Part 1: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/09/05/the-black-brigade-part-1/
Part 2: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/09/09/the-black-brigade-part-2/
Part 3: http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/09/10/the-black-brigade-part-3/
Continuing from part 3…
During the entire year 1943, the division continued training. It also changed its structure to a new type (proven by combat), made to resemble the one of a British armored division. The division consisted in turn of an armored brigade, a motorized lorry-mobile brigade, an artillery brigade and auxilliary division units to secure the chain of supplies. A deadline to make the division combat-ready was set on May 1944. When May came, the newly ready 1st Armored Division took part, along with other units, in last series of military excercises and it was decided to deply the unit during the second stage of the Normandy landings.
2nd Lieutenant battledress, 1st Armored Division
At that point, the 1st Armored Division consisted of following units:
- 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade (HQ units, three tank batallions, one motorized batallion)
- 3rd Rifle Brigade (three infantry batallions)
- one motorized recon regiment
- four artillery regiments
- engineering company
- supply transport detachment
- brigade tank repair shops
- four light repair shops
- reserve tank companies
- field post office, light field ambulance service
- military police detachment
- disciplinary platoon, court martial, prosecution
In total, it was 855 officers, 15210 soldiers, 381 tanks, 473 guns and mortars and 4500 armored cars, armored troop carriers and other motorized vehicles.
In July, the entire division was moved to Aldershot, where it awaited its transports to Normandy. By the end of the July, the division disembarked the transport ships in two Normandy ports – Arromanches and Corseulles, with Bayeux set as the unit’s rally point. It was made part of the II.Canadian Corps of the 1st Army, which in turn was assigned to the 21st Army Group of General Montgomery. The task the division was assigned with was an attack from the Caen area towards Falaise as a part of the Operation Totalise. In the night from 7.8. to 8.8., the unit moved to the initial attack position on the eastern outskirts of Caen. General Maczek wrote a special order before the battle. A part of it was addressed to the Polish soldiers:
