178th Assault Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

Last updated
178th Assault Field Regiment, RA
Koning Soldaat., item 60.jpg
Royal Artillery cap badge
Active29 January 1942– 30 November 1946
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Branch Flag of the British Army.svg British Army
Role Field artillery
SizeRegiment
Part of 49th (West Riding) Division
36th Division
23rd Indian Division
Engagements Second Arakan Offensive
Battle of Mandalay
Operation Zipper
Occupation of Java

178th Assault Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, was a British Army unit during World War II. Formed as a conventional field artillery regiment in 1942, it was sent to Burma where it was given a range of specialist roles, ranging from operating tracked self-propelled guns to manning light howitzers parachuted into jungle clearings. After the Japanese surrender, it saw action in the Allied Occupation of Java before disbanding in late 1946.

Contents

Organisation

178th Field Regiment was formed in the Royal Artillery (RA) on 29 January 1942 in the West Country [lower-alpha 1] with the following organisation: [1]

On 15 May 1942 the new regiment was assigned to 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division, which was being re-assembled in Western Command after a period of service in Iceland. However, on 28 December the regiment left the division and (together with its Signal Section of the Royal Corps of Signals and Light Aid Detachment of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) came under direct control of the War Office preparatory to embarking for service overseas in March 1943. [5] [6] [7]

Burma

Priest SP gun in Burma. Priest SPH in Burma, 7 March 1945 (SE 3361).jpg
Priest SP gun in Burma.

178th Field Rgt arrived at Bombay in India on 10 June 1943 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel K.M. Wright, and went to Bangalore where it joined XXXIII Indian Corps. On 17 July it moved to Poona and came under the command of 36th Indian Division. On 1 August it was redesignated 178th Assault Field Regiment, 122 Bty being given eight Priest 105 mm self-propelled (SP) guns and 366 Bty getting eight 3.7-inch mountain howitzers, while 516 retained the standard towed 25-pounder field gun. 'Assault Field Regiments' were equipped and trained for assault landings from the sea, but most of the planned amphibious operations in Burma were cancelled because of a lack of landing craft, even for training, before 1945. 366 Battery was sometimes referred to as 366 Light Battery because of its small guns: the 3.7-inch howitzer was also chosen for the new 'Jungle Field Regiments' because of its accuracy at close range and for its high angle fire. [1] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

Arakan

36th Indian Division was in reserve for the Second Arakan Offensive launched in January 1944. The Japanese counter-attacked fiercely in the 'Battle of the Admin Box', and the division was hurried up to the area. 178th Assault Fd Rgt moved into the Arakan on 10 February, but 122 Bty's Priests were replaced by towed 25-pounders. By early March the division was deployed south of Ngakyedauk ('Okeydoke') Pass and pushed eastwards to clear the railway tunnels as the besieged 'Admin Box' of 7th Indian Infantry Division was relieved. The regiment was attached to 25th Indian Division on 9 April for the attack on Point 551 which involved days of bitter fighting that effectively ended the Arakan campaign before the arrival of the Monsoon. [8] [9] [11] [13] [14] [15]

36th Indian Division was withdrawn from Arakan in May 1944 and made available to reinforce the Allied campaign in northern Burma. 178th Assault Fd Rgt rejoined it for the move to Shillong, which began on 12 May and was completed by 7 June. All the division's amphibious assault equipment was returned to the amphibious warfare training school and the division reorganised as a standard infantry division. [8] [11] [16] [17]

Railway Corridor

3.7-inch Howitzer in action in Burma. 3.7inchHowitzerInActionMawlu3November1944.jpg
3.7-inch Howitzer in action in Burma.

