Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. [87] The 21st Army Group allocated an additional 2,190 tonnes (2,160 long tons) of road transport capacity to the Second Army between 27 March and 3 April. Four trains a day passed through Gevrey-Chambertin, which handled 72,550 personnel and 4,035 trucks. For nearly 70 years, generations would grow up on bases with special schools, shops, housing and even their own radio station, as parts of the Rhineland became little bubbles of Britishness. [30] All movements were completed by the second week of April. [43] Over 2.5 million rounds of 25-pounder ammunition was made available for Operation Veritable. British Army of the Rhine (post Second World War) . Daily expenditure of ammunition soon exceeded a trainload, so the non-arrival of even one train meant that ammunition had to be drawn from the Second Army roadhead at Bourg Leopold. The problem had been foreseen, and replacements were available on the ordnance depots. A petrol station company was formed from personnel made surplus by the reorganisation with six platoons, each containing three sections. [28][29], At the start of January 1945, British bulk storage facilities were more than sufficient to hold the thirty days' reserve of petrol, oil and lubricants (POL) that Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) stipulated should be held, but the American position was not so good. [95][92] To take pressure off the roads, the 21st Army Group placed an air composite platoon capable of receiving and handling up to 510 tonnes (500 long tons) per day under the Second Army's control. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. British Land Forces in Germany came under the command of the British Army of the Rhine. I Canadian Corps advanced on Utrecht, supported by No. To secure the required transportation resources, eleven general transport companies, seven artillery transport platoons, a tank transporter company, a bulk petrol transport company, a petrol depot, a bridge company and an ambulance car company were transferred from Italy. [63] The final troop movements for Operation Plunder involved 662 tanks, over 4,000 tank transporters and 32,000 other vehicles. [7], The 1993 Options for Change defence cuts resulted in BAOR being replaced by forces roughly 25,000 strong, divided between Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, 1st Armoured Division, other combat support and combat service support forces, and administrative elements headed by United Kingdom Support Command (Germany). It became the primary formation controlling the British contribution to NATO after the formation of the alliance in 1949. Britain and Her Army, 15091970: A Military, Political, and Social Survey. TR. Garrisons which closed at this time included Soest (home of the 6th Armoured Brigade),[8] Soltau (home of the 7th Armoured Brigade)[9] and Minden (home of the 11th Armoured Brigade).[10]. [28] Advance parties from each formation involved travelled by air from Florence, but most Operation Goldflake units moved by sea. Although our understanding of the service has been considerably deepened by subsequent scholarship, the book provides the broader context for thinking about the army after 1945. [62] XII Corps allocated sixty DUKWs each to the 6th Airborne Division, US 17th Airborne Division and the 15th Infantry Division; thirty were in corps reserve, nine were designated for casualty evacuation and six for the Royal Engineers. It was arranged that 40 tanks, 650 wheeled vehicles, 50 Bren gun carriers, and 3,700 personnel would disembark each day in Marseilles, where accommodation was provided for 10,000 troops in tents and 200 vehicles. Red Sash Wargames Army of the Rhine - Ombre de Turenne SW | Toys & Hobbies, Games, Board & Traditional Games | eBay! The 5 miles (8.0km) of the Nijmegen-Cleve road was under 610 millimetres (24in) of water, and DUKWs were employed to move supplies forward along it to a "skeleton" FMC, No. If you can't find it - tell us, if you know something - tell us. WO1 Served from 1971 - 1993 Served in British Army of the Rhine. As was written earlier we are constantly searching for information, and adding or updating pages. It closed in 1991 when the refurbished BMH Iserlohn re-opened. A special train brought the required stores to the Second Army railhead within 48 hours of a demand being lodged with the advance base. [3] However, around 185 British Army personnel and 60 Ministry of Defence civilians will stay in Germany beyond 2020. [71] The supplies dropped represented a day's supply of food, fuel and petrol for the two divisions. The Meuse-Escaut Canal was also opened that month, and by the end of March the Zuid-Willemsvaart and the MaasWaal Canal were also open, allowing barge traffic from Antwerp to reach the Waal. [7] Following a further spending review, one brigade was withdrawn and Osnabrck Garrison closed in 2009. [61] Up to seven trains per day were required to move the ammunition from the advance base to the ammunition railheads at No. They were also utilised for duties such as manning level crossings. [7] The British Second Army liberated Brussels on 3 September, and Antwerp was captured virtually intact on 4 September,[8] but