British First Army order of battle, 4 May 1943 facts for kids
The British First Army was a large group of soldiers from different countries who fought together during World War II. This page tells you about how they were organized on May 4, 1943, during a big battle called the Tunisian Campaign in North Africa. Knowing an army's "order of battle" helps us understand how many soldiers and what types of units were ready for action.
Contents
What is an Order of Battle?
An order of battle is like a detailed list or map of how a military force is set up. It shows which units belong to which larger groups, who is in charge of them, and what equipment they might have. For the British First Army in 1943, it tells us about the different parts that made up this powerful fighting force.
The British First Army's Structure
The entire British First Army was led by Lieutenant-General Sir Kenneth Anderson. It was made up of several large sections called "corps," each with its own commander and many smaller units.
V Corps
This corps was commanded by Lieutenant-General Charles Walter Allfrey. It included various types of units:
- North Irish Horse: A special tank unit.
- 7th Algerian Tirailleurs Regiment (7ème Régiment de Tirailleurs Algériens): An infantry unit from Algeria.
- 1st Army Group Royal Artillery: A large group of artillery (big guns).
- 46th Infantry Division: A large group of foot soldiers, though one part (the 139th Brigade Group) was elsewhere.
- 78th Infantry Division: Another important group of foot soldiers.
IX Corps
Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks was in charge of IX Corps. This corps had a strong mix of tank and infantry units:
- 25th Tank Brigade: A group of tank units, with two battalions (smaller groups of tanks) serving elsewhere.
- 201st Guards Brigade: An elite infantry unit.
- 2nd Army Group Royal Artillery: Another large artillery group.
- 4th Infantry Division: A key infantry division.
- 4th Indian Infantry Division: An infantry division from India.
- 6th Armoured Division: A powerful division with many tanks and armored vehicles.
- 7th Armoured Division: Another strong armored division, famous for its tanks.
XIX French Corps
This corps was led by General Louis Koeltz and represented the French forces fighting alongside the British. It included:
- One Tank Battalion: A group of tanks.
- Division d'Alger: An infantry division from Algeria.
- Division du Maroc: An infantry division from Morocco.
- Division d'Oran: Another infantry division from Oran.
U.S. II Corps
The U.S. II Corps was part of the overall plan but was directly controlled by the 18th Army Group, not the British First Army. It was commanded by Major General Omar Bradley. This corps included a significant number of American units:
- Corps Francs d'Afrique: Three battalions of volunteer soldiers from North Africa.
- One Tabor Moroccan Goumiers: A unit of Moroccan tribal fighters.
- U.S. 13th Field Artillery Brigade: An American artillery unit.
- U.S. 2626th Coast Artillery Brigade: An American unit focused on coastal defense.
- 1st Armored Division: A major American armored division, with one regiment (a smaller group) serving elsewhere.
- 1st Infantry Division: A famous American infantry division.
- 9th Infantry Division: Another important American infantry division.
- 34th Infantry Division: An American infantry division.
Army Reserve
The Army Reserve was a group of units kept ready to be sent wherever they were most needed. These units could provide extra support or fill gaps in the main fighting forces.
- 1st King's Dragoon Guards: A cavalry unit, often used for reconnaissance or as armored cars.
- 51st (Leeds Rifles) Royal Tank Regiment: A tank regiment.
- 139th Infantry Brigade: An infantry brigade.
- 1st Armoured Division: A British armored division.
