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The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist British Army armoured unit formed as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion of 6 June 1944. The unit comprised armoured vehicles modified for specialist roles, intended to assist with the landing phase of the operation. Image File history File links Bulls head File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (227th in leap years), with 139 days remaining. ...
August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
Combatants United States United Kingdom Canada Free France Poland Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Omar Bradley (US 1st Army) Miles Dempsey (UK 2nd Army) Harry Crerar (Canadian 1st Army) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe B...
Combatants Canada United Kingdom Poland Belgium Norway Germany Commanders Guy Simonds (acting) (First Canadian Army) Gustav-Adolf von Zangen (German 15th Army) Strength ? ? Casualties 12,873 total; including 6,367 Canadian ? The Battle of the Scheldt was a series of military operations which took place in northern Belgium and south...
During World War II, Operation Clipper was an Allied offensive by Thirtieth British Corps (including the American Eighty-fourth Infantry Division) to reduce the Geilenkirchen Salient on 18 November 1945. ...
During World War II, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the Rhine river at Rees, Wesel and south of the Lippe Canal by the British Second Army, under Lieutenant-General Miles C Dempsey, and the US Ninth Army, under Lieutenant-General William H Simpson. ...
Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart (14 June 1885-19 February 1957) was a British military engineer and commander of the 79th Armoured Division during World War II. He was responsible for many of the specialised armoured vehicles (Hobarts Funnies) that took part in the invasion of Normandy. ...
The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
Combatants United States United Kingdom Canada Free France Poland Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Omar Bradley (US 1st Army) Miles Dempsey (UK 2nd Army) Harry Crerar (Canadian 1st Army) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe B...
June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining in the year. ...
1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...
History
The unit was formed as a standard armoured formation, but in March 1943, it was about to be disbanded for lack of resources. Alan Brooke (Chief of the Imperial General Staff), however, foresaw the need for specialised armoured vehicles and offered its command to Major General (later Sir) Percy Hobart. Hobart accepted on the understanding that the 79th would be an operational unit, not just a training and development one. Statue of Field Marshal The Viscount Alanbrooke, MoD Building, Whitehall, London Field Marshal Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO (July 23, 1883 - June 17, 1963) was a British Field Marshal during World War II. He also served as Lord High Constable during the coronation of...
Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) was the title of the professional head of the British Army from 1908 to 1964. ...
Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart (14 June 1885-19 February 1957) was a British military engineer and commander of the 79th Armoured Division during World War II. He was responsible for many of the specialised armoured vehicles (Hobarts Funnies) that took part in the invasion of Normandy. ...
Hobart gave firm direction and the strange-looking tanks it developed and operated were known as Hobart's Funnies. They included tanks that floated, could clear mines, destroy defences, carry and lay bridges, and roadways - anything that would enable the invasion force to get ashore and break through the German defences. One less successful development was the Canal Defence Light a giant light intended to dazzle enemy gunners, although it was used to provide artificial daylight during the attack on the Geilenkirchen salient. Badge of the 79th Armoured Division Amphibious DD tanks await blowing of breaches in the sea wall on Utah Beach. ...
Canal Defence Light (CDL) was a British secret weapon of the Second World War. ...
During World War II, Operation Clipper was an Allied offensive by Thirtieth British Corps (including the American Eighty-fourth Infantry Division) to reduce the Geilenkirchen Salient on 18 November 1945. ...
The Division also had the usual contingents of Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and other Army units attached. After formation in October 1942, the 79th, based at the time mostly in Yorkshire, trained as a regular armoured division for about six months before the change of role. Tactical Recognition Flash of the Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, generally known as the Royal Artillery (RA), is, despite its name, a corps of the British Army. ...
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army. ...
The Nottinghamshire Yeomanry, two Canadian units, the 1st Hussars and Fort Garry Horse and three American units joined for training on the DD tanks. In mid-1943 the Assault Brigade RE was formed: its units were the Assault Squadrons RE. The 1st Hussars is an armoured militia regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces, currently based in London, Ontario and Sarnia, Ontario. ...
