Italian Breda AT Guns in Malaya

[Fatboy Coxy]

I quoted Farndale - The Far East Theatre 1941-46 earlier, reading through the book I found a couple of typo mistakes. On page 330, listing Field and Anti Tank Regiments RA present in Malaya/Singapore, it gives both the 80th and 85th Anti Tank Regts has being equipped with 36 x 2 pounder AT guns, and organised with 4 batteries. The British AT Regts at that time were all a standard 4 batteries of 12 guns each, clearly a mistake by Farndale.

Then I got to thinking, could he be right? 1941 Britain was still desperatly trying to manufacture enough anti tank guns, like everything else. Some RA Field regts (5th, 122nd and 155th) were deployed to Malaya with only two batteries, not the normal three, due to equipment and trained personal shortages, along with expansion of new units. 80th Anti Tank Regt was formed at Hitchin in July 1941. 2nd Bttery from 13th AT Regt, 215th Battery from 54th At Regt, 272nd Battery from 68th AT Regt and 273 Battery from 69th AT Regt.

Could these units have been formed with only 3 guns per section instead of 4, 9 per battery and reduced personal levels. Could this have been a trial taking the model of the anti tank companies assigned to British Infantry Brigades, or maybe just a equipment saving exercise in a theatre that was hoped to be a quite backwater.

Sadly my musings are just that, its a typo. Page 38 talks about 2nd Battery, 80th AT Regt being sent back to Ipoh to refit (replace lost 2 pounder guns), while page 42 quotes 85th AT Regt equipped with 48 x 2 pounders. This suggests that not only were the Regts fully equipped but a reserve of replacement guns had already been shipped as well!

Steve

[green ridge]

This is my first post on this forum.

For a first-hand account of an experience by an anti-tank gunner in the Malayan Campaign, "The Brave Japanese" by Kenneth Harrison is a very good book. Harrison was a sergeant in the 2/4th Australian Anti-Tank Regiment and fought his 2 punder gun at the ambush at the Gemencheh River (Gemas) supporting the 2/30th AIF Battalion. He was also in charge of one of the 2 pounder guns which fought at Bakri and Parit Sulong during the fighting retreat from the Muar River. In this action, he supprted both the 2/29th and 2/19th AIF Battalions. In that action, 9 Japanese tanks were destroyed.

As a separate issue, the 2 pounder gun was manufactured in Australia. At least one of the batteries of the 2/4th regiment was equipped with the Breda guns. I am unsure as to whether they were replaced as production of 2 pounder guns increased.

[Fatboy Coxy]

Hi green ridge, thank you for this, I have a couple of questions for you. Firstly, you mention about the Breda guns being in Australian Service in Malaya, can you tell me a bit more about that, and where it is sourced from please.

And secondly, regrading Harrisons' book, can you tell me how much of the book is devoted to him training in the Australian Army, and his experience in Malaya, including the actions around Gemas and Muar.

[LineDoggie]

If they used it, and it looks like they did have some from the relic image, the 47 was a decent gun for its time and certainly could make easy meat of any Japanese tank of the early war period AP HE, HEAT available

I would be interested in how much Ammo per gun they had available as once used you werent going to get more.