Second Battle of El Alamein order of battle

The Second Battle of El Alamein order of battle is a listing of the significant formations that were involved in the Second Battle of El Alamein during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, 23 October – 4 November 1942.

British Eighth Army
Lt.-Gen. Bernard Law Montgomery

Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery

Under direct Army Command

Army Troops

British X Corps
Lt.-Gen. Herbert Lumsden
Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden
  • Under direct Corps Command
    • X Corps Troops, Royal Engineers[2]
      • 571st Army Field Company (attached to 10th Armoured Division)
      • 572nd Army Field Company (attached to 1st Armoured Division)
      • 573rd Army Field Company (attached to 10th Armoured Division)
      • 570th Corps Field Park Company
    • X Corps Signals, Royal Corps of Signals

British 1st Armoured Division
Major-General Raymond Briggs

British 10th Armoured Division
Major-General Alexander Gatehouse

British 8th Armoured Division
Major-General Charles Gairdner
  • 6th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers (detached to 10th Armoured Division)
  • 9th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers (detached to 1st Armoured Division)
  • 145th Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers
  • 8th Armoured Division Signals, Royal Corps of Signals

British XIII Corps
Lt.-Gen. Brian Horrocks
Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks

British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
Major-General John S. Nichols

British 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division
Major-General Ivor T.P. Hughes

British 7th Armoured Division
Major-General John Harding

British XXX Corps
Lt.-Gen. Oliver Leese
Lieutenant-General Oliver Leese

Australian 9th Division
Major-General Leslie Morshead
  • Division-level Units
    • 9th Division Cavalry Regiment
    • 2/2nd Machine Gun Battalion
    • 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion
    • 2/7th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
    • 2/8th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
    • 2/12th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
    • 3rd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
    • 4th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
    • 2/3rd Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers
    • 2/7th Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers
    • 2/13th Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers
    • 2/4th Field Park Company, Royal Australian Engineers
    • 9th Australian Division Signals
  • Australian 24th Brigade (Brigadier Arthur H.L. Godfrey)
    • 2/28th Australian Infantry Battalion, Western Australia
    • 2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion, Victoria
    • 2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion, South Australia
  • Australian 26th Brigade (Brigadier David A. Whitehead)
  • Australian 20th Brigade (Brigadier Hugh Wrigley)
    • 2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion, New South Wales
    • 2/15th Australian Infantry Battalion, Queensland
    • 2/17th Australian Infantry Battalion, New South Wales

British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division
Major-General Douglas Wimberley

2nd New Zealand Division
Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg

South African 1st Infantry Division
Major-General Dan Pienaar

4th Indian Infantry Division
Major-General Francis Tuker

Corps Reserve

Panzer Armee Afrika
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

Generalfeldmarschall [lower-alpha 10] Erwin Rommel [lower-alpha 11]

German 90th Light Afrika Division
Generalmajor [lower-alpha 12] Ernst Strecker
  • 155th Panzergrenadier Regiment (with 707th Heavy Infantry Gun Company)
  • 200th Panzergrenadier Regiment (with 708th Heavy Infantry Gun Company)
  • 346th Panzergrenadier Regiment (should be 361st, 346th assigned to 217th Inf Div, the 361st was formed in theatre from former French Foreign Legionnaires of German origin)
  • 190th Artillery Regiment
  • 190th Anti-tank Battalion
  • under command: Force 288 (Panzergrenadier Regiment Afrika, the three battalions listed after this are not part of this 8-to-10 company detachment)
    • 605th Anti-tank Battalion
    • 109th Anti-aircraft Battalion
    • 606th Anti-aircraft Battalion

Deutsches Afrika Korps
Gnlltnt. Wilhem Ritter von Thoma
Generalleutnant [lower-alpha 13] Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma

German 15th Panzer Division
Generalmajor [lower-alpha 14] Gustav von Vaerst
  • 8th Panzer Regiment
  • 115th Panzergrenadier Regiment
  • 33rd Artillery Regiment
  • 33rd Anti-tank Battalion
  • 33rd Engineer Battalion

German 21st Panzer Division
Generalmajor [lower-alpha 15] Heinz von Randow
  • 5th Panzer Regiment
  • 104th Panzergrenadier Regiment
  • 155th Artillery Regiment
  • 39th Anti-tank Battalion
  • 200th Engineer Battalion

Italian Army Africa
Marshal Ettore Bastico

The commander of the Italian Army Africa Marshal Ettore Bastico had no tactical control over Italian formations at El Alamein. All Italian units there were assigned to Rommel's Panzer Armee Afrika. The only two units under Bastico's command were the 16th Motorised Division Pistoia, which had just arrived from Italy and was not yet ready for frontline duty, and the 136th Armoured Division "Giovani Fascisti", which was garrisoning the Siwa Oasis

16th Motorised Division "Pistoia"

136th Armoured Division "Giovani Fascisti"
  • 136th Armoured Division "Giovani Fascisti", Generale di Divisione Ismaele Di Nisio
    • Infantry Regiment "Giovani Fascisti" (2x battalions)
    • IX Autonomous Infantry Battalion
    • 136th Artillery Regiment
      • XIV Motorized Artillery Group (65/17 field guns mounted on Morris CS8)
      • XV Motorized Artillery Group (65/17 field guns mounted on Morris CS8)
      • XVI Motorized Artillery Group (75/27 field guns mounted on TL.37)
      • XVII Motorized Artillery Group (100/17 howitzers mounted on Lancia 3Ro trucks)
      • 88th Anti-aircraft Battery ([[Breda Model 35|20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns)
    • III Armoured Squadrons Group "Cavalleggeri del Monferrato" (AB 41 Armoured cars)

