British Armoured Regiment TO&E (aka TOE, Order of Battle or OrBat)

Below is a schematic image of a late war British Armoured Regiment. This organisation was used in both the Sherman and Cromwell regiments of the Armoured Divisions and the independent tank brigades. In June '44 there was one 17pdr Firefly per troop, by the end of the war most troops had two.

In France squadron HQs only had 75mm tanks, but in Italy close support tanks with 105mm howitzer were in use. The exception to this was the Canadian 5th Armoured Division who were transferred from Italy to NW Europe in early 1945.

The HQ squadron contains two large troops, a Recce troop of 11 Stuarts, and an AA troop, usually Crusader tanks with twin 20mm cannon in a turret. The AA troops were generally disbanded at the end of Aug '44 as the Luftwaffe threat was so low, and the crews were needed in gun tanks.

It is based on the excellent info at bayonetstrength.150m.com

British Armoured Regiment Vehicle Organisation Chart (at 1:4 vehicle scale)

HQ Squadron			A Squadron			B Squadron			C Squadron
Regimental HQ Sherman			Sqdn HQ Sherman			Sqdn HQ Sherman			Sqdn HQ Sherman
Sqdn HQ Sherman			Sherman Troop			Sherman Troop			Sherman Troop
AA Troop Crusader AA			Sherman Troop			Sherman Troop			Sherman Troop
Crusader AA			Sherman Troop			Sherman Troop			Sherman Troop
Recce Troop Stuart			Sherman Firefly Troop			Sherman Firefly Troop			Sherman Firefly Troop
Stuart
Stuart
Intercommunication Troop
Scout Car
Scout Car
Regt Admin Troop			A Sqdn Admin Troop			B Sqdn Admin Troop			C Sqdn Admin Troop
15 cwt truck			15 cwt truck			15 cwt truck			15 cwt truck
3 ton truck			3 ton truck			3 ton truck			3 ton truck
3 ton truck			3 ton truck			3 ton truck			3 ton truck
3 ton truck			3 ton truck			3 ton truck			3 ton truck
3 ton truck
Jeep
medical half-track
water tanker *
Royal Corps of Signals Troop
15 cwt truck
REME LAD Detachment
15 cwt truck
6x4 tractor
half-track *
Sherman ARV *

* Aggregate of individual squadron vehicles

 

Totals

Vehicle	Image	Quantity		Vehicle	Image	Quantity
Sherman		14		Jeep		1
Sherman Firefly		3		15cwt truck		6
Stuart		3		3 ton truck		13
Crusader AA		2		water tanker		1
Sherman ARV		1		6x4 tractor		1
Scout Car		2
half-track		2

 

Serial Numbers and Tactical Marks for Armoured Regiments

The serial numbers were on the front and rear of the vehicle, usually on the left hand side, with the divisional badge on the other side. These were used on all vehicles, both armoured and soft-skins

The Tactical marks were only on AFVs, and were not used in all regiments. They were usually on the turret sides, but could be on the hull sides. Some units had a number within the geometric shape.

Regiment	Serial	HQ Sqdn	A Sqdn	B Sqdn	C Sqdn
Armoured Recce Regt
Brigade HQ
Senior Regt
Middle Regt
Junior Regt
Motor Battalion

 

Unit	Actual Composition	BKC Units
Squadron Admin Troop (these are the units in each troop, 3 troops in a regiment)	3 x 15 cwt truck (3 x h/t trux) 1 x carrier 1 x water tanker 14 x 3 ton truck (mess, ammo and re-supply) 11 of the 3 ton trucks along with the fitters H/T would be deployed forward to provide ammo and fuel resupply to the tanks (A echelon).	15 cwt truck 3 x 3 ton truck
Regt Admin Troop	8 x motorcycle 6 x jeeps 1 x carrier 3 x medical h/t 2 x workshop h/t 16 x 3 ton trucks (mess, ammo and transport) (14 trux) 3 x 15cwt truck 2 x water tankers (1 trux) only 8 of the 3 ton trucks and 2 h/t deployed forward (A echelon)	jeep medical h/t 4 x 3 ton truck 15 cwt truck water tanker (including Sqdn ones)
Royal Corps of Signals Troop	3 x 15 cwt 1 x 3 ton truck	15 cwt truck
REME LAD Detachment	3 x 15cwt truck 2 x 3 ton truck 1 x h/t (officer) 2 x 6 x 4 tractors	15 cwt truck 6x4 tractor half-track (including Regt Admin ones)

 

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