Not many people outside of South Africa know about how much the country’s military helped win the war. South Africa sent a good number of troops to fight against the Axis powers, both in the air and on land, but their efforts often got overshadowed by those of their allies and leaders.
When it comes to the Italian campaign, the achievements of the 6th South African Armoured Division are mostly overlooked, just like those of the 1st Brazilian Expeditionary Force, the all-black 92nd U.S. Infantry Division, and various Italian groups that fought alongside the Allies. It wasn’t until the later years of the war in Italy that the South African division started getting some recognition for its significant contributions.
At first, South Africa wasn’t too keen on joining the fight. Many citizens still felt bitter about the British taking control of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State back in 1902. The South African burghers had put up a tough fight against the British but ended up being starved into submission.
One of the biggest supporters of the Allied cause was Jan Christian Smuts, a former general and prime minister who later became a field marshal. Thanks to his influence, the Union Brigade was formed, which consisted of around 10,000 men from the reserve units of the South African Army.
This brigade initially went to Kenya and took some time to get combat-ready before moving to Madagascar, which was under Vichy-French control at the time. On top of the ground forces, South Africa also sent pilots who bravely fought alongside the British Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain against Germany. South African ships joined their Allied counterparts as well.
With not enough army divisions in Africa in 1940, the British reached out for more help from their Dominion countries. In response, South Africa organized and trained two infantry divisions to take on the Germans and Italians in North Africa.In 1942, most of the 2nd South African Infantry Division had to surrender when German General Erwin Rommel launched an attack and took over the coastal Libyan city of Tobruk. Meanwhile, the 1st South African Infantry Division teamed up with other Allied forces during the Battle of El Alamein in November 1942.
After the British Eighth Army managed to break through and defeat the Germans and Italians, the South African ground troops were pulled back to be restructured into what would eventually become the 6th South African Armoured Division.
By April 1943, this new division started arriving at the Italian port of Taranto, armed with American gear, especially M4 Sherman tanks. They didn’t really see any serious action until after the Americans captured Rome on June 4, 1944.
The division was held in reserve under the British Eighth Army and later the U.S. Fifth Army until the war wrapped up. They gained recognition during their advance north from Rome in late summer 1944, leading to a breakthrough of German defenses in northern Italy by May 1945. On July 18, 1942, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill reached out to Maj. Gen. Hastings L. Ismay about possibly turning the two South African infantry divisions into armored divisions since 300 new Sherman tanks had become available for fresh armored units.
Before giving the green light to this idea, Churchill wanted to know how the divisions would be structured. He asked if they would have one armored brigade and one motorized infantry brigade, which would only need 200 tanks instead of the previous requirement of 350.
Churchill’s message is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it came at a crucial time when General Sir Claude Auchinleck’s troops were pushed back into Egypt after facing challenges at El Alamein, and he was gearing up to take on Rommel. Not wanting to rush into battle without proper prep, Auchinleck was replaced on August 13, 1942, by General Harold R.L.G. Alexander, with Lt. Gen. Bernard L. Montgomery stepping in as the new commander of the Eighth Army.So, the plan to convert divisions didn’t really pan out in time for Montgomery’s October offensive, which ended up pushing Axis forces back into Tunisia. It wasn’t until December 21, 1942, that the South African infantry divisions were pulled from the Eighth Army, and even then, instead of creating two armored divisions, they only managed to set up one—the 6th—using mostly American gear.
Churchill was worried about how many tanks were in a division compared to the infantry. He noticed that the balance was off. The Americans figured their heavy armored divisions, which had two tank regiments with three battalions each and one mechanized infantry regiment, needed to be adjusted to just three tank battalions and three armored infantry battalions.
Back in September 1942, the British had two types of armored divisions: one was stationed in Britain (the Home Forces division) with 201 tanks, while the other was in North Africa with up to 350 armored vehicles. Eventually, they decided to go with the smaller division setup, which is how the 6th South African Armoured Division was formed.
The whole idea of switching the South African divisions from infantry to armor started to raise some eyebrows. In the desert, the fast-moving armored units were the way to go. Once you broke through or surrounded the enemy, it was crucial to send in a speedy unit to take advantage of that success.
The main job of an armored division was to charge ahead, ideally into the enemy’s rear areas. If the two South African armored divisions were meant to operate only in North Africa, that reorganization made sense. But just a month after Montgomery kicked off his attack against Rommel, the South Africans were taken out of the British Eighth Army to form an armored unit.In 1941, German vehicles that were taken out by South African troops were seen burning in the Libyan desert. Once North Africa was secured, the South African forces underwent a major reorganization to get ready for combat in Italy. There was some uncertainty about whether they intended to retrain and reorganize their divisions in time to join Montgomery’s offensive later on. It seems like this question wasn’t really settled, or maybe it wasn’t even thought about, since getting a large combat unit back into shape would take quite a while.
