Operational history 6th Airlanding Brigade (United Kingdom)

1 operational history

1.1 normandy
1.2 advance seine
1.3 ardennes
1.4 rhine
1.5 germany
1.6 post war

operational history

from june december 1943, 6th airlanding brigade, part of 6th airborne division, prepared operations, , trained @ every level section division day , night. airborne soldiers expected fight against superior numbers of enemy equipped artillery , tanks. training designed encourage spirit of self-discipline, self-reliance , aggressiveness. emphasis given physical fitness, marksmanship , fieldcraft. large part of training consisted of assault courses , route marching. military exercises included capturing , holding airborne bridgeheads, road or rail bridges , coastal fortifications. @ end of exercises, troops march barracks, distance of around 20 miles (32 km). ability cover long distances @ speed expected: airborne platoons required cover distance of 50 miles (80 km) in 24 hours, , battalions 32 miles (51 km).

in april 1944, under command of airborne corps, brigade took part in exercise mush. three-day exercise in counties of gloucestershire, oxfordshire , wiltshire, during entire 6th airborne division landed air. unknown troops involved, exercise full-scale rehearsal division s involvement in imminent allied invasion of normandy. in invasion, 6th airborne division s 2 parachute brigades land in hours of 6 june in operation tonga; 6th airlanding brigade not arrive until dusk on same day. objective secure left flank of invasion area, between rivers orne , dives.

normandy


airspeed horsa gliders on landing zone n , 7 june 1944.

one of first allied units land in normandy d company of 2nd ox , bucks light infantry, commanded major john howard. company, attached 5th parachute brigade, carried out operation deadstick, coup de main assault on 2 bridges crossing caen canal , river orne.

almost 21 hours later 6th airlanding brigade s main air assault on normandy, operation mallard, began. included in operation brigade, 6th airborne division s reconnaissance regiment, , 1 of howitzer batteries. combined force crossed english channel in 250 gliders, arriving @ landing zones @ 21:00 6 june 1944.

british airborne troops admire graffiti chalked on side of glider prepare fly out part of second drop on night of 6 june 1944.

the gliders carrying brigade headed 2 separated landing areas, landing zone w (lz-w) east of saint-aubin-d arquenay , landing zone n (lz-n) north of ranville. gliders landing on lz-w contained remaining men of 2nd obli, , company, 12th devons landed @ lz-w. given limited availability of aircraft, remainder of devons battalion , divisional troops transported sea, arriving @ sword beach on 7 june. brigade headquarters , 1st rur landed @ lz-n. lz-n still within range of german defenders, , disembarking troops subjected light machine gun , mortar fire. however, lost 1 man, killed sniper.

at 22:30 brigadier kindersley briefed 2 battalion cos ordering 2nd obli capture village of escoville 3 miles (4.8 km) south of ranville, , 1st rur capture longueval, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south-west of le bas de ranville, , sainte-honorine.

by 04:30 7 june 2nd obli had reached herourvillette. finding village unoccupied left company behind defend it, , @ 08:30 rest of battalion headed escoville. arrived @ village @ 11:00 having been confronted sniper fire. germans assembling on heights overlooking village attacked @ 15:00. fighting @ close quarters , house house, 16:00 battalion forced withdraw herourvillette. battle cost them 87 casualties, including co.

it not until 09:00 1st rur in position carry out left flanking attack on longuerval. village clear of germans pressed on towards sainte-honorine. when between 2 villages, battalion engaged german mortar, artillery , assault gun fire, , suffered several casualties. 2 companies managed reach sainte-honorine, no artillery fire support of own, , out of radio contact battalion headquarters, forced withdraw longueval.

around same time, 12th devons had arrived in divisional area landing beaches , ordered take on defence of bas de ranville 12th parachute battalion. because positioned behind brigade front line, not directly attacked, 11:00 18:30 on 8 june subjected constant artillery bombardment.

