7th Armd Div OOB Nov 1941
7th Armd Div OOB Nov 1941
7th Armd Div OOB Nov 1941
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The Desert Rats (Fort Maddalena). 2 455 Tanks. 2, 3, 4 2 Major-General W.H.E. Gott. (Strafer.)
2 2
1, 2, 3, 4
18 November 1941
Attached from XXX Corps: 2 4th South African Armoured Car Regiment (4 SA). 2 LtCol D. S. NEWTON-KING. 2 2IC: Maj J. G. Craig Anderson. Attached from Divisional Troops 7 Armd. Div.:
Brigade HQ. 3, 5, 13
1, 2 , 3 ,4, 6
Brigade HQ. 2 , 3, 4, 5
10 M3A1 Stuart tanks. 2 2/Scots Guards (-) 1st Troop, 102nd R.H.A. (Northumberland Hussars AT 2 Rgt. R.H.A.), attached from XXX Corps. 2 2 R.H.A. (-) 2 122nd Lt AA Bty, R.A. (-)
1, 3, 4, 5, 6
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
4 Cruiser and 5 Close-support tanks. 3, 4 5 Cruiser and 5 Close-support Cruiser tanks. 1, 6 6 5 A9 CS and 5 A10 tanks. (10 Cruiser tanks) 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 , 7, 8 2 7th Hussars (7H). (Queens Own Hussars). 2 13 Lt.Col. F.W. Byass (KIA) (killed at Sidi Rezegh). 6 Regimental HQ. (RHQ): 4 Cruiser tanks and 11 Scout cars. 6 3 Squadrons each with: 6 Squadron HQ.: 2 Cruiser tanks and 2 CS Cruiser tanks. 6 4 Troops.: 3 Cruiser tanks. 6 Regimental total: 46 Cruiser and 6 CS Cruiser tanks. 13 Cruiser tanks M.II, IV and VI. 5, 7 37 Cruiser and 12 Crusader tanks. 3, 4 37 Cruiser and 20 Crusader tanks. 1, 6 21 A10, 16 A13 and 20 Crusader tanks.
5, 7
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Lt.Col. R.F.E. CHUTE. Cruiser tanks M.IV and VI. 1, 6 3, 4 5, 7 52 A13 Tanks. 52 Cruiser tanks. 47 Cruiser tanks.
13
1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
(Motor Bn) 2 One Company attached to each Tank Regiment. 6 4 Motor Companies each with 6 3 Rifle Platoons each with 6 HQ Section. 1 LMG, 1 2mortar, 1 ATR and 1 ton truck. 6 3 Sections (six men) each with 1 LMG and 1 ton truck. 1 Scout Platoon with 6 HQ Section. 1 LMG, 1 2 mortar, 1 ATR and 2 Scout Carriers. 3 Sections (nine men) each with 3 LMG and 3 Scout 6 Carriers.
1, 2 , 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
1, 2, 6
A and B Squadrons. 30 Marmon-Herrington III AC. 1 C Squadron, 6th South African Armoured Car Rgt (6 SA). 1 Circa 12 Marmon-Harrington AC. 1, 2, 4 1, 3, 4 4 122nd Lt AA Battery, R.A. less one Tp. two Troops. 1 2 (from 13th LAA Regt). One Det. attached to each Tank Regt. 6 5 112th LAA Battery (-) LAA Bty. 1, 6 8 40mm AA guns. 1 Troop, 3rd Field Squadron, RE. 4 Engineer detachment from 4th Field Squadron R.E.
LRS (Light Recovery Section) OFP (Ordnance Field Park) and 13 Reconnaissance Section. 7, 10 Attached from the Support Group under Comd 7 Armd Bde.: 10 1. Under Comd 7 Armd Bde. 10 A Coy, 2nd Rifle Brigade (2/R.B.). D Bty, 102 (N.H.) R.H.A. less one Tp (one Tp sub allotted to 4 10 S.A. Armd Car Regt) (8 2-pr Atk guns) (8 2-pr AT guns) Attached from the Divisional Artillery:
2
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Lt.Col R. K. Jago. 5 52 Crusader and 4 Close-support tanks. 2 46 Crusaders. 3, 4, 6 47 Crusader and 4 Close-support (CS) Crusader tanks. 1 51 Crusader tanks.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Lt.Col W.G. Carr. (Sharpshooters) 3, 4, 5 43 Crusader and 5 Close-support Crusader tanks. 6 43 Crusader (2-pdrs) and 4 CS Crusader tanks. 1 51 Crusader tanks.
