Alamein (Major Battles of World War Two)
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7th Indian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier A. W. W. Hoi worthy): 1st Royal Sussex Regt, 4/16th Punjabi Regt, 1/2nd Ghurka Rifles.
161st Indian Infantry Brigade (Brigadier F. E. C. Hughes): 1st Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 1/1st Punjabi Regt, 4/7th Rajputs.
Divisional Troops:
RA (CRA, Brigadier H. K. Dimoline): 1st, 11th and 32nd Field Regts, 149th Anti-Tank Regt, 57th Light AA Regt.
RE: 2nd, 4th and 12th Field Coys, 11th Field Park Coy.
Others: 4th Indian Div Signals, 6th Rajputana Rifles (machine-guns), 17th and 26th Indian Field Ambulances and 75th Light Field Ambulance.
1ST SOUTH AFRICAN DIVISION (Major-General D. H. Pienaar):
1st SA Infantry Brigade (Brigadier C. L. de W. du Toit): 1st Royal Natal Carabiniers, 1st Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Rifles, 1st Transvaal Scottish.
2nd SA Infantry Brigade (Brigadier W. H. E. Poole): 1/2nd Field Force Bn, 1st Natal Mounted Rifles, Cape Town Highlanders.
3rd SA Infantry Brigade (Brigadier R. J. Palmer): 1st Imperial Light Horse, 1st Durban Light Infantry, 1st Rand Light Infantry.
Divisional Troops:
SA Artillery (CRA, Brigadier F. Theron): 1st, 4th and 7th SA Field Regts, 1st SA Anti-Tank Regt, 1st SA Light AA Regt.
SA Engineers: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th SA Field Coys, 19th SA Field Park Coy.
Others: 1st SA Div Signals, Regiment President Steyn and one coy Die Middelandse (machine-guns), 12th, 15th and 18th SA Ambulances.
Divisional Reserve Group, including 2nd Regiment Botha, was dissolved a week after Alamein began.
30TH CORPS TROOPS and Troops in Corps Reserve:
23rd Armoured Brigade Group (Brigadier G. W. Richards): 8th, 40th,
46th and 50th RTR, 121st Field Regt RA, 168 Light AA Battery, RA, 295th Army Field Coy, RE, 7th Light Field Ambulance.
Armoured Cars: 4/8th South African Armoured Car Regt.
RA: 7th, 64th and 69th Medium Regts.
RE: 66th Mortar Company.
30th Corps Signals.
Appendix B: Western Desert Air Force, Order of Battle
Air Headquarters Western Desert
(Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Coningham)
No. 1 Air Ambulance Unit, DH86.
No. 3 (South African Air Force) Wing
Squadrons:
Nos. 12 and 24 (South African Air Force) — Boston.
No. 21 (the same) — Baltimore.
No. 232 Wing
Squadrons:
Nos. 55 and 223 — Baltimore.
United States 12th Bombardment Group
Squadrons:
81st, 82nd, 83rd and 434th — Mitchell.
No. 285 Wing Squadrons:
No. 40 (South African Air Force) and No. 208 — Hurricane.
No. 60 (South African Air Force) — Baltimore.
Flights, Other units:
No. 1437 Strategic Reconnaissance Flight — Baltimore.
No. 2 Photographic Reconnaissance Flight (detachment) — Various.
211 GROUP
Squadrons:
Nos. 6 and 7 (South African Air Force) — Hurricane.
No. 233 Wing
Squadrons:
Nos. 2 and 4 (South African Air Force) and No. 260 — Kittyhawk. No. 5 (South African Air Force) — Tomahawk.
No. 239 Wing Squadrons:
Nos. 3 and 450 (Royal Australian Air Force) and Nos 112 and 250 — Kittyhawk.
No. 244 Wing Nos. 92, 145 and 601 — Spitfire.
No. 73 — Hurricane.
United States 57th Fighter Group
Squadrons:
64th, 65th and 66th — Warhawk.
212 GROUP
No. 7 (South African Air Force) Wing
Squadrons:
Nos. 80,127, 274 and 335 — Hurricane.
No. 243 Wing
Squadrons:
Nos. 1 (South African Air Force), 33, 213 and 238 — Hurricane.
Appendix C: German Army Order Of Battle
(Based on Eighth Army Intelligence Summary No. 343, slightly amended by later information and given with reserve)
PANZERGRUPPE AFRIKA GOC
(and C-in-C German-Italian Panzerarmee Afrika): Panzer-General Georg Stumme (Chief of Staff: Lieut-General Alfred Gauze)
ARMY TROOPS. Kampstaffel Kiel (Major-General Krause): 221st RHQ (medium and heavy batteries), 612th and 617th Anti-Aircraft Bns.
19TH ANTI-AIRCRAFT DIVISION (Lieut-General Burckhardt): 66th, 102nd and 135th AA RHQs.
