5th Infantry Brigade (South Africa)

(Redirected from 5th South African Brigade)

5th South African Infantry Brigade
Active	13 Aug 1940 – 24 Nov 1941
Disbanded	Destroyed by Axis forces at Sidi Rezegh: 24 Nov 1941. Officially disbanded 1 Jan 1943
Country	South Africa
Allegiance	Union of South Africa
Branch	South African Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Brigade
Engagements	East African Campaign North African Campaign Operation Crusader
Commanders
Commander November 1941	Brigadier Bertram Frank Armstrong

Military unit

v t e East African campaign of World War II
Sudan British Somaliland (1940) Tug Argan French Somaliland Convoy BN 7 Agordat British Somaliland (1941) Keren Saïo Amba Alagi Culqualber Gondar Guerrilla war Associated articles Gideon Force Arbegnoch Red Sea Flotilla Desert Air Force East Indies Station East Africa Force Order of battle

East African campaign of World War II

Associated articles

v t e Western Desert Campaign
1940 Invasion of Egypt Compass Nibeiwa Sidi Barrani 1941 1st Bardia Tobruk 1941 Mechili Beda Fomm Kufra Giarabub Sonnenblume Tobruk siege 2nd Bardia Twin Pimples Brevity Skorpion Battleaxe Crusader Flipper 1st Bir el Gubi Point 175 2nd Bir el Gubi 1942 Acrobat Gazala Bir Hakeim Tobruk 1942 Mersa Matruh 1st Alamein Sidi Haneish Alam Halfa Agreement Bigamy Caravan Nicety 2nd Alamein Bertram Braganza Outpost Snipe El Agheila Associated articles Frontier Wire Devil's gardens Fort Capuzzo Maletti Group Camouflage Babini Group Combeforce 3rd Indian Motor Brigade Baggush Box Sonderkommando Blaich

Western Desert Campaign

1940

1941

1942

Associated articles

The 5th South African Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the army of the Union of South Africa during World War II. The Brigade formed part of the South African 1st Infantry Division and was formed on 13 August 1940. It served in East Africa and the Western Desert and was disbanded on 1 January 1943.

Order of battle

East Africa

Officer Commanding: Brigadier Bertram Frank Armstrong

1st South African Irish Regiment
2nd Regiment Botha
3rd Transvaal Scottish Regiment
No. 1 S.A. Armoured Car Company
5th Field Company, SA Corps of Engineers
11th Field Ambulance, SA Medical Corps
No. 3 Mobile General Workshops, SA Technical Services Corps
1 Brigade Signals Company, SA Corps of Signals

Western Desert

The 5th Brigade was almost totally wiped out by the German 15th Panzer and Italian Ariete Divisions at Sidi Rezegh on 23 November 1941. Although receiving some replacements and being re-equipped, the Brigade never served operationally after this defeat.

Notes

Armstrong was captured at Sidi Rezegh on 23 or 24 November 1941 and was flown directly from North Africa to Germany for interrogation. Matthews, D. Capt. With the 5th South African Infantry Brigade at Sidi Rezegh. South African Military History Journal – Vol 10 No 6.

Citations

Orpen Appendix B
Agar-Hamilton Pg253

Bibliography

Agar-Hamilton, J.A.I. & Turner, L.F.C. The Sidi Rezeg Battles: 1941. 1957, Oxford University Press, Cape Town.
Orpen, N. East Africa and the Abyssinian Campaigns: South African Forces World War II: Volume I. 1968, Purnell, Cape Town.

South African Army Units

Divisions and Brigades

Brigades	43 South African Brigade 44 Parachute Brigade 46 South African Brigade Special Forces Brigade

Armour Formation (SAAAF)

Training	School of Armour
Tank	Regular 1 South African Tank Regiment Reserve Pretoria Armoured Regiment Queen Nandi Mounted Rifles Thaba Bosiu Armoured Regiment
Armoured Car	Regular 1 Special Service Battalion Reserve Umvoti Mounted Rifles Blaauwberg Armoured Regiment Molapo Armoured Regiment Johannesburg Light Horse Regiment

Infantry Formation (SAAIF)