36th Indian Division was now assigned to reinforce US Gen Joseph Stilwell's Northern Combat Area Command (NCAC). In July it moved to Ledo, where the infantry units began to be airlifted into Myitkyina airfield to replace the exhausted Chindits. At first no guns or transport could be sent, the divisional artillery remaining at Shillong. However, 178th Assault Fd Rgt, with 321 Anti-Tank Bty attached from 122nd (Royal Warwickshire Regiment) Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Rgt, and 494 Field Bty attached from 130th (Lowland) Assault Field Rgt, moved up to Ledo ready to move into the forward area. On 18 August, while 36th Division was advancing on the Japanese stronghold of Pinbaw, it was augmented by six of 366 Lt Bty's mountain howitzers, which were successfully dropped by parachute close to the tactical HQ of 29th Brigade. Pinbaw was captured on 25 August, although most of the supporting bombardment came from aircraft of US Tenth Air Force. 36th Division then began pushing along 'Railway Corridor', entirely supplied by air until the railway and roads could be repaired. [11] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

On 1 September 1944, 36th Indian Division was redesignated as a British division, the majority of the Indian Army units having been transferred. [11] [14] [18] [24] The gunners of the rest of 178th Assault Fd Rgt were flown into Burma to join the division on 15 October (321 A/T Bty having returned unused to Shillong in September). [11] [20] When NCAC began its post-Monsoon offensive on 16 October 1944, 36th Division was the only formation in contact with the enemy, and was the first to run into heavy opposition on 25 October, at a Japanese defensive position that blocked all roads. This was broken through on 29 October and Mawlu occupied on 31 October, but then the Japanese began to raid the division's precarious supply route and the advance halted until the following Chinese division broke through to Mawlu. Resuming its advance along the railway corridor, 36th Division captured Pinwe on 30 November, and occupied Indaw, Naba and Katha, reaching the Irrawaddy and Shweli Rivers without opposition during December. It continued to push along the river valleys in January 1945, meeting occasional rearguards, until it found the river crossing on the Shweli bend at Myitson to be strongly held. [25] [26]

Meiktila and Mandalay

A 25-pounder of 36th Division in action in Burma, 1944. The British Army in Burma 1944 SE275.jpg
A 25-pounder of 36th Division in action in Burma, 1944.

36th Division was now the only part of NCAC in action, on the left flank of Fourteenth Army, which was closing in on Meiktila and Mandalay in Central Burma. While the British Division forced a bridgehead at Myitson and then advanced south (supplied by air) to link up with Fourteenth Army, NCAC was broken up and its Chinese elements returned to China. By the end of March, Fourteenth Army had won the Battle of Mandalay and was preparing to advance on Rangoon. [18] [27]

While Fourteenth Army fought the Battle of the Rangoon Road, 36th Division cleared the area east of Meiktila, supplied by road from the Mandalay airhead and by supply drops to the forward troops by US Tenth Air Force. However, the difficulty of supplying and reinforcing British formations in Central Burma meant that 36th Division was selected to be flown out before the onset of the Monsoon and the withdrawal of US aircraft to China. On 5 May 1945 178th Assault Fd Rgt was flown to Imphal, and then moved to the rest areas round Poona, arriving on 15 May. [8] [11] [18] [28]

Operation Zipper

While 36th Division remained in India for the rest of the war, 178th Assault Fd Rgt left on 5 July 1945 and moved to Nazik, where it joined 23rd Indian Division two days later. This division was preparing for Operation Zipper, an amphibious invasion of Malaya to be launched from India. The division was intended to sail from Bombay and Madras to make an assault landing on beaches near Port Dickson and then capture that harbour. The operation was planned for 9–12 September 1945, but following the Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the Japanese surrender was signed on 2 September. Nevertheless, Zipper went ahead, without the preliminary bombardment, and greeted by a Japanese envoy to arrange the surrender of Japanese forces in Malaya and takeover by British and Indian forces. The landing beaches proved troublesome, and vehicles could not be unloaded until 12 September. 23rd Division took over the Seremban–Cape Rachado–Port Dickson area, sending out columns to disarm Japanese troops and put down banditry and inter-communal fighting that had broken out. [8] [11] [18] [29] [30]