it could not be used as a port until the Germans were cleared from the Scheldt approaches, through which ships had to pass to reach the port. [30], A rail halt was established at Gevrey-Chambertin and bivouac areas at Montbard and Chalon-sur-Sane. No. [11] The first phase of this was the transfer of remaining stores to the advanced base. [28][29] Many of the tanks needed overhaul or modification and this task was beyond the resources of the 21st Army Group's REME units, so excess tanks were shipped to the UK. This included 15,000,000 rations, which were gradually eaten by the troops in the RMA. Medium and heavy ammunition for units north of the Maas was stockpiled at Wijchen and that for those south of the Maas at Oss. The four Army garrisons in Germany were under the direct administrative control of UKSC(G). Some of the ammunition that had earlier been dumped was to be made inaccessible by flood waters. A train caught alight, and the fire spread to three nearby storage tanks. Special arrangements were made to supply the Royal Air Force's Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation, which consumed 410,000 litres (90,000impgal) a night, and Gloster Meteor jet fighters, which consumed 14,000 litres (3,000impgal) of kerosene each day. Positioned on the North German Plain, it is the command element of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). [51] There was also demand for covered accommodation in the 3,300 bivouacs, and 21st Army Group headquarters released 343 huts and 1,600 100-pound (45kg) tents from its stocks, which were delivered to the railheads around Mill and 's-Hertogenbosch. In a European context the first step in this process was the 1947 Anglo-French Treaty of Dunkirk. British Army Germany was formed in 2020 to administer the remaining service personnel, UK Civil Servants, and dependents (family members), based in Germany. As a result, vehicles owned by personnel ceased to have distinct registration plates, which had made them easily identifiable. Please subscribe or login. With some assistance from pioneers or civilians, each section could operate a petrol station issuing up to 45,000 litres (10,000impgal) per day. Its commander was the British commander of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). The pipeline running from Cherbourg to Rouen was shut down on 9 January, which freed personnel to work on extending other pipelines. The BAOR was formerly armed with tactical nuclear weapons. [81] The XXX Corps plan called for the construction of a class 9 FBE bridge, a class 15 Bailey pontoon bridge and two class 40 Bailey pontoon bridges. During the Great War (1914-1918) approximately 900,000 men, a quarter of the whole Army. Look through examples of British Army of the Rhine translation in sentences, listen to pronunciation and learn grammar. The class 12 Bailey bridge, known as "Sussex", took the XII Corps Troops Engineers and the Royal Navy 43 hours to erect. A 229-metre (751ft) class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge was erected by the 7th Army Troops Engineers at Well and a 270-metre (880ft) one by the 6th Army Troops Engineers at Lottum was opened for traffic on 10 March. For this the British Second Army deployed 1,520 field and medium guns, and the US Ninth Army had 624 field and medium guns. [35] It would be carried out by General Harry Crerar's First Canadian Army, which was built up to a strength of 449,865 personnel through the addition of large numbers of British troops; counting civilians and prisoners of war, the army had a ration strength of 476,193. [73] In XXX Corps, all DUKWs were retained under corps control. It closed in March 1994. The object sank after being cut loose during an attempt to recover it, and the swimmer was captured. The army roadheads were mainly supplied by rail. This page is a list of British Armies in WWII. Margaret Brown. Branch British Army. A smoke screen concealed preparations on the west bank of the Rhine. B.A.R. Expand or collapse the "in this article" section, Expand or collapse the "related articles" section, Expand or collapse the "forthcoming articles" section, Africa, Gunpowder and Colonial Campaigns in, All-Volunteer Army, Post-Vietnam Through 2016, Armed Forces of the Ottoman Empire, 16831918, Australia from the Colonial Era to the Present. 15 Army Roadhead opened in the Almelo area on 18 April and was stocked by road from No. Foster. This took another five days. 29th Division Entering Cologne 13 December 1918 Q 7220.jpg 641 800; 48 KB. The Making of the British Army: From the English Civil War to the War on Terror. Only the class 70 bridges would take a loaded tank transporter. [88][93], Dumbo surpassed its target of 1million imperial gallons (4.5million litres) (about 3,620 tonnes (3,560 long tons)) per day on 15 March 1945, and by 3 April the Dumbo lines were delivering 4,500 long tons (4,600t) a day. Consequently, the daily pack trains that carried supplies were normally run straight through from the advanced base to the corps railheads, which were normally stocked on a commodity basis, and the roadheads supporting the First Canadian Army carried much less stock than its British Second Army counterparts. The "Waterloo" class 9 FBE could not be built at the intended site at Rees on 24 March because the town had not been captured. IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO STAY ANONYMOUS OR KEEP ALL CONTENTS PRIVATE PLEASE STATE THIS CLEARLY ON SUBMISSION: All rights reserved. The next major operation was Operation Plunderthe assault crossing of the Rhine on 23 March. [51] Rations were moved forward however, and 2,318,222 rations were stockpiled for Operation Veritable. 