british army of the rhine bases

british army of the rhine bases

Photo courtesy of RAMC Lab Tech Cpl Peter Elgar 1958. The base workshops built a prototype trailer that provided more clearance, and the Navy ordered 25 of them. I Canadian Corps advanced on Utrecht, supported by No. For this the British Second Army deployed 1,520 field and medium guns, and the US Ninth Army had 624 field and medium guns. [10] Antwerp had sufficient capacity to support both the British and American forces, but its use was hampered by German V-weapon attacks. The bivouac areas were provided with temporary billets, latrines, emergency rations and fuel, and medical teams and vehicle maintenance crews were on hand. 30 hurt in blast at army base. An allocation of 300 tonnes (300 long tons) per day was made, but owing to competing American demands, the use of aircraft to repatriate liberated American, British and Commonwealth ex-prisoners of war (PWX), and a somewhat cumbersome procedure for requesting air deliveries, the tonnage of air freight never reached this level, averaging just 145 tonnes (143 long tons) per day for the month of April. REME Technical Services BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) 5 Infantry Workshop, Nijmegan Marchers 5 Infantry Workshop, Nijmegan Marchers [78] The 21st Army Group headquarters also allocated three additional general transport companies to the British Second Army. Demands for smoke generators exhausted the available stocks and generators were taken from the anti-aircraft gun positions around Antwerp. This involved prodigious use of ammunition, fuel and equipment, which in turn demanded a first-class military logistics system. Special arrangements were made to supply the Royal Air Force's Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation, which consumed 410,000 litres (90,000impgal) a night, and Gloster Meteor jet fighters, which consumed 14,000 litres (3,000impgal) of kerosene each day. Work commenced at 09:30, and the bridge was opened for traffic at midnight. [3], The 21st Army Group's campaign in North West Europe had commenced with Operation Overlord, the Allied landings in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944. BMH Iserlohn was housed in Argonne Barracks which was a German Calvary and Armoured Regiment building from the 1930s. [8], Administrative support for British service personnel in Germany and across continental Europe was delegated to United Kingdom Support Command (Germany), (UKSC(G)). The War Office found that it could provide another two field bakeries from the United Kingdom, along with three field butcheries that were already scheduled to be sent. The average tonnage on the canal system rose steadily from 27,000 tonnes (27,000 long tons) in January to 35,000 tonnes (34,000 long tons) in February, 48,000 tonnes (47,000 long tons) in March and 56,000 tonnes (55,000 long tons) in April. [42] The weight of shell employed would still be formidable; the fire plan still called for 6 tonnes (6 long tons) of shells to be delivered on designated targets, and some would receive up to 11 tonnes (11 long tons). 166 FMC was developed from one formerly established there by the VIII Corps, although it had to be expanded as XXX Corps had over 200,000 troops under its command for Operation Veritable. Chieftain provides a complete array of British equipment and maneuver units, from Chieftain and Challenger tanks through MCV-80 and Saxon APCs. After the assumption of government by civilians, it became the command formation for the troops in Germany only . On the other hand, the 21st Army Group held sufficient stocks of POL to accede to a request from SHAEF to allocate 73,000 long tons (74,000t) of petrol for US use. Some of the ammunition that had earlier been dumped was to be made inaccessible by flood waters. Catalogue description British Army of the Rhine [BAOR] Ordering and viewing options This record has not been digitised and cannot be downloaded. Lorries then took them to the dispersal point at Renaix via Lyon and Dijon, guided by road markers that read "GF". After the assumption of government by civilians, it became the command formation for the troops in Germany only, rather than being responsible for administration as well. This led to a scaling down of the British military presence, and a restructuring of command and support structures. Despite the weather, all movements were completed as planned by 8 February. Moody, Simon J. Imagining Nuclear War in the British Army, 19451989. They were then loaded into landing ships, tank (LSTs) that took them to Marseilles, and onto flat wagons again for the five-day railway journey to Dixmude. No. [19], During the height of "the Troubles" in Northern Ireland, the IRA targeted personnel in Germany between 1988 and 1990. Stores still required by the 21st Army Group were moved forward to the new advanced