1 Scorpion Regt

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Andy H
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1 Scorpion Regt

#1

Post by Andy H » 07 Apr 2004, 18:14

Can anyone shed any light on this unit that served with higher Allied headquarters in Italy, between Sept'43 & April'44?

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Re: 1 Scorpion Regt

#2

Post by Andy H » 03 Aug 2011, 15:41

7yrs later and:-
10th Battalion The Manchester Regiment (TA)

Converted to 41st Battalion Royal Tank Corps on 31st October 1938 and renamed 41st Royal Tank Regiment in 1939. A 'second line' was formed at Oldham in April 1939 and was numbered 47th Battalion RTR. Both battalions were in action in the Middle East and at the battle of El Alamein. After the victory at El Alamein the 47th, which had suffered appalling casualties, was disbanded. The 41st were then equipped with flail tanks and became 1st Scorpion Regiment Royal Armoured Corps.
Later after an infusion of Sappers they became 1st Assault (Engineer) Regiment. They then took part in the river crossing battles of the Italian campaign. After active service throughout the war they merged with 40th RTR (previously 7th Bn The King's ( Liverpool ) Regiment) and eventually merged with the Duke of Lancaster's Yeomanry
http://www.tameside.gov.uk/museumsgalle ... torial1939

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gjkennedy
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Re: 1 Scorpion Regt

#3

Post by gjkennedy » 03 Aug 2011, 17:06

Doing some resurrection of old threads Andy?!

First mention, and I believe combat use, of Scorpion flail tanks was with XXX Corps at second Alamein. Joslen notes that 1 Army Tank Bde formed four Troops, each of three Scorpion flails, for minefield clearance. Joslen's OOB isn't terribly helpful for non-Div units, and the next mention of a Scorpion unit is 1 Scorpion Regt, listed under HQ 8th Army troops from 29/05/43. That coincides quite nicely with the WE of 11/05/43 for a Scorpion Regt issued by ME HQ.

That authorised a small Regt of 357 all ranks, in a RHQ, HQ Sqn and three Sqns, each of just 103 men. Sqn HQ had a single armoured car and scout car, and two Valentine tanks to act as 'pilot vehicles' for the flails. Each Sqn had four Tps, each still of three Scorpions. By October 1943 a new WE was issued, this time for an Independent Scorpion Sqn, retaining the same mix of AFVs. I have a vague recollection that I looked into them in the past and concluded that the Scorpion Regt had gradually shrunk to the size of a Sqn as its vehicles were a wasting asset.

A combined RAC/RE Assault Regt was formed in Italy during 1944, which included an RAC Flail Sqn and a RE Assault Sqn. I think that the Flail Sqn was the successor to the Indep Scorpion Sqn, but will stand corrected as Italy isn't my most knowledgeable area. That Regt eventually became part of the specialised 25th Armd Assault Bde, which operated in similar fashion to 79th Armd Div in NWE.

Gary

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Re: 1 Scorpion Regt

#4

Post by Andy H » 03 Aug 2011, 18:08

gjkennedy wrote:Doing some resurrection of old threads Andy?!
Hi Gary

Not exactly just putting together a Thread Index for this section, akin to those that exist in other areas of the AHF. So far I've gone through pages 48-38 and hence why some old threads have popped back up. Reading some of the older posts you can see how members knowledge has developed since then, including mine. :)

Thanks for the additional infomation concerning 1 Scorpion Regt, nice to see (some) old threads get a new lease of life :D

Regards

Andy H

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