Occupation of Java

23rd Division's stay in Malaya was brief because it was required in Java in the Netherlands East Indies. The British and Indian troops were only expected to take the Japanese surrenders and coordinate the repatriation of Prisoners of War. However, an independent state had been declared and there was a state of civil war between the nationalists and the Dutch colonial forces. An Allied Occupation became necessary. The first British battalion to land at Batavia had to deal with looting, arson and riots. On 3 October it was joined by 1st Indian Brigade Group, including 178th Assault Fd Rgt. The gunners took over guarding internment camps, the airfield and the dock area. The brigade was soon fully occupied in trying to maintain order in the face of looting and murders, and reinforcements had to be sent. British and Indian troops were engaged in serious actions across the island and suffered considerable casualties, while the released prisoners, internees and refugees were collected at Batavia where they could be protected. By early 1946 the situation was quieter and evacuation of Japanese troops and displaced persons continued, but armed clashes still occurred. The whole of 23rd Division was moved to the Bandoeng–Buitenzorg area in February to deal with a reported build-up of extremists in the area. Because of raids on the roads, convoy protection required tanks and 25-pounders fighting pitched battles, and the division and the internees had to be supplied by air. The Royal Netherlands Army arrived in March to take over responsibility, but 23rd Division was retained in west Java until the autumn while evacuation of internees continued. [8] [31] [32]

178th Assault Fd Rgt was joined on 1 June 1946 by 395 Bty from 145th (Berkshire Yeomanry) Fd Rgt which was being placed in suspended animation. 395 Battery in turn disbanded on 14 September. [1] [33] 23rd Division began to withdraw from Java in stages in the autumn. Regimental HQ of 178th Assault Fd Rgt disbanded at Batavia on 30 November 1946 and the two TA batteries (366 and 514) were placed in suspended animation pending the reform of their parent regiments in the UK in 1947. [1] [8] [34]

Footnotes

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Frederick, p. 539.
  2. ↑ Frederick, p. 506.
  3. ↑ Frederick, p. 532.
  4. ↑ Frederick, p. 530.
  5. ↑ Joslen, pp. 79–80.
  6. ↑ Order of Battle of the Field Force in the United Kingdom, Part 3: Royal Artillery (Non-Divisional Units), 22 November 1942, with amendments, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, files WO 212/8 and WO 33/1962.
  7. ↑ Order of Battle of the Field Force in the United Kingdom, Part 3: Royal Artillery (Non-Divisional Units), 18 February 1943, TNA files WO 212/9 and WO 33/1987.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Farndale, Annex K, p. 363.
  9. 1 2 Farndale, Annex O, p. 381.
  10. ↑ Farndale, p. 173.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Joslen, p. 510.
  12. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol III, pp. 2–3, 10–11, 14, 27, 61, 66–7, 254, Appendix 3.
  13. ↑ Farndale, pp. 165, 182.
  14. 1 2 Farndale, pp. 226–7.
  15. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol III, pp. 127, 139, 155–9, 266–74.
  16. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol III, pp. 251–2, 274, 355.
  17. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol IV, p. 25.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Joslen, pp. 63–4.
  19. ↑ Farndale, pp. 222–3, 229.
  20. 1 2 Jeff, p. 51.
  21. ↑ JOslen, p. 507.
  22. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol III, pp. 355–6, 404–5, 413.
  23. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol IV, pp. 23, 40–1.
  24. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol IV, p. 143.
  25. ↑ Farndale, pp. 243, 253.
  26. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol IV, pp. 143–5, 192–6, 275.
  27. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol IV, pp. 275–8, 302, 315–8, 326, Sketches 10, 11, 14.
  28. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol IV, pp. 325–6, 338, 383, 388.
  29. ↑ Farndale, pp. 307–8.
  30. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol V, pp. 64–5, 68, 267–71, 274; Appendices 4 & 7.
  31. ↑ Farndale, pp. 314–9.
  32. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol V, pp. 274, 314–49.
  33. ↑ Frederick, p. 533.
  34. ↑ Woodburn Kirby, Vol V, p. 350.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">135th (East Anglian) (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

135th Field Regiment was a Royal Artillery (RA) unit being formed in Britain's part-time Territorial Army (TA) on the outbreak of World War II. Spun off from an existing unit, it took over two batteries from Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire and was later granted the double subtitle '(East Anglian) '. As part of the 18th Infantry Division the regiment remained in the United Kingdom until 1941 when it was sent to India. The division was deployed to Fortress Singapore where it was captured by the Japanese. Some of the prisoners were murdered in cold blood, many of the others died working on the Burma Railway. The regiment was never reformed.

