8th Army Tank States - July 1942

Hi all,

I'm just working my way through a couple of GHQ MEF files and thought I'd post up the 8th Army Tank States as I get to them as, in my 'umble opinion, they offer useful context for any discussion on the initial battles at Alamein.

I'll put up the source as I work through them (probably be one every couple of days or so at the right I'm working):

First one is for 4 July 1942 (WO 201/408)



Edited to add the Tank State for 5 July 42:




Sorry about that, not sure how I missed that one!

Regards

Tom

 

This is the next one in that file (WO 201/408), this time for 7th July 1942:

 

Mainly Grant and Stuart losses between the two, I see... or just uncounted.

 

Thanks for this Tom!

Do you have the file out to second Alamein?

All the best

Andreas

 

On the 7th the Axis may have had about 100 mediums operational. The frontline strength for the British units is shockingly low. About one regiment's worth of cruiser tanks with units, that's nothing.

All the best

Andreas

 

I've got the next file (WO 201/409) which covers 17 July to 14 August 1942, but the next few in the series which take it out to Oct 42.

Regards

Tom

 

I think the missing Stuarts might just be uncounted but will look on to see what the next State says.

Regards

Tom

 

Yes, agreed.

From CAB 146/14 - German Tank State - 8 Jul 42: 15 Pz Div had 13 (!!) tanks; 21 Pz Div had 29 tanks; Italians (Ariete, Trieste, Littorio) had a total of 54 tanks..

Regards

Tom

 

And on to the 8th July 1942 (WO 201/408 still):



Edited to add:



Regards

Tom

 

BOWs are Base Ordnance Workshops and BODs Base Ordnance Depots?

T.D.S. is Tank Delivery Squadron?

 

Hello old friends! I have not seen these in 17 years. Good to see someone is looking for them. The immediate post Gazala records are a bit of a mess and if you look for the personnel strength accounting you will find that numerous units were question marks...they simply had no idea what the strengths really were.

 

Yes, that's how I read them.

All the best

Andreas

 

And from WO 201/408 again - 8th Army Tank State for 11 July 1942:



Front-line units seem quite a bit stronger now.

Regards

Tom

 

Post # 1 edited with Tank State for 5 July 1942 (still from WO 201/408).

 

And this time a "Tank Appreciation" produced on 9 Jul 42 which predicts future tank availability (again from WO 201/408):



Regards

Tom

 

Post # 9 edited with Tank State for 9 July 1942 (still from WO 201/408).

 

Still WO 201/408 - Tank State for 12 July 1942:

 

An appreciation, but nonetheless signed off by a chap who Generally knew what he was talking about.

13599 General Sir Richard Loudon McCREERY, GCB, KBE, DSO, MBE, MC, MiD*, 12 Lancers

Kind regards, keep up your good works Tom, always,

Jim.