oured ▁branch ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁its ▁very ▁limited ▁capabilities ▁in ▁tank ▁war fare ▁had ▁been ▁deployed ▁to ▁the ▁North ▁African ▁Camp aign ▁( i . e . ▁three ▁divis ional ▁caval ry ▁batt al ions ). ▁By ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁the ▁effect iveness ▁of ▁large - scale ▁German ▁pan zer ▁attacks ▁had ▁been ▁recogn ised , ▁and ▁a ▁dedicated ▁arm oured ▁must ering ▁was ▁formed . ▁The ▁Australian ▁Arm oured ▁Corps ▁initially ▁included ▁the ▁cad res ▁of ▁three ▁arm oured ▁divisions ▁– ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁equ ipped ▁at ▁least ▁partly ▁with ▁M 3 ▁Gr ants ▁made ▁available ▁from ▁sur plus ▁British ▁orders . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 st ▁Australian ▁Arm oured ▁Division ▁was ▁formed ▁with ▁a ▁view ▁towards ▁complement ing ▁the ▁three ▁Australian ▁inf antry ▁divisions ▁then ▁in ▁North ▁Africa . ▁However , ▁following ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁host ilities ▁with ▁Japan , ▁the ▁division ▁was ▁retained ▁in ▁Australia . ▁During ▁April – May ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Arm oured ▁Division ' s ▁reg iments ▁were ▁reported ▁to ▁be ▁re - equ ipping ▁with ▁M 3 ▁Gr ants ▁and ▁were ▁training , ▁in ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁large ▁exer cis es , ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁around ▁Nar rab ri , ▁New ▁South ▁Wales . ▁ ▁The ▁cad res ▁of ▁other ▁two ▁divisions , ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁and ▁ 3 rd ▁Arm oured ▁Div isions ▁were ▁both ▁officially ▁formed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁as ▁Milit ia ▁( res erve /