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[1]
| VIII Corps[2] Lieutenant-General Sir Richard O'Connor[2] | |
|---|---|
| Corps Troops[2] | |
| 91st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 121st Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 21st Army Group Troops (attached to VIII Corps for Epsom)[2] | |
| 8th Army Group Royal Artillery[2] | 16 BL 5.5 inch Medium Guns, 16 BL 7.2 inch Howitzer Mk.Is 24 heavy anti aircraft guns.[3][4] |
| 11th Armoured Division[2] Major-General George Roberts[2] |
|
| 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry[nb 1] | Cromwell[5] and M5 Stuart tanks[6] |
| 77th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | Medium artillery |
| 75th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 58th Light [lAnti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (elements)[2] | |
| Counter-Mortar Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 13th, 612th, 147th Field Park Squadrons, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 10th Bridging Troop and Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 4th Armoured Brigade[nb 2] Brigadier J.C. Currie[7] |
|
| The Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons)[7] | Sherman II, Sherman Vc "Firefly"[8] and M5 Stuart[6] tanks |
| 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)[7] | Sherman II, Sherman Vc[8] and M5 Stuarts[6] |
| 44th Royal Tank Regiment | Sherman II, Sherman Vc[8] and M5 Stuarts[6] |
| 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps[7] | |
| 4th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery[7] | Sexton self-propelled 25 pounder guns[9] |
| 144th Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery[7] | M10C Achilles self-propelled anti-tank guns[7][10] |
| 29th Armoured Brigade[2] Brigadier C.B.C. Harvey[2] |
|
| 23rd Hussars[2] | Sherman V, Sherman Vc[5] and M5 Stuarts[6] |
| 3rd Royal Tank Regiment[2] | Sherman V, Sherman Vc[5] and M5 Stuarts[6] |
| 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry[2] | Sherman V, Sherman Vc[5] and M5 Stuarts[6] |
| 8th Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)[2] | |
| 13th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (Honourable Artillery Company)[2] | Sexton self-propelled 25 pounder guns[11] |
| 119th Battery, 75th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | M10 and M10C SP Anti-Tank Guns[12] |
| 159th Infantry Brigade[2] Brigadier J.G. Sandie[2] |
|
| 4th Battalion, The King's Shropshire Light Infantry[2] | |
| 1st Battalion, The Herefordshire Regiment[2] | |
| 3rd Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment[2] | |
| 2nd (Independent) Machine-Gun Company, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers[2] | |
| 151st (Ayrshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[11] |
| 117th Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 81st Squadron, 6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division[2] Major-General G.H. MacMillan[2] | |
| Divisional Troops[2] | |
| 15th Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps[2] | Humber Light Reconnaissance Car Humber armoured car[13] |
| HQ and 346th Battery, 97th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| HQ 119th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| HQ 15th Division Engineers Regiment[2] | |
| 624th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 26th Bridging Platoon, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 44th (Lowland) Infantry Brigade[2] Brigadier H.D.K. Money[2] |
|
| 6th Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers[2] | |
| 6th Battalion, The Royal Scots Fusiliers[2] | |
| 8th Battalion, Royal Scots[2] | |
| 141st (The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)) Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps[nb 3] | |
| A Company, 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun)[2] | |
| 190th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[14] |
| 159th Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 81st Squadron, 6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 279th Field Company, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 46th (Highland) Infantry Brigade[2] Brigadier C.M. Barber[2] |
|
| 2nd Battalion, The Glasgow Highlanders[2] | |
| 7th Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders[2] | |
| 9th Battalion, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)[2] | |
| A Squadron, 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry[nb 4] | Cromwell tanks[5] |
| 141st (The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)) Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps[nb 5] | Churchill Crocodile[2] |
| B Company, 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun)[2] | |
| 181st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery[2][15] | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[15] |
| 161st Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 81st Squadron, 6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 279th Field Company, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 227th (Highland) Infantry Brigade[2] Brigadier J.R. Mackintosh-Walker[2] |
|
| 2nd Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders[2] | |
| 2nd Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders[2] | |
| 10th Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment)[2] | |
| C Company, 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun)[2] | |
| 131st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[14] |
| 286th Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 391st Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 20th Field Company, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 31st Independent Tank Brigade[nb 6] Brigadier G.S. Knight[7] |
|
| 7th Royal Tank Regiment[7] | Churchill tanks[7] |
| 9th Royal Tank Regiment[7] | Churchill tanks[7] |
| C Squadron, 2nd County of London Yeomanry (Westminster Dragoons)[7][nb 7] | Flail tanks, Churchill AVREs and Churchill Crocodiles.[16] |
| B Squadron, 22nd Dragoons[7][nb 8] | Flail tanks, Churchill AVREs and Churchill Crocodiles.[16] |
| 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division[2] Major-General Ivor Thomas[2] | |
| Divisional Troops[2] | |
| 43rd (Gloucestershire) Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps[2] | Armoured cars |
| HQ 8th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun)[2] | |
| HQ and 236th Battery, 59th (Hampshire) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| HQ, 360th and 362nd Batteries, 110th (7th Dorset) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| HQ 43rd Division Engineers Regiment[2] | |
| 20th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 129th Infantry Brigade[2] Brigadier G.H.L. Luce[2] |
|
| 4th Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry[2] | |
| 4th Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment[2] | |
| 5th Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment[2] | |
