Post
by Gary Kennedy » 08 May 2017 16:29
Just to concur with Sheldrake, the 95-mm armed Cromwell was a different machine to the Centaur. The Cromwell VI was the original CS version, latterly joined by the Cromwell VIII.
I did try and piece together the evolution of 17-pr tank issues in 21AG for a project a few years back. Unit Entitlements (UEs) in Jun44 were 12 Sherman 17-pr tanks per Armd Regt in an Armd Bde (whether the Bde was in a Div or Indep role). The aim had been to provide one 17-pr per Tp of three tanks, requiring fifteen for an Armd Regt on WE II/151/3. There weren't sufficient to allow this so a reduced scale of 12 was used, which saw an adjustment in Sqn org to four Tps, each of four tanks, meaning Sqn HQ dropped to three tanks to maintain an overall strength of 19 tanks in the Sqn; I've not seen anything to suggest that Regts added an extra three tanks apiece to cover the change, which was an interim.
UEs for Dec44/Jan45 had increased to 30 Sherman 17-pr tanks, which allowed for a return to five Tps of three tanks each, and for two to be 17-prs. Apr/May45 saw a swift adjustment to 24 Sherman 17-prs for Armd Regt UEs, which would roll back to four Tps per Sqn, with two 17-prs per Tp. Excluded were Regts with the new Comet, which were based on all Comets, but there was an increase in CS Cromwells at the same time which allowed for two per Sqn HQ.
Cromwell equipped Armd Recce Regts maintained a UE of 15 Challengers at most. As noted above Armd Recce Regts had no 17-pr equipments at this time. I can't recall offhand now but I think the general view I reached was that the 17-pr Challengers began to reach Recce units round(ish) Aug44.
Just to underline these were Unit Entitlements, not holdings. Finding out what tanks a particular Regt had for a certain period or engagement is exceedingly difficult. As a quick example Guards Armd Div shows a high of 57 Sherman 17-prs in 21AG AFV returns for Jan45, which fell to 46 by May45, both figures well short of the 90 and 72 allowed for in UEs. Meanwhile 4th Armd Bde during this time was showing in the 70 to 80 bracket.
Now someone will take issue with the term Heavy Tank Brigades, they were Tank Brigades until Feb45 when they were retitled Armd Bdes. I've seen a few references to Achilles being paired specifically with Churchill tanks, and it's not something I know enough about to say is right, wrong or in the middle. 17-pr M10s were found in two units, the Atk Regts of Armd Divs and the Corps Atk Regts; it's this latter unit which I think is being referred to. As far as I know Corps Atk Regts were just that, non-Div atk assets that could be deployed as required, and had no specific link with the Tank Bdes. Corps Atk Regts mirrored the organisation of Armd Div Atk Regts, both with two M10 Btys and two towed 17-pr Btys, twelve guns in each Bty type. It took a while for M10s to be brought up to 17-pr standard, I'm pretty sure there were a few 3-in reported into 1945 on the AFV returns.
All in all quite straightforward really ;>
Gary
