WWII
British 79th Armoured Division

Jan-May 1945
Germany

List B184-185

by Mark Bevis

1. Teeth Arm

Staffordshire Yeomanry divisional Armoured Regiment (in 33rd Armoured Bde from April 1945)

    RHQ: 4x Sherman V, 3x Sherman ARV, 1x Sherman IIDD
    3 Squadrons@
      SHQ: 2x Sherman IIDD
      4 Troops@ 4x Sherman II DD

    1 Recce/Liaison Troop: 6-12x Daimler Scout Cars

5th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers (1st Armoured Engineer Brigade)

    RHQ: 2 SMG squads, 4 trucks, few M29 Weasel
    26th, 79th, 80th Squadrons@
      SHQ: 2x Churchill AVRE, 1x Churchill ARV
      3 Troops@ 6x Churchill AVRE (+ SBGs, fascines)

    77th Armoured Engineer Squadron:

      SHQ: 1x LVT-4 Buffalo
      3 Troops@ 3x LVT-2, 5x LVT-4 Buffalo

6th, 42nd Assault Regiments, Royal Engineers (1st Armoured Engineer Brigade)

    RHQ: 2 SMG squads, 4 trucks
    3 Squadrons@
      SHQ: 2x Churchill AVRE, 1x Churchill ARV
      3 Troops@ 6x Churchill AVRE (+ SBGs, fascines), Class 40/60 rafts

4th RTR, 11th RTR Tank Regiments (33rd Armoured Brigade)

    RHQ: 2 SMG squads, 4 trucks, few M29 Weasel
    3 Squadrons@
      SHQ: 2x LVT-2
      5 Troops@ 2x LVT-2, 5x LVT-4 Buffalo

1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry Armoured Regiment (33rd Armoured Brigade)
1st East Riding Yeomanry (33rd Armoured Brigade, March-April 1945 only)

    RHQ: 2 SMG squads, 4 trucks, several M29 Weasel
    3 Squadrons@
      SHQ: 2x LVT-2
      5 Troops@ 2x LVT-2, 5x LVT-4 Buffalo

22nd Dragoons, 1st Lothian & Border Horse, Westminster Dragoons Armoured Regiments (30th Armoured Brigade)

    RHQ: 3x Sherman V, 2x Sherman ARV
    3 Squadrons@
      SHQ: 1x Sherman V, 2x Sherman 1B(105mm)
      5 Troops@ 3x Sherman V Flail

141st RAC, 1st Fife & Forfar Yeomanry, 7th RTR Flame Tank Regiments (31st Tank Brigade)

    RHQ: 1x Churchill VII, 1x Churchill IV, 4x Churchill IV OP
    3 Squadrons@
      SHQ: 1x Churchill IV, 2x Churchill VCS, 1x Churchill ARV, 1x Humber S/C
      5 Troops@ 3x Churchill VII Crocodile

    1 Communication/Liaison Troop:

      THQ: 3x Humber Scout Car
      2 Sections@ 3x Humber Scout Car

Canadian 1st Armoured Carrier Regiment (31st Tank Brigade)

    RHQ: 2 SMG squads, 4 trucks
    2 Squadrons@
      SHQ: 5x Ram Kangeroo
      4 Troops@ THQ: 3x Ram kangeroo, 3 Sections@ 3x Ram Kangeroo

49th RTR Tank Regiment (31st Tank Brigade)

    RHQ: 4x Sheman II, 2x Sherman ARV
    B Squadron: (Jan-March 1945)
      SHQ: 2x Sherman II, 1x Grant ACV
      6 Platoons@ 3x Grant CDL searchlight tanks, 1x Sherman I

    B Squadron: (April 1945+): SHQ: 5x Ram Kangeroo
    4 Troops@

      THQ: 3x Ram kangeroo, 3 Sections@ 3x Ram Kangeroo

    A, F APC Squadrons@

      SHQ: 5x Ram Kangeroo
      4 Troops@ THQ: 3x Ram kangeroo, 3 Sections@ 3x Ram Kangeroo

2. Brigade Support

1st Armoured Engineer Brigade HQ: 2x Churchill IV, 4 trucks, 2 rifle sqds

    with:
      149th Assault Park Squadron:
        SHQ: 3x D8 armoured bulldozers
        3 Troops@ 3x D8 armoured bulldozers

    87th Armoured Dozer Squadron: 36x Centaur Dozer (turretless)

    557th Armoured Engineer Training Squadron: 33x AVRE, 3x Churchill ARK, 1x Churchill AVLB

    30th Armoured Brigade HQ: 7x Sherman V-HQ, 4x Sherman V OP, 7x Humber S/C, 2x AEC 6x6 ACV, 3x Sherman V

    31st Tank Brigade HQ: 2x Churchill IV, 4 trucks, 2 SMG squads

    33rd Armoured Brigade HQ: 4 SMG squads, 6 trucks (Jan-March 1945, May-Aug 1945)

3. Divisional Support

    Up to:

    4 REME Workshop Troops@ fitters vehicles, gantry cranes
    Water Assault Training School: # Sherman IDD, Sherman IIDD, etc in England
    F Wing Amphibious Training School: # Sherman DD, in Europe
    G Wing Training School: carpet layers for LVT Buffaloes
    109th Divisional Supply Company RASC: 22x DUKW
    4th Recovery Company, REME: recovery lorries
    269th Forward Delivery Squadron: tank transporters?
    264th Special Delivery Squadron: ?

4. Notes

a) Radios are in all AFV.
b) The 79th Armoured Division has the following units

    1st Armoured Engineer Brigade of the 5th, 6th and 42nd Regiments.
    30th Armoured Brigade of the 22nd Dragoons, 1st Lothian & Border Horse, and Westminster Dragoons Armoured Regiments with Flails, joined in April 1945 by the 4th RTR and 11th RTR Armoured Regiments with Buffaloes.
    31st Tank Brigade of the 141st RAC, 1st Fife & Forfar Yeomanry and 7th RTR Crocodile Regiments, the Canadian 1st Armoured Carrier Regiment and the 49th RTR CDL/APC Armoured Regiment
    33rd Armoured Brigade of the 4th RTR, 11th RTR, 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry and 1st East Riding Yeomanry Armoured Regiments with Buffaloes. In April the 33rd Brigade left the division and the 4th RTR and 11th RTR joined the 30th Armoured Brigade, the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry joined division and the 1st East Riding Yeomanry left the division.
    In May 1945 the 33rd Armoured Brigade rejoined the division with the 11th RTR, 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry, and the Staffordshire Yeomanry.
    Staffordshire Yeomanry Armoured Regiment at divisional level with Sherman DD tanks, joined 33rd Armoured Brigade April 1945+.

c) Usually squadrons are split up and individual troops assigned to other combat units. Hence all units can be used as Army support. APC Squadrons with Rams are organised to carry four infantry companies and Bttn HQ of an infantry battalion.


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© Copyright 2004 by Mark Bevis and MicroMark.
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