Order of battle for Operation Epsom
This is the order of battle for Operation Epsom, a Second World War battle between British and German forces in Normandy, France between 26 June and 30 June 1944.
British Order of Battle
Second Army[1] General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey
| VIII Corps[2][3] Lieutenant-General Sir Richard O'Connor | |
|---|---|
| Corps Troops | |
| 91st (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 121st (The Leicestershire Regiment) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 21st Army Group Troops (attached to VIII Corps for Epsom)[2][3] | |
| 8th Army Group Royal Artillery | 16 BL 5.5 inch Medium Guns, 16 BL 7.2 inch Howitzer Mk.Is 24 heavy anti aircraft guns.[3][4][5] |
| 11th Armoured Division[2][3][6] Major-General George Roberts |
|
| 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry | Armoured reconnaissance regiment[7] 'A' squadron was detached for Operation Epsom[2] Cromwell[7] and M5 Stuart tanks[8] |
| 77th (Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery | Attached from 8th AGRA[3] |
| 75th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 58th (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | Less two batteries[3] |
| Counter-Mortar Battery, Royal Artillery | |
| 13th, 612th Field Squadrons, Royal Engineers | |
| 147th Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers | |
| 10th Bridging Troop, Royal Engineers | |
| 4th Armoured Brigade[3][9][10] Brigadier J.C. Currie |
Attached for Operation Epsom |
| The Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) | Sherman II, Sherman Vc "Firefly"[11] and M5 Stuart[8] tanks |
| 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) | Sherman II, Sherman Vc[11] and M5 Stuarts[8] |
| 44th Royal Tank Regiment | Sherman II, Sherman Vc[11] and M5 Stuarts[8] |
| 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps | |
| 4th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery | Sexton self-propelled 25 pounder guns[12] |
| 144th Battery, 91st (A&SH) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | M10C Achilles self-propelled anti-tank guns[3][13] |
| 29th Armoured Brigade[2][3][14] Brigadier C.B.C. Harvey |
|
| 23rd Hussars | Sherman V, Sherman Vc[7] and M5 Stuarts[8] |
| 3rd Royal Tank Regiment | Sherman V, Sherman Vc[7] and M5 Stuarts[8] |
| 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry | Sherman V, Sherman Vc[7] and M5 Stuarts[8] |
| 8th Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) | |
| 13th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (Honourable Artillery Company) | Sexton self-propelled 25 pounder guns[15] |
| 119th Battery, 75th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | M10 and M10C SP Anti-Tank Guns[16] |
| Troop, 612th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers | |
| 159th Infantry Brigade[2][3][17] Brigadier J.G. Sandie |
|
| 4th Battalion, The King's Shropshire Light Infantry | |
| 1st Battalion, The Herefordshire Regiment | |
| 3rd Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment | |
| 2nd (Independent) Machine-Gun Company, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers | |
| 151st (Ayrshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[15] |
| 117th Battery, 75th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 81st Squadron, 6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers | Elements attached from 79th Armoured Division 2 x Churchill Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) scissors bridges[3][18] |
| 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division[2][3][19][20] Major-General G.H. MacMillan | |
| Divisional Troops | |
| 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps | Humber Light Reconnaissance Car Humber armoured car[21] |
| HQ and 346th Battery, 97th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| HQ 119th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| HQ 15th Divisional Engineers | |
| 624th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 26th Bridging Platoon, Royal Engineers | |
| HQ 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers machine guns and 4.2-inch mortars |
| 44th (Lowland) Infantry Brigade[2][3][22] Brigadier H.D.K. Money |
|
| 6th Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers | |
| 6th Battalion, The Royal Scots Fusiliers | |
| 8th Battalion, Royal Scots | |
| 141st (Buffs) Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps | 2 x Troops Churchill Crocodiles attached from 79th Armoured Division[3][18] |
| A Company, 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers MGs, platoon of 4.2-inch mortars[3] |
| 190th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[23] |
