Check 'British Army of the Rhine' translations into Italian. A request from the 21st army Group for additional resources to support the redeployed formations was rejected by the War Office; any additional support units required had to either be drawn from the Mediterranean or supplied by the 21st Army Group. Work commenced at 09:30, and the bridge was opened for traffic at midnight. To compensate for this, to minimise casualties, and to maximise the combat effectiveness of what manpower they had, the British forces relied on machines, materiel and firepower. [35] It would be carried out by General Harry Crerar's First Canadian Army, which was built up to a strength of 449,865 personnel through the addition of large numbers of British troops; counting civilians and prisoners of war, the army had a ration strength of 476,193. The army roadheads were mainly supplied by rail. WO2 Served from 1974 - 1994 Served in British Army of the Rhine. A problem was encountered when defects were discovered in the tensioners of the 29th Armoured Brigade's new Comet tanks. [63] The final troop movements for Operation Plunder involved 662 tanks, over 4,000 tank transporters and 32,000 other vehicles. Its primary combat formation was British I Corps. It became the primary formation controlling the British contribution to NATO after the formation of the alliance in 1949. Dorsten Ammunition Depot munitions storage facility. For this the British Second Army deployed 1,520 field and medium guns, and the US Ninth Army . [73], The assault divisions established ordnance dumps on the west bank of the Rhine with at least one section of the divisional ordnance field park from which urgently required equipment and spare parts for vehicles could be sent across by DUKW without delay. BAOR is defined as British Army Of the Rhine frequently. 166 FMC also held 200 rounds per gun of field, 175 rounds per gun of medium, 175 rounds per gun of heavy and 50 rounds per gun of super-heavy artillery ammunition. 10 Army Roadhead. The next major operation was Operation Plunderthe assault crossing of the Rhine. As the Soviet threat increased, so BAOR became less of an occupational army and assumed the role of defender of Western Europe, and as a major contributor to NATO after . [79] Seven American combat engineer battalions assisted with road and bridge maintenance in the British Second Army area. The bivouac areas were provided with temporary billets, latrines, emergency rations and fuel, and medical teams and vehicle maintenance crews were on hand. The armoured divisions also carried a day's worth of AFV ration packs. The position gained along the Roer was then taken over by the US Ninth Army. It closed in 1991 when the refurbished BMH Iserlohn re-opened. Sirs, Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to the website dedicated to the British Army of the Rhine, its locations, and those areas whilst not strictly within BAOR, that were vital to the operation of the theatre The Site is now approaching three years of age and much has happened in that time. The former held 200 rounds per gun of medium and 250 rounds per gun of heavy artillery ammunition, while the latter held 200 rounds per gun of medium and 150 rounds per gun of heavy artillery ammunition. [50], Because it was not anticipated that the advance would be rapid, it was not considered necessary to hold large stocks of petrol, oil and lubricants (POL) in the FMCs, but to ensure that vehicles moving to the assembly areas arrived with full tanks of fuel, a train loaded with petrol was sent to Nijmegen to allow them to be topped off. The following day a German swimmer was seen affixing a suspicious cylindrical object to the bridge. Preparations were made to move it to a new site, but this was not required. Army personnel will be permanently based in the country where the UK is retaining the 45-square mile Sennelager Training Area, which provides both UK and NATO forces with an expansive live firing. [51] Rations were moved forward however, and 2,318,222 rations were stockpiled for Operation Veritable. Mallinson, Allan. These provided health care and bathing and delousing with DDT to prevent the spread of disease. In 1947 all Batteries except those of the Royal Horse Artillery were placed on a single roll. [44], Thus far in the campaign in North West Europe, XXX Corps had only served as part of the British Second Army, and it found that maintenance procedures of the First Canadian Army differed from what it had been used to due to the fact that the First Canadian Army's operations had been conducted where there had been adequate communications. