WWII
Free Czech 1st Armoured Brigade

1943-1945 Europe

List CZ4A

by Mark Bevis

1. Teeth Arm

Armoured Battalion (Sept 1943-early 1944)

    Bttn HQ: 4x Crusader III, 1x Crusader OP, 3x Daimler Scout Car
    3 Companies@
      CHQ: 4x Crusader II/III
      3 Troops@ 5x Crusader II/III

Armoured Battalion (early 1944-1945)

    Bttn HQ: 4x Cromwell IV, 3x Cromwell OP, 3x Daimler Scout Car
    3 Companies@
      CHQ: 2x Cromwell IV, 2x Cromwell VICS, 1x Cromwell ARV
      3 Troops@ 4x Cromwell IV/V, 1x Sherman Firefly IC

    1 Scout/Liaison Troop:
      PHQ: 1x Daimler Scout Car
      2 Sections@ 3x Daimler Scout Car

Motorised Infantry Battalion

    Bttn HQ: 2 rifle sqds, 2 trucks, 1 radio van
    3 Companies@
      CHQ: 1 rifle squad, 1 truck or 2x M3A1 Scout Car
      3 platoons@ 4(6 man) rifle sqds, 4 trucks or M3A1 White Scout Car, 3 LMG, 1 PIAT, 1x 2" mortar
      1 platoon: 2x 3" mortars, 2 trucks or Universal Carriers
      1 platoon:
        PHQ: 1x Universal Carrier, 1 LMG
        3 Sections@ 3x Carrier, 3 LMG, 1 rifle sqd, 1x 2", 1 PIAT

    1 Support Company:
      CHQ: 1 rifle sqd, 1 truck
      3 platoons@ 2x 6pdr A/T guns, 2x Universal Carriers, 1 LMG
      2 platoons@ 4x Vickers MMG, 5x Universal Carriers

2. Brigade Support

    Brigade HQ: 5x Cromwell V, 3x Cromwell OP, radio van, 2x Daimler S/C, Air Liaison Team with up to:

      1 A/T Battery:

        CHQ: 1 rifle sqd, 1 truck
        3 Troops@ 4x 6pdr or 17pdr, 4 trucks, 2 LMG

      1 AA Battery:

        CHQ: 2 rifle sqds, 2 trucks
        3 Troops@ 6x 40mmL60 Bofors, 6 trucks

      5 Artillery Batteries@
        BHQ: 1 radio van, 2 trucks, 2 rifle sqds, 1 PIAT, 4 AALMG
        2 Troops@ 4x 25pdr field guns, 6 trucks, 2 AALMG, 1 PAIT, 2 OP Teams
        1 Troop (1945+): 4x 155mm GPF guns or 4x 21cm Nebelwerfer or 4x 28-32cm Nebelwerfers, 6 lorries, 2 LMG

      1 Motorised Recce Platoon: (1944 only)
        PHQ: 1x M3A1 White Scout car, 1 LMG
        4 Sections@ 3x M3A1 S/C, 3 LMG, 1 rifle sqd, 1x 2", 1 PIAT

      1 Light Tank Squadron (August 1944+):
        SHQ: 2x Stuart VI
        3 Troops@ 3x Stuart VI

      1 Engineer Squadron:
        SHQ: 2(12 man) rifle/engineer sqds, 2 lorries, 2 LMG
        3 Troops@ 4(12 man) rifle/engineer sqds, 1(17 man) rifle PHQ sqd, 4 lorries or 6x M3 H/T, 4 LMG, 1 PIAT
        1 Troop: 3x AVLB (Valentine or Covananter) (August 1944+)

3. Notes

a) Radios are in all AFV and other PHQ.
b) Infantry have Hawkins 75 A/T grenades.
c) The Brigade has two Armoured Battalions and one Motorised Battalion. In early 1945 the Brigade Recce Platoon was used to raise a third Armoured Battalion, which included a few Cromwell Mk.VII.
d) Details of the Motorised Battalion and Recce Platoon are provisional. The force is listed as having 143 unspecified APCs by May 1945, as well as 271 tanks, enough for a full division. Of these tanks, 22 were Challengers.
e) The Anti-Tank Battery was issued with 17pdrs in early 1944.
f) The Brigade was mostly used on siege duties in France from August 1944 to March 1945.


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© Copyright 2004 by Mark Bevis and MicroMark.
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