| 159th Battery, 97th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| Battery, 119th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 81st Squadron, 6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers | Two Troops Churchill AVREs attached from 79th Armoured Division[3][18] |
| 279th Field Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 46th (Highland) Infantry Brigade[2][3][24] Brigadier C.M. Barber |
|
| 2nd Battalion, The Glasgow Highlanders | |
| 7th Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders | |
| 9th Battalion, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) | |
| A Squadron, 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry | Attached from 11th Armoured Division[3][7] Cromwell tanks[7] |
| Two Troops 141st (Buffs) Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps | Two troops Churchill Crocodiles attached from 79th Armoured Division[3][18] |
| B Company, 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers MGs, platoon of 4.2-inch mortars[3] |
| 181st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[25] |
| 161st Battery, 97th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| Battery, 119th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 81st Squadron, 6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers | Three troops Churchill AVREs attached from 79th Armoured Division[3][18] |
| 278th Field Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 227th (Highland) Infantry Brigade[2][3][26] Brigadier J.R. Mackintosh-Walker |
|
| 2nd Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders | |
| 2nd Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders | |
| 10th Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) | |
| C Company, 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers MGs, platoon of 4.2-inch mortars[3] |
| 131st (Lowland – City of Glasgow) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[23] |
| 286th Battery, 97th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 391st Battery, 119th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 20th Field Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 31st Independent Tank Brigade[10][3][27] Brigadier G.S. Knight |
Attached for Operation Epsom |
| 7th Royal Tank Regiment | Churchill tanks |
| 9th Royal Tank Regiment | Churchill tanks |
| C Squadron, 2nd County of London Yeomanry (Westminster Dragoons) | Attached from 79th Armoured Division[18] Sherman Crab Flail tanks[3][28] |
| B Squadron, 22nd Dragoons | Attached from 79th Armoured Division[18] Sherman Crabs[3][28] |
| 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division[2][3][29][30] Major-General Ivor Thomas | |
| Divisional Troops | |
| 43rd (Wessex) Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps (The Gloucestershire Regiment) | Armoured cars, light reconnaissance cars; not in action during Epsom[3] |
| HQ 8th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers machine guns and 4.2-inch mortars |
| HQ and 236th Battery, 59th (Duke of Connaught's Hampshire) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| HQ and 362nd Battery, 110th (7th Dorset) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| HQ 43rd (Wessex) Divisional Engineers | |
| 207th (Wessex) Field Park Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 129th Infantry Brigade[2][3][29][31] Brigadier G.H.L. Luce |
|
| 4th Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry | |
| 4th Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment | |
| 5th Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment | |
| A Company, 8th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers MGs, platoon of 4.2-inch mortars[3] |
| 94th (Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[23] |
| 235th Battery, 59th (DoCH) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 360th Battery, 110th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 30th Independent Anti-Aircraft Troop | |
| 206th (Hampshire) Field Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 130th Infantry Brigade[2][3][29][32] Brigadier N.D. Leslie |
|
| 4th Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment | |
| 5th Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment | |
| 7th Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment | |
| B Company, 8th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers MGs, platoon of 4.2-inch mortars[3] |
| 112th (Wessex) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[23] |
| 233rd Battery, 59th (DoCH) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 362nd Battery, 110th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 32nd Independent AA Troop, Royal Artillery | |
| 553rd Field Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 214th Infantry Brigade[2][3][29][33] Brigadier H. Essame |
|
| 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment | |
| 5th Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry | |
| 7th Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry | |
