79th Armoured Division
Encyclopedia
The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist British Army
armoured formation created as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion of 6 June 1944. The division operated armoured vehicles modified for specialist roles, intended to assist with the landing phase of the operation.
. Hobart accepted on the understanding that the 79th would be an operational division, not just a training and development one.
Hobart gave firm direction and the strange-looking tanks it developed and operated were known as Hobart's Funnies
. They included tanks that floated, could clear mines, destroy defences, carry and lay bridges, and roadways - anything that would enable the invasion force to get ashore and break through the German defences. One less successful development was the Canal Defence Light
a giant light intended to dazzle enemy gunners, although it was used to provide artificial daylight during the attack on the Geilenkirchen salient
.
Initially, 79th Armoured Division also had the usual contingents of Royal Artillery
, Royal Engineers
and other Army units attached but these were removed after its change of role. After formation in October 1942, the 79th, based at the time mostly in Yorkshire, trained as a regular armoured division for about six months before the change of role.
The Nottinghamshire Yeomanry
, two Canadian units, the 1st Hussars
and Fort Garry Horse and three American units joined for training on the DD tank
s. In mid-1943 the Assault Brigade RE was formed: its units were Assault Squadrons RE.
The formation did not operate as a single division: its vehicles were distributed as small units across the Divisions taking part in the landings and subsequent operations. At first, difficulties were encountered in persuading infantry commanders to use the specialised armour to best effect but these were resolved with the appointment of representatives of the GOC to each formation where elements were assigned. The units of the 79th were distributed as short term assets to a particular operation or battle and once complete returned to the 79th, the liasion officers of the 79th having the power to recall the vehicles.
The Division was further used during the battle for the Roer Triangle (Operation Blackcock
), the Rhine crossings (Operation Plunder
) and the Elbe crossing to transport the assault troops and to re-supply.
The 79th Armoured Division was disbanded on 20 August 1945. Hobart subsequently commanded the Specialized Armour Development Establishment (SADE) which was formed from elements of the 79th together with the Assault Training and Development Centre.
tank designed to clear a safe path through a mine-field by deliberately detonating mines in front of the vehicle. The Crab design was first used by the British during the North African Campaign
. The Sherman Crab was a standard Sherman tank with the mine flail mechanism added.
The mine flail was a horizontal, rapidly rotating rotor held in front of the vehicle on two arms. Heavy chains (the "flails") fixed to the rotor continuously and violently struck the ground detonating the mines. The tank received little damage in the process but had to travel slowly and the flails had to be replaced on a regular basis as the explosions broke the chains.
(AVRE) was a heavily modified Churchill III or IV that had a crew of six (tank crew and carried engineers). In place of the main gun was the Petard, a spigot mortar, which fired the 40 pound (18 kg) 290 mm wide "Flying dustbin". The round had a 28 pound (13 kg) high explosive warhead with a practical effective range of 100 yards (90 metres). This round was an early bunker buster
, designed to quickly destroy fortifications. The loader had to stick his head and torso out of the AVRE to reload the Petard.
The AVRE was designed after the Canadian failure at Dieppe, and could be equipped with numerous other attachments, such as mine plows, fascine bundles, carpet rollers, explosive placers, etc. It also carried Bangalore torpedo
s for clearing barbed wire
obstacles, and hand-emplaced demolition charges.
After the Second World War the Churchill AVRE was re-armed with a breech loaded low velocity 165 mm demolition gun.
were converted from M7 Priest
self-propelled guns used by 50th Northumbrian, 3rd Canadian, and 3rd British Infantry Divisions thatt had been used during the assault on Normandy. These were no longer needed, as the artillery regiments were re-equipped with towed 25 pdr at the end of July. At a field workshop they were stripped of the artillery equipment and the front aperture welded over, then sent into service carrying twelve troops. Since they carried infantry as a kangaroo carries its young, they were dubbed Kangaroos and the workshop carrying out the conversion also received that name. Infantry were said to be 'empouched' when they boarded a Kangaroo. They were first used in Operation Totalize south of Caen and subsequently in Canadian attacks on the various Channel ports, operated by the 1st Canadian Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron.
