PIAT question

Anyone any idea how many PIAT launchers were allocated to an airlanding battalion?

I've got the war establishment for a parachute battalion and it said 19......
so I would assume as an A/L btn was larger more than 19.....anyone got any thoughts?

 

According to table from Sutton's British Army Handbook 1939-45 AL battalion didn't have PIAT launchers at all. They instead had eight 6-pdr AT guns.

Also you can find same here:

The British Air Landing Battalion 1943 to 1945

Here you have composition of AL company. Accordion to this company and platoons had PIAT launchers but doesn't say how many

British Air Landing Company

 

Thats interesting...I wonder what the thinking was behind that apart from the fact they deployed in gliders.

 

From this site:

History of British Paratroopers

At this point it is illuminating to consider the standard organization of the British airborne division at the time of Operation Overlord. The organization was based on a personnel strength of 12,148 all ranks, 6,210 vehicles together with 935 trailers, and weapons that ranged in size from pistols to cruiser tanks. The division's vehicles included 3,269 bicycles (1,907 MKV and 1,362 folding bicycles), 1,233 motorcycles (529 lightweight and 704 solo motorcycles), 1,044 cars (904 5-cwt Jeeps, 115 miscellaneous cars and 25 scout cars), 25 Universal on Bren Carriers, 24 ambulances, 1201 5-cwt trucks, 438 3-ton trucks, 26 tractors, and 22 tanks (11 cruiser and 11 light tanks). The weapons included 2,942 pistols, 7,171 Lee Enfield rifles, 6,504 Sten submachine guns, 966 Bren light machine guns, 46 Vickers Mk I medium/heavy machine guns, 535 mortars (474 2-in, 563-in and 54.2-in weapons), 392 PIAT anti-tank weapons, 23 20mm towed anti-aircraft guns, 38 man-portable flame-throwers, and 127 guns (27 75mm towed pack howitzers, 84 towed 6-pounder anti-tank guns and 16 towed 17-pounder anti-tank guns).
Divisional command was exercised from the Divisional HQ, where the divisional commander and his staff enjoyed the support of several types of specialist as well as the Airborne Divisional HQ Defence Platoon, the Divisional Field.
Security Section and an independent parachute company. The Divisional HQ controlled the formation's three brigades (two parachute and one airlanding) and the organic divisional troops. Each brigade was based on a Brigade HQ with its own Brigade HQ Defence Platoon and three battalions. The three battalions were the fighting strength of the brigade: In the parachute brigades, each battalion had a strength of 29 officers and 584 other ranks in one HQ company and three rifle companies. The HQ company had five platoons, two of them each equipped with four 3-in mortars and one with 10 PIATs. Each rifle company had three platoons. In the glider-borne airlanding brigade, each battalion had a strength of 47 officers and 817 other ranks in one support company, one anti-aircraft/anti-tank company and four rifle companies. The support company had six platoons including one with four 3-in mortars. The anti-aircraft/anti-tank company had four platoons including two with 12 20mm AA guns and the other two with eight 6-pounder anti-tank guns. Each rifle company had four platoons. It should also be noted that the gliders used for the delivery of the airlanding brigade were operated by wings whose varying number of squadrons each had a varying number of flights each with 20 gliders. Each glider was flown by two men of The Glider Pilot Regiment, who were trained to fight alongside the men of the airlanding brigade.

 

According to table from Sutton's British Army Handbook 1939-45 AL battalion didn't have PIAT launchers at all. They instead had eight 6-pdr AT guns.

Also you can find same here:

The British Air Landing Battalion 1943 to 1945

Here you have composition of AL company. Accordion to this company and platoons had PIAT launchers but doesn't say how many

British Air Landing Company

Don't want to get into too much of a debate but I'm personally not happy with the Sutton info.....I have the Arnhem account of Major Cain of the South Staffs (written soon after his return) and he mentions PIAT launchers in his company on several occasions.....including the actions of hte 19th when they were fighting as an 'independent unit'.....

 

Sol,

Question related to an airlanding battalion not a parachute one......

