8th Army Group Royal Artillery
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.77th Medium Rgt was placed under the command of 11th Armoured to engage opportunity targets identified by the division's ground and air observation posts (OPs).[17] The aim of Jupiter was to recapture Hill 112, which had briefly been held during Epsom, and the villages of Éterville and Maltot, thus opening the way to the River Orne.10th Survey Rgt provided flash-spotting and sound-ranging troops to identify enemy batteries, and 8 AGRA was responsible for the CB and CM tasks, with the infantry's 3-inch and 4.2-inch mortars incorporated into the programme.There was a separate task table to support the Royal Scots Greys, with 14 targets to be fired on by up to ten field, four medium and a heavy regiment.43rd (W) Division launched a fresh attack towards the end of the day, and although driven back it gained a footing on the crest, which was held against counter-attacks during the night with artillery support.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.Fighting continued next day, and the infantry had to withdraw from the crest onto the reverse slope: the top of the ridge became a No man's land that neither side could occupy.Phase 1 on 14 July consisted of 43rd (W) divisional artillery with 61st and 63rd Med Rgts firing at targets on the south-west slope of Hill 112 to create the impression of an attack in that direction.In the early hours of 15 July 8 AGRA fired DF tasks for 43rd (W) Division on Hill 112 but the HQ signal office received a direct hit, disrupting communications.[42][43] Even before Greenline was launched, 8 AGRA's regiment had sent their reconnaissance and digging parties to start preparing new positions south-west of Caen for Operation Goodwood.25th Field Rgt prepared a new gun area near Beuville with the help of bulldozers and work parties from 71st and 102nd LAA Rgts, only to find that it was out of range, and new positions had to be occupied some 2,000 yards (1,800 m) closer, and all the dumped ammunition moved.Then, as the field artillery including 25th Fd Rgt fired a creeping barrage in front of the attack, the rest of 8 AGRA fired concentrations on specific targets, with 146th Med Rgt carrying out further CB tasks for 4 AGRA, directed by 652 Air Observation Post (AOP) Squadron, Royal Air Force.When 3rd RTR got into trouble, the field artillery FOOs called down the medium guns, whose shells could stop German armour, and two panzers were 'brewed up'.Rain made observation difficult on 20 July and the emphasis switched to II Canadian Corps in Operation Atlantic, attacking out of Caen towards Verrières Ridge.23 and 24 July were spent on HF and CB tasks, but VIII Corps HQ was worried about the exposed forward gun positions and provided bulldozers to dig them in.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.[49] 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).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.Next morning armoured cars of 2nd HCR, probing ahead, found an unguarded bridge over the River Souleuvre and were quickly reinforced.By 2 August the German front was cracked wide open and units were following up; 25th Field Rgt was mistakenly attacked by US Thunderbolts when it moved up to Le Bény-Bocage.[61] VIII Corps reached Perriers ridge but its advance was halted by fierce German defence and the fact that Allied resources were being diverted elsewhere.In the next phase 8 AGRA would coordinate concentrations by all its regiments (77th Med Rgt was away refitting), after which 61st and 146th would fire at opportunity targets for 3rd Infantry Division and 63rd for the Guards.[62][63][64][65] Once the Falaise pocket was closed and the breakout from the beachhead achieved, VIII Corps was 'grounded' at Vire to provide transport and fuel to 21st Army Group's pursuit force.[66][67][68] VIII Corps 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.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.XXX Corps began crossing further downstream at 21.00, then at 23.30 the 700 guns supporting 15th (S) Division fired their opening salvo of the softening bombardment (described by the divisional historian as 'earth-shaking').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.
United KingdomBritish ArmyWoodbridge, SuffolkOperation OverlordOperation EpsomOperation JupiterOperation GreenlineOperation GoodwoodOperation SpringOperation BluecoatOperation PlunderBrigadierbrigade-sizedRoyal ArtilleryWorld War IIbocageCaumontBattle of FranceWestern Desert CampaignArmy Group Royal ArtilleryAlan BrookeBernard Montgomerycounter-batteryArmy corpsTunisian campaignBrandeston Hall54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division21st Army Group177th Field Regiment61st Carnarvon & Denbigh (Yeomanry) Medium Regiment63rd (Midland) Medium Regiment77th (Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry) Medium Regiment5.5-inch gunbatteries155 mm guns7.2-inch howitzers3.7-inchVIII CorpsArromanches47th (London) Infantry Divisionflight652 Air Observation Post SquadronSainte-Croix-Grand-Tonne146th (Pembroke & Cardiganshire Yeomanry) Med RgtRoyal Army Service Corps15th (Scottish) Infantry Division31st Tank Brigade44th (Lowland) Brigade46th (Highland Light Infantry) BrigadeSt Manvieu227th (Highland) Bde11th Armoured DivisionRiver Odon12th SS Panzer Division HitlerjugendII SS Panzer Corps10th SS Panzer Division FrundsbergRoyal Air ForceSecqueville-en-BessinÉtervilleMaltotRiver Orne43rd (Wessex) DivisionRoyal Scots Greys4th Armoured Bde130th Bde129th Bde659 AOP Squadron3-inch4.2-inch mortarsDorset RegimentFontaine-Étoupefour9th SS Panzer Division HohenstaufenWiltshire RegimentNo man's landII Canadian CorpsXII CorpsLe Mesnil-PatryLuftwaffe121st (Leicester Regiment) LAA RgtGavrusXXX CorpsOperation Pomegranate53rd (Welsh)Saint-ContestAuthie107th (South Notts Hussars) Med RgtBeuville102nd LAA Rgts652 Air Observation Post (AOP) Squadron, Royal Air ForceGuards Armoured Division29th Armoured Brigade3rd Royal Tank RegimentBourguébusHubert-FolieOperation AtlanticVerrièresFirst US ArmyOperation CobraDémouvilleMondevilleGiberville2nd Canadian DivisionSecond British ArmyBayeuxKing's Royal Rifle CorpsRiver SouleuvreTyphoonfighter-bombersThunderboltsLe Bény-Bocage3rd DivisionOperation TotalizeTinchebrayFalaise pocket3rd Infantry DivisionMontsecretOperation Market GardenBattle of ArnhemRiver MaasMeijelBlerick44th (Lowland) BdeBattle of the BulgeAlliesOperation VeritableReichswald