The Priests were subsequently returned to the US Army, and other vehicles used. The majority of vehicles converted were Canadian Ram tanks or Shermans and other Priests (which were sometimes referred to as "unfrocked" or "defrocked" Priests). The name Kangaroo was applied to any similar conversion. In Normandy they were operated by the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment (1CACR) and the 49th Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment under the 79th Armoured Division
could hold 24 men or 4,500 pounds (2,000 kg) of cargo. Originally intended to carry replenishments from ships ashore, they lacked armour protection and their tracks and suspension were unreliable when used on hard terrain.
Travelling at a respectable six knots in the water and twelve mph on land, it could deliver 24 fully equipped assault troops to the beach, and supply supporting fire from two .30 cal. machine guns. As it was not armoured its thin steel hull offered virtually no protection. Tracks performed well on sand, but not on tough surfaces.
The 79th used the Buffalo at the Battle of the Scheldt
during the crossing of the Rhine along with the Terrapin
.
s (from "Duplex Drive" referring to its twin types of locomtion: tracks and propellers) were amphibious swimming tanks developed during the Second World War. The phrase is mostly used for the M4 Sherman medium tanks used by the Allies in the opening phases of the D-Day landings in 1944.
The swimming tank idea arose when it was realised that the first waves of infantry that reached an invasion beach would be acutely vulnerable without the support of tanks. However, if landing craft were used to carry those tanks, they themselves would be vulnerable to German heavy guns. The loss of too many landing craft would slow the movement of reinforcements from ships offshore and the invasion beaches would be choked with disabled and sunken landing craft. By giving tanks the ability to float, they could be launched from landing craft offshore and make their own way onto the beach.
Canal Defence Light
The Canal Defence Light (CDL) was a British "secret weapon" of the Second World War.
It was based upon the use of a powerful carbon-arc searchlight to dazzle and confuse enemy troops. A demonstration had shown that the use of a vehicle mounted searchlight both disoriented the units facing it and masked activities behind the searchlight.
The searchlight was mounted in an armoured turret fitted to a tank. Initially the Matilda tank
was used replacing its normal turret with a cylindrical one containing the searchlight (the light emitting through a vertical slit) and a machine gun. This was later replaced by the US M3 Grant
which was superior in several ways; it was a larger roomier tank, better able to keep up with tanks such as the Sherman and it had a hull mounted gun which was unaffected by the replacement of its normal turret with the searchlight turret.
The light could be varied in two ways to further enhance any effect.
Addition of blue or amber filter would make the light source seem further away or closer respectively.
the operation of a shutter would create a flickering effect.
The project was shrouded in secrecy. It was tested during Exercise Primrose in 1943 at Kilbride Bay with the result that it was determined to be "too uncertain to be depended upon as the main feature of an invasion".
27th Armoured Brigade - Attached to the 79th Armoured Division from 8 September 1942 until 20 October 1943.
185 Infantry Brigade
- Transferred out to 3rd Infantry Division on 9 April 1943.
1943
30th Armoured Brigade - Transferred in to the division on 17 October 1943.
'1st Assault Brigade and Assault Park Squadron RE - Formed on 1 November 1943
and Ostend.
30th Armoured Brigade (Sherman Crab)
1st Assault Brigade and Assault Park Squadron RE (AVRE
)
1st Tank Brigade
31st Tank Brigade (Churchill Crocodile
/Kangaroo (armoured personnel carrier)
)
1st Assault Brigade RE (AVRE
)
30th Armoured Brigade (Sherman Crab)
31 Armoured Brigade (Churchill Crocodile
, Kangaroo (armoured personnel carrier)
)
33 Armoured Brigade
(LVT 4)
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
armoured formation created as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion of 6 June 1944. The division operated armoured vehicles modified for specialist roles, intended to assist with the landing phase of the operation.
