Sunday 26 April 2015

Totalise/Totalize Allied Orbat

So with the issues I've had trying to track down certain units using Google I thought it might be useful to have a list of units involved. Both for me (although I do have a book!) and anyone else interested in this period. It might also give regular readers a bit of an idea of the size of this largely overlooked but vitally important operation.

This post will cover the Allies - although I have left out the air force element (84 Composite Group) for now.

First Canadian Army, Order of Battle, 7 August 1944

(Units marked with a * are British and + are Polish. All others are Canadian)

Headquarters, First Canadian Army

Army Troops:-

2 Canadian Armoured Brigade
   - 6 Canadian Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars) (Sherman III)
   - 10 Canadian Armoured Regiment (Fort Garry Horse) (Sherman III)
   - 27 Canadian Armoured Regiment (Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment) (Sherman III)

31 Armoured Brigade*
   - 7th Battalion, the Royal Tank Regiment (Churchills)
   - 9th Battalion, the Royal Tank Regiment (Churchills)

33 Armoured Brigade*
   - 1 Northamptonshire Yeomanry (Sherman I)
   - 144 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (Sherman I)
   - 148 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (Sherman I)

25 Canadian Armoured Delivery Regiment (Elgin Regiment)

2 Canadian Army Group, Royal Artillery
   - 3 Canadian Medium Regiment (5.5")
   - 4 Canadian Medium Regiment (5.5")
   - 7 Canadian Medium Regiment (5.5")
   - 15 Medium Regiment* (5.5")
   - 1 Heavy Regiment* (7.2")

4 Army Group, Royal Artillery*
   - 150 Field Regiment* (25-pdr)
   - 53 Medium Regiment* (5.5")
   - 65 Medium Regiment* (5.5")
   - 68 Medium Regiment* (5.5")
   - 79 Medium Regiment* (5.5")
   - 51 Heavy Regiment* (7.2")

9 Army Group, Royal Artillery*
   - 9 Medium Regiment* (5.5")
   - 11 Medium Regiment* (5.5")
   - 107 Medium Regiment* (5.5")

74 Anti-Aircraft Brigade* (assigned to defence of 84 Composite Group airfields)

107 Anti-Aircraft Brigade* (not fully deployed for Totalize)
   - 2 Canadian Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment
   - 109 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment*
   - 344 Searchlight Battery*
   Still moving to the Continent:
   - 16 Anti-Aircraft Operations Room RCA
   - 108 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment*

661 Air Observation Post Squadron RAF

RCAF Army Headquarters Intercommunications Flight

- 2nd Canadian Corps

Headquarters, 2nd Canadian Corps

Corps Troops:

Canadian Armoured Corps
  - 18 Canadian Armoured Car Regiment (12 Manitoba Dragoons)

Royal Canadian Artillery 
    - 6 Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment (Towed 17 Pounder and SP 3" M10))
    - 2 Canadian Survey Regiment
    - 6 Canadian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (40mm Bofors)
    - Corps Counter Batter Office

Royal Canadian Engineers
    - 29 Canadian Field Company
    - 30 Canadian Field Company
    - 31 Canadian Field Company
    - 8 Canadian Field Park Company

661 Air Observation Post Squadron, RAF*

-- 2nd Canadian Infantry Division

4 Canadian Infantry Brigade
   - Royal Regiment of Canada
   - Royal Hamilton Light Infantry
   - Essex Scottish

5 Canadian Infantry Brigade
   - The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
   - Le Regiment de Maisonneuve
   - Calgary Highlanders

6 Canadian Infantry Brigade
   - Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal
   - Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada
   - South Saskatchewan Regiment

Divisional Troops
   - 8 Canadian Reconnaissance Regiment (14 Canadian Hussars)

Royal Canadian Artillery
   - 4 Canadian Field Regiment
   - 5 Canadian Field Regiment
   - 6 Canadian Field Regiment
   - 2 Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment
   - 3 Canadian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment

