18th Battalion (New Zealand)

18th Battalion (18th Armoured Regiment)
Tanks of 18th Armoured Regiment waiting to move up for the crossing at Senio, Italy
Active	1939–45
Disbanded	December 1945
Country	New Zealand
Branch	New Zealand Military Forces
Type	Infantry (1939–42) Armoured (1943–45)
Size	~760 personnel[1]
Part of	4th Infantry Brigade (1939–42) 4th Armoured Brigade (1943–45)
Engagements	Second World War Battle of Greece Battle of Crete North African Campaign Operation Crusader First Battle of El Alamein Italian Campaign Battle of Monte Cassino

The 18th Battalion was a formation of the New Zealand Military Forces which served, initially as an infantry battalion and then as an armoured regiment, during the Second World War as part of the 2nd New Zealand Division.

The 18th Battalion was formed in New Zealand in September 1939. After a period of training, in 1940 it embarked for the Middle East as part of the 2nd New Zealand Division and then, in 1941, on to Greece. It participated in the Battle of Greece and later in the fighting on Crete. Evacuated from Crete, it then fought in the North African Campaign and suffered heavy losses during Operation Crusader. Brought back up to strength, in June 1942 the battalion participated in the breakout of the 2nd New Zealand Division from Minqar Qaim where it had been encircled by the German 21st Panzer Division. The following month, the battalion fought in the First Battle of El Alamein.

In October 1943, the battalion was converted to armour and re-designated the 18th Armoured Regiment. To replace men lost at El Alamein, personnel were drawn from a tank brigade being formed in New Zealand. The regiment spent a year in Egypt training with Sherman tanks, before embarking for Italy in October 1943 to join up with the rest of the 2nd New Zealand Division. It participated in the Italian Campaign, fighting in actions at Orsogna and later at Cassino. The regiment finished the war in Trieste and remained there for several weeks until the large numbers of Yugoslav partisans also present in the city withdrew. Not required for service in the Pacific theatre of operations, the regiment was disbanded in late 1945.