Second Battle of El Alamein order of battle

The Second Battle of El Alamein order of battle is a listing of the significant formations that were involved in the Second Battle of El Alamein during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, 23 October – 4 November 1942.

British 8th Army

Under the command of Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery

Under direct Army Command

Army Troops

British X Corps

Under command of Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden

British 1st Armoured Division

under Major-General Raymond Briggs

British 2nd Armoured Brigade

under Brigadier Arthur Fisher

92 Sherman, 68 Crusader, one Grant = 161 tanks[3]

British 7th Motor Brigade

under Brigadier Thomas J. Bosville

Hammerforce (attached from 8th Armoured Division)
Minefield Task Force

(Attached to Hammerforce for mine clearance)[3]
Under Commanding Officer, 2nd Bn Rifle Brigade

British 10th Armoured Division

under Major-General Alexander Gatehouse

8th Armoured Brigade

under Brigadier Edward C.N. Custance

45 Crusader, 57 Grant, 31 Sherman = 133 tanks

British 24th Armoured Brigade (attached from 8th Armoured Division)

under Brigadier Arthur G. Kenchington

2 Grants, 93 Sherman, 45 Crusader = 140 tanks

British 133rd Infantry Brigade (attached from 44th Infantry Division)

under Brigadier Alec W. Lee

Minefield Task Force

(Attached to 133 Bde for mine clearance)[4]
Under Lt-Col G.R. McMeekan, Commanding Royal Engineer, 10th Armoured Division

British 8th Armoured Division

under Major-General Charles Gairdner

British XIII Corps

Under command of Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks

British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division

under Major-General John S. Nichols

1st Greek Infantry Brigade

under Colonel Pausanias Katsotas

British 151st Infantry Brigade (attached to 2nd New Zealand Division 29 October to 3 November)

under Brigadier Joscelyn E.S. Percy

British 69th Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Edward C. Cooke-Collis

2nd Free French Brigade Group (under command)

British 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division

under Major-General Ivor T.P. Hughes

British 131st Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier William Donovan Stamer

British 132nd (Kent) Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Lashmer Whistler

British 133rd (Lorried) Infantry Brigade

Detached to 10th Armoured Division

British 7th Armoured Division

under Major-General John Harding

British 4th Light Armoured Brigade

under Brigadier Marcus G. Roddick

57 Stuart, 14 Grant = 71 tanks and 9 armoured cars

British 22nd Armoured Brigade

under Brigadier George "Pip" Roberts

57 Grant, 50 Crusader, 19 Stuart = 126 tanks

1st Free French Brigade Group (under command)

under Brigadier Marie Pierre Koenig

with (under command)

British XXX Corps

Under the command of Lieutenant General Oliver Leese

9th Australian Division

under Major General Leslie Morshead

Australian 24th Brigade

under Brigadier Arthur H.L. Godfrey

Australian 26th Brigade

under Brigadier David A. Whitehead

Australian 20th Brigade

under Brigadier H. Wrigley

British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division

under Major General Douglas Wimberley

British 152nd Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier George Murray

British 153rd Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Douglas Graham

British 154th Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Henry W. Houldsworth

2nd New Zealand Division

under Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg

New Zealand 5th Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Howard Kippenberger

New Zealand 6th Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier William Gentry

British 9 Armoured Brigade

under Brigadier John Currie

35 Sherman, 37 Grant, 46 Crusader =118

South African 1st Infantry Division

under Major-General Dan Pienaar

South African 1st Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier E.P. Hartshorn

South African 2nd Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Evered Poole

South African 3rd Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier ?

4th Indian Infantry Division

under Major-General Francis Tuker

5th Indian Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Dudley Russell

7th Indian Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Arthur Holworthy

161st Indian Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Francis E.C. Hughes

Corps Reserve

British 23rd Armoured Brigade

under Brigadier George W. Richards

186 Valentine tanks

Panzer Army Africa

(commanded by Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) Erwin Rommel) (Lieutenant-General (General der Panzertruppe) Georg Stumme was in command at the start of the battle in Rommel's absence on sick leave)

Army troops

German 90th Light Afrika Division

(Brigadier-General (Generalmajor) Ernst Strecker)

German 164th Light Afrika Division

(Major-General (Generalleutnant) Carl-Hans Lungershausen)

Ramcke Parachute Brigade

(Brigadier-General (Generalmajor) Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke)

German Africa Corps

(Major-General (Generalleutnant) Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma)

German 15th Panzer Division

(Brigadier-General (Generalmajor) Gustav von Vaerst)

German 21st Panzer Division

(Brigadier-General (Generalmajor) Heinz von Randow)

Italian Army Africa

(Marshal Ettore Bastico)
(Note: other than the Pistoia Division and rear-area troops, the Italian Army HQ in Africa had only administrative control over Italian formations. All Italian formations were under the tactical control of Rommel's Panzer Armee Afrika.)

16 Motorised Division Pistoia

(Major General Giuseppe Falugi)

136 Infantry Division Giovani Fascisti

Italian X Corps

(Lieutenant General Edoardo Nebba; Major General Enrico Frattini in temporary command to October 26)

Italian 27 Infantry Division Brescia

(Major General Brunetto Brunetti)

Italian 17 Infantry Division Pavia

(Brigadier General Nazzareno Scattaglia)

Italian 185 Parachutist Division Folgore

(Major General Enrico Frattini)

Italian XX Motorized Corps

(Lieutenant General Giuseppe de Stephanis)

Italian 132 Armoured Division Ariete

(Major General Francesco Arena)

Italian 133 Armoured Division Littorio

(Major General Gervasio Bitossi)

Italian 101 Motorised Division Trieste

(Brigadier General Francisco La Ferla)

Italian XXI Corps

(Lieutenant General Enea Navarini; Major General Alessandro Gloria in temporary command to October 26)

Italian 102 Motorised Division Trento

(Brigadier General Giorgio Masina)

Italian 25 Infantry Division Bologna

(Major General Giorgio Masina)

References

Footnotes
  1. 1 SA Division had a Reserve Group comprising 8 RTR, 3 SA Armoured Car Regt. less two squadrons, 2 Regt. Botha (from 1 SA Infantry Brigade), a battery of anti-tank guns and a troop each of light anti-aircraft guns and Scorpion anti-mine flail tanks. The group was disbanded on 31 October.[5]
Citations
  1. 1 2 3 Joslen, p.566
  2. Pakenham-Walsh, pp. 385 & 393.
  3. 1 2 Joslen, p. 567.
  4. Joslen, p.568
  5. Joslen, p. 573

Sources

Category:Battles and operations of World War II involving India

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