GERMAN AFRICA CORPS (‘DAK’)
(Lieut-General Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma)
15TH ARMOURED DIVISION (Major-General Gustav von Vaerst): 8th Tank Regt, 113th PZ Grenadier Regt, 33rd Arty Regt, 33rd Anti-Tank Bn, 33rd Engineer Bn.
21ST ARMOURED DIVISION (Maj or-General Heinz Von Randow): 5th Tank Bn, 104th PZ Grenadier Regt, 155th Arty Regt, 39th Anti-Tank Bn, 200th Engineer Bn.
90TH LIGHT DIVISION (Major-General Theodor Graf von Sponeck): 155th PZ Grenadier Regt (with 707th Heavy Inf. Gun Coy under command), 200th PZ Grenadier Regt (708th Heavy Inf. Gun Coy under command), 346th PZ Grenadier Regt, 190th Arty Regt, 190th Anti-Tank Bn.
Under command: Force 288, composed of: 605 Anti-Tank Bn, 109th and 606th AA Bns.
164TH LIGHT DIVISION (Major-General Carl-Hans Lungershausen): 125th Inf Regt, 382nd Inf Regt, 433rd Inf Regt, 220th Arty Regt, 220th Engineers Bn, 220th Cyclist Unit, 609th AA Bn.
RECONNAISSANCE GROUP: HQ 15th Lorried Inf Bde, 3rd, 33rd and 580th Recce Units.
RAMCKE (Parachute) BRIGADE (Major-General Bernhard Ramcke): Three battalions of 2nd, 3rd and another Parachute Rifle Regts, Lehrbataillon Burckhardt, Parachute Bty, Parachute Anti-Tank Bn.
Appendix D: Italian Army Order Of Battle
(From Eighth Army Intelligence Summary No. 343, abbreviated; names of commanders kindly supplied by Military Attaché, Italian Embassy)
C-in-C (North Africa and Governor-General Libya):
Marshal Ettore Bastico
(Chief of Staff: General Conte Curio Barbaseti di Prun)
10TH CORPS
(Lieut-General Edoardo Nebba; Major-General Enrico Frattini in temporary command until 26 October)
BRESCIA DIVISION (Major-General Brunetto Brunetti): 19th and 20th Inf Regts, 1st Mobile Arty Regt, 27th Mixed Engineer Regt.
FOLGORE DIVISION (Major-General Enrico Frattini): 185th, 186th and 187th Inf. Regts.
PAVIA DIVISION (Brig-General N. Scattaglia): 27th and 28th Inf Regts, 26th Arty Regt, 17th Mixed Engineer Bn.
CORPS TROOPS: 9th Bersagliere Regt, 16th Corps Arty Group, 8th Army Arty Group.
20TH CORPS
(Lieut-General Giuseppe de Stephanis)
ARIETE ARMOURED DIVISION (Brig-General Francesco Arena): 132nd Tank Regt, 8th Bersagliere Regt, 132nd Arty Regt, 3rd Armoured Cavalry Group, 132nd Mixed Engineer Bn.
LITTORIO ARMOURED DIVISION (Major-General G. Bitossi): 133rd Tank Regt, 12th Bersagliere Regt, 3rd Armoured Cavalry Group (part), 3rd and part 133rd Arty Regts.
TRIESTE MOTORISED DIVISION (Brig-General Francesco La Ferla): 11th Tank Bn, 65th and 6th Inf Regts, 21st Arty Regt, 8th Armoured Bersagliere Regt, 52nd Mixed Engineer Bn.
CORPS TROOPS: Part 8th Army Arty Group, 90th Engineer Company.
21ST CORPS
(Lieut-General Enea Navarini; Major-General Alessandro Gloria in temporary command until 26 October)
TRENTO DIVISION (Brig-General Giorgio Masina): 61st and 62nd Inf Regts, 46th Arty Regt.
BOLOGNA DIVISION (Major-General Alessandro Gloria): 39th and 40th Inf Regts, 205th Arty Regt, 25th Engineer Bn.
CORPS TROOPS: 7th Bersagliere Regt, 24th Corps Arty Group, 8th Army Arty Group.
IN ARMY RESERVE
PISTOIA DIVISION (35th and 36th Inf Regts, 3rd Motorized Arty Regt, Bersagliere Bn).
GGFF (Young Fascists) Division (2 or 3 Battalions).
Appendix E: 2 NZ Division Order Of Battle For ‘Supercharge’
The following is given from the divisional Operation Order:
9 Armd Bde. 3rd Huss
ars, R Wilts Yeo, Warwickshire Yeo, 14 Foresters, 31 NZ A-tk Bty.