The Fort Garry Horse badge The Fort Garry Horse is a Canadian Militia (i. ...
DD Sherman tank with its flotation screen lowered. ...
The unit did not operate as a single division, its vehicles were distributed as small units across the Divisions taking part in the landings and subsequent operations. Difficulties were encountered in persuading infantry commanders to use use the specialised armour to best effect.
The Division was further used during the battle for the Roer Triangle (Operation Blackcock), the Rhine crossings (Operation Plunder) and the Elbe crossing to transport the assault troops and to re-supply. Combatants Britain, Canada Germany Commanders Lt. ...
During World War II, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the Rhine river at Rees, Wesel and south of the Lippe Canal by the British Second Army, under Lieutenant-General Miles C Dempsey, and the US Ninth Army, under Lieutenant-General William H Simpson. ...
The 79th Armoured Division was disbanded on 20 August 1945. Hobart later commanded the Specialised Armour Experimental Establishment. August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ...
Component Units The 79th was raised as a conventional armoured division.
27th Armoured Brigade -
Attached to the 79th Armoured Division from 8 September 1942 until 20 October 1943. The 27th Armoured Brigade was a Second World War British Army formation. ...
The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1922 to 1992. ...
The 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Marys Own) was a regiment of the British Army. ...
30th Armoured Brigade -
Three regiments were issued with the Sherman Crab flail mine-clearing tanks from December 1943. The 30th Armoured Brigade (created on 27 December 1940) was a World War II British Army unit that served in the campaign in Western Europe as part of the 79th Armoured Division. ...
The Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army. ...
The 22nd Dragoons was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1940 to 1945. ...
The 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) was formed in July 1944 by the amalgamation at Carpiquet Airfield in Normandy of the two existing Sharpshooters regiments: the 3rd CLY and 4th CLY, both of which were veterans of the 8th Army. ...
The following is an extensive catalogue of the variants and specific unique elements of each variant and/or design stage of the M4 Sherman tank. ...
1st Tank Brigade -
The British 1st Army Tank Brigade took part in Operation Crusader, being a part of the XIII Corps. ...
The 42nd (7th (23rd London) Bn, The East Surrey Regiment) Royal Tank Regiment (42 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army from 1938 until 1956. ...
The 49th Royal Tank Regiment (49 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army during the Second World War. ...
185 Infantry Brigade -
Main article: 185th Infantry Brigade The Royal Norfolk Regiment, originally formed as the Norfolk Regiment, was a regiment of the British Army. ...
The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, also known as the Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. ...
1st Assault Brigade, Royal Engineers -
Churchill AVRE The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army. ...
- 5th, 6th and 42nd Assault Regiments, R.E.
79th Armoured Division Signals -
Main article: 79th Armoured Division Signals
1st Canadian Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment -
Main article: 1st Canadian Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment Equipped with Kangaroos Kangaroo personnel carrier A Kangaroo was a World War II British or Commonwealth armoured personnel carrier, created by conversion of a tank chassis. ...
35th Tank Brigade -
Main article: 35th Tank Brigade Operating Canal Defence Light searchlight tanks Canal Defence Light (CDL) was a British secret weapon of the Second World War. ...
External links - Royal Engineers Museum Royal Engineers and Second World War (Assault Engineers)
- Royal Engineers Museum Biography of Major General Sir Percy Hobart
- Royal Engineers Museum Royal Engineers and Operation Overlord
- 79 Armoured Division at Orders of Battle.com?
- http://www.operation-blackcock.com
- http://79armoured.moonfruit.com/
References - Keegan, John; Kenneth Macksey (1991). Churchill's Generals. London: Cassell, pp 250-254. ISBN 0-304-36712-5.
- Hastings, Max (1999). Overlord. London: Pan, p 396. ISBN 0-330-39012-0.
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