1, 2, 4, 3, 7, 8
B Coy, 1/K.R.R.C. (Motor Coy) One Coy. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10 5 C Battery, 4th R.H.A. One Bty. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 8 25-pdrs field guns. 1 Troop, 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) AT Regt, R.A. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10 2 7, 10 (R.H.A.) 2nd Tp. from D Bty. 1, 4, 6, 7 4 2-pdrs portee AT guns. 2 M Battery, 3rd AT Regt R.H.A. Maj R. A. EDEN. 1, 2, 12 1, 12 3rd LAA Battery, 1st LAA Regt, R.A. less one Tp. 3, 4 4 6 less 2 troops. AA Tp. Troop, 3rd LAA Battery. 1 6 8 40mm AA guns. 4 40mm AA guns. 5 Troop Anti-tank and LAA Bty. 1 Troop, 3rd Field Squadron, RE. 4 Engineer detachment from 4th Field Squadron R.E.
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10
1, 6
Attached from the Support Group under Comd 22 Armd Bde.: 10 2. Under Comd 22 Armd Bde. 10 B Coy, 1/K.R.R.C. 10 One Troop, D Bty, 102 (NH) R.H.A. (4 2-pr Atk guns) Attached from the Divisional Artillery:
2
10
Rear H.Q. 7 Sp Gp One Section M Bty, 3/R.H.A. (2 2-pr Atk guns) One Tp, 4 Fd Sqn R.E. less two Dets. One Coy, 2/R.B. less one Pl. (Motor Coy less one Motor Pl.) 2 Bty, 1 Lt A.A. Regt less three tps. (LAA Bty HQ. ) 151 Lt Fd Amb less one sec and one detachment. B Ech incl Rear H.Q. all units 7 Sp Gp L.R.S., O.F.P. and Rec Sec. 1st Kings Royal Rifle Corps. (1/K.R.R.C.) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (-)2, 6 2 6 Lt. Col. de SALIS. (Motor Battalion) 7 4, 5 One Coy attached to the 22 Armd. Bde. Less Coy. 2 1, 3 B Company attached to the 22 Armd Bde. Less B Coy. 9 Battalion Headquarters (Bn HQ.). 6 2 LMGs. 1 LMGs, 2 LMGs (Scout cars), 1 ATR, 6 mcl, 1 car, 2 9 trucks 8-cwt, 2 trucks 15-cwt and 2 Scout cars. 9 Headquarters Company (HQ Coy.). 9 Coy Hq., Signal Pl. and Administrative and Transport Pl. 5 LMGs, 5 ATR, 7 mcl, 6 trucks 8-cwt, 8 trucks 15-cwt and 11 9 lorries 30-cwt. 6, 9 4 Motor Companies (each): 9 Coy Hq. (fighting and administrative portions) 1 LMGs, 1 LMGs (Scout car) and 2 ATR, 3 mcl, 2 trucks 8-cwt, 3 9 trucks 15-cwt, 1 lorry 30-cwt and 1 Scout car. 6, 9 1 Scout Platoon: 6 9 HQ Section. Platoon Hq. 6 1 LMG, 1 2 mortar, 1 ATR and 2 Scout Carriers. 2 LMGs and 2 ATR (Carriers) and 2 LMG (Scout cars), 9 2mcl, 2 Scout cars an 2 Carriers. 6, 9 6 3 Sections (nine men) (each): 6 3 LMGs and 3 Scout Carriers. 9 3 LMGs and 3 ATR (Scout Carriers), 1 mcl and 3 Carriers. 6 9 3 Rifle Platoons motor Platoons (each): 6 9 HQ Section. Platoon Hq. 6 1 LMGs, 1 2mortar, 1 ATR and 1 ton truck. 9 1 2-inch mortar, 1 mcl and 1 truck 15-cwt. 6, 9 3 Motor Sections (each): 6 9 (six men) (1 Corporal, six riflemen and 1 Driver) 6 1 LMGs and 1 ton truck. 9 1 LMGs, 1 ATR and 1 truck 15-cwt. 9 Motor Coy total: 24 LMGs, 22 ATR and 3 2-inch mortars. Bn total: 10 AALMG, 36 LMGs, 44 LMGs (carriers), 14 LMGs (Scout cars), 50 ATR, 44 ATR (carriers), 14 ATR (Scout cars) and 12 2-inch 9 mortars. 10 4. 1/K.R.R.C. Coln. Comd. Lt-Col S.F.C. De SALLIS, D.S.O., 1/K.R.R.C. 3/R.H.A. less one Bty and one Tp. (less M Bty and one Tp J Bty, total 20 2-pr Atk guns ) 60 Fd Regt R.A. less one Bty plus one tp. (total 20 25-prs guns) One tp 2 Bty, 1 Lt A.A. Regt R.A. (4 40-mm LAA guns) 1/K.R.R.C. less one coy. (Motor Bn less B Coy) Detachment, 4 Fd Sqn R.E.
6. Adv H.Q. 7 Sp Gp. One Section, M Bty 3/R.H.A. (2 2-pr Atk guns) One Tp, 2 Bty, 1 Lt A.A. Regt R.A. (4 40-mm LAA guns) One Platoon, 2/R.B. (Motor Pl.) One Section, 151 Lt Fd Amb. 10 7. Rear H.Q. and B Ech Gp.