base, and the rest returned to the War Office for disposal. The "Waterloo" class 9 FBE could not be built at the intended site at Rees on 24 March because the town had not been captured. The bank control groups controlled all movement from the marshalling areas on the near side of the Rhine to the dispersal areas on the far side. Media in category "British Army of the Rhine". British Army of the Rhine - YouTube 0:00 / 58:47 British Army of the Rhine Ichioku 334 subscribers Subscribe 6.6K views 1 year ago BBC Documentary from 2012 (small edit to avoid. The possibility that the Germans might flood the forward area was not overlooked, and a company of DUKW amphibious trucks and a platoon of Terrapin amphibious vehicles was on 48-hours notice to assist. Large numbers of displaced persons were also encountered, and they were accommodated in special camps. Traduzione di "British Army of the Rhine" in italiano . The position gained along the Roer was then taken over by the US Ninth Army. This came from the reorganisation of the line of communications, and additional general transport companies arriving from Italy through Operation Goldflake. The corps sometimes had to send their transport back to the army roadheads to assist when major operations were required. [82][83], In the XXX Corps area, the engineer units were grouped under the 13th AGRE, under the command of Colonel F. C. [81] The XXX Corps plan called for the construction of a class 9 FBE bridge, a class 15 Bailey pontoon bridge and two class 40 Bailey pontoon bridges. Read reviews from the world's largest community for readers. 12 and 14 Army Roadheads were being run down. Fifteen minutes after the glider landings, there was a resupply mission flown by 240 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers from the US Eighth Air Force. The armoured divisions also carried a day's worth of AFV ration packs. What military bases are left in Germany? The best introduction to the regimental system of the British army. As a result, vehicles owned by personnel ceased to have distinct registration plates, which had made them easily identifiable. A large force of engineer units was assembled for the operation: 37,000 British and Canadian engineers and pioneers, and 22,000 American engineers. Individual chapters consider British thinking about tactical nuclear weapons, the evolution of NATO strategy, theories of tactical nuclear warfare, nuclear instruction at the Staff College, operational research and war-gaming, and the development of the armys nuclear warfighting doctrine. [6] In 1967, the force was reduced in strength to 53,000 soldiers. Please appreciate that the site as a whole is, and probably always will be, subject to "Work In Progress", "Page Under Construction", "Page Under Revision", etc. Army Group Royal Artillery . As a result of this fire it was decided to remove camouflage from the oil storage tanks, because it was not effective against the V-2, and hampered fire fighting efforts. [45], Stocks of ammunition were built up at No. Information and history about the British Military Hospital in Munster along with photos of BMH Muster and the QAs. At the rail stop there were messes and a kitchen that ran 24 hours a day. [46] There were 350 different types of ammunition in all. Their construction would require 3,000 wooden piles 30 centimetres (12in) in diameter and 18 to 23 metres (60 to 75ft) in length. Due to the proximity of Rees, the VIII Corps Troops Engineers could not work on the "London" class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge until the afternoon of 25 March, and it was opened at 23:00 on 26 March. [66][76], At Gennep, the 6th Army Troops Engineers built a 312-metre (1,023ft) class 30 Bailey bridge using the piers and abutments of a demolished railway bridge. $35.86. By this time a thaw had set in, and the ground was now soft and muddy, restricting off-road vehicle movement. [73] In XXX Corps, all DUKWs were retained under corps control. In a broader context, Barnett 1970 and Chandler and Beckett 2003 provide an essential overview of the experiences that have shaped the British Army over its long history. London and Portland, OR: Frank Cass, 2000. It closed in 1991 when the refurbished BMH Iserlohn re-opened. [41] Some 600 field and 300 medium guns would support the operation. The purpose of this site is to give people, still serving or not, the opportunity to look back at the places in Germany where they may have served over the years and also a view of the regiments and units which shaped them. You can order records in advance to be ready for. The second class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge, known as "Blackfriars", was built by the II Canadian Corps Engineers in 50 hours, starting at 10:00 on 26 March. [55][56][57], With Antwerp in operation, some supplies were now coming directly from the United States. After successfully carrying the Eureka torch at the show in November 2021, some of our Eureka and AB family will finally be able to join us for the first time since the pandemic struck in 2020. this page. Both stocked 200 rounds per gun of field artillery ammunition for the entire XXX Corps. During the month, 432 trains delivered 230,000 tonnes (230,000 long tons) to 37 railheads in the British Second Army area. Following the war the BLA was redesignated to become the British Army of the Rhine in August . 