First Army (United Kingdom)

First Army (United Kingdom). The First Army was a field army formation of the British Army that existed during both the First World War and the Second World War. It was first established in December 1914 under the command of General Douglas Haig to control the British Expeditionary Force's formations on the Western Front. Reactivated for the invasion of North Africa in 1942, it played a central role in the Tunisian campaign before being disbanded in 1943.

History

The First Army was originally formed in France on 26 December 1914, following the expansion of the British Expeditionary Force and the need for higher-level command structures. It took control of the I Corps, IV Corps, and the Indian Cavalry Corps, holding a sector of the front line during the Race to the Sea. Throughout the First World War, it participated in major offensives including the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the Battle of Aubers Ridge, and the later stages of the Battle of the Somme. After the war, the army was disbanded in 1919. It was reformed in 1942 as part of Operation Torch, the Allied landings in French North Africa, where it became the principal British formation within the Allied Forces Headquarters under Dwight D. Eisenhower. Following the conclusion of the Tunisian campaign and the surrender of Axis forces, the First Army was disbanded in Algeria in mid-1943, with its units absorbed into the Eighth Army for the Allied invasion of Sicily.

Commanders

During the First World War, the army was commanded by several senior officers. Its first commander was General Douglas Haig from 1914 until late 1915, when he was promoted to command the entire BEF. He was succeeded by General Henry Rawlinson, followed by General Charles Monro. From 1916 until the end of the war, command was held by General Henry Horne, the only artillery officer to command a British army in the conflict. In the Second World War, the army was commanded solely by Lieutenant-General Kenneth Anderson, who led it through the entirety of the North African campaign.

Order of battle

The composition of the First Army varied considerably between conflicts and during different phases of each war. In early 1915, it typically comprised the I Corps, IV Corps, and the Indian Cavalry Corps. By the time of the Battle of the Somme, it included the VII Corps and VIII Corps. During the Second World War for Operation Torch, its major components included the 78th Infantry Division, the 6th Armoured Division, and the 1st Parachute Brigade. It also commanded the United States II Corps for a period during the Tunisian campaign, alongside French Army units such as the French XIX Corps.

Operations

The First Army's operational history is defined by its involvement in two world wars. On the Western Front, it fought in the early battles of 1915, including Neuve Chapelle and Aubers Ridge, and later in the Battle of the Somme and the Hundred Days Offensive. In the Second World War, its primary theatre was the Mediterranean. Landing at Algiers and Oran in November 1942, it advanced into Tunisia, engaging in difficult battles at Longstop Hill and the Kasserine Pass. After regrouping under the 18th Army Group, it culminated its service with a decisive role in the final offensive that captured Tunis and Bizerte, leading to the mass surrender of Axis forces in May 1943.

See also

* British Army during the First World War * British Army during the Second World War * Second Army (United Kingdom) * Eighth Army (United Kingdom) * Tunisian campaign * Operation Torch

Category:Field armies of the United Kingdom Category:Military units and formations of the British Army in World War I Category:Military units and formations of the British Army in World War II