History
The division was formed as a standard armoured formation, but in March 1943, it was about to be disbanded for lack of resources. Alan Brooke (Chief of the Imperial General Staff), however, foresaw the need for specialised armoured vehicles and offered its command to Major General Sir Percy HobartPercy Hobart
Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart KBE CB DSO MC , also known as "Hobo", was a British military engineer, noted for his command of the 79th Armoured Division during World War II...
. Hobart accepted on the understanding that the 79th would be an operational division, not just a training and development one.
Hobart gave firm direction and the strange-looking tanks it developed and operated were known as Hobart's Funnies
Hobart's Funnies
Hobart's Funnies were a number of unusually modified tanks operated during World War II by the United Kingdom's 79th Armoured Division or by specialists from the Royal Engineers. They were designed in light of problems that more standard tanks experienced during the Dieppe Raid, so that the new...
. They included tanks that floated, could clear mines, destroy defences, carry and lay bridges, and roadways - anything that would enable the invasion force to get ashore and break through the German defences. One less successful development was the Canal Defence Light
Canal Defence Light
Canal Defence Light was a British "secret weapon" of the Second World War.It was based upon the use of a powerful carbon-arc searchlight mounted on a tank. It was intended to be used during night-time attacks, when the light would allow enemy positions to be targeted...
a giant light intended to dazzle enemy gunners, although it was used to provide artificial daylight during the attack on the Geilenkirchen salient
Operation Clipper
During the Second World War, Operation Clipper was an Allied offensive by British XXX Corps to reduce the Geilenkirchen salient in mid-November 1944...
.
Initially, 79th Armoured Division also had the usual contingents of Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
, Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and other Army units attached but these were removed after its change of role. After formation in October 1942, the 79th, based at the time mostly in Yorkshire, trained as a regular armoured division for about six months before the change of role.
The Nottinghamshire Yeomanry
Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry is one of the five squadrons of the Royal Yeomanry , an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army. Designated as 'S' Squadron, the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry's current role is to support the Formation Reconnaissance Regiments and the Joint Chemical Biological Nuclear...
, two Canadian units, the 1st Hussars
1st Hussars
The 1st Hussars is an armoured Primary Reserve regiment of the Canadian Forces, currently based in London, Ontario and Sarnia, Ontario.-Foundation and organisation:...
and Fort Garry Horse and three American units joined for training on the DD tank
DD tank
DD tanks , were a type of amphibious swimming tank developed by the British during the Second World War...
s. In mid-1943 the Assault Brigade RE was formed: its units were Assault Squadrons RE.
The formation did not operate as a single division: its vehicles were distributed as small units across the Divisions taking part in the landings and subsequent operations. At first, difficulties were encountered in persuading infantry commanders to use the specialised armour to best effect but these were resolved with the appointment of representatives of the GOC to each formation where elements were assigned. The units of the 79th were distributed as short term assets to a particular operation or battle and once complete returned to the 79th, the liasion officers of the 79th having the power to recall the vehicles.
The Division was further used during the battle for the Roer Triangle (Operation Blackcock
Operation Blackcock
Operation Blackcock was the code name for the clearing of the Roer Triangle formed by the towns of Roermond, Sittard and Heinsberg. It was conducted by the 2nd British Army in January 1945 between 14 and 26 January 1945. The objective was to drive the German 15th Army back across the Rivers Rur and...
), the Rhine crossings (Operation Plunder
Operation Plunder
Commencing on the night of 23 March 1945 during World War II, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the River Rhine at Rees, Wesel, and south of the Lippe River by the British 2nd Army, under Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey , and the U.S. Ninth Army , under Lieutenant General William Simpson...
) and the Elbe crossing to transport the assault troops and to re-supply.
The 79th Armoured Division was disbanded on 20 August 1945. Hobart subsequently commanded the Specialized Armour Development Establishment (SADE) which was formed from elements of the 79th together with the Assault Training and Development Centre.
Equipment
Sherman Crab
The Sherman Crab was a mine flailMine flail
A mine flail is a vehicle-mounted device that makes a safe path through a mine-field by deliberately detonating land mines in front of the vehicle that carries it. They were first used by the British during World War II....
tank designed to clear a safe path through a mine-field by deliberately detonating mines in front of the vehicle. The Crab design was first used by the British during the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
. The Sherman Crab was a standard Sherman tank with the mine flail mechanism added.