168 FMC near Goch. In February, a French fuel installation was opened at Douai, and this was used to supply the Royal Air Force (RAF) airfields in the vicinity. Country United Kingdom. It was originally composed of five corps, composed of two divisions each, plus a cavalry division:[1], IV Corps: Commanded by Sir Alexander Godley, VI Corps: Commanded by Sir Aylmer Haldane, IX Corps: Commanded by Sir Walter Braithwaite and later by Ivor Maxse, Cavalry Division (formed from 1st Cavalry Division). Mar 1. The problem had been foreseen, and replacements were available on the ordnance depots. This airborne operation was the largest of its kind during the entire war, utilizing 1,625 transports, 1,348 gliders, and 889 escort fighters to deliver over 22,000 airborne infantry into the contested territory. Both formations had areas of responsibility located around the German section of the River Rhine. 16 Army Roadhead from railtails around Bocholt using captured rolling stock and locomotives. Deployed on the European Central Front with its NORTHAG sister formations, BAOR was a significant feature of NATOs forward shield of ground forces to deter or, if deterrence failed, to repel a major Warsaw Pact offensive on the Continent. British and Commonwealth PWX were flown directly to the UK, while American PWX were flown to collecting camps around Le Havre. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. To improve its combat effectiveness BAOR was equipped since the early 1960s with tactical nuclear weapons, and in so doing, became the first formation of the British army trained to fight and prevail on a nuclear battlefield. The 21st Army Group asked for four base supply depots (BSDs), six field bakeries, three field butcheries, a cold storage depot and two detail issue depots (DIDs). WO1 Served from 1971 - 1993 Served in British Army of the Rhine. Canadian units indented for warlike stores direct to their division's Ordnance Field Park, which carried stocks of spare parts for mechanical transport, small arms, armament, signal stores, and engineering equipment, as well as complete wireless sets and small arms. The troops were located principally in the vicinity of Cologne at an approximate cost per month of 300,000. Tony Lord. Five days before the operation began, the Navy asked for 40 more, which were provided. Dorsten Ammunition Depot munitions storage facility. We are pleased to announce that Eureka Miniatures UK will once again be attending the hugely popular SALUTE at ExCeL, London on Saturday 22nd April 2023. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! The second class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge, "Sparrow", was built by the 4th GHQ Troops Engineers on 27 March. Army of Occupation commanders.jpg 800 595; 155 KB. London: William Kimber, 1971. This operation to cross the northern Rhine River launched in the night of 23 Mar 1945. CONTENTS OF EMAILS MAY BE DISPLAYED ON THIS SITE (BUT IN AN ENCRYPTED FORMAT TO DETER SPAMMERS) TO BENEFIT HISTORY. Learning and Adapting: The British Army from Somme to the Mexico and the United States, 18361848, Wars of, Semi-Military and Paramilitary Organizations, South West Pacific, 19411945, Campaigns in, Southeast Asian Military History, Colonial, Southeast Asian Military History, Precolonial. [4] Its original function was to control the corps districts which were running the military government of the British zone of occupied Germany. Additional supplies of fuel were loaded on DUKWs, which ferried fuel across the river until bridges were opened. [74], The South Beveland Canal was opened on 19 February to allow inland water transport to reach the Dutch canal system when the western Netherlands were liberated. [39][40], The artillery fire plan for Operation Veritable called for the widespread use of "pepperpot tactics". Since the First Canadian Army did not hold large stocks at No. A special effort was made to ensure that all units had their full allowance of winter and protective clothing. A smoke screen concealed preparations on the west bank of the Rhine. For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here. This had been scheduled to occur on 20 March 1945, but in early February it was brought forward to 20 February. [87] The 21st Army Group allocated an additional 2,190 tonnes (2,160 long tons) of road transport capacity to