23 Armd Bde. 8, 46 and 50 RTR, 121 Fd Regt RA, 168 Lt AA Regt RA, 295 Fd Park Sqn, RE.
2 NZ Div Cavalry.
NZ Artillery. 4, 5 and 6 NZ Fd Regts, HQ 7 NZ A-tk Regt, 14 NZ Lt AA Regt.
NZ Engineers. 6, 7 and 8 NZ Fd Coys, 5 NZ Fd Pk Coy, One Fd Coy RE (51 Div).
2 NZ Div Signals.
151 Inf Bde. 6, 8 and 9 Durham Light Infantry, 34 NZ A-tk Bty, One A-tk Bty (from 30 Corps), Two Coys 27 NZ (MG) Bn.
152 (H) Inf Bde. 2 and 5 Seaforths, 5 Camerons, One MG Coy (7 Middlesex Regt), One Bty 61 A-tk Regt RA.
5 NZ Inf Bde Gp. 21, 22 and 23 NZ Bns, 28 NZ (Maori) Bn, 32 A-tk Bty, One Coy 27 NZ (MG) Bn.
6 NZ Inf Bde Gp. 24, 25 and 26 NZ Bns, 33 NZ A-tk Bty, One Coy 27 NZ (MG) Bn.
Appendix F: 1 Armd Div Order Of Battle For ‘Supercharge’
From 1 Armd Div OO No. 34 (slightly modified):
Div Troops. 12 Lancers (Armoured Cars), 2 RHA, 78 Fd Regt RA, 73 A-tk Regt less two Byts and two Tps, 42 Lt AA Regt less one Bty and one Tp, 1 Field Park Sqn, RE, 7 Motor Bde Workshops, 2 Armd Bde Wkshops, 1 and 15 Lt Fd Ambulances less one Sec each, 550, 910, 918, 920 and 925 Coys RASC, 1 Armd Div. Provost Coy.
2 Armd Bde Group. Queen’s Bays, 9 Lancers, 10 Hussars, Yorkshire Dragoons, 11 RHA, Two Btys 76 A-tk Regt, One Tp each 145 and 231 Lt AA Btys, 1 Field Sqn RE, X Coy R Northumberland Fusiliers.
8 Armd Bde Group. Staffordshire Yeo, Nottinghamshire Yeo, 3 RTR, 1 RHA, One Bty each 73 and 84 A-tk Regts, One Bty 53 Lt AA Regt, 2 Fd Sqn RE, 1 Buffs, Z Coy RNF.
7 Motor Bde Group. 4 RHA, 76 A-tk Regt less two Btys, 231 Lt AA Bty less one Tp, 2 KRRC, 7 RB, Sec, 15 Lt Fd Amb, Recovery Sec, Bde Workshops.
Minefield Task Force. 2 RB, 7 and 9 Fd Sqns RE, 572 Fd Coy RE, Three Tps Crusaders (2 Armd Bde), Detachments, Div Sigs and Provost.
Appendix G: Authorities And Sources
Operation Orders, Intelligence Summaries, War Diaries, Signal Logs, Reports of Committees of Inquiry of the formations concerned and operational reports by various officers.
23rd Armoured Brigade: Report on Operations.
1st Armoured Division: The Passage of Defended Minefields.
2nd New Zealand Division: The New Zealand Division in Egypt and Libya.
ALEXANDER, FIELD-MARSHAL THE VISCOUNT; ‘Despatch’ (Supplement to The London Gazette, 5 February 1948).
AUCHINLECK, FIELD-MARSHAL SIR CLAUDE; ‘Despatch’ (Supplement to The London Gazette, 13 February 1948).
Cabinet Office: History of the Second World War, ‘The Mediterranean and the Middle East’, volume III.
Cabinet Office: Orders of Battle of the Second World War, volumes I and II.
DE GUINGAND, MAJOR-GENERAL SIR FRANCIS: Operation Victory.
ESEBECK, H. G. VON: Afrikanische Schicksaljahre.
General Staff, Middle East: Middle East Training Memorandum No. 7 — ‘Lessons from Operations’.
HARDING, FIELD-MARSHAL THE LORD: Mediterranean Strategy 1939-45: Lees Knowles lecture, Cambridge University, 1959.
HORROCKS, LIEUT-GENERAL SIR BRIAN: A Full Life.
JARRETT, COLONEL G. B.: Gun and Cartridge Record, USA, volume I, Nos. 3-11. DAK.
KIPPENBERGER, MAJOR-GENERAL SIR HOWARD: Infantry Brigadier.
LIDDELL HART, CAPTAIN B. H. (Ed): The Rommel Papers.
LIDDELL HART, CAPTAIN B. H.: The Tanks (History of the Royal Tank Regiment).
MCCREERY, LIEUT-GENERAL SIR RICHARD: XII Royal Lancers Journal, April 1959. ‘Recollections of a Chief of Staff’.
MCMEEKAN, BRIGADIER G. R.: ‘The Assault at Alamein’. The Royal Engineers Journal, volume LXIII.