Royal Canadian Engineers
   - 2 Canadian Field Company
   - 7 Canadian Field Company
   - 11 Canadian Field Company
   - 1 Canadian Field Park Company

Tentacle, Air Support Signals Unit

Toronto Scottish (Machine Gun)

-- 3rd Canadian Infantry Division

7 Canadian Infantry Brigade
   - Royal Winnipeg Rifles
   - Regina Rifles Regiment
   - 1st Battalion, Canadian Scottish Regiment

8 Canadian Infantry Brigade
   - Queen's Own Rifles of Canada
   - Le Regiment de la Chaudiere
   - North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment

9 Canadian Infantry Brigade
   - The Highland Light Infantry of Canada
   - Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
   - North Nova Scotia Highlanders

Divisional Troops
   - 7 Canadian Reconnaissance Regiment (Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars)

Royal Canadian Artillery
   - 12 Canadian Field Regiment
   - 13 Canadian Field Regiment
   - 14 Canadian Field Regiment
   - 3 Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment (17-pdr, M10, M10C)
   - 4 Canadian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment

Royal Canadian Engineers
   - 6 Canadian Field Company
   - 16 Canadian Field Company
   - 18 Canadian Field Company
   - 3 Canadian Field Park Company

Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Machine Gun)

-- 4th Canadian Armoured Division

4 Canadian Armoured Brigade
   - 21 Canadian Armoured Regiment (Governor General's Foot Guards)
   - 22 Canadian Armoured Regiment (Canadian Grenadier Guards)
   - 28 Canadian Armoured Regiment (British Columbia Regiment)
   - Lake Superior Regiment (Motor)

10 Canadian Infantry Brigade
   - Lincoln and Welland Regiment
   - Algonquin Regiment
   - Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's)

Divisional Troops
   - 29 Canadian Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (South Alberta Regiment)

Royal Canadian Artillery
   - 15 Canadian Field Regiment
   - 23 Canadian Field Regiment (Self Propelled)
   - 19 Canadian Army Field Regiment (Self Propelled) - attached from 2 AGRA
   - 5 Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment (M10C)
   - 8 Canadian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment

Royal Canadian Engineers
   - 8 Canadian Field Company
   - 9 Canadian Field Company
   - 6 Canadian Field Park Company

10th Independent Machine Gun Company (The New Brunswick Rangers)

-- 51st Highland Division*

152 Highland Brigade*
   - 2 Seaforth Highlanders*
   - 5 Seaforth Highlanders*
   - 5 Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders*

153 Highland Brigade*
   - 5 Black Watch*
   - 1 Gordon Highlanders*
   - 5/7 Gordon Highlanders*

154 Highland Brigade*
   - 1 Black Watch*
   - 7 Black Watch*
   - 7 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders*

Divisional Troops
   - 2 Derbyshire Yeomanry (Reconnaissance Regiment)*

Royal Artillery
   - 126 Field Regiment*
   - 127 Field Regiment*
   - 128 Field Regiment*
   - 61 Anti-Tank Regiment (17-pdr, 6-pdr)*
   - 40 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment*

Royal Engineers
   - 274 Field Company*
   - 275 Field Company*
   - 276 Field Company*
   - 236 Field Park Company*

1/7 Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun)*

C Flight, 652 Air Observation Post Squadron, RAF*

-- 1. Dywizji Pancernej (1st Polish Armoured Division)+

No. 4 Laison HQ Armoured*

10. Brygada Kwalerii (10 Armoured Cavalry Brigade)+
   - 1. Pulk Pancerny (1 Armoured Regiment)+
   - 2. Pulk Pancerny (2 Armoured Regiment)+
   - 24. Pulk Ulanow (24 Lancers)+
   - 10.  Pulk Dragonow (10 Dragoons (Motor Battalion))+

