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The 1st Assault Brigade Royal Engineers was a specialised armoured formation of the
By the end of October 1943, various engineer units had been renamed and transferred into the Brigade. This brigade comprised 3 Assault Regiments, each with 4 Assault Squadrons, plus an Assault Park Squadron. This structure remained unchanged up to the Normandy landings in June 1944.
The basic vehicle of the assault unit was the Assault Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVREs). This was a Churchill tank with its turret modified or removed and to which were attached certain special equipments.
The Brigade was employed during the assault landings in Normandy,
The AVREs then turned their attention to the first line of land defences, using their spigot mortars, and with self-propelled guns providing artillery support. More Sappers landed to continue the clearance of the beaches. All the time, infantry were moving through into the growing bridgehead.
Several exits were open within an hour of the first landings, allowing the Armoured Brigades to start moving inland.
The Assault Regiments suffered their share of casualties. In some sectors, up to 50% of the flail tanks, AVREs and armoured bulldozers had been knocked out, with high casualties among the crews. But many of the objectives for D-Day had been achieved, which may not have been the case without 1st Assault Brigade R.E.
After Normandy, the Brigade was used in
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
active in the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It was formed in mid-1943 and its structure was three assault regiments of the Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
. It was assigned to the 79th Armoured Division
The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist armoured division of the British Army created during the Second World War. The division was created as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944, D-Day.
Major-General Percy ...
in preparation for the Normandy invasion
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 ( D-Day) with the ...
of 6 June 1944. The unit comprised armoured vehicles modified for specialist roles (also known as Hobart's Funnies
Hobart's Funnies is the nickname given to a number of specialist armoured fighting vehicles derived from tanks operated during the Second World War by units of the 79th Armoured Division of the British Army or by specialists from the Royal En ...
), intended to assist with the landing phase of the operation.
History
By the end of October 1943, various engineer units had been renamed and transferred into the Brigade. This brigade comprised 3 Assault Regiments, each with 4 Assault Squadrons, plus an Assault Park Squadron. This structure remained unchanged up to the Normandy landings in June 1944.
The basic vehicle of the assault unit was the Assault Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVREs). This was a Churchill tank with its turret modified or removed and to which were attached certain special equipments.
The Brigade was employed during the assault landings in Normandy, Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...
and further used during the battle for the Roer Triangle (Operation Blackcock
Operation Blackcock was an operation to clear German troops from the Roer Triangle, formed by the towns of Roermond and Sittard in the Netherlands and Heinsberg in Germany during the fighting on the Western Front in the Second World War. It w ...
), the Rhine crossings (''Operation Plunder
Operation Plunder was a military operation to cross the Rhine on the night of 23 March 1945, launched by the 21st Army Group under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The crossing of the river was at Rees, Wesel, and south of the river Lippe b ...
'') and the Elbe crossing
The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...
.
D-Day , Operation Overlord
Each of the three Infantry Divisions involved in the first assault on the British and Canadian front -Gold Beach
Gold, commonly known as Gold Beach, was the code name for one of the five areas of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of German military administration in occupied France during World War II, German-occupied France in the Normandy la ...
, Juno Beach
Juno and or Juno Beach was one of five beaches of the Allies (World War II), Allied invasion of German occupation of France during World War II, German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944 during the World War II, Second Wo ...
and Sword Beach
Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord. The Allied invasion of German-occupied Fra ...
- included two Assault Squadrons from 5 Assault Regiment and 6 Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers.
The objective of each pair of Assault Squadrons was to clear lanes across the beaches and to establish up to eight exits from the beaches onto the first inland road, suitable for tracked vehicles. This involved:
* removing beach obstacles, which were exposed at low tide, so that they were not a hazard as the tide rose.
* disarming and removing mines and other explosive charges from these obstacles
* breaching the sea wall, where one existed
* creating and maintaining ramps and firm access routes through the soft sand above the high water line
* removing knocked-out vehicles that were obstructing these exits
All this had to be done under fire from buildings on the seafront, and under mortar and artillery fire from further inland.
Each Assault Squadron was equipped with a number of Armoured Vehicles Royal Engineers (AVRE
Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE), also known as Assault Vehicle Royal Engineers, is the title given to a series of armoured military engineering vehicles operated by the Royal Engineers (RE) for the purpose of protecting engineers duri ...
s) - which were Churchill tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV (A22) Churchill was a British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple Bogie#Tracked vehicles, bogies, its ability to ...
s, modified in various ways to suit the needs of Assault Engineers. In addition, the assault teams included a number of Sherman
Sherman most commonly refers to:
*Sherman (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General
*M4 Sherman, a World War II American tank
S ...
'Crabs' from 30th Armoured Brigade
The 30th Armoured Brigade was an armoured formation of the British Army that served in Western Front (World War II)#1944–1945: The Second Front, Western Europe Campaign as part of the 79th Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 79th Armoured Divis ...
- these were Sherman tanks, with a full-width, heavy duty, rotary chain flail mounted in front, which destroyed any mines in its path, thus clearing the lanes up the beach.
The AVREs then turned their attention to the first line of land defences, using their spigot mortars, and with self-propelled guns providing artillery support. More Sappers landed to continue the clearance of the beaches. All the time, infantry were moving through into the growing bridgehead.
