THE SWEDISH ARMOURED UNITS

THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE SWEDISH ARMY

In 1928 Göta lifeguards organized a tank battalion. In 1936 it was divided into two battalions. One at Skaraborgs regiment and one at Södermanlands regiment. On the 1st of October 1942 the armoured corps was created as a separate branch and four regiments were transferred mainly from the infantry but also from the cavalry. In 1957 one of these were transformed into an armored infantry regiment and an independent battalion was started. In 1963 four more regiments were transferred to the armoured corps. In 1994 yet one more regiment was transferred to the corps. In 2000 one regiment was disbanded, one was in name re-transferred to the infantry in name but still trained mechanized units. In 2005 another two were disbanded.

The branch colours of the corps are black and yellow. The branch symbol is the armoured fist with the sword raised for striking. It is worn on the collars on the daily dress with the swords striking out from the throat.

Some infantry regiments ( I 7, I 10, I 15) became armoured infantry regiments after the second world war, jointly raising the armoured brigades with the armour regiments that only trained tank crews and units in those days. For example P 4 and I 15 jointly raised 5th and 9th armour brigades while I 15 still had its own brigade. This ended in 1963 with the new armoured organization where the armour regiments were doubled in numbers but got the training responsibility for all the tank and armoured infantry units themselves. All but one of the former armoured infantry regiments were transferred to use the experience gathered, I 7, I 10 where armoured infantry regiments and I 18 had plenty of experience due to its sharing of barracks with the Göta armoured life guard Gotland detachment. I 15 returned to the infantry while I 6 became an armour regiment without having had experience with armour.

The first four regiments and the independant battalion (that raised two independent tank battalions for reinforcing the Norrland brigades in war) were numbered consequently (P1-5). When more regiments were transferred in 1963 the method of numbering had changed. The old number was retained but the P replaced the I. Thus Södermanlands regiment has had two different numbers as armour regiment. In 2000 it was decided to rename MekB 19 to its former name I 19 while still being a part of the armoured corps.