By the time the South African infantry divisions were separated from the Eighth Army, they had taken enough losses that only one armored division could be formed. This new division mainly consisted of experienced soldiers from the infantry divisions, along with other volunteers. Everyone had to go through retraining to learn the mobile tactics needed for big armored units.
The setup for the 6th South African Armoured Division showed the impact of the losses suffered by the infantry divisions. Some of the reorganized infantry battalions and tank regiments (which were sometimes called battalions) were combined and had two names. For instance, the motorized infantry battalion in the 11th Armoured Brigade was called the First City/Capetown Highlanders, which was a mix of two former reserve regiments.
When the division landed in Italy, it had two brigades: the 11th Armoured and the 12th Armoured (Motorized) Infantry. This structure stayed the same until after Rome was captured in June 1944, when they were joined by the British 24th Guards Infantry Brigade. With more infantry now, the division was set up to fight better in the hilly terrain as the Allies pushed north towards the Po River Valley.
As the 11th Armored Brigade moved north from Rome, it included the division’s mechanized reconnaissance regiment, the Natal Mounted Rifles, equipped with 72 Stuart light tanks and Dingo armored cars, plus three tank regiments/battalions and a motorized infantry battalion. Each of the tank units had 55 Sherman M4s and included the 1st Prince Alfred’s Guards, the 1st Special Services Battalion, and the Pretoria Regiment/Princess Alice’s Own. The motorized infantry battalion was the previously mentioned First City/Capetown Highlanders.The motorized infantry brigade of the division had four infantry battalions, which is one more than what you’d find in a similar American armored division. Unlike the tank units, these motorized infantry battalions were made up of mixed units. They included the Imperial Light Horse/Kimberly Regiment, Witwatersrand Rifles/De La Rey Regiment, 1st Natal Carbineers, and Durban Light Infantry.
When the 24th Guards Brigade joined the division, they brought along three elite British infantry battalions: the 1st Scots Guards, the 3rd Coldstream Guards (who had seen action in North Africa), and the 5th Grenadier Guards. This addition gave the armored division extra infantry troops, which were crucial for taking on the entrenched Germans in northern Italy. The Guards quickly became an essential part of the armored division after teaming up with the South Africans.
As the division pushed north toward Florence, the improved structure with the attached Guards Brigade really showed its worth. The tough mountainous terrain of the Apennines started to help the Germans as they withdrew further north, turning Allied tanks into support for the advancing infantry. With double the infantry at their disposal, the division was able to keep the pressure on the Germans, forcing them to retreat and abandon their defense lines until they reached the Gothic Line, which protected the Po River Valley, leading to a winter stalemate.
The 6th South African Armoured Division got to Italy before the big Allied assaults in 1944 around Monte Cassino, south of Rome. There wasn’t much for a full armored division to do when it came to tackling that major obstacle to getting to Rome. If used correctly, the division could have taken advantage of breaking through the German Hitler and Caesar Lines and been ready to help capture Rome.
While waiting for their next combat mission, the troops of the 6th South African Armoured Division trained in the sandy Middle East with Grant, Crusader, and Sherman tanks. Once the Caesar Line was breached and pursuit was on, British and American forces got tangled up, leaving the South African division trailing behind and having to let other Allied units take the lead. So, they ended up approaching Rome behind other troops racing to claim the glory of capturing the Eternal City.After leaving Rome with the Guards Brigade, the division pushed forward and got its first taste of combat by taking control of a crucial railroad junction near Chiusi, which is located on the Albert Line close to where Hannibal defeated the Romans in 217 BC at Trasimene Lake.
Chiusi itself is perched on a hillside that overlooks the railroad station in the valley below. Securing the town was key to dominating the station and rail yard, which were held by retreating German forces.
On June 20, German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring ordered that the town be defended at all costs to slow down the Allies. The South Africans didn’t expect much resistance, especially not from a battalion of the Luftwaffe’s Hermann Göring Parachute-Panzer Division, which was operating under the German Army’s command.
The inexperienced South African troops initially misunderstood their mission, leading to some confusion as they advanced. Once they figured out that they needed to take not just the rail yard but also the hill town, they planned an attack for June 21.
However, at dawn on that day, their assault hit a wall due to heavy German artillery fire. Underestimating the Germans’ determination to hold the town, they decided to launch a night attack once the First City/Cape Town Highlander Infantry Battalion arrived.