the Second Army between 27 March and 3 April. The high use of road transport meant that the British Second Army burned 7,600 tonnes (7,500 long tons) of petrol a day, but pipelines were laid across the Rhine at Emmerich and were in operation by the end of April. Three days later, XII Corps did the same to facilitate the capture of Hamburg, but the expenditure of ammunition at Bremen was not as great as anticipated, and this allowed XII Corps's requirements to be met in full. The XXX Corps Troops Engineers commenced work on the "Lambeth" class 15 Bailey pontoon bridge at 15:00 on 24 March, but work was frequently interrupted by German fire, and the bridge was not opened until 08:30 on 26 March. The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) was formed at the conclusion of World War II from various units of the British 21st Army Group. [7], The 1993 Options for Change defence cuts resulted in BAOR being replaced by forces roughly 25,000 strong, divided between Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, 1st Armoured Division, other combat support and combat service support forces, and administrative elements headed by United Kingdom Support Command (Germany). From 1922 the BAOR was organised into two brigades:[1], The second British Army of the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from the British Liberation Army. Contains informative chapters on the precarious position of BAOR during the austerity years of 19461953 and of the contribution made by BAOR to conventional deterrence throughout the Cold War. 166 FMC also held 200 rounds per gun of field, 175 rounds per gun of medium, 175 rounds per gun of heavy and 50 rounds per gun of super-heavy artillery ammunition. Red Sash Wargames Army of the Rhine - Ombre de Turenne SW | Toys & Hobbies, Games, Board & Traditional Games | eBay! It was arranged that 40 tanks, 650 wheeled vehicles, 50 Bren gun carriers, and 3,700 personnel would disembark each day in Marseilles, where accommodation was provided for 10,000 troops in tents and 200 vehicles. Recourse was therefore made to Weasel tracked vehicles, and every available Weasel was rushed to the front. [51] There was also demand for covered accommodation in the 3,300 bivouacs, and 21st Army Group headquarters released 343 huts and 1,600 100-pound (45kg) tents from its stocks, which were delivered to the railheads around Mill and 's-Hertogenbosch. Successive London governments, though often faced with bitter public and military opposition, tasked the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) to serve as a protecting force while strengthening West German integration into the Western defense structure. This reduced the pressure on the road network, and also permitted stone for road works to be supplied by rail. Includes a chapter on the activation of BAOR and its composition throughout the Cold War against the background of government defense reviews. [102] The 21st Army Group's logistical system proved capable of keeping the fighting men fed and supplied, whether in the awful weather conditions of Operation Veritable, or the fast-moving advance of the final drive beyond the Rhine.[104]. Railway units were moved forward, and only one railway group headquarters and two railway operating companies were left in France, Belgium and the Netherlands south of the Waal. A German V-2 rocket scored a direct hit on the British POL installation at Antwerp on 19 January. This included the 6th Airborne Division, but it was held by the seaborne tail. The War Office therefore created a new headquarters, called the 25th Garrison, to take over the RMA, and four new line of communications sub area headquarters, the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th. [13], During the German Ardennes Offensive in December 1944, the Supreme Allied Commander, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, transferred the US First and Ninth Armies to Montgomery's command. Only the class 70 bridges would take a loaded tank transporter. Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. [11] Rhine Garrison, which principally comprised HQ British Forces Germany in the Rheindahlen Military Complex and Elmpt Station (formerly RAF Bruggen), also reduced in size; the HQ moved to Bielefeld in July 2013 and other units returned to the UK. [27], On 10 February, the 5th Canadian Armoured Division loaded its 450 tanks and 320 Bren gun carriers on flat wagons in Rimini and Riccione, from whence they moved by rail to Leghorn. The other units could not be found, and the 21st Army Group was informed that it would have to make do without them. This badge was adopted in 1940. [47] Four main road routes were available for troop movements, utilising road bridges over the Maas at Grave, Mook and Ravenstein. 