8th Army Group Royal Artillery

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8th Army Group Royal Artillery
Koning Soldaat., item 60.jpg
Royal Artillery cap badge
Active1 May 1943–20 November 1945
Country United Kingdom
BranchFlag of the British Army.svg British Army
RoleArtillery headquarters
Garrison/HQWoodbridge, Suffolk
EngagementsOperation Overlord
Operation Epsom
Operation Jupiter
Operation Spring
Operation Bluecoat
Operation Guildford
Operation Plunder

8th Army Group Royal Artillery (8 AGRA) was a brigade-sized formation organised by Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II to command medium and heavy guns. It served in the campaign in North West Europe, participating in the battles in the Orne valley and the bocage south of Caumont before the breakout from the Normandy beachhead, operations to close up to the Maas, and the assault crossing of the Rhine (Operation Plunder).

Background[]

The need for a higher organisational command structure for medium and heavy artillery became apparent during the Battle of France and the early part of the Western Desert Campaign. The Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA) concept was developed during Exercise 'Bumper' held in the UK in 1941, organised by the commander of Home Forces, General Alan Brooke (himself a Gunner) with Lt-Gen Bernard Montgomery as chief umpire.[1] This large anti-invasion exercise tested many of the tactical concepts that would be used by the British Army in the latter stages of the war. The gunnery tacticians developed the AGRAs as powerful artillery brigades, usually comprising three or four medium regiments and one heavy regiment, which could be rapidly moved about the battlefield, and had the punch to destroy enemy artillery with counter-battery (CB) fire. AGRAs were provided to field armies at a scale of about one per Army corps.[2][3] AGRAs were improvised until 26 November 1942, when they were officially sanctioned, to consist of a commander (CAGRA) and staff to control non-divisional artillery.[4]

Organisation[]

8 AGRA was formed on 1 May 1943 at Brandeston Hall, Woodbridge, Suffolk, from the Headquarters, RA, of 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division, which was being broken up.[5][6][7] It was assigned to 21st Army Group being formed for the planned invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord). At the time its organisation was as follows:[8]

Later, AGRAs often dropped their field regiment: 177th Field Rgt was disbanded on 14 March 1944.[9][10] 15th Medium Rgt transferred to 2 Canadian AGRA in May 1944.[11] By the time of the Normandy landings, medium regiments were equipped with the 5.5-inch gun (two 8-gun batteries), heavy regiments with 155 mm guns and 7.2-inch howitzers (one 8-gun battery of each).[3] In the field they were often supplemented by 3.7-inch heavy anti-aircraft (HAA) guns from the AA brigades who had few air targets.[3][12]

Service[]

A 5.5-inch gun firing in Normandy, 1944.

Operation Overlord[]

8 AGRA's units landed in Normandy after D Day in June 1944 and it fought through the subsequent campaign under the command of Brigadier Archibald Campbell of Achalader, DSO, OBE (previously Commander, RA, of 47th (London) Infantry Division) with the following organisation:[3][13][14][15]

  • 61st (C&DY) Med Rgt
  • 63rd (Midland) Med Rgt
  • 77th (DLOY) Med Rgt
  • 146th (Pembroke & Cardiganshire Yeomanry) Med Rgt
  • 53rd Hvy Rgt

Operation Epsom[]

8 AGRA supported VIII Corps in Operation Epsom (26–30 June), employing 16 heavy guns, 16 medium, and 24 HAA. When II SS Panzer Corps counter-attacked on 29 June, the attack of 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg was broken by the combined fire of 8 AGRA and the entire divisional artilleries of 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division and 11th Armoured Division. Next day the Germans could only make probing attacks, to which 8 AGRA responded with some 38,000 rounds of ammunition.[16][17][18]

Operation Jupiter[]