Training	South African Infantry School
Parachute Infantry	Regular 44 Para 1 Para 44 Pathfinders 13 Signal Squadron 18 Light Regiment 44 Medical Task Group 101 Air Supply Unit SAOSC 44 Training Wing Parachute Packing Wing Reserve Bagaka Regiment 3 Para
Air Assault Infantry	Regular 6 SAI Reserve Chief Makhanda Regiment Chief Maqoma Regiment
Seaborne Infantry	Regular 9 SAI Reserve Chief Langalibalele Rifles
Light Infantry	Regular 21 SAI Reserve Rand Light Infantry OR Tambo Regiment Lenong Regiment
Mechanised Infantry	Regular 1 SAI 8 SAI Reserve General de la Rey Regiment Regiment Northern Transvaal Cape Town Highlanders General Jan Smuts Regiment Bambatha Rifles
Motorised Infantry	Regular 2 SAI 4 SAI 5 SAI 7 SAI 10 SAI 14 SAI 15 SAI 121 SAI Reserve General Botha Regiment Mapungubwe Regiment Johannesburg Regiment Andrew Mlangeni Regiment Solomon Mahlangu Regiment Tshwane Regiment Buffalo Volunteer Rifles King Shaka Regiment Durban Light Infantry Kimberley Regiment Ingobamakhosi Carbineers Mangaung Regiment Nelson Mandela Regiment Umzimvubu Regiment

Artillery Formation

Training	School of Artillery (South Africa)
Regular	HQ Artillery Mobilisation Regiment 4 Artillery Regiment
Reserve	Nelson Mandela Artillery Regiment King Cetshwayo Artillery Regiment Sandfontein Artillery Regiment Regiment Potchefstroom Universiteit State Artillery Regiment General Dan Pienaar Artillery Regiment Steve Biko Artillery Regiment

Air Defence Artillery Formation

Training	School of Air Defence Artillery (South Africa)
Regular	HQ Sekhukhune Anti-Aircraft Regiment 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment Madzhakandila Anti-Aircraft Regiment
Reserve	Autshumato Anti-Aircraft Regiment Galeshewe Anti-Aircraft Regiment iWombe Anti-Aircraft Regiment 7 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Regiment Overvaal

Engineer Formation

Training	South African Army Engineer School
Regular	HQ 2 Field Engineer Regiment 35 Engineer Support Regiment 1 Construction Regiment Engineer Terrain Intelligence Unit
Reserve	Ihawu Field Engineer Regiment Umkhonto Field Engineer Regiment 19 Field Engineer Regiment Ukhosi Parachute Engineer Regiment

Training Formation
3 SAI SA Army Combat Training Centre (SAACTC) Army Gymnasium Army College de Brug Training Area General de la Rey Training Area Potchefstroom Oustshoorn Training Area Touwsriver Training Area Wallmannsthal Training Area

Support Formation

Army Support Bases (Eastern Cape, Johannesburg, Kimberley, KZN, Limpopo, Potcheftstroom, Western Cape, Mpumalanga)
Mobilisation Centre
Main Ordnance Depot
National Ceremonial Guard
Logistical Support Unit
General Andrew Masondo Maintenance Unit
Madiba Bay Maintenance Unit
15 Maint Unit
Other Maintenance Units
Doman Field Workshop
General Sipho Binda Field Workshop
Sabelo Phama Field Workshop
Chris Hani Field Workshop
Sekhukhune Field Workshop
Ngungunyane Field Workshop
Other Field Workshops

Signals Formation

Regular

1 Signal Regt
2 Signal Regt
3 Signal Regt
4 Signal Regt
5 Signal Regt

Reserve

6 Signal Regt

Gauteng Reserve Signal Unit

11 Field Postal Unit

South African Defence Force (1957–1994)

Commands

Eastern Province Command (Port Elizabeth)

Eastern Transvaal Command (Nelspruit)

Natal Command (Durban)

Northern Transvaal Command (Swartkop, Pretoria)

Northern Cape Command (Kimberly)

Orange Free State Command (Bloemfontein)

Western Province Command (Cape Town)

Southern Cape Command (Oudsthoorn)

West Transvaal Command/North West Command (Potchefstroom)

Witwatersrand Command (Johannesburg)

Far North Command (Pietersburg)