 

Sorry maybe I wasn't be very helpful but in all my posts I was talking about airlanding battalion, even in the post #4 you can find organisation of AL battalion. What I want to show is that Airborne Division had "392 PIAT anti-tank weapons" if that fact somehow can help you. I only say what I found in book and on net. And yes I know there was many stories about AL infantry using PIAT like these:


"The 1st Royal Ulster Rifles were charged with the capture of a bridge over the River Issel as well as securing the surrounding terrain. "D" Company, landing very close to the bridge in a coup-de-main capacity, rapidly gained their objective, despite numerous casualties and missing two of their four platoons. As they were attacking towards the Bridge, the Company was faced with the daunting prospect of five self-propelled guns approaching their position, however once one of these had been knocked out at very close range with a PIAT, the rest dispersed. The remaining Ulstermen encountered the same resistance to their landing as had the other battalions of the 6th Airlanding Brigade, nevertheless they too succeeded in gaining all of their objectives and were in firm control of their area by the afternoon. The day, however, had cost them two hundred and fifty-nine casualties."

"The most serious action was experienced by the 12th Devonshires, who had crossed the river in the early hours of the 6th April to secure the village of Lahde, but unfortunately none of their support weapons had been able to accompany them due to the strong river currents. This cost them dearly as "D" Company was attacked during the afternoon by four Panther tanks, and despite several well-aimed PIAT rounds, there was little the Company could do to deter the tanks from shelling them. It was not until a communications breakdown had been overcome and an artillery shoot forced the tanks to back away, but by this time they had taken fifty-one of the company's men prisoner."


or from 12 Davon's diary:



"28th July 1944
Place: Le Mesnil X Rds

During the morning enemy sent over several very small objects (smaller than a 36 grenade) into the FDLS of left fwd coy (A Coy). The effect was to fragment on impact with the ground and make a noise similar to a trg thunder flash. No damage or cas.

1100 - Left fwd coy fired PIAT from House 144730 EAST along sunken lane at assumed enemy sec posn.

1345 to 1410 - Enemy mortared Bn Area. 2 O.Rs slightly wounded. Mortar Pl fired "REVENGE" three times. Right fwd coy 2" mortars fired as a bty on enemy sec posn in sunken lane.

1455 - Enemy mortared Bn Area. No cas. Mortar Pl fired "REVENGE".

2000 - Enemy mortared Bn Area. 2 O.Rs wounded. Mortar Pl fired "REVENGE".

2015 - Sniper of right fwd pl hit one enemy. "Kill" unconfirmed.

2330 - Enemy a/c passed over Bn Area but no bombs dropped.

29th July 1944
Place: Le Mesnil X Rds

0015 to 0100 - A few bursts of enemy MG fire from HEDGEROW JUNC 145730, otherwise a quiet night.

1220 to 1225 - Enemy shelled Bn Area with SP gun. 5 rds were fired. SHELLREP sent to 6 Airldg Bde HQ. At first light it was seen that the enemy had attempted to block the view in GAP 144731 with branches. At 1400 hrs Coy fired several rounds from PIAT at a low angle 300x range into the area of the GAP. The cover was blown away and the foliage of the hedgerow considerably thinned out giving a better view of the enemy. At 2100 hrs a 2" mortar bty shoot was made on the GAP & HEDGEROW JUNC 145730 (where an enemy observed was seen).

1500 - Enemy mortared the Bn Area. 5 O.Rs wounded. Mortar Pl fired "REVENGE".

1535 - Enemy shelled right fwd coy (B Coy). 2 O.Rs were slightly wounded.

1720 - Enemy shelled Bn Area. 1 Officer and 3 O.Rs were slightly wounded. Mortar Pl and Arty fired "REVENGE".

1850 to 1852 - Enemy shelled fwd coys. No cas. Mortar Pl & Arty fired "REVENGE".

1920 - Enemy shelled C Coy Pl at X Rds. No cas."


And here is another thing that I find on net and it's about airlanding battalion (original PDF "Account of Operations 6 Airlanding Brigade", and also some other interest accounts about D-Day, you can find here The D-Day Landings — Defence Academy of the United Kingdom )

 

Thanks for help...if 392...take off 19 x 6 (for para btns) leaves you 278....which seems a lot of be spread amongst three btns (even at two per platoon with four platoons per company and four rifle companies per btn) is 96 launchers...leaving 182 amongst other units.......

 

Perhaps also interesting is, how many rounds for those 392 PIATs were initially available?