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Sunday, June 6, 2021

British Heavy Artillery Normandy 1944

 British Heavy Artillery units Normandy 1944


This month I have been completing some British artillery crews and decided to do some heavy pieces, so a little research had to be commenced, so I thought I would share my documents.

59th RA 7.2 inch howitzer in action 2nd September 1944.


The British artillery units who landed after DDay made up 18% of the total 21st army British and Canadian troops on the ground, more than the actual fighting infantry percentage. the heavy regiments were general reserve assigned to army corps.

The heavy artillery regiments in Normandy were:-

1st Royal Artillery Heavy Regiment 

Batteries 

3rd Battery 4 x 7.2 inch Howitzer Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
5th Battery 4 x 155mm Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
16 Battery  4 x 155mm Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
28 Battery  4 x 7.2 inch Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location
Assigned to the 2nd Canadian group in July in support of operations including Tractable and Totalize 
tactical plate 1 white, on corps artillery tactical plate. In March 1945 the 16th battery used Russian 12.2 cm guns. 

51st Royal Artillery Regiment, Lowland (city of Edinburgh)

1st Battery   4 x 7.2 inch Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
2nd Battery 4 x 7.2 inch Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
4th Battery  4 x 7.2 inch Howitzers Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
6th Battery  4 x 6 inch Howitzer rubber tyres Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location
4th Army Group Royal Artillery in June 1944, supported 1st corps assault on Caen in operation Charnwood, then assigned to support the 1st corps in operation Estonia and the assault on Le Havre. Most commonly used in the counter battery role.
tactical plate 187 white, on corps artillery tactical plate

52nd Royal Artillery Regiment Bedfordshire Yeomanry 

417th Battery (Bedford) 4 x 7.2 howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
418th Battery (Bedford) 4 x 7.2 howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
419th Battery (Bedford) 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
420th Battery (Bedford) 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location
5th Army Group Royal Artillery
tactical plate 187, on corps artillery tactical plate

53rd Royal artillery Regiment 

8th Battery   4 x 7.2 howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
9th Battery   4 x 7.2 inch howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
24th Battery 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
25th Battery 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location
8th Army Group Royal Artillery
tactical plate 194 white on corps artillery tactical plate

59th regiment Newfoundland 

20th Battery 4 x 7.2 inch howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
21st Battery 4 x 7.2 inch howitzer. mk4 Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
22nd Battery 4 x155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s
23rd Battery 4 x 155mm M1 long tom Scammel Pioneer trucks or Albion CX22s

Location 
3rd Army Group Royal Artillery
Tactical plate 179 white, on corps artillery tactical plate 




Available models in 20mm- 1/72- 1/76th

I am happy to use what I can get but do prefer 1/72 and 20mm to 1/76th scale, budget is always a consideration too.

7.2 inch howitzer

Milicast 7.2 howitzer resin mixed media kit
SHQ 7.2 Howitzer  metal model
Thunder model plastic model (coming this year)

155mm M1 long tom

A number of plastic, metal, diecast and resin available
Hasegawa 1/72 155mm long tom howitzer any model shop
Atalya diecast towed model only hard to get
Alby models 155mm resin 1/72 (closest to actual measurments)
Marusan 155mm a rare plastic kit from Japan
AHM 155mm a rare plastic kit model 

6 inch Howitzer

SHQ miniatures 6 inch Howitzer
Milicast QF6 rubber tyres 

Scammel Pioneer

a few models available
SHQ scammel artillery tractor metal model
IBG models plastic Scammel Pioneer plastic
Thunder Models Scammel Pioneer (not seen this kit yet)

Albion CX22s

One model that I am aware of 
Fankit models Albion CX22s resin mixed media kit

Albion CX25 

only one model I am aware of









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