The mine flail was a horizontal, rapidly rotating rotor held in front of the vehicle on two arms. Heavy chains (the "flails") fixed to the rotor continuously and violently struck the ground detonating the mines. The tank received little damage in the process but had to travel slowly and the flails had to be replaced on a regular basis as the explosions broke the chains.
Churchill AVRE
The Churchill Armoured Vehicle Royal EngineersArmoured Vehicle Royal Engineers
Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers is the title given to a series of armoured vehicles operated by the Royal Engineers for the purpose of battlefield engineer support. These vehicles have been either purpose-built or post-production modifications of existing tank-based armoured vehicles...
(AVRE) was a heavily modified Churchill III or IV that had a crew of six (tank crew and carried engineers). In place of the main gun was the Petard, a spigot mortar, which fired the 40 pound (18 kg) 290 mm wide "Flying dustbin". The round had a 28 pound (13 kg) high explosive warhead with a practical effective range of 100 yards (90 metres). This round was an early bunker buster
Bunker buster
A bunker buster is a bomb designed to penetrate hardened targets or targets buried deep underground.-Germany:Röchling shells were bunker-busting artillery shells, developed by German engineer August Cönders, based on the theory of increasing sectional density to improve penetration.They were tested...
, designed to quickly destroy fortifications. The loader had to stick his head and torso out of the AVRE to reload the Petard.
The AVRE was designed after the Canadian failure at Dieppe, and could be equipped with numerous other attachments, such as mine plows, fascine bundles, carpet rollers, explosive placers, etc. It also carried Bangalore torpedo
Bangalore torpedo
A Bangalore torpedo is an explosive charge placed on the end of a long, extendible tube. It is used by combat engineers to clear obstacles that would otherwise require them to approach directly, possibly under fire...
s for clearing barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
obstacles, and hand-emplaced demolition charges.
After the Second World War the Churchill AVRE was re-armed with a breech loaded low velocity 165 mm demolition gun.
Churchill ARK (Armoured Ramp Karrier)
A turretless Churchill with ramps at either end and along the body to form a mobile bridge. The Mark 1 had trackways over the tracks for vehicles to drive along. The Mark 2 was an improvised version and crossing vehicles drove directly on the Churchill's tracks.Churchill Crocodile
One of the more notable Churchill variants, the Crocodile was a Churchill VII in which the hull machine gun was replaced with a flamethrower. The fuel was in an armoured wheeled trailer towed behind. It could fire several 1 second bursts over 150 yards. The Crocodile was one of "Hobart's Funnies".Kangaroo armoured personnel carrier
The first KangaroosKangaroo (armoured personnel carrier)
A Kangaroo was a World War II Commonwealth or British armoured personnel carrier , created by conversion of a tank chassis. Created as an expedient measure by the Canadian Army, the Kangaroos were so successful that they were soon being used by British forces as well...
were converted from M7 Priest
M7 Priest
The 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle produced during World War II. It was given the official service name 105 mm Self Propelled Gun, Priest by the British Army, due to the pulpit-like machine gun ring, and following on from the Bishop and...
self-propelled guns used by 50th Northumbrian, 3rd Canadian, and 3rd British Infantry Divisions thatt had been used during the assault on Normandy. These were no longer needed, as the artillery regiments were re-equipped with towed 25 pdr at the end of July. At a field workshop they were stripped of the artillery equipment and the front aperture welded over, then sent into service carrying twelve troops. Since they carried infantry as a kangaroo carries its young, they were dubbed Kangaroos and the workshop carrying out the conversion also received that name. Infantry were said to be 'empouched' when they boarded a Kangaroo. They were first used in Operation Totalize south of Caen and subsequently in Canadian attacks on the various Channel ports, operated by the 1st Canadian Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron.