The Birmingham Rifles was a volunteer unit of the British Army founded in Birmingham in 1859. As the 5th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, it served as infantry on the Western Front and in Italy during World War I. Its successor units served in air defence during the early part of World War II, and later as anti-tank gunners in the Burma Campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">59th (Warwickshire) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

The 59th (Warwickshire) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of the Territorial Army (TA), part of the British Army, and was raised in Birmingham in 1938 just before the Second World War. It later served as a light anti-aircraft gun unit and continued in the postwar TA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">56th (King's Own) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

The 56th Anti-Tank Regiment was a Territorial Army unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery (RA), which converted from the 4th Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster). During the Second World War, it first served with the 42nd Division in the Battle of France and Dunkirk evacuation in May–June 1940. In 1942, it was sent to join the 70th Infantry Division in India, where it was converted into a Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Regiment. In this guise, it served in the Burma Campaign, mainly with the 5th Indian Infantry Division. It reconverted to the anti-tank role in late 1944 and in June 1945 it returned to India as a training unit. It continued serving in the TA postwar until 1961, when it re-merged into the King's Own.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Lincolnshire Artillery Volunteers</span> Military unit

The 1st Lincolnshire Artillery Volunteers were formed in 1860 as a response to a French invasion threat. They fought on the Western Front during World War I. In World War II, the unit took part in the Battle of France and Dunkirk evacuation, the Anglo-Iraqi War with 'Kingcol', the Western Desert Campaign in which it distinguished itself at the Battle of Sidi Rezegh, and finally fought as infantry in the Chindits. The unit was disbanded in 1947.

The 2nd Kent Artillery Volunteers, later 4th London Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, popularly known as the Lewisham Gunners, was a volunteer unit of the British Army from 1860 until 1967. Initially raised in suburban West Kent, its recruiting area was later incorporated within the County of London. It provided two active service units in each of the World Wars, operating as far afield as Sicily, Burma and Madagascar, and later provided an airborne unit in the Territorial Army of the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Devonshire Artillery Volunteers</span> Military unit

The 1st Devonshire Artillery Volunteers and its successor units served in the British Army's Reserve Forces from 1859 to 1961. During World War I it carried out garrison duty in British India but went on to see active service in the Third Anglo-Afghan War. Converting to an air defence role before World War II its units participated in the Norwegian campaign and the Dunkirk evacuation, the Battle of Britain and then the campaigns in North Africa, Italy, and Burma

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Midlothian Artillery Volunteers</span> Military unit

The 1st Midlothian Artillery Volunteer Corps was formed in 1859 as a response to a French invasion threat. Originally it served as garrison and heavy artillery but transferred to the Territorial Force (TF) in 1908 as field artillery, in which role it served through both World Wars. In the First World War, it fought on the Western Front with 51st (Highland) Division. In the Second World War, it briefly saw service in France after the Dunkirk evacuation and later served with the Eighth Army in North Africa and Italy. Its wartime duplicate regiment served with distinction in the Burma campaign. Postwar, the regiment continued in existence until amalgamation in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers</span> Military unit

The 2nd Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery from 1890 to 1955. Raised as coastal defence artillery, it later served as field artillery in Mesopotamia during the First World War and in the Battle of France and Second Battle of El Alamein during the Second World War. Its successor units later operated as medium artillery in North West Europe, and as jungle artillery in Burma. Postwar, it became an anti-aircraft unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">101st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> WW2 British Territorial Army unit

The 101st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army raised in northern Scotland just before World War II. After defending the naval base of Scapa Flow against air attack in the early part of the war, the regiment went to India and later took part in the Burma Campaign in the anti-aircraft role and with heavy howitzers in support of ground forces, even on occasion fighting as infantry. It was reformed in the post-war TA and continued until the abolition of Anti-Aircraft Command in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Ayrshire and Galloway Artillery Volunteers</span> Military unit