on 9 june 2nd obli sent company escoville confirm if still held germans. finding occupied infantry armour support, withdrew herourvillette. @ 18:30 battalion attacked messerschmitt bf 109 aircraft , @ 19:00 whole brigade s position bombarded german artillery , mortar fire. followed infantry , tank assault. supported own , division s anti-tank guns , artillery, battalion stopped attack around 100 yards (91 m) lines. 21:30 attack over, , germans withdrew, having lost 8 tanks, 2 armoured cars , 2 self-propelled guns.

at same time, german tanks , infantry attacked 12th devons. 20:30 had advanced within 50 yards (46 m) of battalion s positions. airborne artillery regiment busy assisting 2nd obli, devons had call on artillery british 3rd infantry division break attack. activity on next few days limited skirmishes , patrol activity, until night of 13 june when brigade relieved units of 51st (highland) infantry division. brigade repositioned in area of breville between 5th parachute brigade , commandos of 1st special service brigade. here remained in defensive position until mid august, conducting patrols hold germans attention.

advance seine


men of 6th airlanding brigade in france, 1944.

on 7 august 6th airborne division ordered prepare move on offensive, objective being mouth of river seine. division began advance germans retreated france following defeat in battle of falaise. 6th airlanding brigade, commanded brigadier edwin flavell, had 1st belgian infantry brigade , royal netherlands motorized infantry brigade under command. form left flank of division s advance, moving along french coast, while remainder of division advanced further inland.

the 6th airlanding brigade advance started on 17 august along 2 axes, 12th devons on left, 2nd obli on right, , 1st rur in reserve. @ longuemare 12th devons had fight through german rearguard, , 1st rur took on advance on left , reached cabourg without meeting further resistance.

the brigade group moved area east of troarn on 21 august. 12th devons leading advanced again, occupying branville, vauville , deauville on 22 august. attempts cross river touques repulsed force estimated around 1,200 men. outflanking german position, 2nd obli crossed river @ touques on 24 august. keeping pressure on retreating germans on 25 august, le correspondence, petreville , malhortie captured. however, germans had retained control of bridge outside malhortie , high ground @ manneville-la-raoult. 2nd obli attacked , captured bridge intact, mannerville-la-raoult taken @ dusk, @ cost of several casualties. next day, 26 august, battalion captured foulbec on river seine @ 19:00, although not before germans had destroyed bridge, , earlier day 1st rur had captured berville-sur-mer. on 27 august division ordered concentrate in area between honfleur , pont audemer.

in 9 days of fighting 6th airborne division had advanced 45 miles (72 km), despite, divisional commander, major-general richard nelson gale put it, infantry units being quite inadequately equipped rapid pursuit . division had captured 400 square miles (1,000 km) of territory , taken on 1,000 german soldiers prisoner. since landing on 6 june division s casualties 4,457, of 821 killed, 2,709 wounded , 927 missing. 6th airlanding brigade suffered 115 men killed during campaign. division withdrawn france, , embarked england @ beginning of september.

ardennes

in england brigade went period of recruitment , training, concentrating on house house street fighting in bombed areas of southampton , birmingham. training programme culminated in exercise eve, assault on river thames, intended simulate river rhine in germany.

by december brigade preparing christmas leave, when news of german offensive in ardennes broke. part of first allied airborne army, 6th airborne division available component of strategic reserve allied forces in northwest europe. other 2 divisions available in reserve, american 82nd , 101st airborne, @ rheims in northern france, , 6th airborne sent sea belgium assist defence. 29 german , 33 allied divisions involved, battle of bulge largest single battle on western front during war. on christmas day division moved take position in front of spearhead of german advance; boxing day had reached allocated places in defensive line between dinant , namur. 3rd parachute brigade on left, 5th parachute brigade on right, , airlanding brigade in reserve. on next days german advance halted , forced back, until @ end of january 1945, brigade crossed netherlands. here division made responsible area along river maas, between venlo , roermond. brigade carried out patrols, on both sides of river, against opponents 7th parachute division. near end of february division returned england prepare airborne mission, cross river rhine germany.

rhine


airborne troops marching through hamminkeln, germany, 25 march 1945.