8 AGRA supported 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division of VIII Corps during the follow-up Operation Jupiter (the recapture of Hill 112 on 10 July). From positions around Cheux the AGRA fired heavy concentrations on all the known centres of enemy resistance, such as the farm of Les Duanes, first objective of 5th Battalion Dorset Regiment. 10th SS Panzer Division was shattered by the weight of artillery directed against it. When a company of 5th Bn Wiltshire Regiment got into difficulties later in the day, it was extricated with corps-level fire support including guns of the AGRAs.[19][20]

Operation Spring[]

II Canadian Corps launched an attack on 25 July (Operation Spring) aimed at pinning German forces and preventing them moving west to interfere with First US Army's Operation Cobra to break out of the Normandy beachhead. 8 AGRA was moved to Giberville, east of Caen, as one of three AGRAs[a] to support the attack against Verrières Ridge. Although it succeeded in attracting German attention, resulting in an armoured counter-attack, the operation failed to take its limited objectives beyond Verrières and was suspended at the end of the day.[21][22]

Operation Bluecoat[]

A 7.2-inch howitzer in France, September 1944.

Once 'Cobra' was under way, VIII Corps (including 8 AGRA) was sent from its positions east of the River Orne to make a supporting attack on its flank (Operation Bluecoat). This meant cutting across the lines of communication of the whole of Second British Army. Moves were mainly made by night and VIII Corps' formation signs were covered up, in order to disguise the movement. 8 AGRA moved 30 miles (48 km) from Giberville across the Orne to an area south of Bayeux during the night of 28/29 July, then a further 16 miles (26 km) to north of Caumont during 29 July. Only 15th (S) Division, already in place, was allowed to register its guns; incoming artillery remained silent until H Hour. 8 AGRA was allocated a flight of Air Observation Post (AOP) aircraft to direct its fire thereafter. Radio silence was maintained until 03.55 on D Day (30 July). There were fewer guns than normal for an attack by Second Army, and ammunition supply was limited because the 'tail' of the corps was still strung out east of the Orne when the battle began. 8 AGRA planned timed concentrations of fire for Phase I of the operation. 77th (DLOY) Med Rgt was in direct support of 11th Armoured Division and 61st (C&DY) Med Rgt of 15th (S) Division. 8 AGRA also had VIII Corps' light AA regiment, 121st (Leicestershire Regiment) LAA Rgt (less one battery) under its command. For Phase II, two medium regiments fired a barrage 300 yards (270 m) ahead of the field guns' creeping barrage, with one medium regiment doing the same for Phase III. Despite the rush with which the operation had been laid on, and tough fighting in some places (at one point the infantry were still 1,000 yards (910 m) of their Phase III start line, so the armour support had to advance alone to keep up with the barrage) 11th Armoured and 15th (S) Divisions achieved their objectives by the end of the day. Massed artillery fire helped to break up German counter-attacks over the next two days, during which 77th (DLOY) Med Rgt and the 155 mm battery of 53rd Hvy Rgt moved up beyond the recently captured village of La Morichesse les Mares and the heavy guns opened fire on Vire. Within days the German front was cracked wide open.[23][24][25][26][27]

Operation Guildford[]

Once the breakout from the beachhead was achieved, VIII Corps was 'grounded' at Vire to provide transport and fuel to 21st Army Group's pursuit force. It played a minor flanking role in Operation Market Garden (the Battle of Arnhem), after which it closed up to the River Maas in the autumn. This drive, beginning with Operation Constellation, entailed clearing the Venlo 'Pocket', which took from October to the beginning of December, due to a surprise German counter-attack at Meijel.[28][29][30][31]

By 3 December 15th (S) Division (temporarily under XII Corps) was ready to take the Germans' last bridgehead west of the Maas, at Blerick, opposite Venlo. Operation Guildford was a textbook operation, employing 21st Army Group's superior resources in airpower, engineering and artillery to overcome the formidable minefields, anti-tank ditches and fortifications with low casualties. 8 AGRA was among the three AGRAs[b] devoted to supporting this attack by a single infantry brigade (44th (Lowland) Bde). The operation was a complete success.[32][33][34]