The Priests were subsequently returned to the US Army, and other vehicles used. The majority of vehicles converted were Canadian Ram tanks or Shermans and other Priests (which were sometimes referred to as "unfrocked" or "defrocked" Priests). The name Kangaroo was applied to any similar conversion. In Normandy they were operated by the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment (1CACR) and the 49th Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment under the 79th Armoured Division
Buffalo LVT 4
The first "Buffalo" Landing Vehicle TrackedLanding Vehicle Tracked
The Landing Vehicle Tracked was a class of amphibious vehicles introduced by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Army during World War II. Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they rapidly evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles as well...
could hold 24 men or 4,500 pounds (2,000 kg) of cargo. Originally intended to carry replenishments from ships ashore, they lacked armour protection and their tracks and suspension were unreliable when used on hard terrain.
Travelling at a respectable six knots in the water and twelve mph on land, it could deliver 24 fully equipped assault troops to the beach, and supply supporting fire from two .30 cal. machine guns. As it was not armoured its thin steel hull offered virtually no protection. Tracks performed well on sand, but not on tough surfaces.
The 79th used the Buffalo at the Battle of the Scheldt
Battle of the Scheldt
The Battle of the Scheldt was a series of military operations of the Canadian 1st Army, led by Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds. The battle took place in northern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands during World War II from 2 October-8 November 1944...
during the crossing of the Rhine along with the Terrapin
Terrapin (amphibious vehicle)
The Terrapin "4-ton amphibian" was a British-manufactured, amphibious armoured transport vehicle of the Second World War. It was first used at Antwerp in 1944, and to great effect during the Battle of the Scheldt....
.
Duplex Drive Sherman Tank
DD tankDD tank
DD tanks , were a type of amphibious swimming tank developed by the British during the Second World War...
s (from "Duplex Drive" referring to its twin types of locomtion: tracks and propellers) were amphibious swimming tanks developed during the Second World War. The phrase is mostly used for the M4 Sherman medium tanks used by the Allies in the opening phases of the D-Day landings in 1944.
The swimming tank idea arose when it was realised that the first waves of infantry that reached an invasion beach would be acutely vulnerable without the support of tanks. However, if landing craft were used to carry those tanks, they themselves would be vulnerable to German heavy guns. The loss of too many landing craft would slow the movement of reinforcements from ships offshore and the invasion beaches would be choked with disabled and sunken landing craft. By giving tanks the ability to float, they could be launched from landing craft offshore and make their own way onto the beach.
Canal Defence LightCanal Defence LightCanal Defence Light was a British "secret weapon" of the Second World War.It was based upon the use of a powerful carbon-arc searchlight mounted on a tank. It was intended to be used during night-time attacks, when the light would allow enemy positions to be targeted...
The Canal Defence Light (CDL) was a British "secret weapon" of the Second World War.It was based upon the use of a powerful carbon-arc searchlight to dazzle and confuse enemy troops. A demonstration had shown that the use of a vehicle mounted searchlight both disoriented the units facing it and masked activities behind the searchlight.
The searchlight was mounted in an armoured turret fitted to a tank. Initially the Matilda tank
Matilda tank
The Infantry Tank Mark II known as the Matilda II was a British infantry tank of the Second World War. It was also identified from its General Staff Specification A12....
was used replacing its normal turret with a cylindrical one containing the searchlight (the light emitting through a vertical slit) and a machine gun. This was later replaced by the US M3 Grant
M3 Lee
The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called "General Lee", named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and the modified version built with a new turret was called the "General Grant", named after U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant.Design commenced...
which was superior in several ways; it was a larger roomier tank, better able to keep up with tanks such as the Sherman and it had a hull mounted gun which was unaffected by the replacement of its normal turret with the searchlight turret.
The light could be varied in two ways to further enhance any effect.
Addition of blue or amber filter would make the light source seem further away or closer respectively.
the operation of a shutter would create a flickering effect.
The project was shrouded in secrecy. It was tested during Exercise Primrose in 1943 at Kilbride Bay with the result that it was determined to be "too uncertain to be depended upon as the main feature of an invasion".
Component units
The 79th was raised as a conventional armoured division, with one Armoured Brigade and one Infantry Brigade. On 14 August 1942 its structure was:27th Armoured Brigade - Attached to the 79th Armoured Division from 8 September 1942 until 20 October 1943.