whereas other allied airborne landings had been surprise germans, rhine crossing expected, , defences reinforced in anticipation. airborne operation preceded two-day round-the-clock bombing mission allied air forces. on 23 march 3,500 artillery guns targeted german positions. @ dusk operation plunder, assault river crossing of rhine 21st army group, began. part in operation varsity, british 6th airborne division assigned u.s. xviii airborne corps, under major general matthew ridgway, alongside major general william miley s u.s. 17th airborne division.

the 6th airlanding brigade, commanded brigadier hugh bellamy, given several objectives in operation. 2nd obli, landing in north, had secure bridges on river issel. 1st rur had main road bridge on river hamminkeln brunen objective, , 12th devons capture town of hamminkeln.

regimental sergeant major evans of 12th battalion, devonshire regiment examines captured german helmets in hamminkeln, 25 march 1945.

as in normandy, division s 2 parachute brigades on ground before 6th airlanding brigade started landing @ 10:30 24 march 1945. german defenders had been alerted, , gliders met concentrated anti-aircraft barrage. caused brigade around 40 per cent casualties in men , 50 per cent in equipment. nevertheless, 11:00 2nd obli , 1st rur had captured objectives. 12th devons landed amongst german armoured formation, managed gather enough men begin attack on hamminkeln @ 11:35, , had secured town 12:00.

at midnight 2nd obli attacked force of tanks , infantry. 1 of battalion positions @ eastern side of road bridge overrun, , had recaptured counter-attack. attack 2 hours later in danger of capturing bridge, brigadier bellamy ordered blown up. german infantry attempted infiltrate brigade s positions throughout night. @ 05:30 german armour detected approaching , brigade called in close air support raf typhoon fighter bombers, destroyed several tanks. main road bridge, held 1st rur, attacked @ 07:00 infantry , 2 tanks. attack failed when tanks destroyed division s anti-tank guns. later day infantry 15th scottish infantry division, supported tanks, had advanced divisional area , took on brigade s position. @ same time division ordered prepare advance eastwards dawn on 26 march.

germany

on 26 march brigade advanced further germany, 1st rur , 12th devons leading. opposition german rearguard actions, , reached rhade evening , limbeck following day. crossed dortmund–ems canal @ dawn on 2 april, unopposed except artillery fire. later day there more resistance when reached lengerich. 4 april brigade moving forward fast possible, supported 4th (armoured) battalion, grenadier guards, part of 6th guards tank brigade. steinhuder meer reached on 10 april, in following days ulzen , lüneburg captured. 2 may had reached river elbe. expecting defended in force, division attacked @ once, trying catch defenders unaware. attack successful , river crossed on pontoon bridge left intact retreating germans. afternoon leading troops of 3rd parachute brigade reached mecklenburg , made contact leading men russian army advancing east. later day brigade reached wismar on baltic sea, , remained there until 7 may when news received of german surrender.

post war

at end of may 1945, division pulled out of germany , returned england. intended send them india form airborne corps 44th indian airborne division. division’s advance party, formed around 5th parachute brigade, had arrived in india. following japanese surrender, these plans changed. post-war british army needed 1 airborne division, , 6th airborne chosen remain on strength. reinforced 2nd parachute brigade, division sent middle east imperial strategic reserve.

on 10 october 1945, brigade arrived @ port of haifa, , after disembarking moved gaza. after short period of acclimatisation, 6th airlanding brigade deployed in samaria region, brigade headquarters @ lydda airfield. @ same time, 6th battalion, gordon highlanders, based @ tulkarm, came under brigade s command. first incident in brigade area on 31 october, when parties of armed jews planted explosives on rail lines, killed 4 , wounded 8 when exploded. following attacks on coastguard stations, believed members of palmach, on night of 24/25 november, brigade carried out 2 operations search settlements responsible. on 29 march 1946 brigade relocated jerusalem in preparation leaving division. on 3 april 1st parachute brigade, had been assigned division, arrived in palestine. arrival made glider formation surplus requirements, on 15 april brigade renumbered 31st independent infantry brigade, , no longer part of british airborne forces.

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