Unfortunately, the Highlanders had already come in during the day on June 21 and went into battle without proper scouting or coordination. By midnight, Company A of the South Africans was making progress toward their target. At 1 AM on June 22, they made contact with the enemy, which turned out to be one of three companies from the Sturm Battalion of the Hermann Göring Division’s 3rd Regiment, backed by tanks.
By 2:30 AM, Company A found themselves right in the middle of Chiusi, taking positions in a local theater, a winery, and several nearby buildings. They set up a defensive perimeter while waiting for reinforcements. However, Companies B and D, which were supposed to back them up, got stuck due to heavy German artillery fire and couldn’t make it.The Germans weren’t about to let the South Africans settle in the town, so early on a chilly, foggy morning, they started sneaking around Company A’s positions. Enemy tanks rolled through the streets, and around 6 PM, one of their panzers in the town square began blasting away at the houses and the theater where the South Africans were holed up.
Even though the British Crusader tank was pretty outmatched by the German panzers, it was what the South African division had until more Shermans could be sent over. The theater became a prime target for the enemy and took such a beating that its roof eventually caved in. Lacking effective anti-tank weapons, the Highlanders tried to fight back with machine guns and small arms, but it didn’t really do much. By late morning, the beleaguered South Africans had no choice but to surrender. The Highlanders suffered heavy losses, with 17 soldiers killed, 27 wounded, and 75 missing—most of whom ended up being captured. It was a tough first loss for the South African troops.
On June 26, the Royal Natal Carbineers finally managed to take Chiusi from the Hermann Göring Division. The resilient South African forces quickly bounced back from their earlier defeat and started moving along the north-south rail line. Meanwhile, the Germans, having spent a lot of time defending Chiusi, also moved fast to capitalize on their delay.
As they advanced north from Rome, things got tougher since the terrain wasn’t great for big armored units. Motorized reconnaissance teams led the way for vehicle columns when they could, but because the Germans were pros at using explosives, mines, and booby traps, the Allies often made slow progress.
The enemy put up a stubborn rear guard action, aiming to retreat to the northern Gothic Line, where the hilly terrain, poor road conditions, and limited passes into the Po River Valley made it easier for them to defend.
The area the South Africans were moving toward Florence was pretty underdeveloped in terms of roads. Most of them were narrow and unpaved, making the railroads crucial for their advance. That’s why holding onto Chiusi was so important for the Germans—it gave them more time to pull back north.The strong presence of Allied air power made it tough for the Germans to move north, so they started traveling at night. Since crossing the countryside was tricky, they had to secure the few decent roads and railways at all costs—especially because getting lost in the hills at night was easy, and wandering off the narrow paths could be dangerous and slow.
The South Africans, many of whom were used to rough terrain from their home country, quickly caught up with the retreating Germans despite some enemy tactics to slow them down. On June 28, the division, along with the Guards brigade, took Chianciano Terme after navigating some tough ground with infantry backed by a few tanks.
The following day, they liberated Montepulciano and carefully moved along routes west of the north-south railroad, reaching Castelinuovo Berardenga by July 4. The Germans were using patrols effectively, which often led to deadly encounters with the British and South African patrols as they ran into each other.
Among the German prisoners were many young, highly motivated soldiers from the Kampfschule-Sturm-Battalion of the Hermann Göring Division, who fought fiercely.
After training for a year in Egypt, troops from the 6th South African Armoured Division landed in Taranto, Italy, in April 1944. By July 14, progress was slow due to rough terrain and scattered German resistance, but patrols from the Grenadier Guards 5th Battalion managed to overrun the temporary German Hilde Line between Gaiole in Chianti and Castelinuovo Berardenga. Three days later, they liberated Gaiole and Radda in Chianti, where the Royal Natal Carbineers were warmly welcomed by locals, including the town’s priest.
Meanwhile, the Hermann Göring Division had been pulled back from the front lines and sent to Poland to help defend against the Soviets on the Vistula River.
With that elite German division gone, Kesselring sent in parts of the 15th Panzergrenadier Division (armored infantry) and the 1st Fallschirmjäger Division (parachute infantry) to face the advancing South Africans and British Guardsmen. Both divisions had above-average soldiers, although the paratroopers were technically airmen from the Luftwaffe, not regular army troops.The armored infantry soldiers were seen as pretty solid troops, but by 1944, the German Army was mostly filling its ranks with older guys who weren’t exactly top fighters. Still, they put up a tough fight as they slowly retreated north towards the Gothic Line.
For the local Italians, it was a weird sight to see the Germans leave and the South Africans and British roll in. After enduring a rough time under German control, it was hard for them to wrap their heads around the fact that things were about to change again. Even today, older folks in places like Chianti in central Italy still talk about their own experiences or those of their family during that tough period.