- 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards4th/7th Royal Dragoon GuardsThe 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1922 to 1992.It was formed in India in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards and 7th Dragoon Guards , as the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards; it gained the distinction Royal in 1935...
- 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)The 13th/18th Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.-Formation:On 9 September 1922, the 13th/18th Hussars was formed by amalgamation of the 13th Hussars and the 18th Royal Hussars . In December 1935, it became known as the 13th/18th Royal Hussars ...
. - East Riding of Yorkshire YeomanryEast Riding of Yorkshire YeomanryThe East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry was a unit of the British Army from 1794–1956.The regiment was formed as volunteer cavalry in 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was converted to an armoured role in 1920. In 1956 it merged with two other Yorkshire yeomanry regiments to form...
185 Infantry Brigade
185th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
-History:The Brigade together with 8th Infantry Brigade and 9th Infantry Brigade formed the 3rd Infantry Division and participated in the ill-fated British Expeditionary Force, which evacuated from Dunkirk early in World War II....
- Transferred out to 3rd Infantry Division on 9 April 1943.
- 2nd Bn Royal Warwickshire Regiment
- 1st Bn Royal Norfolk RegimentRoyal Norfolk RegimentThe Royal Norfolk Regiment, originally formed as the Norfolk Regiment, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. The Norfolk Regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as the county regiment of Norfolk...
- 2nd Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry
1943
30th Armoured Brigade - Transferred in to the division on 17 October 1943.
- 141st Regiment Royal Armoured CorpsRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
- operated Crocodile in Normandy - 22nd Dragoons22nd DragoonsThe 22nd Dragoons was the title held by a series of four Cavalry regiments of the British Army raised and disbanded between 1716 and 1945. The last regiment of this name existed during the Second World War, from 1 December 1940 until 30 November 1945....
- 2nd County of London YeomanryCounty of London YeomanrySeveral British Army regiments have born the title County of London Yeomanry . Most have been mounted, then armoured regiments.-1st County of London Yeomanry:...
- 1st Lothian and Border HorseLothian and Border HorseThe Lothians and Border Horse was a Yeomanry regiment, part of the British Territorial Army. It was ranked 36th in the Yeomanry order of precedence, and based in the Scottish Lowland area, recruiting in the Lothian and along the border with England.-Origins:...
'1st Assault Brigade and Assault Park Squadron RE - Formed on 1 November 1943
- 5th Assault Regiment RE
- 6th Assault Regiment RE
- 42nd Assault Regiment RE
Operation Overlord
The Division was under direct command of 21st Army Group, Portions being placed in support of the 2nd Army for Operation Neptune.- 1st Assault Brigade and Assault Park Squadron RE (AVREAvreAvre may refer to:*Avre , a river in northwestern France, tributary of the Eure*Avre , a river in northern France, tributary of the Somme*Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers, a military vehicle of the British Army...
)- 149 Assault Park Squadron, RE
- 5th Assault Regiment RE
- 77 Assault Squadron, RE
- 79 Assault Squadron, RE
- 80 Assault Squadron, RE
- 26 Assault Squadron, RE
- 6th Assault Regiment RE
- 81 Assault Squadron, RE
- 82 Assault Squadron, RE
- 87 Assault Squadron, RE
- 284 Assault Squadron, RE
- 42nd Assault Regiment RE
- 16 Assault Squadron, RE
- 617 Assault Squadron, RE
- 222 Assault Squadron, RE
- 557 Assault Squadron, RE
- 30th Armoured Brigade (Sherman Crab)
- 22nd Dragoons22nd DragoonsThe 22nd Dragoons was the title held by a series of four Cavalry regiments of the British Army raised and disbanded between 1716 and 1945. The last regiment of this name existed during the Second World War, from 1 December 1940 until 30 November 1945....
- 2nd County of London YeomanryCounty of London YeomanrySeveral British Army regiments have born the title County of London Yeomanry . Most have been mounted, then armoured regiments.-1st County of London Yeomanry:...