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). [14] With the German offensive defeated, the US First Army reverted to American command on 18 January 1945,[15] but the US Ninth Army remained part of the 21st Army Group until 4 April. [28], Originally scheduled to start on 12 January 1945, when the ground would have been hard and frozen and off-road vehicle movement possible, Operation Veritable was delayed for five weeks by the Ardennes Offensive. Strachan, Hew, ed. [89][88] The high use of road transport meant that the Second Army was burning 7,600 tonnes (7,500 long tons) of petrol a day, but the supply of fuel caused no problems. Second Army's VIII, XII and XXX Corps drew their supplies from No. [9], Under the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, it was decided that British military units would cease to be permanent deployed in Germany by the end of 2019. Mallinson, Allan. The affectionate story of British servicemen and their families who had to make Germany a home from home in the decades after the Second World War. [55], Rising flood waters soon created difficulties. Initially Goldflake convoys sailed to Marseilles by a direct route but after the Battle of the Ligurian Sea on the night of 17/18 March they were routed further south, through the Strait of Bonifacio between Corsica and Sardinia. [30] All movements were completed by the second week of April. The 11th Line of Communications Area took over the administration of the ports and the entire advanced base area, freeing the 12th Line of Communications Area headquarters to move forward. By this time the system consisted of 1,811 kilometres (1,125mi) of pipelines and storage tanks with a capacity of 104,770 tonnes (103,120 long tons). I Canadian Corps advanced on Utrecht, supported by No. [95][92] To take pressure off the roads, the 21st Army Group placed an air composite platoon capable of receiving and handling up to 510 tonnes (500 long tons) per day under the Second Army's control. BMH Iserlohn was housed in Argonne Barracks which was a German Calvary and Armoured Regiment building from the 1930s. Lorries then took them to the dispersal point at Renaix via Lyon and Dijon, guided by road markers that read "GF". Menu Search. That day trains also began arriving at No. [2] The Cologne Post was a newspaper published for members of the BAOR during this period. [25] This was codenamed Operation Goldflake, and it involved the redeployment of the I Canadian Corps and British 5th Division from Italy to North West Europe. This account will transfer to the new Comd British Army Germany, Col Tim Hill. [1] The General Officer Commanding UKSC(G) also functioned as head of the British Forces Liaison Organisation (Germany), which was responsible for liaising and maintaining relations with German civil authorities. [81] The XII Corps plan called for the construction of a class 9 Folding Boat Equipment (FBE) bridge, a class 12 Bailey pontoon bridge and two class 40 Bailey pontoon bridges. For nearly 70 years, generations would grow up on bases with special schools, shops, housing and even their own radio station, as parts of the Rhineland became little bubbles of Britishness. To simplify storage and handling, only ammunition for field, medium and heavy artillery was held at the Canadian FMCs, ammunition for all other weapons was stocked at No. On the other hand, the 21st Army Group held sufficient stocks of POL to accede to a request from SHAEF to allocate 73,000 long tons (74,000t) of petrol for US use. Fifteen minutes after the glider landings, there was a resupply mission flown by 240 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers from the US Eighth Air Force. British Air Forces in Germany came under the command of RAF Germany. [43] Over 2.5 million rounds of 25-pounder ammunition was made available for Operation Veritable. Deliveries of ammunition averaged 4,800 tonnes (4,700 long tons) per day, peaking at 9,300 tonnes (9,150 long tons) on 25 March. Only three could be provided by the 21st Army Group: the 5th Line of Communications Sub Area and the 101st Beach Sub Area when released from the RMA, and the 9th Line of Communications Sub Area, when it was no longer required for Operation Goldflake. The aim was to re-establish patrols in these areas and flush out paramilitaries from urban bases. The second British Army of the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from the British Liberation Army. Two pipelines were laid across the Rhine at Emmerich and were in operation by the end of April. Similar Royal Air Force Germany, Royal Electrical and Mech, British Army, Royal Military Police, Army Air Corps. Motorman began on 31st July 1972 with the rapid deployment of troops from the rest of the UK and the British Army of the Rhine to the ports of Belfast and Derry. 