The 1st Ayrshire and Galloway Artillery Volunteer Corps was formed in 1859 as a response to a French invasion threat. It transferred to the Territorial Force (TF) in 1908 and its successor units fought with the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division in Palestine during World War I, and in North West Europe and Burma during World War II. It continued in the Territorial Army (TA) until amalgamation in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Midland (Warwickshire) Royal Garrison Artillery</span> Military unit

The South Midland (Warwickshire) Royal Garrison Artillery was a volunteer artillery unit of Britain's Territorial Force formed in 1908. It served in Home Defence and provided heavy artillery support to the armies on the Western Front and Italian Front in World War I. In the interwar years it became 204 (Warwickshire) Battery serving in various regiments and formations before being expanded into a full regiment. In World War II it served in the heavy anti-aircraft (HAA) role defending its home area of the West Midlands against German air attack, and then defended Calcutta against Japanese attacks. It continued in the postwar Territorial Army until 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">115th (North Midland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

The 115th Field Regiment was a part-time unit of Britain's Royal Artillery (RA), raised as part of the Territorial Army (TA) just before the outbreak of World War II. It served in the Battle of France and the Burma Campaign, and in the postwar TA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">130th (Lowland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

130th (Lowland) Field Regiment was a Royal Artillery (RA) unit of Britain's part-time Territorial Army (TA) created just before World War II. It was formed from part of 79th (Lowland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, itself descended from the 1st Ayrshire and Galloway Artillery Volunteers, first raised in Scotland in 1859. After serving in home defence the new regiment was sent to India where it participated in the First and Second Arakan Offensives, and then in the Burma campaign (1944–1945). It was reformed in the postwar TA and continued in various roles until 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

The 5th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery was a short-lived air defence unit of the British Army during World War II. Formed to defend Singapore in 1941, the regiment was captured less than a year later when the fortress surrendered to the Japanese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">51st (Westmorland and Cumberland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

The 51st Field Regiment, was a Royal Artillery unit of Britain's part-time Territorial Army (TA) formed after World War I from a Yeomanry Cavalry regiment recruited in Cumbria. One of its batteries served in the Norwegian campaign at the beginning of World War II. The regiment then sailed to the Middle East and took part in the Western Desert campaign, including the Siege of Tobruk and Operation Crusader. It was next transferred to Ceylon and later formed a Chindit column in the Burma Campaign. The regiment continued in the postwar TA until 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">52nd (Manchester) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

52nd (Manchester) Field Regiment was a Royal Artillery (RA) unit of Britain's part-time Territorial Army (TA) during World War II. It was descended from the Manchester Artillery, first formed in the City of Manchester in 1860. It served in the Battle of France, at the end of which its personnel were evacuated from Dunkirk. It was then sent to the Middle East where it joined 8th Indian Division and fought with this division in the Italian Campaign. It was reformed in the postwar TA, and its successor unit continues as a battery in the present day Army Reserve

<span class="mw-page-title-main">53rd (Bolton) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

53rd (Bolton) Field Regiment was a Royal Artillery (RA) unit of Britain's part-time Territorial Army (TA) during World War II. It was descended from the Bolton Artillery, first formed in the Lancashire town of Bolton in 1889. It served in the Battle of France, at the end of which its personnel were evacuated from Dunkirk. It was then sent to the Middle East where it joined 8th Indian Division and fought with this division in the Italian Campaign. It was reformed in the postwar TA, and its successor unit continues as a battery in the present day Army Reserve

<span class="mw-page-title-main">111th (Bolton) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

111th (Bolton) Field Regiment was a Royal Artillery (RA) unit of Britain's part-time Territorial Army (TA) formed just before World War II. It was descended from the Bolton Artillery, first formed in the Lancashire town of Bolton in 1889. After serving in home defence it was sent to the Middle East where it participated in the Second Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Mareth. It served in the Italian Campaign, and was then transferred to Yugoslavia, fighting alongside Tito's Partisans. The regiment was disbanded at the end of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">180th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery</span> Military unit

The 180th Field Regiment was a unit of the Royal Artillery, formed by the British Army during World War II. First raised in 1940 as infantry of the North Staffordshire Regiment, it was converted to the field artillery role in 1942, serving as a reserve unit in Home Defence. It was disbanded before the end of the war.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.