MELLENTHIN, MAJOR-GENERAL F. W. VON: Panzer Battles 1939-45.
MONTGOMERY OF ALAMEIN, FIELD-MARSHAL THE VISCOUNT: El Alamein to the Sangro.
MONTGOMERY OF ALAMEIN, FIELD-MARSHAL THE VISCOUNT: Memoirs. Regimental and other histories of all units and formations that participated, where they appear reliable.
RICHARDS AND SAUNDERS: ‘The Royal Air Force 1939-45, volumes I — III (HMSO).
RICHARDSON AND FREIDIN (Ed): ‘The Fatal Decisions’ (for article on Alamein by Lieut-General Fritz Bayerlein).
South African War Histories Section, GHQ, Pretoria: Campaigns in the Western Desert, 1 and 2 South African Division: (Notes for Permanent Staff Promotion Examinations).
WESTPHAL, MAJOR-GENERAL SIEGFRIED: ‘Notes on the Campaign in North Africa’. Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, volume CV, Nos. 6 and 74.
Private Diaries and Journals of Several Officers. Written or verbal narratives of the following:
Lieutenant-Colonel J. P. Archer-Shee, DSO, MC.
Mr J. F. Atkins.
Mr Alan F. Baer.
Lieutenant-Colonel C. N. Barker, OBE, MC.
Major The Marquess of Bath.
Major T. A. Bird, DSO, MC.
Major-General Raymond Briggs, CB, DSO.
Lieutenant-Colonel The Earl Cadogan, MC.
Brigadier L. M. Campbell, VC, DSO.
Brigadier Neville Custance, DSO.
Lieutenant-Colonel M. H. H. Du Boulay, MC.
Colonel G. W. Dunn, CBE, DSO, MC, TD.
Brigadier W. A. Ebbels, DSO.
Brigadier David Egerton, OBE, MC.
Major M. Eveleigh, MC.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Peter Farquhar, Bt, DSO.
Colonel J. L. Finigan, DSO, TD, DL.
Brigadier A. F. Fisher, CBE, DSO.
Mr H. Flinn.
Major R. O. G. Gardner, MC.
Major-General Sir William Gentry, KBE, CB, DSO.
Colonel M. St-J. V. Gibbs, CB, DSO, TD.
Major H. A. Gordon, MC.
Colonel Gerald Grosvenor, DSO.
Lieutenant-Colonel J. E. G. Hay, DSO.
Brigadier P. R. C. Hobart, DSO, OBE, MC, ADC.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Lakin, TD, DL.
Major-General A. W. Lee, CB, MC.
Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver Leese, Bt, KCB, CBE, DSO.
Major-General H. M. Liardet, CB, CBE, DSO.
Lieutenant-Colonel K. MacKessack.
Mr F. W. Marten, MC.
Brigadier G. R. McMeekan, CB, DSO, OBE.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir George Meyrick, Bt, MC.
Field-Marshal The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG.
Brigadier P. N. M. Moore, DSO, MC.
Lieutenant-General Sir Horatio Murray, KBE, CB, DSO.
Brigadier J. A. Oliver, CB, CBE, DSO, TD, ADC, DL.
Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholas Pease, MBE, TD.
Major J. F. M. Perrott, MC.
Lieutenant-General Sir Harold Pyman, KCB, CBE, DSO.
Brigadier R. C. Queree, CBE, DSO.
Major-General G. W. Richards, CB, CBE, DSO, MC.
Major-General G. P. B. Roberts, CB, DSO, MC.
Brigadier W. N. R. Roper-Caldbeck, DSO.
Major The Hon. Peter Samuel, MC.
Lieutenant-Colonel H. W. B. Saunders, DSO.
Major G. R. Savory, MC.
Brigadier I. F. M. Spence, DSO.
The late Captain Clive Stoddart (letters).
RQMS J. E. Swann, DCM.
Colonel C. N. Thompson, CBE, DSO.
Captain C. R. C. Thursfield.
Colonel V. B. Turner, VC.
Mr J. W. Van Grutten.
Major-General G. P. Walsh, CB, CBE, DSO.
Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Wells, KBE, CB, DSO.
Major H. N. Wigan, MC.
Major-General D. N. Wimberley, CB, DSO, MC, DL.
I have also been assisted on divers points by the kindness of Brigadier Philip Masel (Australia), Major-General Sir Ivor Hughes, Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Verey, Brigadier R. C. Cooney, Major The Hon. Peter Samuel, Major J. M. Hay, Lieutenant-Colonel R. F. Wright, Brigadier J. T. S. Tutton, Brigadier W. H. G. Costello, Lieutenant-Colonel J. W. A. Stephenson, Colonel James Hanbury, Captain George Thompson, Brigadier E. H. Grant, Mr Ronald Wood and Captain Quentin Thomas.