(Westminster DragoonsWestminster DragoonsThe Westminster Dragoons are central London’s only Territorial Army cavalry unit. One of the Royal Yeomanry's five squadrons, their current role is to support the Formation Reconnaissance Regiments and the Joint Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Regiment on operations by providing...
) - 1st Lothian and Border HorseLothian and Border HorseThe Lothians and Border Horse was a Yeomanry regiment, part of the British Territorial Army. It was ranked 36th in the Yeomanry order of precedence, and based in the Scottish Lowland area, recruiting in the Lothian and along the border with England.-Origins:...
- 22nd Dragoons
Operation Market Garden
This is the order for battle on 17 September 1944, at the beginning of Operation Market Garden. The division was not heavily involved in that battle, but was involved in the battles for the Channel ports, such as Le HavreOperation Astonia
Operation Astonia was a World War II battle fought from 10 September 1944 to 12 September 1944.The Allied objective of the operation was the capture of the German-held Channel port of Le Havre,France,coveted by the Allies to improve their supply system.The Allies hoped to find the port intact and...
and Ostend.
30th Armoured Brigade (Sherman Crab)
- 22nd Dragoons22nd DragoonsThe 22nd Dragoons was the title held by a series of four Cavalry regiments of the British Army raised and disbanded between 1716 and 1945. The last regiment of this name existed during the Second World War, from 1 December 1940 until 30 November 1945....
- 2nd County of London YeomanryCounty of London YeomanrySeveral British Army regiments have born the title County of London Yeomanry . Most have been mounted, then armoured regiments.-1st County of London Yeomanry:...
- 1st Lothian and Border HorseLothian and Border HorseThe Lothians and Border Horse was a Yeomanry regiment, part of the British Territorial Army. It was ranked 36th in the Yeomanry order of precedence, and based in the Scottish Lowland area, recruiting in the Lothian and along the border with England.-Origins:...
1st Assault Brigade and Assault Park Squadron RE (AVRE
Avre
Avre may refer to:*Avre , a river in northwestern France, tributary of the Eure*Avre , a river in northern France, tributary of the Somme*Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers, a military vehicle of the British Army...
)
- 5th Assault Regiment RE
- 6th Assault Regiment RE
- 42nd Assault Regiment RE
1st Tank Brigade
- 11th Royal Tank Regiment
- 42nd Royal Tank Regiment
- 49th Royal Tank Regiment49th Royal Tank RegimentThe 49th Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army during the Second World War. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps....
31st Tank Brigade (Churchill Crocodile
Churchill Crocodile
The Churchill Crocodile was a British flame-throwing tank of late Second World War. It was a variant of the Tank, Infantry, Mk VI Churchill Mark VII, although the Churchill Mark IV was initially chosen to be the base vehicle....
/Kangaroo (armoured personnel carrier)
Kangaroo (armoured personnel carrier)
A Kangaroo was a World War II Commonwealth or British armoured personnel carrier , created by conversion of a tank chassis. Created as an expedient measure by the Canadian Army, the Kangaroos were so successful that they were soon being used by British forces as well...
)
- 141st RegimentRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
Royal Armoured Corps - 1st Fife and Forfar YeomanryFife and Forfar YeomanryThe Fife and Forfar Yeomanry was an Armoured Yeomanry Regiment of the British Territorial Army from 1793 to 1956 when it was amalgimated with the Scottish Horse....
- 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment
Operation Varsity
This is the order of battle for the division on the March 23,1945, which was the commencement of the crossing of the River Rhine, and the beginning of the final advance into Germany. As can be seen, the establishment of the division had grown as the requirement for specialised armour had increased.1st Assault Brigade RE (AVRE
Avre
Avre may refer to:*Avre , a river in northwestern France, tributary of the Eure*Avre , a river in northern France, tributary of the Somme*Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers, a military vehicle of the British Army...
)
- 5th Assault Regiment R.E.
- 6th Assault Regiment R.E.
- 42nd Assault Regiment R.E.
- 87 Assault Dozer Squadron, R.E.