| A Company, 8th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun)[2] | |
| 94th (Dorset and Hampshire) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[14] |
| 235th Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 360th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 20th Independent Anti-Aircraft Troop[2] | |
| 206th Field Company, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 130th Infantry Brigade[2] Brigadier N.D. Leslie[2] |
|
| 4th Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment[2] | |
| 5th Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment[2] | |
| 7th Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment[2] | |
| B Company, 8th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun)[2] | |
| 112th (Wessex) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[14] |
| 223rd Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 362nd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 32nd Independent AA Troop, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 553rd Field Company, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 214th Infantry Brigade[2] Brigadier H. Essame[2] |
|
| 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment[2] | |
| 5th Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry[2] | |
| 7th Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry[2] | |
| C Company, 8th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun)[2] | |
| 179th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery[2] | Towed 25-pounder field guns[14] |
| 333rd Anti-Tank Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 361st Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 31st Independent Anti-Aircraft Troop, Royal Artillery[2] | |
| 20th Field Company, Royal Engineers[2] | |
| 32nd (Guards) Infantry Brigade[nb 9] Brigadier G.F. Johnson | |
| 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards[18] | |
| 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards[18] | |
| 5th Battalion, Coldstream Guards[18] | |
German Order of Battle
Seventh Army / Panzer Group West
General Friedrich Dollmann (until 1700 hours 28 June)[19]
General der Panzertruppe (General of Armoured Troops) Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg (from 1700 hours 28 June)[20]
I SS Panzer Corps
SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich[24]
- Corps Troops
- 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend - SS-Standartenführer Kurt Meyer[24]
- SS-Panzer Regiment 12[24][nb 13]
- SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 25[24]
- SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 26[24]
- SS-Panzer Artillery Regiment 12[24]
- SS-Reconnaissance Battalion 12[24]
- SS-Anti-Tank Battalion 12[24]
- SS-Projector Battalion 12[24]
- SS-Anti-Aircraft Battalion 12[24]
- SS-Panzer Pioneer Battalion 12[24]
- 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler[nb 14] - SS-Obersturmbannführer Albert Frey[20]
- battlegroup Frey[31]
- 21st Panzer Division[32] - Generalmajor Edgar Feuchtinger[33]
- One battlegroup[nb 15]
- Panzer-Lehr-Division (elements)[32] - Generalleutnant Fritz Bayerlein[35][nb 16]
- 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich[21] - SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Weidinger[nb 17]
II SS Panzer Corps
SS-Obergruppenführer Paul Hausser (until morning of 29 June)[19]
SS-Obergruppenführer Willi Bittrich (from morning of 29 June)[24]
- 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen - SS-Standartenführer Thomas Müller[nb 18]
- 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg - SS-Oberführer Heinz Harmel[24][nb 19]
III Anti-Aircraft Corps
[25] General der Flakartillerie Wolfgang Pickert[33]
- 4th Anti-Aircraft Regiment (88mm Anti-Aircraft and other guns)[25]
XLVII Panzer Corps
- 2nd Panzer Division (elements)[21][nb 20]
- One battlegroup based around a tank battalion[21]
See also
Notes
- Footnotes
- The 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry was the 11th Armoured Division's reconnaissance regiment.[5] 'A' squadron was detached for Operation Epsom.[2]
- The 4th Armoured Brigade was attached to the 11th Armoured Division for Operation Epsom.[7]
- Elements of The Buffs were attached to the brigade from the 79th Armoured Division.[2]
- The Squadron was attached to the brigade from the 11th Armoured Division.[5]
- Two troops were attached to the brigade from the 79th Armoured Division.[2]
- The 31st Tank Brigade was attached to the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division for Operation Epsom.[7]
- C Squadron, 2nd County of London Yeomanry was attached from the 79th Armoured Division/[16]
- B Squadron, 22nd Dragoons was attached from the 79th Armoured Division.[16]
- The 32nd (Guards) Infantry Brigade, the first major formation from the Guards Armoured Division to land in Normandy, was attached to the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division on 28 June for the remainder of Operation Epsom.[17]
- Projector Brigade 7 was equipped with Nebelwerfers.[21]
- Projector Brigade 7 was equipped with Nebelwerfers.[23]
- Heavy SS Panzer Battalion 101 was equipped with Tiger Is.[25]
- SS-Panzer Regiment 12 was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV and Mark V Panthers.[29]
- The vanguard of the LSSAH, Kampfgruppe Frey, arrived at the front on 27 June[30] and was attached to the 12th SS Panzer.[20]
- One battlegroup of the 21st Panzer Division, based around a tank battalion.[21] The battalion was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV's and Assault Guns.[34]
- The Panzer-Lehr-Division was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV and Mark V Panthers.[36]
- Battlegroup Weidinger arrived at the front on 27 June and was attached to the Panzer-Lehr-Division.[37] On 29 June the battlegroup was transferred to II SS Corps.[38]
- The 9th SS Panzer Division was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV, Mark V Panthers and Assault Guns.[39]
- The 10th SS Panzer Division was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV and Assault Guns.[40]
- The 2nd Panzer Division was equipped with Mark V Panthers.[34]
- Citations
- Wilmot, p. 732
- Clark, pp. 34 – 35
- Jackson, p. 30
- Brayley, p. 21
- Fortin, pp. 14 and 92
- Fortin, p. 103
- 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
- Dunphie, p. 39
- Fortin, p. 15
- Kemsley, Chapter 5
- Reid, p. 107
- Neal.
- Fortin, p. 64
- Jackson, p. 40
- Fortin, p. 37
- 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.
- Dunphie, Christopher (2005). The Pendulum of Battle: Operation Goodwood - July 1944. Battle. Leo Cooper Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84415-278-0.
- 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.
- Kemsley, Captain W.; Riesco, Captain M. "The Scottish Lion on Patrol: Being the story of the 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment 1943-1946".
- 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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