WWII
British 7th Armoured Division

March-May 1945
Germany

List B168-169

by Mark Bevis

1. Teeth Arm

5th Dragoon Guards Iniskillings, 1st RTR, 5th RTR Armoured Regiments

    RHQ: 4x Cromwell IV, 3x Cromwell-OP tanks
    3 Squadrons@
      SHQ: 2x Cromwell VII, 2x Cromwell VICS
      3 Troops@ 2x Cromwell IV, 2x Firefly Vc
      1 Troop: 2x Cromwell VII, 2x Firefly Vc

    1 Recce Troop:
      THQ: 1x Stuart V Recce, 1x Daimler Scout Car
      3 Sections@ 1x M24 Chaffee, 2x Stuart V Recce@ 3 MG, 3x Daimler S/C

    1 Maintenance Troop: 2x Cromwell ARV, 3x M5 REME halftrack

1st Battalion Rifle Brigade Motor Battalion (22nd Armoured Brigade)

    Bttn HQ: 4x M3 halftrack, 3 rifle squads
    3 Companies@
      CHQ: 1 rifle sqd, 1x 2" mortar, 2x M3 H/T, 1 PIAT,
      1 section: 2x 3" mortars, 2x Universal Carriers
      3 platoons@ 4(8 man) rifle sqds, 6 LMG, 1x 2" mortar, 4x M3 H/T , 1 PIAT
      1 platoon:
        PHQ: 2x Universal Carrier, 1 LMG
        2 sections@ 3x Carriers, 3 LMG, 1 rifle sqd, 1x 2" mortar, 1 PIAT
        1 section: 3x Wasp IIc, 3 LMG, 1 rifle sqd, 1x2", 1 PIAT

    1 Support Company:
      CHQ: 1 rifle sqd, 1 truck
      3 platoons@ 4x 6pdr, 2 LMG, 4x Loyd Carriers or trucks
      2 MG Platoons@ 4x Vickers MMG, 5x Universal Carriers

8th Hussars Divisional Armoured Recce Regiment

    RHQ: 4x Cromwell IV, 1x Daimler S/C, 3x Cromwell ARV
    3 Squadrons@
      SHQ: 2x Cromwell VII, 3x Cromwell VICS
      5 Troops@ 3x Cromwell IV, 1x Challenger

    1 Recce Troop:
      THQ: 1x Daimler Scout Car, 1x Stuart V Recce+ 3 MG, 1 Jeep
      3 Sections@ 1x Daimler S/C, 1x Stuart V, 1x M24 Chaffee

    1 Communication/Liaison Troop:
      THQ: 3x Humber Scout Car
      3 Sections@ 3x Humber Scout Car

11th Hussars Corps Armoured Car Regiment (attached)

    RHQ: 4x Humber Scout Cars, 3 staff cars, 6 Jeeps
    4 Squadrons@
      SHQ: 2x Humber S/C, 2x Staghound I, 2 Jeeps
      4 Troops@ 2x Daimler II armoured car, 1x Daimler Scout Car, 1x M3A1 White S/C, 1(6 man) rifle sqd, 1 LMG, 1 PIAT
      1 Troop: 3x AEC Mk.III armoured cars, 1x Humber S/C
      1 Troop: 2x Daimler II, 1x Daimler Scout Car
      1 patrol section: 2x Daimler Scout Car /twin Vickers K MMG

    1 Communication/Liaison Troop:
      THQ: 3x Staghound I
      4 Sections@ 1x Staghound I, 3x Daimler S/C

Infantry Battalion (131st Infantry Brigade)

    Bttn HQ: 2 rifle sqds, 4 trucks, 1(8 man) rifle sniper squad
    4 Companies@
      CHQ: 1(13 man) rifle squad,
      3 platoons@
        1(8 man) rifle PHQ squad , 1x 2" mortar, 1 PIAT, 2 lorries
        3 (11 man) rifle sqds, 3-6 LMG, 2 lorries or 4x Ram Kangeroo

    1 Support Company:
      CHQ: 1 rifle sqd, 1 truck
      1 platoon: 6x 6pdr, 2 LMG, 12x Loyd Carriers
      1 platoon: 3(6 man) rifle/engineer sqds, 1 lorry, 3 LMG, 1 flamethrower
      1 battery: 6x 3" mortars, 7 Carriers
      1 platoon:
        PHQ: 1x Universal Carrier, 1 LMG, 1x Daimler S/C
        2 sections@ 2x Carriers, 3 LMG, 1 rifle sqd, 1x 2" mortar , 1 PIAT
        2 sections@ 3x Wasp IIc, 3 LMG, 1 rifle sqd, 1x2", 1 PIAT

