Search found 421 matches

by nigelfe
Mon Mar 09, 2015 12:35 am
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Brit/Aussie 25 Pounders
Replies: 4
Views: 5924

Re: Brit/Aussie 25 Pounders

The British have been very restrained over their use of 'Howitzer' in official nomenclature. I think the last may have been the 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer that entered service in 1917 and served throughout WW2. 25-pr was multi-charge but not normally capable of upper register fire, but could be used...
by nigelfe
Mon Dec 29, 2014 12:30 am
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Battery Numbering
Replies: 1
Views: 5003

Re: Battery Numbering

RHA batteries were uniquely lettered. RA batteries were uniquely numbered, by type, ie field, medium, heavy, anti-tank, HAA, LAA, survey, coast. That said there were a few lettered batteries outside RHA. For fire control and related purposes field branch batteries (ie Field, Medium, etc) of any type...
by nigelfe
Wed Mar 21, 2012 12:56 am
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Comments on Australian or New Zealand tactics by German Army
Replies: 8
Views: 9098

Re: Comments on Australian or New Zealand tactics by German Army

One should not forget that the Poms ran and left us in the lurch in Singapore/Malaya . Come to think of it they never ever did do anything for us colonials, anywhere, any time, except pinch our primary produce. :D Speaking to numerous ex Afrika Korps members over the years, the general concensus ap...
by nigelfe
Fri Mar 16, 2012 7:45 pm
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Comments on Australian or New Zealand tactics by German Army
Replies: 8
Views: 9098

Re: Comments on Australian or New Zealand tactics by German Army

Sources? Myths may be true or untrue. As for Tobruk, never foregt that the Australians withdrew and were replaced by British troops (less an Aust bde that stayed because the human cost of replacement got too high, too many Brit ships were being lost in the rotation). This withdrawal was at Australia...
by nigelfe
Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:09 pm
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Partisans, Guerillas, and Resistance
Replies: 13
Views: 11988

Re: Partisans, Guerillas, and Resistance

IIRC the Soviet term for their's was partisan and that all German publications refer to partisan, no matter which of their occuppied countries they were in. That said there are to German words for partisan, anhanger and parteiganger (there's an umlaut over the second a in both), and there may be som...
by nigelfe
Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:34 am
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Artillery tactics and operation. WWII.
Replies: 9
Views: 8114

Re: Artillery tactics and operation. WWII.

I would treat this site about UK with great care, in a 2 minute glance I found quite a lot of errors and misinterpretations.
by nigelfe
Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:26 am
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Artillery tactics and operation. WWII.
Replies: 9
Views: 8114

Re: Artillery tactics and operation. WWII.

"Blackburn was an officer in the RCA during the war and held many positions but was the longest serving FOO in Northwest Europe ", quite possibly in Canadian forces but there were also four UK corps that landed in Normandy, not to mention lots of US ones. Somehow I doubt that anybody actua...
by nigelfe
Mon Feb 21, 2011 3:05 am
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Jewish SOE Naval Unit Led By Brits...
Replies: 11
Views: 10193

Re: Jewish SOE Naval Unit Led By Brits...

Not exactly a rare skill in SOE or in assorted military units in the theatre.
by nigelfe
Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:37 am
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Jewish SOE Naval Unit Led By Brits...
Replies: 11
Views: 10193

Re:

I'm confused by your reference to British Commonwealth Palestine: i) Do you mean British & Commonwealth Forces operating in the Palestine? or ii).Palestine was in the British Commonwealth? Palestine was a British Mandate Territory in 1920...... Actually I don't think there were any 'operations'...
by nigelfe
Wed Sep 29, 2010 4:15 am
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Airlanding Infantry
Replies: 6
Views: 5279

Re: Airlanding Infantry

According to Forty's British Army HB, apart from 4 pl per coy, the distinguishing feature was the AA/ATk Coy with 2 AA Pls, ea 6 x 20mm, 2 ATl Pls ea 4 x 6 pr.
by nigelfe
Wed Sep 29, 2010 4:08 am
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Lorried Inf Bde in Brit Armd Divs
Replies: 5
Views: 6152

Re: Lorried Inf Bde in Brit Armd Divs

Motorised (AKA lorried infantry I think) were standard infantry with their own RASC vehicles. Motor battalions (ie those in armd bde and all from RB and KRRC I believe) were very different. Basically 3 motor companies with platoons having their own half-tracks and a scout pl. Support coy being 3 ant...
by nigelfe
Thu May 21, 2009 3:51 am
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: British VIII corps, 1944
Replies: 2
Views: 2454

Re: British VIII corps, 1944

G2 is intelligence staff, the UK equivalent would be G (Intelligence) Staff. However, I think that PW handling and accounting was an A Staff matter. G Int would mostly be interested in any interrogation reports and any reports of the units PW came from for enemy ORBAT and strength purposes, and I'd ...
by nigelfe
Sat May 02, 2009 12:23 am
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Medium Artillery Regiments; higher command.
Replies: 16
Views: 8041

Re: Medium Artillery Regiments; higher command.

Well, Pemberton tells us that M.8A/4210/GSD of 24 June 1942 states the low holdings of 4.5 in Gun and 6 in How, and that a ‘consignment of 5.5 in on the way’. This consignment might have reached the Gulf of Aden or in might still be in RAOC depots in UK waiting for all the gun stores to be gathered ...
by nigelfe
Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:59 pm
Forum: The Allies in WWII
Topic: Medium Artillery Regiments; higher command.
Replies: 16
Views: 8041

Re: Medium Artillery Regiments; higher command.

I read a review of it a few days ago and from that concluded I wouldn't place too much credence on it and it would not add anything much to my knowledge. He has no track record in artillery history. Based on what Pemberton says (and the review of the book says Pemberton is one of the main sources) t...