WWII
Canada 5th Armoured Division

Dec 1943-Feb 1944 Italy

List C1A

by Mark Bevis

1. Teeth Arm

2nd Armoured Regiment (Lord Strathcona's Horse),
5th Armoured Regiment (8th Princess Louise's Hussars)
9th Armoured Regiment (British Colombia Dragoons)

    RHQ (Bttn HQ): 4x M4A2 Sherman III, recovery lorry
    3 Squadrons@
      SHQ: 4x Sherman III
      4 Troops@ 3x very worn out Sherman III

    1 Recce Troop:
      THQ : 2x Daimler Scout Cars
      3 Sections@ 3x Daimler Scout Cars

Westminster Dragoons Motor Battalion

    Bttn HQ: 2 rifle sqds, 2x trucks
    3 Companies@
      CHQ: 1 rifle squad, 1x 2" mortar, 2 trucks
      1 section: 2x 3" mortars, 3x Universal Carriers
      2 platoons@ 4(8 man) rifle sqds, 3 LMG, 1x 2" mortar, 4 PIAT, 4 trucks
      1 platoon: 4x Vickers MMG, 5x Universal Carriers
      1 platoon:
        PHQ: 1x Universal Carrier, 1x Lynx S/C, LMG
        3 sections@ 3x Carriers, 3 LMG, 1 PIAT, 1x 2", 1 rifle squad

    1 Anti-tank Company:
      CHQ: 1 rifle squad, 1x truck
      4 platoons@ 4x 6pdr anti-tank guns on 3-ton lorry portees, 2 LMG

Perth Regiment, Cape Breton Highlanders, Irish Regiment of Canada Infantry Battalions

    Bttn HQ: 2 rifle squads, 2 trucks
    4 Companies@
      CHQ: 1 rifle squad, 1 lorry
      3 platoons@ 1(8 man) rifle PHQ squad, 1 PIAT, 1x 2" mortar, 2 lorries, 3(10 man) rifle squads, 3 LMG

    1 Support Company:
      CHQ: 1 rifle squad, 2 lorries
      2 platoons@ 3x 2pdr anti-tank guns, 2 LMG, 3 trucks or Carriers
      1 platoon: 2(8 man) rifle/engineer sqds, 1(5 man) PHQ sqd, 2 LMG
      1 platoon: 6x 3" mortars, 7x Carriers or trucks, radio truck
      1 platoon:
        PHQ: 1x Universal Carrier, 1x Daimler Scout Car, 1 LMG
        4 Sections@ 3x Carriers, 3 LMG, 1 rilfe sqd, 1x 2", 1 PIAT

3rd Divisional Armoured Recce Regiment (Governor General's Horse Guards)

    RHQ (Bttn HQ): 4x M3A1 White Scout Cars, 4(4 man) rifle squads
    3 Squadrons@
      SHQ: 4x M3A1 White Scout Cars, 3 LMG, 4(5 man) crew sqds
      4 Troops@ 3(5 man) crew squads, 2x Daimler Scout Cars
      1 Troop: 2x 75mm M3 GMC halftracks, 3(5 man) crew sqds

2. Brigade Support

    5th Armoured Brigade HQ: 5x Grant I, 1x Sherman III, 2x ACV with:
      1 AA Troop: 2x Humber AA
      1 Defence/Recce Troop: 3x Stuart I

    11th Infantry Brigade HQ: 4 rifle sqds, 2 LMG, 4 lorries with:

      11th Brigade Support Group:
        CHQ: 1 rifle squad, 1 truck
        3 platoons@ 4x Vickers MMG, 4 trucks
        2 platoons@ 4x 4.2" mortars, 8x Loyd Carriers or 4 trucks

3. Divisional Support

Up to:

    8th Field Artillery Regiment:
    61st, 71st, 107th Batteries@
      BHQ: 1x ACV, 3 lorries, 4 rifle sqds, 4 AALMG
      2 Troops@ 4x worn out 105mm M7 Priest, 1 radio van, 1 OP team, 2 AALMG

    17th Field Artillery Regiment:
    3 Batteries@

      BHQ: 4 lorries, 4 rifle sqds, 4 AALMG, 3 OP Teams
      2 Troops@ 4x worn out 25pdr, 4x trucks, radio van, 2 AALMG

    4th Anti-tank Regiment:
    16th, 49th Anti-Tank Batteries@

      CHQ: 1 rifle squad, 1 truck
      3 Troops@ 4x 6pdr anti-tank guns, 2 LMG, 6 trucks
      1 Troop: 4x 6pdr or 17pdr anti-tank guns, 2 LMG, 4 trucks

    82nd, 98th Anti-Tank Batteries@ (re-equipping in North Africa)

      CHQ: 2x Universal Carriers, 1 rifle squad
      1-2 Troops@ 4x M-10 Wolverine, 1x Universal PHQ

    5th Light AA Regiment:

      3 AA Batteries@
        CHQ: 1 truck, 1 rifle squad
        3 AA platoons@ 6x 40mm Bofors, 6 trucks

    1st, 10th Field Engineer Squadrons@

      CHQ: 3 rifle sqds, 2 LMG, 1 PIAT, 1 lorry
      4 Troops@ 1(17 man) rifle/engineer PHQ sqd, 4(12 man) rifle/engineer sqds, 3 lorries, 4 LMG

    4th Field Park Squadron:

      SHQ: 3 rifle squads, 4 lorries
      1 Bridge Troop: 1x 40t 80' Bailey Bridge in 15x 3-ton lorries, 1-3x Valentine AVLB
      1 Stores Section: 24 assault boats, 1 large bulldozer, 1 small bulldozer
      1 Workshop Section: 44 men, recovery lorries

4. Notes


a) Radios are in all AFV and other PHQ.
b) Infantry squads may have Hawkins A/T grenades.
c) Artillery OP can be in Universal Carrier or truck or Stuart III or Daimler Scout Car.
d) M3 Halftracks and Shermans do not have .50" HMG.
e) The Division has the 5th Armoured Brigade of the 2nd, 5th, 9th Armoured Regiments and the Westminster Dragoons Motor Battalion; the 11th Infantry Brigade of the Perth Regiment, Cape Breton Highlanders, and Irish Regiment of Canada infantry battalions; and at division the 3rd Governor General's Horse Guards Armoured Recce Regiment.
f) The Division arrived from England in December 1943 taking over the equipment of the departing British 7th Armoured Division. Much of the equipment was worn out, reducing the division to the 11th Infantry Brigade and some divisional support, whilst the armoured units remained out of action waiting new equipment. The trucks of the divisional transport units were apparently in even worse state.

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© Copyright 2004 by Mark Bevis and MicroMark.
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