206 FMC. On the other hand, the 21st Army Group held sufficient stocks of POL to accede to a request from SHAEF to allocate 73,000 long tons (74,000t) of petrol for US use. LT COL Served from 1974 - 2011 Served in British Army of the Rhine. [44] Road maintenance was made especially difficult by the winter weather. Expands. To compensate for this, to minimise casualties, and to maximise the combat effectiveness of what manpower they had, the British forces relied on machines, materiel and firepower. Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War. british army of the rhine bases . 1st/4th and 9th battalions of the Seaforths were with the Rhine Army in 1919. Sirs, Ladies and Gentlemen,Welcome to the website dedicated to the British Army of the Rhine, its locations, and those areas whilst not strictly within BAOR, thatwere vital to the operation of the theatre. What military bases are left in Germany? Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom enable the British Armed Forces to conduct expeditionary warfare and maintain a forward presence.Bases tend to be located in or near areas of strategic or diplomatic importance, often used for the build-up or resupply of military forces, as was seen during the 1982 Falklands War and the use of RAF Ascension Island as a staging post. The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) was formed at the conclusion of World War II from various units of the British 21st Army Group. 167 FMC was handed over to it, and became No. [73] XII and XXX Corps each formed a bank control group along the lines of the beach groups that had supported the Normandy landings in 1944, but with the logistical elements restricted to the medical, provost and REME components. Blaxland, Gregory. It is a history of British European security commitments, of NATO military strategy, and of the changing character of land warfare after 1945. Catalogue description British Army of the Rhine [BAOR] Ordering and viewing options This record has not been digitised and cannot be downloaded. Three days later, XII Corps did the same to facilitate the capture of Hamburg, but the expenditure of ammunition at Bremen was not as great as anticipated, and this allowed XII Corps's requirements to be met in full. BMH Iserlohn was one of several BAOR (British Army Of The Rhine) army hospitals in Germany. They were respectively augmented by 1,891 and 1,446 anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns. Not all general accounts of the postwar army have overlooked the services experiences in developing ground forces for nuclear war, however. Download Citation | The British Army of the Rhine | The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) began life in 1945 as a postwar administrative headquarters deployed in support of the civilian authority . [41] Pepperpot tactics involved supplementing the artillery fire with that of anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns, mortars and machine guns. As of 1 April 1989, the following amounts of troops were deployed around the world: 71,000 in Great Britain, 56,000 (of which the Berlin brigade makes up 3,000), 10,200 in Northern Ireland (including 3,200 on roulement), 5,000 in Hong Kong, 4,000 in the Lines of Communications counties (Netherlands . This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 08:31. [28], On 15 February, the region south of the Seine under British administration by 5th Line of Communications Sub Area and the 101st Beach Sub Area were reduced to the ports of Caen and Ouistreham and the depots around them, while that administered by the 9th Line of Communications Sub Area was handed over to the US Communications Zone, as was the region between the Somme and the Seine administered by the 6th Line of Communications Sub Area, except for the city of Amiens. German railway personnel were used to man two trains a day from Celle to Bienenbuttel. Both formations had areas of responsibility located around the German section of the River Rhine. Following the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the permanent deployment in Germany ended in 2020. Adjutant Generals Base AGDU Army Guard Dog Unit AGR Army General Reserve A.G.R.A. It was also feared for a time that the skeleton FMC was in danger of being inundated, although it was sited on high ground. [50], Because it was not anticipated that the advance would be rapid, it was not considered necessary to hold large stocks of petrol, oil and lubricants (POL) in the FMCs, but to ensure that vehicles moving to the assembly areas arrived with full tanks of fuel, a train loaded with petrol was sent to Nijmegen to allow them to be topped off. During the month, 432 trains delivered 230,000 tonnes (230,000 long tons) to 37 railheads in the British Second Army area. 616 