| C Company, 8th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers MGs, platoon of 4.2-inch mortars[3] |
| 179th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-pounder field guns[23] |
| 333rd Battery, 59th (DoCH) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 361st Battery, 110th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 31st Independent Anti-Aircraft Troop, Royal Artillery | |
| 260th (Wessex) Field Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 32nd (Guards) Infantry Brigade[34] Brigadier G.F. Johnson |
The first major formation of Guards Armoured Division to land in Normandy; attached on 28 June for the remainder of Operation Epsom[35][36] |
| 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards | |
| 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards | |
| 5th Battalion, Coldstream Guards | |
| 55th (Wessex) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (West Somerset Yeomanry) | |
| 21st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | Less one battery |
| 615th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers | |
German Order of Battle
Seventh Army / Panzer Group West
General Friedrich Dollmann (until 1700 hours 28 June)[37]
General der Panzertruppe (General of Armoured Troops) Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg (from 1700 hours 28 June)[38]
I SS Panzer Corps
SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich[42]
- Corps Troops
- 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend - SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer[42]
- SS-Panzer Regiment 12[42][nb 4]
- SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 25[42]
- SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 26[42]
- SS-Panzer Artillery Regiment 12[42]
- SS-Reconnaissance Battalion 12[42]
- SS-Anti-Tank Battalion 12[42]
- SS-Projector Battalion 12[42]
- SS-Anti-Aircraft Battalion 12[42]
- SS-Panzer Pioneer Battalion 12[42]
- 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler[nb 5] - SS-Obersturmbannführer Albert Frey[38]
- battlegroup Frey[49]
- 21st Panzer Division[50] - Generalmajor Edgar Feuchtinger[51]
- One battlegroup[nb 6]
- Panzer-Lehr-Division (elements)[50] - Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein[53][nb 7]
- 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich[39] - SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Weidinger[nb 8]
II SS Panzer Corps
SS-Obergruppenführer Paul Hausser (until morning of 29 June)[37]
SS-Obergruppenführer Willi Bittrich (from morning of 29 June)[42]
- 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen - SS-Standartenführer Thomas Müller[nb 9]
- 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg - SS-Oberführer Heinz Harmel[42][nb 10]
III Anti-Aircraft Corps
[43] General der Flakartillerie Wolfgang Pickert[51]
- 4th Anti-Aircraft Regiment (88mm Anti-Aircraft and other guns)[43]
XLVII Panzer Corps
- 2nd Panzer Division (elements)[39][nb 11]
- One battlegroup based around a tank battalion[39]
See also
Notes
- Footnotes
- Projector Brigade 7 was equipped with Nebelwerfers.[39]
- Projector Brigade 7 was equipped with Nebelwerfers.[41]
- Heavy SS Panzer Battalion 101 was equipped with Tiger Is.[43]
- SS-Panzer Regiment 12 was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV and Mark V Panthers.[47]
- The vanguard of the LSSAH, Kampfgruppe Frey, arrived at the front on 27 June[48] and was attached to the 12th SS Panzer.[38]
- One battlegroup of the 21st Panzer Division, based around a tank battalion.[39] The battalion was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV's and Assault Guns.[52]
- The Panzer-Lehr-Division was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV and Mark V Panthers.[54]
- Battlegroup Weidinger arrived at the front on 27 June and was attached to the Panzer-Lehr-Division.[55] On 29 June the battlegroup was transferred to II SS Corps.[56]
- The 9th SS Panzer Division was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV, Mark V Panthers and Assault Guns.[57]
- The 10th SS Panzer Division was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV and Assault Guns.[58]
- The 2nd Panzer Division was equipped with Mark V Panthers.[52]
- Citations
- Wilmot, p. 732
- Clark, pp. 34–5.
- Saunders, Appendix A.
- Jackson, p. 30
- Brayley, p. 21
- Joslen, pp. 27–8.
- Fortin, pp. 14 and 92
- Fortin, p. 103
- Joslen, pp. 153–5.
- Clark, p. 36
- Fortin, pp. 44
- Paterson, "Artillery Regiments That Served With The 7th Armoured Division"
- Fire and Fury, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division at Hill 112, 10 July 1944, p. 9
- Joslen, p. 180.
- Dunphie, p. 39
- Fortin, p. 15
- Joslen, p. 347.
- Doherty, Appendix.
- Joslen, pp. 58–9.
- Martin, Appendix C.
- Kemsley, Chapter 5
- Joslen, p.289.
- Reid, p. 107
- Joslen, p. 291.