29th Division Entering Cologne 13 December 1918 Q 7220.jpg 641 800; 48 KB. In 1961, he received a commission into the Royal Corps of Signals, and served in the British Army of the Rhine . [5], As the potential threat of Soviet invasion across the North German Plain into West Germany increased, BAOR became more responsible for the defence of West Germany than its occupation. [47], The opening of a railway bridge over the Maas at Ravenstein on 4 February enabled the FMCs to be served by rail. [4] German resistance was stubborn, and the British and Canadian advance much slower than planned until July,[5] when the American Operation Cobra broke through the German defences. Contents 1 History 13 Army Roadhead at Nijmegen. Not only are the well-equipped forward elements presented, but the light security elements that form BAOR's vital reinforcements are included as well. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. British Army Royal Engineers enaged in the building of The Freeman Bridge, The River Rhine, Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. [103] In this campaign the British Army demonstrated its proficiency in logistics. Esempio di frase tradotta: Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Positioned on the North German Plain, it is the command element of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). [28][29] Many of the tanks needed overhaul or modification and this task was beyond the resources of the 21st Army Group's REME units, so excess tanks were shipped to the UK. To simplify storage and handling, only ammunition for field, medium and heavy artillery was held at the Canadian FMCs, ammunition for all other weapons was stocked at No. CENTAG consisted, from north to south, of III GE Corps, V US Corps, VII US Corps, and II (GE) Corps in the extreme . [100], In the campaign in North West Europe in 1945, Montgomery sought to defeat Germany and ensure a prominent British role in the postwar political organisation of Europe. In due course it was relieved by a vehicle park from Italy. Daily expenditure of ammunition soon exceeded a trainload, so the non-arrival of even one train meant that ammunition had to be drawn from the Second Army roadhead at Bourg Leopold. The class 40 timber pile bridge at Zanten, known as "Dempsey" was built by the 18th GHQ Troops Engineers and was opened on 26 May. Use the search function to locate the Order of battle by title or file name. kat graham and ian somerhalder relationship; wet stone polisher harbor freight; how to transfer nft from coinbase wallet to metamask; colorado state university pueblo volleyball; platinum jubilee medal 2022 eligibility police; jay weatherill penny wong; [102] Lend Lease aid from the United States and a high degree of industrial mobilisation provided the equipment and materiel. Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group consisted of the General Harry Crerar's First Canadian Army and Lieutenant General Sir Miles Dempsey's British Second Army. The British 6th Airborne Division was withdrawn to the UK and re-equipped there, but its seaborne tail had to be re-equipped by the 21st Army Group. Engineers soon had bridges over the Rhine in operation, which were then superseded by more permanent road and rail bridges. [63][64] When mounted on the proposed trailer, the 15-metre (50ft) LCM was 4.6 metres (15ft) high, which left only 7.6 centimetres (3in) of clearance under some of the bridges they had to pass under between Antwerp and the staging area around Nijmegen. The Meuse-Escaut Canal was also opened that month, and by the end of March the Zuid-Willemsvaart and the MaasWaal Canal were also open, allowing barge traffic from Antwerp to reach the Waal. Blaxland, Gregory. [78] These bridges carried maintenance traffic by day and operational traffic by night. The United States and the Middle East, 1945-2001, World War II in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Store Equipment Fleet (Germany) store of vehicles and other equipment for exercises and operations around Europe. [28], The 25th Garrison assumed control of the RMA on 2 April, allowing the 5th Line of Communications Sub Area to take over the western part of North Brabant, and the 101st Beach Sub Area, which became the 21st Line of Communications Sub Area, took over the territory west of the Maas. This was a problem as its special equipment was not stocked. Includes two chapters on National Service and professional recruitment after 1945, both of which were issues that influenced force generation in BAOR throughout its existence. The next major operation was Operation Plunderthe assault crossing of the Rhine. Strachan, Hew, ed. Home; About. The British Army, Manpower, and Society into the Twenty-First Century. [89][88] The high use of road transport meant that the Second Army was burning 7,600 tonnes (7,500 long tons) of petrol a day, but the supply of fuel caused no problems.

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