Northern Logistic Command (Grootfontein, South West Africa)

South West Africa Command (Windhoek, South West Africa)

Northern Logistics Command (Grootfontein, South West Africa)

Gauteng Command post 1994 SANDF (Amalgamation of Wits and Northern Transvaal Commands)

Corps

Divisions

7 South African Infantry Division
8 South African Armoured Division
9 South African Infantry Division
10 South African Division (Operation Prone)

Brigades

16 Brigade (see 81 Armoured Brigade)
17 Brigade (see 71 Motorised Brigade )
18 Brigade (see 72 Motorised Brigade)
19 Brigade (see 82 Mechanised Brigade)
20 Brigade
60 Brigade (Battlegroups HQ Lohatla)
71 Motorised Brigade SADF era
72 Motorised Brigade SADF era
73 Motorised Brigade SADF era
74 Brigade SADF and SANDF era (see 8th Armoured Division)
75 Brigade SADF and SANDF era (see 9th Division)
81 Armoured Brigade SADF era
82 Mechanised Brigade SADF era
83 Brigade (planned but never existed)
84 Motorised Brigade SADF era
10 Artillery Brigade SADF era
Other brigades

Battlegroups

UDF and SADF
Regiments and Battalions

Homeland Battalions

Military Areas

Training Areas	Boschhoek Grahamstown Hellsgate Mosita Pomfret Riemvasmaak

UDF and SADF Commando System

South African Commando System

State Presidents Guard

State Presidents Guard

Mobilisation Units (Reception Depots)

Bantustan Defence Forces (1977/1981–1994)

Bophuthatswana Defence Force 1977–1994	1 BDF Infantry Battalion 2 BDF Infantry Battalion BDF Parachute Battalion BDF Military School BDF Special Forces 1 BDF Military Area 2 BDF Military Area 3 BDF Military Area BDF Signals Unit BDF Bafokeng base BDF Mankwe base BDF Odi base BDF Thaba'Nchu base BDF Taung base BDF Air Wing
Venda Defence Force 1979–1994	VDF Headquarters Sibasa 1 VDF Battalion Manenu 2 VDF Battalion Maunavhathu VDF Vuwani Military Base VDF Signals Unit VDF Air Wing
Ciskei Defence Force 1981–1994	1 CDF Battalion CDF Special Forces
Transkei Defence Force 1981–1994	1 TDF Battalion TDF Special Forces TDF Mounted Battalion

SWATF (1977–1989)

Union Defence Force 1912–1957

Divisions

Infantry	1 2 3

Armoured	3 6

Brigades

Infantry	1 2 3 4 5

Citizens Batteries	1st Citizen Battery 2nd Citizen Battery 3rd Citizen Battery 4th Citizen Battery 5th Citizen Battery 6th Citizen Battery 7th Citizen Battery 8th and 9th Citizen Batteries

Military Districts	1st (Cape Town) 2nd (Port Elizabeth) 3rd (East London) 4th (Pietermaritzburg) 5th (Durban) 6th (Standerton) 7th (Potchefstroom) 8th (Johannesburg) 9th (Pretoria) 10th (Kroonstad) 11th (Bloemfontein) 12th (Prieska) 13th (De Aar) 14th (Worcester)

World War I 1914–1918

Europe Campaign 1914–1918

South African Overseas Expeditionary Force

Brigades	1st Infantry Heavy Artillery

Regiments	1 2 3 4

South African Native Labour Corps

East Africa Campaign 1914–1915

German South West Africa Campaign 1915

S.A.M.R. Regiments	1 2 3 4 5

Volunteer Militias 1903–1909

Field Artillery	Natal Prince Alfred's Own Cape

Horse	Diamond Fields Horse Natal Native Horse Royston's Horse

Light Horse	Border Cape Tembuland

Light Infantry	Durban Transvaal

Mounted Rifles	Border Natal Northern District Southern Transvaal Umvoti Zululand

Rifles	Cape Peninsular Eastern Kaffrarian Northern Uitenhage Western

Non-Statutory Forces 1961–1994
Umkhonto weSizwe Azanian People's Liberation Army

Boer Commandos

Colonial Armies 1885–1902
Cape Colonial Forces

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