- Neal.
- Joslen, p. 390.
- Joslen, p. 204.
- Fortin, p. 64
- Essame, Appendix A.
- Joslen, pp. 69–70.
- Joslen, p 314.
- Joslen, p. 315.
- Joslen, p. 377.
- Fortin, p. 37
- Jackson, p. 40
- Rosse & Hill, pp. 33–4.
- Reynolds, p. 23
- Clark, p. 73
- Clark, p. 63
- Clark, p. 97
- Reynolds, p. 32
- Clark, p. 27
- Clark, p. 28
- Forty, p. 61
- Zetterling, p. 120
- Zetterling, p. 133
- Clark, p. 25
- Clark, p. 61
- Clark, p. 80
- Clark, p. 24
- Ford, p. 14
- Clark, p. 64
- Forty, p. 30
- Clark, p. 26
- Meyer, p. 409
- Reynolds, p. 21
- Clark, pp. 108–109
- Clark, pp. 176 and 179
References
- Clark, Lloyd (2004). Operation Epsom. Battle Zone Normandy. The History Press Ltd. ISBN 0-7509-3008-X.
- Richard Doherty, Hobart's 79th Armoured Division at War: Invention, Innovation and Inspiration, Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2011, ISBN 978-1-84884-398-1.
- Dunphie, Christopher (2005). The Pendulum of Battle: Operation Goodwood - July 1944. Battle. Leo Cooper Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84415-278-0.
- Maj-Gen H. Essame, The 43rd Wessex Division at War 1944–45, London: William Clowes, 1952.
- fireandfury.com. "43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division at Hill 112, 10th July 1944" (PDF).
- Ford, Ken (2004). Caen 1944: Montgomery's Breakout Attempt. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-625-9.
- Fortin, Ludovic (2004). British Tanks In Normandy. Histoire & Collections. ISBN 2-915239-33-9.
- Forty, George (2004). Villers Bocage. Battle Zone Normandy. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-3012-8.
- Jackson, G.S.; Staff, 8 Corps (2006) [1945]. 8 Corps: Normandy to the Baltic. MLRS Books. ISBN 978-1-905696-25-3.
- Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-843424-74-6.
- Lt-Gen H.G. Martin, The History of the Fifteenth Scottish Division 1939–1945, Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1948/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2014, ISBN 978-1-78331-085-2.
- Kemsley, Captain W.; Riesco, Captain M. "The Scottish Lion on Patrol: Being the story of the 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment 1943-1946".
- Capt the Earl of Rosse & Col E.R. Hill, The Story of the Guards Armoured Division, London: Geoffrey Bles, 1956/Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2017, ISBN 978-1-52670-043-8.
- Tim Saunders, Battleground Europe: Operation Epsom: Normandy, June 1944, Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2003, ISBN 0-85052-954-9.
- Meyer, Hubert (2005). 12th SS: The History of the Hitler Youth Panzer Division Volume I. Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-3198-7.
- Don Neal, Guns and Bugles: The Story of the 6th Bn KSLI – 181st Field Regiment RA 1940–1946, Studley: Brewin, 2001, ISBN 1-85858-192-3.
- Paterson, Ian A. "History of the British 7th Armoured Division: Artillery Regiments That Served With The 7th Armoured Division". Archived from the original on 14 August 2007.
- Reid, Brian (2005). No Holding Back. Robin Brass Studio. ISBN 1-896941-40-0.
- Reynolds, Michael (2002). Sons of the Reich: The History of II SS Panzer Corps in Normandy, Arnhem, the Ardennes and on the Eastern Front. Casemate Publishers and Book Distributors. ISBN 0-9711709-3-2.
- Wilmot, Chester; Christopher Daniel McDevitt (1997) [1952]. The Struggle For Europe. Wordsworth Editions Ltd. ISBN 1-85326-677-9.
- Zetterling, Niklas (2000). Normandy 1944, German Military Organization, Combat Power and Organizational Effectiveness. J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing, Inc. ISBN 0-921991-56-8.
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