616 Squadron RAF began operating Gloster Meteor jet fighters from Brussels, and they required kerosene. It was also anticipated that as the Allied advance proceeded into Germany, there would be increased demand to feed and accommodate prisoners of war, liberated Allied prisoners and displaced persons. Four days later orders came that disarmed troops would no longer have prisoner of war status, but would be classified as Surrendered Enemy Personnel, and that their own officers would be responsible for their administration. British Army Germany, is the superior institution under which the remaining installations of the British Forces Germany are organised after the completion of the withdrawal of the British Forces from Germany in February 2020. [6] What followed was a far more rapid advance than anticipated. 1 Artillery Brigade Cold War.png 888 544; 45 KB. For this the British Second Army deployed 1,520 field and medium guns, and the US Ninth Army had 624 field and medium guns. [10] Antwerp had sufficient capacity to support both the British and American forces, but its use was hampered by German V-weapon attacks. [28], The 25th Garrison assumed control of the RMA on 2 April, allowing the 5th Line of Communications Sub Area to take over the western part of North Brabant, and the 101st Beach Sub Area, which became the 21st Line of Communications Sub Area, took over the territory west of the Maas. Both stocked 200 rounds per gun of field artillery ammunition for the entire XXX Corps. Likewise, French 2008 and Strachan 2000 have produced histories of the cultural attitudes of the British Army and how the institution relates to wider society. Media in category "British Army of the Rhine". Look through examples of British Army of the Rhine translation in sentences, listen to pronunciation and learn grammar. This involved a large expenditure of ammunition, including some that was in short supply like ML 4.2-inch mortar rounds and the Mark VIIIz ammunition used by the Vickers machine gun. Road transport accounted for another 29,865 personnel and 23,360 trucks. The next major operation was Operation Plunderthe assault crossing of the Rhine on 23 March. British Forces Germany (BFG) was the generic name for the three services of the British Armed Forces, made up of service personnel, UK Civil Servants, and dependents (family members), based in Germany. [36] Operation Veritable would be spearheaded by the five British divisions of Lieutenant General Sir Brian Horrocks's XXX Corps, and would form part of a giant pincer movement with Operation Grenade, which would be conducted by Lieutenant General William H. Simpson's US Ninth Army. Chieftain provides a complete array of British equipment and maneuver units, from Chieftain and Challenger tanks through MCV-80 and Saxon APCs. To maximise their turnaround time, they were only used to cover the flooded stretch, with loads transferred to them and unloaded from them into other vehicles at each end. Mainstream histories of the British army have focused overwhelmingly on the myriad counterinsurgency operations in which it became involved after 1945 at the expense of the vital role played by the British Army of the Rhine in the nations deterrent posture. Britain and Her Army, 15091970: A Military, Political, and Social Survey. They had had better relations with the British than with the French, and they would have brought a measure of stability and prosperity in the difficult economic conditions of 1920s Germany. Foster. A request for an increase in the theatre reserves from 28 to 51 days was approved by the War Office, but it was not possible to increase the stockpile of ammunition, as this was already being shipped at the maximum rate. The BAOR was formerly armed with tactical nuclear weapons. A double issue of Expeditionary Force Institutes stores was made to all participating units. 26 In a European context the first step in this process was the 1947 Anglo-French Treaty of . Only the class 70 bridges would take a loaded tank transporter. [11] The first phase of this was the transfer of remaining stores to the advanced base. Operation Plunder included an airborne operation, Operation Varsity, in which two airborne divisions were landed with a day's supply of food, fuel and petrol. London: William Kimber, 1971. The second British Army on the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from 21st Army Group. An emergency repair effort was conducted, and many were shipped direct from the workshops to the front lines. Following the war the BLA was redesignated to become the British Army of the Rhine in August . The British Army of the Rhine was born in 1945 out of the British Liberation Army at the close of the war as the military government of the British zone of occupied Germany. There were doubts as to whether this need could be met, but the situation was eased by the fortuitous arrival of 4,700 tonnes (4,600 long tons) of ammunition that had been pre-loaded on some of the transport that had been allocated by the 21st Army Group. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. The XXX Corps Troops Engineers commenced work on the "Lambeth" class 15 Bailey pontoon bridge at 15:00 on 24 March, but work was frequently interrupted by German fire, and the bridge was not opened until 08:30 on 26 March. 168 FMC near Goch. The first British Army of the Rhine was set up in March 1919 to implement the occupation of the Rhineland. Happily, we were posted to the British Army of the Rhine, in my case, to 282 (Welsh) Field Company, RE, in the 63rd (Welsh) Division. The Meuse-Escaut Canal was also opened that month, and by the end of March the Zuid-Willemsvaart and the MaasWaal Canal were also open, allowing barge traffic from Antwerp to reach the Waal. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). The Cold War has gotten hot and the 3rd Shock Army is approaching your dugout but how do you differentiate a BTR from a BMP? The 5 miles (8.0km) of the Nijmegen-Cleve road was under 610 millimetres (24in) of water, and DUKWs were employed to move supplies forward along it to a "skeleton" FMC, No. The transfer involved 102,415 troops. BAOR stands for British Army Of the Rhine. The United States and the Middle East, 1945-2001, World War II in the Mediterranean and Middle East. As was written earlier we are constantly searching for information, and adding or updating pages. Three bridges were constructed there, but by the time they opened II Canadian Corps already had its three Canadian divisions across the Rhine. Medium and heavy ammunition for units north of the Maas was stockpiled at Wijchen and that for those south of the Maas at Oss. Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. [6] In 1967, the force was reduced in strength to 53,000 soldiers. [8], Administrative support for British service personnel in Germany and across continental Europe was delegated to United Kingdom Support Command (Germany), (UKSC(G)). To improve its combat effectiveness BAOR was equipped since the early 1960s with tactical nuclear weapons, and in so doing, became the first formation of the British army trained to fight and prevail on a nuclear battlefield. Photo courtesy of RAMC Lab Tech Cpl Peter Elgar 1958. 166 FMC. By 1945 the British Army was highly experienced, professional and proficient. [51] Extremely cold conditions persisted into February, and the divisions were issued with Arctic clothing and equipment that had been stockpiled for operations in Norway. [28], It was estimated that seven line of communications sub area headquarters would be required to support the advance into Germany. This had been scheduled to occur on 20 March 1945, but in early February it was brought forward to 20 February. The West German town of Bruggen, 55 miles (88 km) south of Dusseldorf, celebrated its 700th anniversary on Saturday (2 June) by granting the freedom of the city to a British Army unit which has been stationed in the town for 21 years. A German V-2 rocket scored a direct hit on the British POL installation at Antwerp on 19 January. They were respectively augmented by 1,891 and 1,446 anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns. It was therefore decided that the floating bridges should be replaced by semi-permanent ones as soon as operational circumstances permitted. [63] Units participating in Operation Plunder were re-equipped before the start of the operation. We are pleased to announce that Eureka Miniatures UK will once again be attending the hugely popular SALUTE at ExCeL, London on Saturday 22nd April 2023. A sweeping review of four hundred years of British army history. A smoke screen concealed preparations on the west bank of the Rhine. Initially, bulk POL was brought across the Rhine in tanker trucks at the rate of 1,000 tonnes (1,000 long tons) per day. Expands. Cold War British Army Threat Recognition Guide It's the 1980s and the British Army Of the Rhine is still stationed in West Germany facing down the USSR's forces. Army of Occupation commanders.jpg 800 595; 155 KB. The Royal Navy formed Force U, consisting of three squadrons, each with a flotilla of twelve Landing Craft Medium (LCM), and a flotilla of twelve Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP), which were transported by road across Holland and Belgium to participate. At the beginning of March 1945, the 21st Army Group had bulk petrol transport capacity of about 2,700 tonnes (2,700 long tons) per day, assuming 80 per cent of