Although held up by winter weather and the German Ardennes Offensive (the Battle of the Bulge), the Allies were ready to resume operations by February 1945. 21st Army Group began Operation Veritable to clear the Reichswald and the west bank of the Rhine on 8 February with the heaviest concentration of fire employed by the British so far in the war. Five of the nine available AGRAs and an AA brigade[c] were assigned to XXX Corps' for the initial bombardment; 8 AGRA was not among them, but by now 53rd Hvy Rgt had been reassigned from 8 AGRA to 9 AGRA and did participate.[35][36][37][38][39]

Operation Plunder[]

7.2-inch howitzers on converted 155 mm gun carriages supporting the Rhine crossing, March 1944.

At the conclusion of 'Veritable' on 11 March 21st Army Group was in position to attempt an assault crossing of the Rhine (Operation Plunder). 8 AGRA was assigned to support XII Corps for this operation. 15th (Scottish) Division was selected for the assault, 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division holding the riverbank while the preparations were made behind a massive smokescreen, including parking the guns as close to the river as possible. The division would cross with two brigades in Landing Vehicles, Tracked ('Buffaloes') and stormboats, each brigade supported by four medium regiments and two heavy or super-heavy regiments of the AGRAs, as well as the divisional field artillery and two HAA batteries. XXX Corps began crossing further downstream at 21.00 on 23 March, then at 23.30 the 700 guns supporting 15th (S) Division fired their opening salvo of the bombardment (described by the divisional historian as 'earth-shaking'). This was followed at 01.00 by the divisional 'Pepperpot' when every available support weapon of every calibre saturated targets on the far bank. Then at 02.00 on 24 March 15th (S) Division launched its assault (Operation Torchlight). Generally, the assault was successful, but 227th (Highland) Bde got held up at Haffen. A follow-up attack was planned using part of the divisional reserve and a squadron of DD Sherman swimming tanks that had crossed the river. At the last minute there was an erroneous report that some of the tanks were already in Haffen so the artillery support from the AGRAs was cancelled. Nevertheless, the area was largely cleared by nightfall. German counter-attacks came in against Mehr during the night, and the dangerous decision was made to use the medium guns for defensive fire close to the Scottish positions, then in the woods and close to the bridges over the River Issel where the Germans had retreated. The enemy was finally driven out of the riverside villages by 07.00 next morning and at 07.30 15th (S) Division began moving inland to the Issel.[7][40][41][42][43][44]

Germany[]

Once the Rhine had been crossed 21st Army Group began a rapid advance across northern Germany. Apart from the crossing of the River Elbe (Operation Enterprise) there were few setpiece operations and little call for medium or heavy artillery. Increasingly, as Victory in Europe (VE Day) approached, British units were called upon to act as occupation forces. After the German surrender at Lüneburg Heath this became the role for the whole of 21st Army Group while the troops awaited demobilisation.[45][46]<ref>Routledge, p. 363.</ref

8 AGRA was disbanded at Lauenburg, Germany, on 20 November 1945.[5][7]

See also[]

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ The others being 3 AGRA and 2 Canadian AGRA.
  2. ^ The others being 3 and 59 AGRAs.
  3. ^ These were 3, 4, 5, 9 and 2 Canadian AGRAs and 106 AA Bde

Notes[]