On July 19, the 1st Scots Guards marched into Monte Querciabella, just north of Radda, and were greeted warmly by the locals. The sound of bagpipes playing during their arrival is still vivid in the memories of people from that area.
As the South Africans moved north, they tackled one notable mountain after another. On July 20, they went after Monte San Michele, where the 1st Scots Guards faced off against enemy paratroopers and armored infantry.
Then on July 22, the 12th Armored Infantry Brigade’s Witswatersrand/De La Rey Regiment and the Royal Durban Light Infantry teamed up to push the enemy off Monte Fili, which had a great view over Greve, a big town on the way to Florence.
At the same time, the 3rd Coldstream Guards took Monte Domini, also overlooking Greve, in what was called a textbook operation. Just two days later, the First City/Capetown Highlanders liberated Greve itself, using the main road that ran through the town. But things were still moving at a snail’s pace.
It wasn’t until July 29 that they finally took Monte Scalari. That battle was tough since it marked the boundary between the German Tenth and Fourteenth Armies, making it a crucial spot. The beautiful city of Florence was now almost within reach, and on July 30, the South African troops found themselves fighting close to the city.On August 1, the Scots Guards took control of Poggio ai Mandorli, which was the last stronghold for the Germans along the Arno River before reaching Florence, known as the Paula-Mädchen Line.
Liberating Florence wasn’t a walk in the park. The South African Division aimed to add this victory to their unofficial list of achievements, but they faced challenges like blown-up bridges and clever demolitions that slowed down the Allied forces. Only the Ponte Vecchio, one of Hitler’s favorite bridges, survived, but even getting infantry across it was tough since the buildings next to it were destroyed, leaving heaps of rubble everywhere.
It’s said that Kesselring ordered the destruction of the bridges over the Arno because he regretted not doing it when Rome fell, which cost him precious time while retreating north.
When the South African troops from the Imperial Light Horse/Kimberly Regiment reached the iconic Ponte Vecchio on the morning of August 4, they discovered that German engineers had already executed Kesselring’s order to destroy the bridge during the night before.
Despite this, the South Africans managed to liberate Florence, fulfilling a mission that British Prime Minister Churchill had specifically wanted. It was also a much-needed moment for the troops to take a breather and maintain their vehicles and equipment after navigating the challenging Chianti terrain.
Meanwhile, other significant events were unfolding for the Allies in August. A controversial invasion of southern France led to the withdrawal of the French Expeditionary Corps and several veteran American divisions from Italy to join Operation Dragoon.
The British were particularly frustrated that Italy would be left with just enough Allied forces to keep pushing against an enemy retreating to their final defense line, the Gothic Line, located at the top of the Apennine mountains, facing the Po River Valley.
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Additionally, there was a big shift for the 6th South African Armoured Division, which got reassigned to the U.S. II Corps of the American Fifth Army. Soon after, the division was put in reserve as its mobile firepower transitioned into a more grueling battle of attrition.South African soldiers from the 6th Armoured Division, which was part of the U.S. II Corps, were patrolling the streets of Florence back in August 1944. As fall and winter approached, the troops faced combat fatigue and tough terrain, but come spring 1945, they were ready to show off their speed and combat skills again. They played a key role in wrapping up the war in Italy by May that year.
After liberating Florence, the division moved south to Siena. The French Moroccan Mountain Division had stirred up quite a bit of trouble with the local civilians before they were sent off for the invasion of southern France. The arrival of the more culturally sensitive South Africans helped mend some of the hard feelings left behind by the French troops.
The South African soldiers got a taste of American culture during this time. Frank Sinatra, at 28 years old, put on concerts, earning himself the nickname “The Voice.” The charming actress Katherine Hepburn also came around to meet the soldiers whenever she could escape the officers who often hogged the visiting entertainers. Theater shows were open to everyone, which helped distract the enlisted men from any gripes they had about their officers.
While the troops took some time to relax, fix their gear, replace lost items, and do a little training, the division staff was busy getting ready to operate under American command.
On August 26, after a three-week break in Allied operations, the South African Division crossed the Arno River, which had been lightly guarded by German outposts. They made their way north through the beautiful vineyards of Poggibonsi and Certaldo, crossing the Arno at Empoli. Before heading back into the Apennines, they crossed the Bisenzio River at Prato on September 1.
Next, they shifted east to get ready for a II Corps offensive later that month. Once they were in position, the South Africans were redirected west and reached the Gothic Line near Lucca on September 11, not far from the Tyrrhenian Sea’s east coast.