the vehicles were running. Both formations had areas of responsibility located around the German section of the River Rhine. Its original function was to control the corps districts which were running the military government of the British zone of Allied-occupied Germany.After the assumption of government by civilians, it became the command formation for the troops in Germany only, rather than being responsible for . The XXX Corps FMC series started at 151 while the II Canadian Corps one started at 201, and the stark difference in maintenance practices between the two corps was illustrated by the fact that XXX Corps had opened three times as many FMCs in the campaign up to this point. Divisions carried two days' compo rations in their first line (unit) transport and two days' in their second line (divisional) transport. [41] Pepperpot tactics involved supplementing the artillery fire with that of anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns, mortars and machine guns. The British 6th Airborne Division was withdrawn to the UK and re-equipped there, but its seaborne tail had to be re-equipped by the 21st Army Group. [60] In the three days preceding the assault, the three hundred and thirty six 25-pounders assigned to the XII Corps fired 225,061 rounds, the sixteen 4.5-inch guns fired 7,002 rounds, the one hundred and sixty 5.5-inch guns fired 69,607 rounds, the fifty two 155 mm howitzers fired 4,335 rounds, the sixteen 7.2-inch howitzer fired 3,964 rounds, and the two 8-inch howitzers 176 rounds. [70] Of the 610 tonnes (600 long tons) of supplies and equipment dropped, 80 per cent was recovered. [10], HQ British Forces Germany was formed in January 2012, replacing the UKSC(G) and the Germany Support Group (GSG). [13], During the German Ardennes Offensive in December 1944, the Supreme Allied Commander, General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, transferred the US First and Ninth Armies to Montgomery's command. [101] The vast resources brought to bear was in stark contrast with scarcities of the early war years. Not only was the 21st Army Group fighting alongside the much larger American armies, it had to deal with a severe shortage of manpower. It has been an honour to command this fantastic organisation doing its very best to support our people here in Germany. Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War. This annotated bibliography presents the best quality scholarship relating to BAOR, from its inception until its replacement under the conditions of the 1994 Options for Change defense review with the twenty-five-thousand strong British Forces Germany. The base workshops built a prototype trailer that provided more clearance, and the Navy ordered 25 of them. SALUTE South London Warlords. GYM. The tracks of Sherman tanks were equipped with "duck bill" connectors to facilitate advancing across snow and soft ground. This brought the amount of road transport capacity under Second Army's control to 31,580 tonnes (31,080 long tons), which was reckoned to be the equivalent of 76 general transport companies. When the flood waters subsided, it was found that the Nijmegen-Cleve road surface had been too badly damaged to use, so the II Canadian Corps and XXX Corps were forced to share the road running south of the Reichswald. In the post World War Two years Argonne Barracks became . An initial stockpile of 91,000 litres (20,000impgal) was supplied to the unit, followed by daily deliveries of 14,000 litres (3,000impgal) per day. History of the british army of the rhine 06 09 14. It was estimated that six one-way class 40 and two one-way class 70 pile bridges would be needed. From 1922 the BAOR was organised into two brigades:[1], The second British Army of the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from the British Liberation Army. 166 FMC was developed from one formerly established there by the VIII Corps, although it had to be expanded as XXX Corps had over 200,000 troops under its command for Operation Veritable. Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. During the two-hour rail halt, the troops were served a hot meal and provided with sandwiches for the next one. B.A.R. Deployed on the European Central Front with its NORTHAG sister formations, BAOR was a significant feature of NATOs forward shield of ground forces to deter or, if deterrence failed, to repel a major Warsaw Pact offensive on the Continent. The second British Army on the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from 21st Army Group. von | Jun 17, 2022 | tornadoes of 1965 | | Jun 17, 2022 | tornadoes of 1965 | 10 Army Roadhead commenced on 13 April, and the first train arrived at No. This came from the reorganisation of the line