2. Brigade Support

22nd Armoured Bde HQ: 5x Cromwell-HQ, 6x Sherman V OP, 2x AEC 6x6 ACV, 7x Humber S/C, 2x Cromwell ARV, Air Liaison Team

    with:
    1 Bridge Troop: 3x Valentine AVLB and/or Churchill AVLB
    1 Defence Troop: 3x Cromwell IV
    1 Dozer Section: 3x Centaur Dozer

131st Infantry Bde HQ: 4 rifle squads, 2 LMG, 2 trucks, 3 lorries, Air Liaison Team

    with:
    C Company, 1st Bttn, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers:
      CHQ: 1 rifle sqd, 1 truck
      4 platoons@ 4x Vickers MMG, 5x Universal Carriers or light trucks
      1 platoon: 4x 4.2" mortars, 8x Loyd Carriers, OP Team in Carrier

List B169

3. Divisional Support

Up to:

    3rd Royal Horse Artillery Regiment, 146th Field Artillery Regiment@
      3 Artillery Batteries@
        BHQ: 2 rifle sqds, 2 trucks, radio van, 4 AALMG
        2 Troops@ 4x 25pdr, 4 trucks, radio truck, 2 AALMG, OP Team

    5th Royal Horse Artillery Regiment:

      3 Batteries@
        BHQ: 1 radio van, 2 trucks, 2 rifle sqds, 1 PIAT, 4 AALMG
        2 Troops@ 4x 25pdr Sexton, 1 radio van, 2 OP Teams

    15th Light AA Regiment:

      3 Batteries@
        CHQ: 1 rifle squad, 1 truck
        3 Troops@ 2x 40mmL60 Bofors SPAA on Morris truck or M16 H/T, 4x 40mmL60 Bofors, 4 trucks, 4(6 man) rifle crew squads, 3 LMG, 1x 2" mortar, 1 PIAT

    65th Anti-Tank Regiment:

      2 Batteries@
        CHQ: 2x M3 halftrack
        3 Troops@ 4x M10 Achilles, 1x M3 halftrack PHQ

      2 Batteries@
        CHQ: 1 rifle squad, 1 truck or M3 halftrack
        3 Troops@ 4x 17pdr, 4x Crusader Tower, 4(8 man) rifle crew squads, 3 LMG, 1x 2" mortar, 1 PIAT

    4th, 621st Field Engineer Squadrons@

      SHQ: 4(11 man) rifle sqds, 1 LMG, 1 PIAT, 4 lorries, 1x Jeep
      3 Troops@ 1(17 man) PHQ squad, 4(12 man) rifle/engineer sqds, 4 LMG, 4 lorries or 6x M3 halftracks, 6x Humber Light Recce S/C

    143rd Engineer Park Company:

      CHQ: 3 rifle sqds, 4 lorries
      1 Bridge Troop: 1x 40t 80' Bailey Bridge in 15x 3-ton lorries, 51 men
      1 Stores Section: 12 assault boats, 1 bulldozer, 3 tractors, 29 men
      1 Workshop Section : 44 men, recovery lorries

    1 Provost (MP) Company: 100 men, Jeeps, motorcycles

4. Notes

a) Radios are in all tanks and armoured cars, and other PHQs.
b) Infantry squads may have Hawkins 75 A/T grenades.
c) The 7th Armoured Division has the 131st Infantry Brigade of the 1st/5th Queens, 9th Durham Light Infantry and 2nd Devonshire Infantry Battalions ; the 22nd Armoured Brigade of the 1st RTR, 5th RTR, 5th Dragoon Guards Armoured Regiments and the 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade Motor Battalion; and at division there is the 8th Hussars Armoured Recce Regiment and 11th Hussars Armoured Car Regiment.
d) Three OP per Artillery Regiment are in Sherman V or Cromwell OP Tanks , rest are in trucks or Daimler Scout Car.
e) Shermans do not have .50" AAHMG. M3 H/T has .30" M1919A4 Browning MG.
f) Daimler II armoured cars can have Littlejohn squeezebore adaptor for firing APCNR.
g) The number of M24 Chaffees available is uncertain.
h) The 8th Hussars has fifteen Challengers in March 1945, soon reduced to eleven in total for the rest of the war.
i) It is possible that the 65th Anti-Tank and 15th Light AA regiments operated towed guns crews as extra infantry units.
j) Some Rifle Brigade Carriers have Browning MG as well as Bren LMG.
k) On several occasions at least one Infantry Battalion operated in Ram Kangeroos assigned from 79th Armoured Division.


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© Copyright 2003 by Mark Bevis and MicroMark.
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