Several exits were open within an hour of the first landings, allowing the Armoured Brigades to start moving inland.
The Assault Regiments suffered their share of casualties. In some sectors, up to 50% of the flail tanks, AVREs and armoured bulldozers had been knocked out, with high casualties among the crews. But many of the objectives for D-Day had been achieved, which may not have been the case without 1st Assault Brigade R.E.
After Normandy, the Brigade was used in Operation Blackcock
Operation Blackcock was an operation to clear German troops from the Roer Triangle, formed by the towns of Roermond and Sittard in the Netherlands and Heinsberg in Germany during the fighting on the Western Front in the Second World War. It w ...
, Operation Infatuate
Operation Infatuate was the code name given to an Anglo-Canadian operation in November 1944 during the Second World War to open the port of Antwerp to shipping and relieve logistical constraints. The operation was part of the wider Battle of the ...
and Operation Plunder
Operation Plunder was a military operation to cross the Rhine on the night of 23 March 1945, launched by the 21st Army Group under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The crossing of the river was at Rees, Wesel, and south of the river Lippe b ...
.
Assault Engineers after the War
Disbanding of 1st Assault Brigade
After the end of the Second World War,79th Armoured Division
The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist armoured division of the British Army created during the Second World War. The division was created as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944, D-Day.
Major-General Percy ...
was disbanded in August 1945. The remaining Assault Engineer Regiment was disbanded in July 1957.
Reformation as 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment
The unit was briefly reformed as 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment in 1964 before a further reorganisation in 1969 reduced the Armoured Engineers to one squadron. In 1980, 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment was again reformed and was the largest tank regiment in the British Army. The Regiment was the only unit equipped with specialist Sapper tanks and heir to the traditions of past assault and armoured engineers. The regimental crest included the bull's head device of 79th Armoured Division. 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment had three squadrons each of four troops, a total of 72 tanks. Each troop had threeAVRE
Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE), also known as Assault Vehicle Royal Engineers, is the title given to a series of armoured military engineering vehicles operated by the Royal Engineers (RE) for the purpose of protecting engineers duri ...
s and three AVLB
An armoured vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) is a combat support vehicle, sometimes regarded as a subtype of military engineering vehicle, designed to assist militaries in rapidly deploying tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles across gap-ty ...
s (bridge layers). These were more modern types, evolved from the original Churchill, but based on the newer Centurion and Chieftain tanks.
As of 2008, Engineer Regiments attached to Armoured or Mechanised Brigades in the British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
have Armoured Engineer Squadrons included within their organisation.
Order of Battle
The Order of battle of the brigade during the war was:Joslen, p. 147 (day/month/year). * 5th Assault Regiment,Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
26/11/43–22/4/45
** 5th Armoured Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
23/4/45–14/7/45
* 6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
26/11/43–22/4/45
** 6th Armoured Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
26/11/43-24/4/45
* 42nd Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
26/11/43–22/4/45
** 42nd Armoured Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
26/11/43–12/4/45
* 87th Assault Dozer Squadron, Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
1/3/45–22/4/45
* 149th Assault Park Squadron, Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
18/1/45–22/4/45
** 149th Armoured Engineer Park Squadron, Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
23/4/45–12/7/45
* 557th Assault Training Establishment, Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
8/1/45–23/4/45
** 557th Armoured Engineer Training & Experimental Establishment 24/4/45–12/7/45
Commanders
Commanding officers of the brigade included: *Brigadier
Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...
Geoffrey Lionel Watkinson 26/11/43–12/2/45
* (Acting) Lieutenant Colonel J. K. Sheppheard 12/2/45–18/2/45
* Brigadier
Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...
Philip Saint Barbe Sydenham 18/2/45–30/7/45
See also
*British Armoured formations of World War II
During the Second World War the British Army deployed armoured divisions and independent armoured and tank brigades.
Background
During the interwar period, the British Army examined the Lessons learned, lessons of the First World War; a need was ...
Notes
References
*Further reading
*A.R.E. The story of the 1st Assault Brigade Royal Engineers 1943-1945 (1st Assault Brigade, 1945) 78p. Printed for members of the Brigade. *The story of 79th Armoured Division, October 1942-June 1945 (Germany : 79th Armoured Division, 1945) 314 p. *N.W. Duncan. 79th Armoured Division (Hobo's Funnies) (Windsor : Profile Publications, 1972) 70 p. (Profile book ; 3) *Geoffrey W. Futter. The Funnies : the 79th Armoured Division and its specialised equipment (Hemel Hempstead : Model and Allied Publications, 1974) x, 131 p. (A Bellona book) *David Fletcher. Vanguard of victory : the 79th Armoured Division (London : Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1984) 86 p. *Patrick Delaforce. Churchill's secret weapons : the story of Hobart's Funnies (London : Robert Hale, 1998) 256 p.See also
*List of British brigades of the Second World War
This is a list of British Brigades in the Second World War. It is intended as a central place to access resources about formations of brigade size that served in the British Army during the Second World War.
* List of British airborne brigades ...
External links
*https://web.archive.org/web/20080206231149/http://www.remuseum.org.uk/biography/rem_bio_hobart.htm *http://www.unithistories.com/units_british/79ArmdDiv.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:1st Assault Brigade Royal Engineers 1 Assault 1 Engineer brigades of the British Army Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945