of communications, and additional general transport companies arriving from Italy through Operation Goldflake. In February, a French fuel installation was opened at Douai, and this was used to supply the Royal Air Force (RAF) airfields in the vicinity. TR. [42] The weight of shell employed would still be formidable; the fire plan still called for 6 tonnes (6 long tons) of shells to be delivered on designated targets, and some would receive up to 11 tonnes (11 long tons). The troops in the assault units were issued with 24-hour ration packs, together with a Tommy cooker and a tin containing tea, condensed milk and sugar, enabling the troops in the front line to brew a hot cup of tea. Military Identities: The Regimental System, the British Army and the British People c.18702000. [9] This required major operations, and the port was not opened for shipping until 26 November. It would also free transport to support a rapid advance. Until the railway bridges could be brought into operation, maintenance depended entirely on road transport. Their feeding was the responsibility of the German civilian population, but the British Army had to release a large number of NAAFI packs to displaced persons. The first troops sailed from Naples on the troop ship SS Esperance Bay on 22 February, and arrived at Marseilles two days later. These included 36-centimetre (14in) baulks and chesses that had originally been set aside for the construction of emergency bridges over the Thames. It drew fuel from Dungeness on the coast of Kent and transported it across the Strait of Dover to a terminal near Boulogne. [16] The US XVIII Airborne Corps was assigned to the 21st Army Group for the crossing of the Rhine,[17] and again on 25 April for operations between the Elbe and the Baltic Sea. Include Description. This operation to cross the northern Rhine River launched in the night of 23 Mar 1945. [55], When the II Canadian Corps assumed control of the left sector on 15 February, No. Read reviews from the world's largest community for readers. A general study of the historical experiences that have shaped the British army. A large force of engineer units was assembled for the operation: 37,000 British and Canadian engineers and pioneers, and 22,000 American engineers. Posted 30 March , 2015. carndook. The corps sometimes had to send their transport back to the army roadheads to assist when major operations were required. Post war First Corps District administered Rhine Province and Westphalia. In addition to the storm boats, DUKWs, Buffaloes and Weasels,[62] there were also amphibious DD tanks. BMH Munster was one of several BAOR (British Army On The Rhine) army hospitals in Germany. [91] At Artlenburg, 7th Army Troops engineers constructing a 282-metre (925ft) class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge also came under air attack, and two of its mobile cranes were damaged by artillery fire, but the bridge was opened on schedule at 12:00 on 30 April. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. The average tonnage on the canal system rose steadily from 27,000 tonnes (27,000 long tons) in January to 35,000 tonnes (34,000 long tons) in February, 48,000 tonnes (47,000 long tons) in March and 56,000 tonnes (55,000 long tons) in April. Five days before the operation began, the Navy asked for 40 more, which were provided. The "Waterloo" class 9 FBE could not be built at the intended site at Rees on 24 March because the town had not been captured. The British Liberation Army (BLA) was the official name given to the British Army forces which fought on the Western Front of World War II between the Invasion of Normandy and the end of the war. [3] However, around 185 British Army personnel and 60 Ministry of Defence civilians will stay in Germany beyond 2020. Contents 1 History 1.1 1919-1929 This badge was adopted in 1940. The BAOR Locationsteam-5 October 2009. [4] Its original function was to control the corps districts which were running the military government of the British zone of occupied Germany. A Mail on Sunday . Includes a chapter on the creation of the postmodern regimental system between 1945 and 1970 against the backdrop of postwar austerity and the consequent reorganization and amalgamation of many regiments. Since the First Canadian Army did not hold large stocks at No. The attacks resulted in the deaths of nine people, including three civilians, and many wounded. 13 Army Roadhead. Mar 1. This included the 6th Airborne Division, but it was held by the seaborne tail. BRITISH ALLIES ARMY RAF. [4] German resistance was stubborn, and the British and Canadian advance much slower than planned until July,[5] when the American Operation Cobra broke through the German defences.