Squadron RAF began operating Gloster Meteor jet fighters from Brussels, and they required kerosene. + $18.23 shipping. Army Group Royal Artillery . [70] Of the 610 tonnes (600 long tons) of supplies and equipment dropped, 80 per cent was recovered. Home; About. To maximise their turnaround time, they were only used to cover the flooded stretch, with loads transferred to them and unloaded from them into other vehicles at each end. The British presence was estimated to have been contributing 1.5 billion euros annually to the German economy in 2004. [38] Operation Blackcock, a preliminary operation to clear German forces from the Roer Triangle, was carried out by the XII Corps in January 1945. Every available amphibious craft was collected, and they were joined by a Royal Navy contingent of 36 Landing Craft Medium (LCM) and 36 Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) that were transported by road across Holland and Belgium to participate. [20], Commanders have included:[21]General Officer Commanding United Kingdom Support Command (Germany), General Officer Commanding British Forces Germany, Last edited on 10 December 2022, at 22:46, 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, "UK to maintain military presence in Germany", "So, it is time to say Aufwiedersehen. A Mail on Sunday . As the Soviet threat increased, so BAOR became less of an occupational army and assumed the role of defender of Western Europe, and as a major contributor to NATO after . XXX Corps reverted to the control of the British Second Army on 8 March, and by 10 March the last German units had retreated across the Rhine. 30 hurt in blast at army base. Thank you. [37] Operation Veritable was scheduled to commence on 8 February, but the date for Operation Grenade could not be set, as it depended on the capture of dams on the Roer further south by the US First Army. The offensive was supported by 600 field and 300 medium guns. Find British Army Of The Rhine stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. During February 300,000 long tons (300,000t) of supplies were delivered to the XXX Corps railheads. To simplify storage and handling, only ammunition for field, medium and heavy artillery was held at the Canadian FMCs, ammunition for all other weapons was stocked at No. As the Soviet threat increased, so BAOR became less of an occupational army and assumed the role of defender of Western Europe, and as a major contributor to NATO after . History of the british army of the rhine 06 09 14. [47] As it was thought that vehicle movement in the battle area would be restricted by the weather, terrain and battle damage, units were issued with "compo" ration packs for up to two-thirds of a formation's strength, and the divisions and independent brigades were also supplied with two-, three- and five-man "AFV" ration packs in case the distribution of compo packs proved to be too difficult. That day trains also began arriving at No. [45] No. The Commander-in-Chief of BAOR also served as the commander of NATO's northern Army Group, and as such had Dutch and German units under command in the event of war. The Corps was with the BEF in 1940 and thereafter involved in the defene of the UK. No. A new type was flown out direct from the UK factory by priority air freight and fitted to the tanks. [82][83], In the XXX Corps area, the engineer units were grouped under the 13th AGRE, under the command of Colonel F. C. The best introduction to the regimental system of the British army. The transfer involved 102,415 troops. There were doubts as to whether this need could be met, but the situation was eased by the fortuitous arrival of 4,700 tonnes (4,600 long tons) of ammunition that had been pre-loaded on some of the transport that had been allocated by the 21st Army Group. The Dumbo pipeline was extended from Boulogne to Antwerp in March. [10], HQ British Forces Germany was formed in January 2012, replacing the UKSC(G) and the Germany Support Group (GSG). XXX Corps opened a new No. This reduced the pressure on the road network, and also permitted stone for road works to be supplied by rail. [60] In the three days preceding the assault, the three hundred and thirty six 25-pounders assigned to the XII Corps fired 225,061 rounds, the sixteen 4.5-inch guns fired 7,002 rounds, the one hundred and sixty 5.5-inch guns fired 69,607 rounds, the fifty two 155 mm howitzers fired 4,335 rounds, the sixteen 7.2-inch howitzer fired 3,964 rounds, and the two 8-inch howitzers 176 rounds. Battle of Route Coloniale 4, 1950: Frances first devastat British Armed Forces, from the Glorious Revolution to Pres Communications, French Revolution to Present, Hippolyte, Comte de Guibert, Jacques Antoine, Hungary, Warfare in Medieval and Early Modern, India 'Mutiny' and 'Revolution,' 1857-1858, Japanese Army in the World War II Era, The Imperial, Justice, Military, the Anglo-American Tradition. [30], The two airborne divisions participating in Operation Varsity, the airborne operation supporting Operation Plunder, were initially supplied by the First Allied Airborne Army. The longer shipping time meant that a working margin of 30 days' supplies was desirable instead of the one of 14 days for shipments from the United