Operation Epsom order of battle

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]

Army Troops

• Projector Brigade 7 ^{[nb 1]}
• Projector Brigade 8 ^{[40] [nb 2]}

I SS Panzer Corps

SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich ^[42]

• Corps Troops
  • Heavy SS Panzer Battalion 101 ^[43] - SS-Obersturmbannführer Heinz von Westerhagen ^{[44] [nb 3]}
  • SS-Artillery Battalion 101 ^[45]
  • Artillery Battalion 992 ^[46]
• 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]
    • SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 3 (elements) ^[49]
    • SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 4 (elements) ^[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]}
  • Battlegroup Weidinger ^[39]
  • 1st Battalion, 4th SS Panzer-Grenadier Regiment "Der Führer" ^[55]
  • 14th, 15th and 16th (Support) Companies, 4th SS Panzer-Grenadier Regiment "Der Führer" ^[55]
  • 1st Battalion, 3rd SS Panzer-Grenadier Regiment "Deutschland" ^[55]

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]}
  • SS-Panzer Regiment 9 ^[42]
  • SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 19 ^[42]
  • SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 20 ^[42]
  • SS-Panzer Artillery Regiment 9 ^[42]
  • SS-Reconnaissance Battalion 9 ^[42]
  • SS-Anti-Tank Battalion 9 ^[42]
  • SS-Anti-Aircraft Battalion 9 ^[42]
  • SS-Panzer Pioneer Battalion 9 ^[42]
• 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg - SS-Oberführer Heinz Harmel ^{[42] [nb 10]}
  • SS-Panzer Regiment 10 ^[42]
  • SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 21 ^[42]
  • SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 22 ^[42]
  • SS-Panzer Artillery Regiment 10 ^[42]
  • SS-Reconnaissance Battalion 10 ^[42]
  • SS-Anti-Aircraft Battalion 10 ^[42]
  • SS-Panzer Pioneer Battalion 10 ^[42]

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

• List of orders of battle

Notes

Footnotes

1. Projector Brigade 7 was equipped with Nebelwerfers. ^[39]
2. Projector Brigade 7 was equipped with Nebelwerfers. ^[41]
3. Heavy SS Panzer Battalion 101 was equipped with Tiger Is. ^[43]
4. SS-Panzer Regiment 12 was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV and Mark V Panthers. ^[47]
5. The vanguard of the LSSAH, Kampfgruppe Frey, arrived at the front on 27 June ^[48] and was attached to the 12th SS Panzer. ^[38]
6. 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]
7. The Panzer-Lehr-Division was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV and Mark V Panthers. ^[54]
8. 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]
9. The 9th SS Panzer Division was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV, Mark V Panthers and Assault Guns. ^[57]
10. The 10th SS Panzer Division was equipped with a mixture of Panzer Mark IV and Assault Guns. ^[58]
11. The 2nd Panzer Division was equipped with Mark V Panthers. ^[52]

Citations

1. Wilmot, p. 732
2. Clark, pp. 34–5.
3. Saunders, Appendix A.
4. Jackson, p. 30
5. Brayley, p. 21
6. Joslen, pp. 27–8.
7. Fortin, pp. 14 and 92
8. Fortin, p. 103
9. Joslen, pp. 153–5.
10. Clark, p. 36
11. Fortin, pp. 44
12. Paterson, "Artillery Regiments That Served With The 7th Armoured Division"
13. Fire and Fury, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division at Hill 112, 10 July 1944, p. 9
14. Joslen, p. 180.
15. Dunphie, p. 39
16. Fortin, p. 15
17. Joslen, p. 347.
18. Doherty, Appendix.
19. Joslen, pp. 58–9.
20. Martin, Appendix C.
21. Kemsley, Chapter 5
22. Joslen, p.289.
23. Reid, p. 107
24. Joslen, p. 291.
25. Neal.
26. Joslen, p. 390.
27. Joslen, p. 204.
28. Fortin, p. 64
29. Essame, Appendix A.
30. Joslen, pp. 69–70.
31. Joslen, p 314.
32. Joslen, p. 315.
33. Joslen, p. 377.
34. Fortin, p. 37
35. Jackson, p. 40
36. Rosse & Hill, pp. 33–4.
37. Reynolds, p. 23
38. Clark, p. 73
39. Clark, p. 63
40. Clark, p. 97
41. Reynolds, p. 32
42. Clark, p. 27
43. Clark, p. 28
44. Forty, p. 61
45. Zetterling, p. 120
46. Zetterling, p. 133
47. Clark, p. 25
48. Clark, p. 61
49. Clark, p. 80
50. Clark, p. 24
51. Ford, p. 14
52. Clark, p. 64
53. Forty, p. 30
54. Clark, p. 26
55. Meyer, p. 409
56. Reynolds, p. 21
57. Clark, pp. 108–109
58. 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. 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". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
• 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.