3. Brygada Strzelcow (3 Rifles Brigade)+
   - 1. Batalion Strzelcow Podhalanskich (1 Rifles Battalion (Highland))+
   - 8. Batalion Strzelcow (8 Rifles Battalion)+
   - 9. Batalion Strzelcow (9 Rifles Battalion)+
   - Samodzielny Szwadron C.K.M. (1st Polish Armoured Division Machine Gun Company)+

Divisional Troops
   - 10. Pulk Strzelcow Konnych (10 Mounted Rifle Regiment (Reconnaissance Regiment))+

Artyleria Dywizyjna (Divisional Artillery)+
   - 1. Pulk Artylerii Motorowej (1 Motorized Artillery Regiment)+
   - 2. Pulk Artylerii Motorowej (2 Motorized Artillery Regiment)+
   - 1. Pulk Artylerii Przeciwpancernej (1 Anti-Tank Regiment)+
   - 1. Pulk Artylerii Pzerciwlotniczej (1 Anti-Aircraft Regiment)+

Saperzy Sywizyina (Divisional Engineers)+
   - 10. Kompania Saperow (10 Polish Field Company)+
   - 11. Kompania Saperow (11 Polish Field Company)+
   - 1. Pluton Mostowy (1 Bridging Platoon)+
   - 11. Kompania Parhkowa (11 polish Field Park Company)+

-- Attached from 79 Armoured Division*

- 22nd Dragoons (Sherman Crabs)*
- 1st Lothian and Border Horse Yeomanry (Sherman Crabs)*
- 141 Regiment RAC (Crocodiles)*
- 79 and 80 Assualt Squadrons (AVRE)*

- 1st British Corps (Outline only)

-- Corps Troops

- Royal Armoured Corps
   - The Inns of Court Regiment (Armoured Car)*

- Royal Artillery
   - 62 Anti-Tank Regiment*
   - 102 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment*
   - 9 Survey Regiment*

652 Air Observation Post Squadron, RAF (less C Flight)*

-- 6 (Airborne) Division*

3 Parachute Brigade*

5 Parachute Brigade*

6 Airlanding Brigade*

1 Special Service Brigade (attached)*

4 Special Service Brigade (attached)*

-- 49 (West Riding) Division*

70 Brigade*

146 Brigade*

147 Brigade*

Belgian Contingent (approx brigade strength)

Netherlands Contingent (approx brigade strength)


Wow - that's a lot of typing! Details have come from 'No Holding Back' by Brian A. Reid. As you can see, even without the German or Airforce elements listed, this variety of troops gives plenty of opportunity for different forces. Armoured, Infantry, Motorised, Mechanised and Recon lists. Including Armoured Recon, Airborne and Special Service units.

Also represented are Canadians, British, Polish, Belgian and Netherland units... Although the Belgian and Netherland units (along with the rest of 1st British Corps) were on the flanks of the attack so did not participate in the main drive.

Also - a little national pride. I noticed a huge number of 'Highland' regiments, including those in the Canadian Army. Just goes to show how much influence Scotland has had outside just the British Isles. (The fact a 'successful' 300 year 'union' led to so many Scots going abroad and influencing nations such as Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Australian is not lost on me.)

Looking at all this, I am tempted to work on a 'Mini Campaign' set of Flames of War army lists - based on the Overlord book but a little more 'correct' for the start of August rather than the start of June '44. Anyone interested in helping?

RAF and German Orbats to follow (at some point)!

2 comments:

  1. I've got most of the models for a 4CAD OoB.... But how different from the Market Garden lists would a Totalize list be?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Not sure that the list for 4CAD would be that different. Other than it being their first engagement, so they would drop to Confident Trained. The Land Mattresses would go, I would probably think about giving the Rifle Platoon's De-Frocked Priest Kangeroo's (although not sure how historical that would be), maybe a breaching group option, certainly Churchill crocs. The whole Division was on the attack at the same time, so there is an argument for a platoon of Canadian Armoured Recce Shermans on the other lists.

    I'm more thinking about adding a specific flavor for this operation - even just a few months later in the Netherlands the units - and their support - had changes quite a bit.

    ReplyDelete

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