- 149 Assault Park Squadron, R.E.
30th Armoured Brigade (Sherman Crab)
- 22nd Dragoons22nd DragoonsThe 22nd Dragoons was the title held by a series of four Cavalry regiments of the British Army raised and disbanded between 1716 and 1945. The last regiment of this name existed during the Second World War, from 1 December 1940 until 30 November 1945....
- 2nd County of London YeomanryCounty of London YeomanrySeveral British Army regiments have born the title County of London Yeomanry . Most have been mounted, then armoured regiments.-1st County of London Yeomanry:...
(Westminster DragoonsWestminster DragoonsThe Westminster Dragoons are central London’s only Territorial Army cavalry unit. One of the Royal Yeomanry's five squadrons, their current role is to support the Formation Reconnaissance Regiments and the Joint Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Regiment on operations by providing...
) - 1st Lothian and Border HorseLothian and Border HorseThe Lothians and Border Horse was a Yeomanry regiment, part of the British Territorial Army. It was ranked 36th in the Yeomanry order of precedence, and based in the Scottish Lowland area, recruiting in the Lothian and along the border with England.-Origins:...
31 Armoured Brigade (Churchill Crocodile
Churchill Crocodile
The Churchill Crocodile was a British flame-throwing tank of late Second World War. It was a variant of the Tank, Infantry, Mk VI Churchill Mark VII, although the Churchill Mark IV was initially chosen to be the base vehicle....
, Kangaroo (armoured personnel carrier)
Kangaroo (armoured personnel carrier)
A Kangaroo was a World War II Commonwealth or British armoured personnel carrier , created by conversion of a tank chassis. Created as an expedient measure by the Canadian Army, the Kangaroos were so successful that they were soon being used by British forces as well...
)
- 1st Fife and Forfar YeomanryFife and Forfar YeomanryThe Fife and Forfar Yeomanry was an Armoured Yeomanry Regiment of the British Territorial Army from 1793 to 1956 when it was amalgimated with the Scottish Horse....
(Crocodile) - 141st Regiment Royal Armoured CorpsRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
(Crocodile) - 7th Royal Tank Regiment7th Royal Tank RegimentThe 7th Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1959.-History:The 7th Royal Tank Regiment was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps...
(Crocodile) - 49th Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment49th Royal Tank RegimentThe 49th Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army during the Second World War. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps....
(Kangaroo) - 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment (Kangaroo)
33 Armoured Brigade
33rd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 33rd Armoured Brigade was a British Army brigade active in 1944-45, in the 1970s, and in 1980-92.- Normandy :The brigade was formed in the UK on 17 March 1944 by re-designating of the 33rd Tank Brigade. The brigade took part in the Normandy campaign and landed on Gold Beach on 6 June 1944...
(LVT 4)
- 1st Northamptonshire YeomanryNorthamptonshire YeomanryThe Northamptonshire Yeomanry was a unit of the British Army formed in 1794 as volunteer cavalry, it later served in an armoured role before being reduced to squadron level in 1956...
- East Riding of Yorkshire YeomanryEast Riding of Yorkshire YeomanryThe East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry was a unit of the British Army from 1794–1956.The regiment was formed as volunteer cavalry in 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was converted to an armoured role in 1920. In 1956 it merged with two other Yorkshire yeomanry regiments to form...
- 4th Royal Tank Regiment4th Royal Tank RegimentThe 4th Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1993. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps...
- 11th Royal Tank Regiment
See also
- British Armoured formations of the Second World WarBritish Armoured formations of the Second World WarThe British Armoured formations of the Second World War refers to the Armoured Divisions and Independent Armoured and Tank Brigades deployed by the British Army during the Second World War. They had two types of armoured vehicle. The Infantry tank which was heavily armoured and slow, designed to...
External links
- Royal Engineers Museum Royal Engineers and Second World War (Assault Engineers)
- Royal Engineers Museum Biography of Major General Sir Percy Hobart
- Royal Engineers Museum Royal Engineers and Operation Overlord
- http://www.operation-blackcock.com
- http://79armoured.moonfruit.com/