  1. ^ Farndale, p. 99.
  2. ^ Buckley, p. 41 & fn 60, p. 309.
  3. ^ a b c d Ellis, Normandy Appendix IV.
  4. ^ Playfair & Molony, Vol IV, pp. 273, 389.
  5. ^ a b Frederick, p. 965.
  6. ^ Joslen, p. 89.
  7. ^ a b c 8 AGRA at RA 1939–45.
  8. ^ Order of Battle of the Forces in the United Kingdom, Part 2: 21 Army Group, 24 July 1943, with amendments, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 212/238.
  9. ^ Frederick, p. 539.
  10. ^ 177 Fd Rgt at RA 1939–45.
  11. ^ 15 Med Rgt at RA 1939–45.
  12. ^ Routledge, p. 314.
  13. ^ Anon, Bluecoat, Appendix A.
  14. ^ Farndale, Annex J.
  15. ^ Campbell at Generals of WWII.
  16. ^ Saunders, Epsom, pp. 28, 170, 176, Appendix A.
  17. ^ Buckley, pp. 84–5.
  18. ^ Ellis, Normandy, pp. 275–86.
  19. ^ Ellis, Normandy, p. 317.
  20. ^ Saunders, Hill 112, pp. 52–60, 94–6, 189.
  21. ^ Buckley, p. 112.
  22. ^ Stacey, pp. 186–95.
  23. ^ Anon, Bluecoat, pp. 7–14, 26, 46, 65, 68.
  24. ^ Buckley, pp. 152–5, 160–3.
  25. ^ Daglish, pp. 23, 25–48.
  26. ^ Ellis, Normandy, pp. 386–92.
  27. ^ Martin, pp. 80–92.
  28. ^ Buckley, pp. 236–8.
  29. ^ Ellis, Normandy, p. 452.
  30. ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 4, 29, 72, 79–80, 99, 159–60.
  31. ^ Martin, pp. 185–95.
  32. ^ Buckley, pp. 240–1.
  33. ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 160–1.
  34. ^ Martin, pp. 214–20.
  35. ^ Anon, Veritable, Appendix A.
  36. ^ Ellis, Germany, p. 257; Appendix IV.
  37. ^ Martin, pp. 225–6.
  38. ^ Routledge, pp. 349–50.
  39. ^ Saunders, Plunder, pp. 15–22.
  40. ^ Buckley, pp. 282–4.
  41. ^ Ellis, Germany, p. 285.
  42. ^ Martin, pp. 274–91.
  43. ^ Routledge, p. 355.
  44. ^ Saunders, Plunder, pp. 147–80.
  45. ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 337–45.
  46. ^ Martin, pp. 321–30, 338–43.

References[]

  • Anon, British Army of the Rhine Battlefield Tour: Operation Bluecoat, Germany: BAOR, 1947/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2021, ISBN 978-1-78331-812-4.
  • Anon, British Army of the Rhine Battlefield Tour: Operation Veritable, Germany: BAOR, 1947/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2021, ISBN 978-1-78331-813-1.
  • John Buckley, Monty's Men: The British Army and the Liberation of Europe, London: Yale University Press, 2013, ISBN 978-0-300-13449-0.
  • Ian Daglish, Battleground Europe: Normandy: Operation Bluecoat: The British Armoured Breakout, Barnsley: Leo Cooper, 2003, ISBN 0-85052-912-3.
  • Maj L.F. Ellis, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West, Vol I: The Battle of Normandy, London: HM Stationery Office, 1962/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-58-0.
  • Maj L.F. Ellis, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West, Vol II: The Defeat of Germany, London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-59-9.
  • Gen Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, ISBN 1-85753-080-2.
  • J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-009-X.
  • 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.
  • Maj-Gen I.S.O. Playfair & Brig C.J.C. Molony, "History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East, Vol IV: The Destruction of the Axis forces in Africa, London: HM Stationery Office, 1966/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-68-8.
  • Brig N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, ISBN 1-85753-099-3
  • Tim Saunders, Battleground Europe: Operation Epsom: Normandy, June 1944, Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2003, ISBN 0-85052-954-9.
  • Tim Saunders, Battleground Europe: Normandy: Hill 112, Battles of the Odon – 1944, Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2000, ISBN 978-0-85052-737-7.
  • Tim Saunders, Battleground Europe: Operation Plunder: The British and Canadian Rhine Crossing, Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2006, ISBN 1-84415-221-9.
  • Col C.P. Stacey, Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Vol III: The Victory Campaign – The Operations in North-West Europe 1944–1945, Ottawa: Queen's Printer & Controller of Stationery, 1960.

External sources[]

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