British Reconnaissance Units of World War II

Part 2: Armoured Car Regiments

by Michael Taylor

Armoured car regiments were primarily corps level assets tasked with the job of providing the corps commander with medium range reconnaissance, that is, information from behind the enemy forward areas rather than tactical or battle reconnaissance from within those areas, for which the divisional recce units were used. Armoured car units did operate under command of divisions, particularly armoured divisions in North Africa, but their main job was covert penetration of the enemy front lines to observe, report and return unseen. They usually fought only when spotted and then mainly to discourage the enemy so that they could use their main assets, speed and very quiet running, to return to their own lines.

In the BEF in 1940, 12 Lancers, the only armoured car unit in the theatre, came under the direct command of GHQ, being in effect Army troops. However, after Dunkirk and in the light of experience in the Flanders campaign, it was intended that every armoured division on the home establishment should be assigned an armoured car regiment as its reconnaissance unit. The Middle East initially kept their armoured car units as Corps or Army troops and did not conform to the UK doctrine until August 1942. They officially reverted to Corps troops in all theatres in April 1943, staying as such for the remainder of the war.

However, they were frequently placed in support or under command of armoured divisions and a number of commanders continued to regard them as armoured divisional troops. Indeed, 11 Hussars regimental history states categorically that they became part of 7 Armoured Division in Normandy, although in fact this may refer to the granting of leave to wear that Division's insignia on uniforms rather than a formal assignment to its organization.

Leading up to the outbreak of war an armoured car regiment consisted of Regimental HQ, which included an administrative element, and three Squadrons each of three troops of three armoured cars each, but this was increased to five troops of three cars immediately before the declaration of war. Operational experience and various exercises in the UK indicated that even on the enlarged five troop basis there were too few car patrols to cope with a corps sized frontage and a need had also been demonstrated for a degree of dismounted infantry and fire support within the squadrons.

As a result two additional Troops were added to each squadron in the form of a mobile infantry platoon and two mobile guns of field calibre capable of delivering a reasonable high explosive round. In the Middle East these additional Troops seem to have been added in the spring of 1943, at which time the car troops were reorganized on the basis of two scout cars and two annoured cars each. To meet the need for additional patrols to cover the corps frontage a fourth squadron on this revised organization was added around the beginning of 1944.

Equipment for armoured car units presents a confusing picture and, particularly in North Africa where the supply problem was a significant factor, there was often a variety of vehicles being used by different regiments at any one time. In the basic armoured car troop, 11th Hussars began their desert career armed with two 1924 pattern Rolls Royce and one Morris CS9 in each troop and Morris cars at Regimental and each Squadron HQ.

The Marmon Herrington arrived in North Africa at the end of 1940 and these, in their various Marks, were used extensively by British and Commonwealth units. The standard armament of one Bren, one Boys anti-tank rifle, and a .303 Vickers for anti aircraft protection was often varied by converting a number of cars in each regiment to carry captured Axis weapons, principally the German 20mm Soluthern cannon or the Italian 47mm Breda AT gun which could only be fitted to fire over the rear of the car!

The Daimler mounting the 15mm and 7.92mm Besas appeared in November 1941 and the 2pdr armed Daimler in June 1942. For the battle of Alamein 1st Household Cavalry (HCR) fielded two Marmon Herringtons and one Daimler per troop while 2 Derbyshire Yeomanry seem to have been equipped entirely with Daimlers. 1st HCR received 20 Humber Mk. IV in July 1943 and in the same month the American Staghound first appeared in the Mediterranean theatre, being assigned by most units to Regimental and Squadron Hqs, although some units may have been entirely equipped with this rather large and cumbersome beast.

In Europe, 12th Lancers with the BEF in 1940 were on an all Morris CS9 basis and armoured car regiments on the home establishment managed to avoid the more exotic permutations of pure and hybrid Marmon Herringtons and similar local expedients forced by circumstances on their North African colleagues. By the time of the North West European campaign the car troops were uniformly equipped on a Daimler Mk. II and Daimler Dingo basis, again with Staghounds at Regimental and Squadron HQs. The Humber scout car was used in some units in the HQ Squadron's Intercommunication Troop.

The Heavy Troops of armoured car squadrons also had a variety of equipment. When this Troop was introduced to 1 HCR in spring 1943 they used the AEC Mk.II with 6pdr gun, changing at the end of November that year to the American half track with 75mm gun. This latter vehicle was the most common although the AEC Mk. III with the 75mm gun was also used, as for example in 2 HCR. Other variants that were available in this heavy support role were the Staghound II with a 3 inch howitzer and the III with a Crusader turret and 75mm gun replacing the standard American turret and 37mm gun, although I have found no record of their operational use.

There were several variations on the official organization. For example, 11th Hussars in Normandy seem to have disliked their Staghounds to such an extent ("good only for knocking down gateposts" is how their regimental history describes them) that they transferred the three man Humber scout cars (presumably from the Intercommunication Troop) to Regimental and Squadron HQ's for command vehicles, although they presumably kept their Staghounds for rear link and other duties.

The evidence indicates that their car troops comprised two armoured cars and only one Dingo each so one assumes that the second Dingo was assigned to a reconstituted Intercom. Troop. There may also have sufficient "spare" Dingos to form an additional patrol of 2 Dingos per squadron. This regiment also decentralized their infantry Troop so that a single section in a White Scout car accompanied each forward car patrol.

Another interesting variant was the Inns of Court Regiment. C Squadron of this unit was tasked to land on D Day and, with attached parties of specially selected Engineers, penetrate the German lines to blow bridges on the Rivers Ome and Odon, south and west of Caen.

The intention was to delay the deployment of reserves, particularly 21st Panzer, into the landing area. Given that the shortest penetration was over 25 kilometers from the landing beaches and the furthest, to Thury Harcourt, over 40 kilometers, it is hardly surprising that the plan did not work out.

One of the lessons the unit thought it had learned was not in fact anything to do with the selection of realistic objectives, but that the Daimler armoured car was too large and vulnerable to use on deep reconnaissance tasks and their commander concluded that scout cars should be the main recce vehicle.

From about the second week of July the car Troops of each squadron were therefore reorganized on the basis of 6 Light Troops, each of 2 Dingos, and 3 Heavy Troops, each of 2 Daimlers and I SOD. The SOD was a "Sawn Off Daimler", a beast peculiar to the Inns of Court Regiment, being simply a Daimler armoured car with its turret and front wings removed, the former to reduce its target area and the latter its silhouette. There is no evidence that they managed to obtain any heavy machine guns to give these makeshift scout cars some kind of punch although wargamers may want to exercise a little licence in this area.

This unit also fielded the AEC Mk III as the heavy car and grouped all six together in a small squadron, while their infantry component were in half tracks rather than White scout cars.

British Reconnaissance Units of World War II Part 2: Armoured Divisional Formations

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