In Decenber of 1937 A Brigade of 3" or perhaps 3.7" guns were supposed to have been dispatched from Britain to Mersa Matruh. Can anyone confirm which Regiment(s) these were, and the type & calibre of guns?
Thanks.
AA Guns in Mersa Matruh
Moderator: John W. Howard
AA Guns in Mersa Matruh
Thanks. Dave.
Re: AA Guns in Mersa Matruh
I have received confirmation that thesre were 3" guns. So does anyone have any info on them?
Thanks. Dave.
Re: AA Guns in Mersa Matruh
In May 1940 AA assets in ME were 40 HAA, a mix of 3 in, 3.7 and some 4.5 on the way, plus 1 bty (12 guns) LAA (40mm).
When the WDF was formed it had a single LAA bty.
Wavell identifed a need for 2 AA bdes, one mobile and sought what amounted to 22 HAA (achieved circa Sep 1941, reaching 49 btys by Oct 42) and 30 LAA btys. Eqpt started to trickle thru but it was a schomozzle and auxiliary stuff, notably radars, were missing. By the end of 1940 he had 4 HAA and 4 LAA regts but only partly equipped. By Jan 1941 he'd assemble 4 AA Bde in the rear area in a mobile role and this moved from Mersa Matruh to Tobruk. It comprised 51 HAA Regt (less 1 bty detached), 13 LAA Regt (less 1 bty detached), a bty of 52 LAA Regt and half sqn of Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry with searchlights. 51 HAA Regt Wksp also started restoring assorted abandoned and partly disabled Italian AA guns. Meanwhile 2 AA Bde arrived in Alexandria and by Jan 41 had 9 & 74 HAA Regts. There were also HAA btys in Haifa, Port Sudan and Aden, plus 2 HAA Regt assigned to Greece.
By Apr 1941 56 HAA Regt in Torbruk had a full complement of 24 3.7 plus Italian bits and peices.
When the WDF was formed it had a single LAA bty.
Wavell identifed a need for 2 AA bdes, one mobile and sought what amounted to 22 HAA (achieved circa Sep 1941, reaching 49 btys by Oct 42) and 30 LAA btys. Eqpt started to trickle thru but it was a schomozzle and auxiliary stuff, notably radars, were missing. By the end of 1940 he had 4 HAA and 4 LAA regts but only partly equipped. By Jan 1941 he'd assemble 4 AA Bde in the rear area in a mobile role and this moved from Mersa Matruh to Tobruk. It comprised 51 HAA Regt (less 1 bty detached), 13 LAA Regt (less 1 bty detached), a bty of 52 LAA Regt and half sqn of Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry with searchlights. 51 HAA Regt Wksp also started restoring assorted abandoned and partly disabled Italian AA guns. Meanwhile 2 AA Bde arrived in Alexandria and by Jan 41 had 9 & 74 HAA Regts. There were also HAA btys in Haifa, Port Sudan and Aden, plus 2 HAA Regt assigned to Greece.
By Apr 1941 56 HAA Regt in Torbruk had a full complement of 24 3.7 plus Italian bits and peices.
Re: AA Guns in Mersa Matruh
Nigel.
Thanks for that.
Do you know which batteries went to make up 56HAA at that time?
Thanks for that.
Do you know which batteries went to make up 56HAA at that time?
Thanks. Dave.
Re: AA Guns in Mersa Matruh
My typo in the last sentence, should be 51 HAA with 152, 153 & 16/2 HAA btys these were with the WDF. In Tobruk the btys were 152, 153 and 235 bty of 89 HAA Regt. Its not terribly clear when RHQ 51 HAA arrived because in Apr 1941 it appears that the regt's wksp and sigs sect were there but not RHQ itself and the HAA btys were under comd 13 LAA Regt.