Normandy AT Control

[ajmac]

Following D-Day which are of the Army controlled the day to day use and ownership of the towed 6 Pdr AT guns? I presume they were simply part of the infantry, but how did it all fit together? I ask as I was considering (just in passing) what divisions Loyd Carriers would have been used by. Period photos are not too clear on Loyd markings.... and the 6Pdr was towed by a myriad of vehicles around that time.

[steveo578]

I'm rather the surprised the more well informed on the site haven't responded to this information request:confused:

 

A motor rifle batalion would have an A/T company of 6 x 6pdr towed by Loyds with limber vehicles. No doubt normal infantry -ie those not in brigades directly supporting armoured divisions may have had their A/T towed by other probably wheeled vehicles, (U/Cs were used for towing short distances cross country to set up defensive positions). It seems fairly rare for British 6pdrs in ETO to be towed by halftracks which were primially a motorised brigade vehicle for carrying infantry in support of armour.

 

The only other units I noted as using Halftracks towing 6pdr were US M1s towed by M3s in both infantry batalions and other units such as engineers and both Soviet and French/French Morocian.

 

No doubt the standard brigade histories of campaigns such as Normandy will tell you the tac numbers of the various Motorised and Infantry Bats. for example the unit involved in the incident at Villers Bocage was 1st Rifles.

 

Steve