guns of the 76th AT Rgt RA in use in North Africa 1941

[attilio]

What gun the 76th AT Rgt RA used in North Africa in 1941?

The Bofors 37 mm, the 2 pounder or a mix of both?

Thanks

Attilio

[JonS]

What time? For CRUSADER (Nov) they probably had a mix of 3/4 2-pr and 1/4 18-pr. Each bty would have had three troops of four 2-pr, and one tp of four 18-pr, with a total of four btys in the regt. Probably. Assuming they were orged the same as most other A-Tk regts at the time.

[David W]

attilio.

As far as I can tell the 76th A/T Regiment RA (The Welsh Fusiliers) didn't arrive in Suez before December 1941.

I don't have a T.o&E until Oct' 1942.

I suspect that JonS is correct in his assumption of their 1941 disposition. But in the back of my mind, is the fact that there might have been some Bofors 37mm guns mixed in amongst the 2Pdrs, but I don't know why. Perhaps I read it somewhwere?

[JonS]

There were 37mms used during COMPASS and the follow up ops. Not sure when they were phased out, but I suspect early-ish 41.

[Michael Emrys]

There were 37mms used during COMPASS and the follow up ops. Not sure when they were phased out, but I suspect early-ish 41.

Apparently whatever survived Compass and Rommel's spring offensive were phased out as Jon says. One source I have suggests that perhaps a troop's worth found their way into the LRDG.

[JonS]

Quite true.

from NZETC - War History - Episodes & Studies Vol 1 - Formation of Long Range Patrols:

Each patrol consisted of two officers and about thirty men, who travelled in a 15-cwt. pilot car and ten 30-cwt. trucks and were armed with ten Lewis machine guns, four Boys anti-tank rifles, one 37-millimetre Bofors anti-tank gun, pistols, and rifles. The Bofors gun was stripped from its carriage and mounted with traversing gear so that it could fire aft or broadside from a 30-cwt. truck with a strengthened chassis. Later the patrols were reduced in strength to one officer and fifteen to eighteen men in five or six trucks. The Lewis guns were replaced by Brownings and Vickers Ks, and the Boys and Bofors by .5-inch Vickers and 20-millimetre Bredas.

[RichTO90]

What gun the 76th AT Rgt RA used in North Africa in 1941?

The Bofors 37 mm, the 2 pounder or a mix of both?

Thanks

Attilio

The earliest British Forces Middle East Command report for them I have is from 1 February 1942, when they had 32 2-pdr. That was probably soon after they arrived. There are no accounts for them that follow, at least through Februay 1943, that I have been able to find. At that time they were equipped IIRC with 32 6-pdr and 16 6-pdr SP (US T48). I have no idea what happened to them in the intervening year.

Hope that helps.

Rich

[David W]

My Oct' '42 T.o&E shows them as having 64 x 6pdr divided into 4 batteries; 237th 239th 310th & ???.

Hope that fills a gap.