They stayed there for nearly two weeks before turning back east and arriving in Pistoia on September 27. Taking part in the II Corps offensive, the division fought for Monte Stanco just north of Pistoia on October 13.By this point, the Allies were feeling pretty worn out, dealing with increasing casualties, bad weather, and a lack of fresh troops. The offensive in Italy came to a standstill on October 20, and by October 26, the South Africans decided to pull back and settle into winter quarters near Veggio.
Fast forward to February 23, 1945, when the 6th South African Armoured Division rejoined the fight, but they didn’t see action again until spring. This time, it was all about making that final push to wrap up the war, and their mobile armored firepower was ready to roll. They were back in action as part of the U.S. II Corps within the Fifth Army.
With victory in Italy just around the corner, the 6th Armoured Division’s vehicles were moving along a debris-filled road close to Bologna in April 1945. Fighting in Italy wrapped up on May 2, 1945. To get back into the fray, the division left its base and took the main road east through Pistoia to Prato, then turned north towards Bologna, aiming to head into the Po River Valley. But first, the infantry divisions had to tackle a well-entrenched enemy taking advantage of the tough mountainous terrain.
On April 15, II Corps jumped into the battle but only made slight progress. Lt. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott had gathered his Fifth Army divisions on a narrow front to break into the Po River Valley. It was the skilled infantry from the 10th Mountain Division, with their expertise in high-altitude combat, that finally broke through the stubborn enemy defenses.
By April 17, the mountain troops were out of the hills and working to flank Bologna, with the rest of II Corps following closely behind. By April 20, II Corps had broken free into open land and sped toward the Po River.
Meanwhile, on April 15 and 16, the South Africans were pushing up the Florence-Bologna railroad, liberating several small towns as they kicked off their offensive. On April 22, they leveraged their armored mobility to capture an important bridge east of Camposanto on the Panaro River, fully engaging in the chase of the retreating German forces.German resistance was pretty hit-or-miss as their troops tried to escape across the major rivers flowing east and west. They aimed to slow down the fast-moving Allies by holding onto key crossing points with the few remaining enemy units, allowing some of them to retreat north. However, they struggled because they didn’t have enough bridging equipment, while the Allies had come prepared with plenty of materials to tackle the rivers.
The Germans faced a tough time getting their vehicles over the Po River and its smaller streams, making it easy for the well-equipped Allies to catch up. On top of that, Italian partisans in the river valley were making things even harder for the Germans by taking control of important towns, which blocked the enemy’s movement and access to vital resources.
By April 23, the 6th South African Armoured Division was near Bondeno, close to the Po River. There, they linked up with British V Corps units advancing from the east coast of Italy. This maneuver surrounded a large portion of the enemy north of Bologna and helped facilitate the crossing of the Po.
The speedy South Africans managed to establish a bridgehead over the Po on April 25, just west of Felonica. Then it became a race to get to the Adige River west of Mantua, which they crossed on April 27. By this point, German resistance was nearly nonexistent, with enemy troops surrendering left and right as they aimlessly retreated north.
Once they crossed the Adige, the division pushed forward to Camposampiero, north of Padua, reaching there on April 30. This was as far east as they would go since they encountered significant German resistance around Milan, prompting orders to head west instead.
Resistance was almost non-existent, partly because the Italian partisans were determined to inflict as much damage as possible on the German occupiers, especially targeting the Gestapo, German sympathizers, and SS troops who had committed atrocities.
On May 2, 1945, the war in Italy officially came to an end when the German high command surrendered to the Allies. The following day, the South Africans gathered around Milan, receiving the news that the war in Italy was finally over.Like all the other Allied forces, the end of fighting brought a shaky peace. Even though there was no more combat, Italy was still dealing with a lot of revenge attacks, so real peace was still a ways off. It would take some time for life to get back to normal.
For the South Africans, though, the war was officially over. They headed home to a country that wasn’t physically destroyed but was still dealing with a lot of losses, both in terms of injuries and mental health. The 6th South African Armoured Division had seen 711 soldiers killed, 2,675 wounded, and 157 missing—some as POWs and others just unaccounted for.
These losses were pretty heavy, especially considering what they had already faced in North Africa. Plus, the soldiers who fought in Italy were all volunteers since there was no draft in the Union of South Africa.
Helping Great Britain on land, in the air, and at sea really showed how far the country had come, especially since it had only been about 50 years since they lost to the British Empire in the Boer War.
The fact that South Africans stepped up to fight against an enemy thousands of miles away didn’t go unnoticed. The Free World recognized and appreciated the Union of South Africa’s choice to join in the Allied victory.