X Army Corps

17th Infantry Division "Pavia"

27th Infantry Division "Brescia"
  • 27th Infantry Division "Brescia", Generale di Divisione Brunetto Brunetti
    • 19th Infantry Regiment "Brescia" (2x battalions)
    • 20th Infantry Regiment "Brescia" (3x battalions)
    • 1st Fast Artillery Regiment
      • I Group (100/17 howitzers)
      • III Group (75/27 field guns)
      • IV Group (75/27 field guns)
      • V Group (8.8cm Flak and 20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns)
      • 401st Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns)
      • 404th Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns)
    • XXVII Mixed Engineer Battalion

185th Infantry Division "Folgore"

Ramcke Parachute Brigade

XX Army Corps

101st Motorised Division "Trieste"

132nd Armoured Division "Ariete"

133rd Armoured Division "Littorio"

164th Light Africa Division

XXI Army Corps

25th Infantry Division "Bologna"
  • 25th Infantry Division "Bologna", Generale di Divisione Alessandro Gloria
    • 39th Infantry Regiment "Bologna" (3x battalions)
    • 40th Infantry Regiment "Bologna" (2x battalions)
    • 205th Artillery Regiment "Bologna"
      • I Group (100/17 howitzers)
      • II Group (100/17 howitzers)
      • III Group (75/27 field guns)
      • IV Group (75/27 field guns)
      • 4th Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns)
      • 437th Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns)
    • CCCLVII Frontier Guard Artillery Group (8 cm FK M. 5|77/28]] field guns)
    • XXV Mixed Engineer Battalion

102nd Motorised Division "Trento"
  • 102nd Motorised Division "Trento", Generale di Brigata Giorgio Masina
    • 61st Infantry Regiment "Sicilia" (3x battalions)
    • 62nd Infantry Regiment "Sicilia" (3x battalions)
    • 46th Motorised Artillery Regiment "Trento"
      • I Group (100/17 howitzers)
      • II Group (100/17 howitzers)
      • III Group (75/27 field guns)
      • IV Group (75/27 and 75/13 field guns)
      • 412th Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns)
      • 414th Anti-aircraft Battery (20/65 Mod. 35 anti-aircraft guns)
    • LXIII Anti-aircraft Group (75/50 anti-aircraft guns)
    • CCCLIV Frontier Guard Artillery Group (8 cm FK M. 5|77/28]] field guns)
    • CCCLV Frontier Guard Artillery Group (75/27 field guns)
    • CXXXI Heavy Artillery Group (149/28 howitzers)
    • IV Anti-tank Battalion "Granatieri di Sardegna" (47/32 anti-tank guns)
    • LI Mixed Motorised Engineer Battalion

Notes
  1. Equipped with minesweeping Matilda tanks, allotted to XXX Corps for minefield clearance[1]
  2. For HQ and railway protection[1]
  3. Used for HQ protection, camouflage and guard duties[1]
  4. Equipped with M7 Priest
  5. Detached less support company to Hammerforce
  6. Attached to Hammerforce for mine clearance [3]]
  7. Attached from 44th Infantry Division
  8. Attached to 2nd New Zealand Division 29 October to 3 November
  9. Attached from 23rd Armoured Brigade, in reserve until 31 October; 1 SA Division had a Reserve Group comprising 8 RTR, 3 SA Armoured Car Regt. less two squadrons, 2 Regt. Botha (from 1 SA Infantry Brigade), a battery of anti-tank guns and a troop each of light anti-aircraft guns and Scorpion anti-mine flail tanks. The group was disbanded on 31 October.[5]
  10. Equivalent to an Anglo Field Marshal
  11. General der Panzertruppe Georg Stumme was in command at the start of the battle in Rommel's absence on sick leave.
  12. Equivalent to an Anglo-American Brigadier-General
  13. Equivalent to an Anglo-American Major-General
  14. Equivalent to an Anglo-American Brigadier-General
  15. Equivalent to an Anglo-American Brigadier-General
  16. Equivalent to an Anglo-American Brigadier-General
  17. Equivalent to an Anglo-American Major-General

References
  1. Joslen, p. 566
  2. Pakenham-Walsh, pp. 385 & 393.
  3. Joslen, p. 567
  4. Joslen, p. 568
  5. Joslen, p. 573
  6. "El Alamein - Il X Corpo d'Armata". Italian Army. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  7. "186° Reggimento Paracadutisti "Folgore" - La Storia". Italian Army. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  8. "187° Reggimento Paracadutisti "Folgore" - La Storia". Italian Army. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  9. "185° Reggimento Artiglieria Paracadutisti "Folgore" - La Storia". Italian Army. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  10. "8° Reggimento Genio Guastatori Paracadutisti "Folgore" - La Storia". Italian Army. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  11. "El Alamein - Lo schieramento italiano". Italian Army. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  12. "El Alamein - Il XX Corpo d'Armata". Italian Army. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  13. "El Alamein - Il XXI Corpo d'Armata". Italian Army. Retrieved 16 November 2019.

Sources

Print
  • Joslen, H.F. (2003) [1st Pub. HMSO 1960]. Orders of battle : Second World War, 1939-1945. Uckfield: Naval & Military Press. ISBN 1-84342-474-6.
  • Pakenham-Walsh, Maj-Gen R.P. (1958). History of the Royal Engineers. Vol. VIII, 1938–1948. Chatham: Institution of Royal Engineers.

Web
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