers Light Tank Mk VI