BAOR Battlefield Tour notes: Operation Bluecoat, 30-31 July 1944

A. Order of Battle

8 CORPS (Lieutenant General Sir Richard N. O'CONNOR, GCB, DSO, MC, ADC)


GUARDS ARMOURED DIVISION (Major General A.H.S. ADAIR, CB, DSO, MC)


11 ARMOURED DIVISION (Major General G.P.B. ROBERTS, CB, DSO, MC)
- 29 ARMOURED BRIGADE (Brigadier C.B.C. HARVEY, DSO)
- 23 H
- 3 R TANKS
- 2 FF YEO
- 8 RB

- 159 INFANTRY BRIGADE (Brigadier J.B. CHURCHER, DSO)
- 3 MON
- 4 KSLI
- 1 HEREFORD
- 2 INDEP MG COY NF

- 2 N YEO (Armoured Recce Regt)

- RA (CRA - Brigadier B.J. FOWLER, DSO, MC)
- 13 RHA (HAC) (SP)
- 151 Fd Regt (Ayrshire Yeo)
- 75 A Tk Regt
- 58 LAA Regt

- RE
- 612 Fd Sqn
- 13 Fd Sqn
- 147 Fd Pk Sqn

- Under comd 11 ARMOURED DIVISION
- 25 Fd Regt
- 26 Aslt Sqn (AVsRE)


15 (S) INFANTRY DIVISION (Major General G.H.A. MacMILLAN, CBE, DSO, MC)

- 44 (L) INFANTRY BRIGADE (Brigadier J.C. COCKBURN, MBE)
- 8 RS
- 6 RSF
- 6 KOSB

- 14 (H) INFANTRY BRIGADE (Brigadier C.M. BARBER, DSO)
- 9 CAMERONIANS
- 7 SEAFORTH
- 2 GLAS H

- 22 (H) INFANTRY BRIGADE (Brigadier E.C. COLVILLE, DSO)
- 10 HLI
- 2 GORDONS
- 2 A & SH

- 15 (S) RECCE REGIMENT

- RA (CRA - Brigadier L. BOLTON, DSO)
- 131 Fd Regt
- 181 Fd Regt
- 190 Fd Regt
- 97 A Tk Regt
- 119 LAA Regt

- RE
- 20 Fd Coy
- 278 Fd Coy
- 279 Fd Coy
- 629 Fd Pk Coy

- 1 Mx (MG)


6 GUARDS TANK BRIGADE[/B] (Brigadier G.L. VERNEY, DSO, MVO)
- 4 TANK GRENADIER GUARDS
- 4 TANK COLDSTREAM GUARDS
- 3 TANK SCOTS GUARDS

8 AGRA (Brigadier A.P. CAMPBELL, DSO, OBE)
- 61 Med Regt
- 63 Med Regt
- 77 Med Regt
- 146 Med Regt
- 53 Hy Regt

2 HCR (Armd C Regt)

INNS OF COURT (Armd C Regt)

1 LOTHIANS (FLAILS)

One squadron 141 RAC (CROCODILES)


Note: Commanders are shown in the ranks they held at the time of this Operation. Decorations are given in full.

 

B. Equipment and Organisation (Allied and German)

The following tables give the main details of the organisation of British and German formations at the time of Operation BLUECOAT, and the principal data about the tanks and special equipments in use at the time.




1. SHERMAN "FLAIL" (CRAB II) (See photograph No. 4 in photographic section)

This was a mine clearing device employing a rotating drum mounted in front of the tank: the drum was fitted with 43 chains, and rotated at 180 revolutions per minutes so that the chains beat the ground in front of the tank and exploded the mines. Speed, while flailing, was about 3 m.p.h.

The Flail was mounted on a Sherman V (see Table above). Its length was 27' 5 1/2" and width 11' 6" : the weight was 34 tons and the radius of action 120 miles. There was crew of 5.

The 75 mm and .300 Browning in the turret could still be used as on the normal tank : 73 and 4250 rounds respectively were carried for these weapons.


2. CHURCHILL "CROCODILE" FLAME THROWER (See photograph No. 3 in the photographic section)

The Crocodile consisted of the normal Churchill VII (see Table above) with a flame thrower installed in place of the hull MG.

The tank towed a trailer which contained 400 gallons of special fuel : the maximum range of the flame-thrower was 110 yards. The length of the vehicle with trailer was 40' 6" and the weight 47.2 tons.

The 75 mm and the MG in the turret could be used in the normal way : 83 rounds and 3,600 rounds respectively were carried for these weapons. The speed and radius of action were not appreciably affected.

 

C. List of Reference Maps

1 : 250,000 FRANCE
Series GS, GS 2738
Sheet 3a and 8

1 : 100,000 FRANCE
Series GS, GS 4249
Sheets 6F,
7F

1 : 50,000 FRANCE
Series GS, GS 4250
Sheets 6F/2, 6F/4, 6F/6,
7F/1, 7F/3, 7F/5

1 : 25,000 FRANCE
Series GS, GS 4347
Sheets 34/12 NE,
34/14 SE, NE
34/16 SE
37/12 NW
37/14 SW, NW
37/16 SW

 

D. 8 Corps Operation Instruction No. 6

 

E. 11 Amoured Division Operation Order No. 4 (less Traces and Appendices)

 

F. 15 (S) Division Operation Order No. 4

 

G. 227 (H) Infantry Brigade Confirmatory Notes

 

H. 46 (H) Infantry Brigade Operation Instruction No. 3

 

J. 15 (S) Division Operation Instruction No. 12

 

No. 1 - A Churchill Tank, Mark IV

 

No. 2 - An Assault Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE)

 

No. 3 - A "Crocodile" Flame-Thrower mounted on a Churchill Mark VII

 

No. 4 - A Sherman Flail

 

No. 5 - A Sherman V in ST. MARTIN DES BESACES (31 July 1944)

 

No. 6 - A Sherman Mark Vc in ST. MARTIN DES BESACES (31 July 1944)

 

No. 7 A German Pz Kw VI (Tiger)

 

No. 8 - A German Pz Kw V (Panther)

 

No. 9 A German "Jagdpanther" - S.P. 99 mm on Panther chassis

 

No. 10 - A column of vehicles moving through the "bocage" (1 August 1944)

 

No. 11 - German Prisoners near SEPT VENTS (30 July 1944)