Operational history 27th Armoured Brigade

1 operational history

1.1 d-day
1.2 battle caen
1.3 operation goodwood
1.4 disbandment

operational history

the brigade assigned crucial role in normandy landings. 13/18th hussars, equipped m4 sherman dd amphibious tanks, accompany initial assault on sword 3rd division s 8th brigade group, while rest of 27th armoured bde support division s follow-up attacks towards caen.

d-day

men of no. 4 commando engaged in house house fighting germans @ riva bella, near ouistreham. sherman dd tanks of b squadron, 13th/18th royal hussars providing fire support , cover, 6 june 1944.

on morning of d-day sea rough , 27th armoured brigade s commander, brigadier g.e. prior-palmer, in conjunction captain bush, royal navy, decided launch dd tanks closer inshore had been planned. thirty-four out of 40 dd tanks of , b squadrons of 13/18th hussars launched lcts (landing craft tank) 5000 yards sword. 1 sank , remainder made slow progress in heavy seas , overtaken leading landing craft carrying infantry , flail tanks. 2 dd tanks rammed landing craft , lost on run in. remaining 6 tanks of 13/18th hussars taken in beach aboard lct. regiment lost 6 tanks knocked out in surf , 4 shortly after, leaving 27 support infantry in advance off beach. 1 squadron supported 1st battalion, suffolk regiment in attack on hillman strongpoint. squadron assisted no. 4 commando capture ouistreham on left flank of beachhead. c squadron landed last, towing waterproofed sledges containing ammunition reserve, took long time clear of beach.

the shermans of staffordshire yeomanry landed later on morning of d-day support 185th brigade, spearhead of 3rd division s attack inland. unit of conventional tanks landed day on sword. advance led mobile column of 2nd battalion, king s shropshire light infantry (ksli) riding on staffordshire yeomanry s tanks, @ noon infantry s heavy weapons still held on congested beaches, , tanks minefield. leading tanks caught infantry @ periers rise, 4 tanks knocked out flank fire german guns in wood, had dealt with. 1600 hours 1 squadron of staffordshire yeomanry advanced infantry , self-propelled 17-pounders 20th anti-tank regiment, royal artillery @ beuville , bieville on direct road caen, second supporting attack on hillman , , third guarding flank @ point 61 on periers rise. afterwards scouting troop of staffordshires reported 40 german tanks advancing fast. these 22 panzer regiment 22 major-general edgar feuchtinger s 21st panzer division, equipped panzer iv tanks, supplemented obsolete french somua s35 tanks , self-propelled anti-tank guns on various french chassis. these panzers had taken losses when attacked typhoon fighter-bombers on road caen.

the staffordshire squadron hillman brought up, , several of german tanks knocked out staffordshires , anti-tank guns of 2nd ksli , 20th a/t regt. panzers turned aside woods, pursued yeomanry , field-gun fire, , took further losses when showed again. drawing off second time, panzers reinforced , made wide detour towards periers ridge. here met , driven off squadron positioned there. british claimed 13 panzers knocked out loss of 1 sp gun. fuechtinger later reported division lost 54 out of 124 tanks in these actions , earlier typhoon attacks. however, @ nightfall division still interposed between british corps , objective, city of caen. city did not fall month, dislocating british operations.

the third regiment of 27th armoured brigade, east riding yeomanry (also equipped sherman dd tanks) landed later on d-day 3rd division s reserve, 9th brigade group.

the battle caen

during follow-up operations after d-day 27th armoured brigade continued support corps attacks along river orne towards caen. on 11 june squadron of 13/18th hussars supported 6th airborne division s attacks along river, , later in month regiment supported 51st (highland) infantry division in further attacks along river. on 8 , 9 july, 27th armoured brigade supported corps final successful attack on caen.

operation goodwood

on 18 july second british army began major offensive south caen (operation goodwood). corps task attack along left flank of main armoured thrust. 3rd division plus 1 brigade 51st division moved forward @ 0745 hours, supported 27th armoured brigade. german reception troops of 346th infantry division , 16th luftwaffe field division varied: villages of sannerville , banneville la campagne had been hit preliminary attack raf bomber command , both in british hands midday. touffreville, on other hand, on edge of bomber command s target area, , held out until evening. there heavy fighting in mined , broken country through road ran troarn. attacking route , sannerville, 3rd division found troarn defended , @ nightfall still mile short of town. between manneville , guillerville, south of troarn–caen road, there stiff fighting against german infantry of 711th infantry division, rushed bicycle coast, supported tiger tanks. midnight when both villages cleared. day s fighting had cost british 500 casualties , 18 tanks.

at dawn following day infantry of 3rd division working way through orchards towards troarn. place well-defended, well-sited outlying infantry positions. division put in 4 successive attacks during day, supported 27th armoured bde, none successful. corps reinforced, goodwood offensive petered out following day.

disbandment

after goodwood second army s emphasis switched away caen sector , on 27 july 1944 27th armoured brigade broken up, 3 regiments being distributed other formations.