10
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 2
(D, J and M) D Battery (Maj. STUART) to 1/K.R.R.C. and J 2 Battery (Maj. Bernard PINNEY) to 2/R.B.
3 Batteries (each): 12-2pdrs. Autop. Chevrolet. 6 3 Troops each with 4 2-pdrs AT guns. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 Regiment total: 36 2-pdrs porte AT guns.
24-25pdrs.
7, 8
67th Medium Regiment, R.A., attached from the XXX Corps.2 3rd AT Regiment, R.H.A. 2 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) AT Regiment R.H.A. 1, 2 , 7, 8 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment R.A. (-) 2, 7, 8, 11, 12
Lt.Col. BL de Robeck. 11, 12 2nd, 3rd and 4th LAA Battery. 2 3rd Lt. AA. Bty R.A. wiht the 22 Armd. Bde. 2 4th Lt. AA. Bty R.A. wiht the 22 Armd. Bde. (Lt AA Regt. RA.) 4, 122 Bty Tp wiht 7 Armd. Bde. 12 The regiment was assigned as follows: Div Battle HQ: Adv HQ - 1st LAA Regt, RA. Div Adv HQ - one Tp 4th Bty. 7th Armd Bde 4th Bty less one Tp. 22nd Armd Bde 3rd Bty less one Tp (D Tp). 7th Sp Gp 2nd Bty + D Tp 3rd Bty. 6 4 Batteries (each): 6 3 Troops each with 4 40mm LAA guns. 1 Troop, 4th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery. 1 4 40mm LAA guns.
12
Divisional Signals. 7, 8
9
Sqs. attached whit Hq. Div, Hq. Bdes, RHA, Inf. Bn, AC Regt, Engineers Sqs., Armd. Bde., Regts., Sqs.
4th Field Squadron. (Fd. Sq RE.) Tp. Wiht 7 Sp. Gr. 2, 6, 7 1 143rd Field Park Sqn (Fd. Park Sq, RE). 142nd Fd Pk Sqn. Division HQ.: 2, 7, 8 RASC (Royal Army Service Corps): 2, 7, 8 N 5, 30, 58, 65, 67and 550 Companies. RAMC (Royal Army Medical Corps): 2nd,13th and15th Light Field Ambulance (Lt Fd Amb) 151st Lt. Fd. Amb. wiht 7 Sp. Gp. 2, 7, 8 7th Light Field Hygiene Section (Lt Fd Hyg Sect) RAOC (Royal Army Ordnance Corps): 7, 8 Divisional Workshops (Div Wkshop). 7, 8 Div. Ordnance Field Park (Div Ord Fd Pk). 7, 8 In each Brigade and Support Group: 7, 8 One Light Repair Section (Lt Rep Sec). 7, 8 One Light Recovery Section (Lt Rec Sec). 7, 8 One Ordnance Field Park (Ord Fd Pk). 7, 8 Light A.A. Regiment Workshops. Close support tanks had one 3.7" howitzer and 3 .303 Vickers machineguns.
7, 8 2, 7, 8 2, 7 , 8 2
The British Armies in WWII and Organisational History. Supplement Two. Orders of Battle 1941 to 1942. David A. Ryan. File 16: Operation Crusader Nov 18th 1941. The Natziger Collection. Pages 4 and 5. 2 XXX Corps. Operation Crusader 18 Nov 1941. 7th Armd Div. The Desert Rats. http://www.2ndbn5thmar.com/history/BrXXXCorps1941.pdf 3 Nafziger Collection British Forces Operation Crusader 18 November 1941. http://home.fuse.net/nafziger/ 4 The Sidi Rezeg Battles 1941. Edited by Agar Hamilton and published by Oxford University Press 1957. 5 Le operazioni in Africa Settentrionale. Vol. II Tobruk Marzo 1941-Gennaio 1942. Mario Montanari. Ufficio Storico. 6 The British Armies in WWII and Organisational History. Volume One. British Armoured and Cavalry divisions. David A. Ryan. 7th Armoured Division. The Natziger Collection. Pages 49, 103 and 104. 7 The Desert Rats. The 7th Armd Div in WWII. Major-General G.L. Verney. Order of Battle November 1st, 1941. 8 The History of the British 7th Armoured Division, plus the 4th and 7th Armoured Brigades. http://www.desertrats.org.uk/ 9 War Establishments. http://www.warestablishments.net/ 10 Order of Battle 7 Sp. Gp. 17 Nov 41. http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=114&t=191697&sid=7f8d1cb1bac932c6664eb146c57a19d7 11 The Royal Artillery. http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html 12 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment. http://www.ian.a.paterson.btinternet.co.uk/orgartillery.htm 13 7th Armd Bde OOB 18 Nov 1941 based on WO201/514. http://crusaderproject.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/order-of-battle-of-7th-armoured-brigade-foroperation-crusader/