Kingdom. Individual chapters consider British thinking about tactical nuclear weapons, the evolution of NATO strategy, theories of tactical nuclear warfare, nuclear instruction at the Staff College, operational research and war-gaming, and the development of the armys nuclear warfighting doctrine. [28][29] The first vehicles to arrive came with only fifty drivers, so a detachment from 141 Vehicle Park was sent to Marseilles from the RMA. [44] Crerar noted that if the ammunition for Operation Veritable was stacked side-by-side and 1.5 metres (5ft) high, it would have extend for 48 kilometres (30mi). All this week on Forces TV we are focusing on 'Rebasing' from Germany, as the countdown to drawdown steps up a gear. The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) began life in 1945 as a postwar administrative headquarters deployed in support of the civilian authority of the British zone of occupation, northern Germany. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! 19191929. Both formations had areas of responsibility located around the German section of the River Rhine. 11 Army Roadhead, it was dependent on the daily arrival of ammunition trains. The Canadian historian, Charles Stacey noted that:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, Thus, throughout the campaign in North-West Europe, there was virtually no separate Canadian supply organization other than what existed within First Canadian Army itself. 10 Army Roadhead, while the attached II Canadian Corps continued to draw its from the First Canadian Army's No. Stores still required by the 21st Army Group were moved forward to the new advanced base, and the rest returned to the War Office for disposal. A sweeping review of four hundred years of British army history. Not only are the well-equipped forward elements presented, but the light security elements that form BAOR's vital reinforcements are included as well. 10 Army Roadhead. From 1922 the BAOR was organised into two brigades:[1], The second British Army of the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from the British Liberation Army. No. GYM. This merely delayed work on the bridge, which was opened to traffic at 20:15. They were then loaded into landing ships, tank (LSTs) that took them to Marseilles, and onto flat wagons again for the five-day railway journey to Dixmude. Check 'British Army of the Rhine' translations into Italian. It has been an honour to command this fantastic organisation doing its very best to support our people here in Germany. [92] There was an additional allocation of 5,100 tonnes (5,000 long tons) of road transport for the drive to the Baltic Sea on 26 April, and another 2,700 tonnes (2,700 long tons) was received by the end of the month. The British Army, Manpower, and Society into the Twenty-First Century. 13 Army Roadhead at Nijmegen. 12 Army Roadhead in the Rheine area commenced on 3 April, and the corps started drawing from it on 9 April. A broad look at the cultural attitudes of the British army and its relationship with wider society. By this time the system consisted of 1,811 kilometres (1,125mi) of pipelines and storage tanks with a capacity of 104,770 tonnes (103,120 long tons). The following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total. British Army of the Rhine (post First World War) B.A.F.S.V. [2] Composition [ edit] The installations consist of: [3] Normandy Barracks, Paderborn Headquarters, British Army Germany: Germany Enabling Office (GEO); Germany Support Unit. [101] The vast resources brought to bear was in stark contrast with scarcities of the early war years. [79] Seven American combat engineer battalions assisted with road and bridge maintenance in the British Second Army area. REME Technical Services BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) 5 Infantry Workshop, Nijmegan Marchers 5 Infantry Workshop, Nijmegan Marchers [16] However, some training will still be undertaken in Germany with regard to NATO capability. british army of the rhine bases. [91], On 3 May an VIII Corps FMC at Lneburg was taken over by the Second Army and used as an advance roadhead in conjunction with No. They were augmented by 1,891 and 1,446 anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns. [4] German resistance was stubborn, and the British and Canadian advance much slower than planned until July,[5] when the American Operation Cobra broke through the German defences. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. [74], The South Beveland Canal was opened on 19 February to allow inland water transport to reach the Dutch canal system when the western Netherlands were liberated. The Regiments Depart: A History of the British Army, 19451970. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). [88][92][96], Meanwhile, the First Canadian Army established two lines of communications. [88] Another 2,000 tonnes (2,000 long tons) was obtained from within the Second Army by grounding artillery and armoured units that were not immediately required for the advance. [82][84], It was recognised in the planning of Operation Plunder that the maintenance of the floating bridges over the Rhine would require more engineers than could be spared from the campaign ahead.