Background

On 5 November 1941 Middle East Command issued a complete list of guns present in Middle East Command. This is preserved in WO169/949 in the UK National Archives, and reproduced in the table below. In an earlier post I had published the medium artillery numbers. It can be found at this link, and is from the same document.

Instrument of war during the triumphant pursuit in late 1941. “A 25-pdr field gun and ‘Quad’ artillery tractor, 22 December 1941.” (IWM E7245)

 

Artillery as a killer during the retreat in December 1941. “The result of an Italian ammunition column which came under our heavy shellfire near Derna.” (IWM E7309)

MOST SECRET

ARTILLERY SITUATION IN MIDDLE EAST

AS AT 4 NOVEMBER 1941

(excl. CD and AA)[1] 

COPY NO. 16

CRME/3612/RA

5. Nov. 41

APPENDIX “A” ATTD.

1. ARMAMENT FD. ARTY (a) Guns in Units – 25-pdr Mk II on Mk I carriage

Unit		Number of Guns	Remarks
Seven British Fd. Regiments at 24 each	4 RHA, 60 Fd, 51 Fd, 31 Fd, 72 Fd, 74 Fd, 124 Fd)	168
Nine British or Ind Regts at 16 each	1 RHA, 2 RHA, 104 RHA, 107 RHA, 1 Fd, 4 Fd, 8 Fd, 25 Fd, 28 Fd)	144
1 S.A. Div Arty		64	(4 S.A. Fd Regt short of men)
2 S.A. Div Arty[2]		72

1 N.Z. Div Arty		72
6 Aust Div Arty[3]		72
7 Aust Div Arty[3]		72

9 Aust Div Arty[3]		72
Two Army Fd Regts RAA		48
Polish Carpathian Arty		16

1 Greek Fd Regt[4]		24
Schools and Depots		20
L.R.D.G.		1

144 Fd Regt		Nil	(Armed with a variety of weapons in Tobruk)[5]
Total:-		845

 (b) Available not yet issued:-

Unit		Number of Guns	Remarks
En Route to Tobruk		20	(8 for Polish Fd Regt + 12 for 144 Fd Regt)[6]
In Ordnance Depots		144
Total:-		131

  (c) Advised and released:- 

Convoy[7]		Number of Guns	Remarks
Guns of 11 RHA		24
W.S.12		20
R.246	(Slow Convoy)	20
Canadian,	Oct – Dec prod.	66

U.K. production

Oct.

48

Total:-

186

 Note:- 8 25-pdrs have been despatched to E Africa. (d) Total 25-pr guns in M.E.

Status		Number of Guns	Remarks
Shipped and advised		1162
W.E. of 40 Fd Regts	at 24 guns each	960
Reserves	Complete equipments	202
	Carriages only	104

Barrels only

72

Jackets only

6

 (e) 18/25-pdrs

Location		Number of Guns	Remarks
Base Depots		8
Ordnance Depots		14
Total:-		22

16 have been despatched to East Africa. A certain number of carriages have been used for 18-pdr. pieces in order to raise the standard of 18-prs Mk V sent to India.

New Zealand 2-pdr anti-tank gun mounted on a truck in the portee role, 3 December 1941. This  photo became the basis for a painting by Peter McIntyre. (IWM E3743E)

2. A-Tk Weapons (a) Guns with Units

Unit		2-prs	18-prs
3 RHA		36
102 A-Tk		36
65 A-Tk		48
73 A-Tk[8]	(late 73 Med.)	48	16

7 N.Z. A-Tk		48	16
1 S.A. A-Tk		48	16
2 S.A. A-Tk[2]		48	16

2/1 Aust A-Tk[3]		72
2/2 Aust A-Tk[3]		36
2/3 Aust A-Tk		–

Tobruk	(149 A-Tk etc.)	40	9
4 Ind Div A-Tk Coy		9
Greek A-Tk Bty		3

Cyprus		4
Schools etc.		1
Total:-		437	73

 (b) Available not yet issued:- 

Unit		2-prs	18-prs
In Ordnance Depots		15	11
In ports	(ex SS Steelworker)	48
En Route to Tobruk		8
Total:-		71	11

  (c) Advised and released:-  

Unit		2-prs	18-prs
Guns of 76 A-Tk		36
W.S.12		54
Canadian Prod. UK Prod	Jul – Sep Oct	50 76
Total:-		216

 (d)  

Status		2-prs	18-prs
W.E. of THREE A-Tk Regts	at 36 guns each	108
W.E. of NINE A-Tk Regts	at 64 guns each	576
W.E. of TEN Div Recce units	at 12 guns each	120
Total:-		804

2-pr guns in M.E.	shipped and advised	724
No. of 2-prs therefore	required immediately	80
In addition a further 16 2-prs each will be required  to complete	THREE A-Tk Regts, arriving in future convoys, from 48 to 64 guns	48
Total 2-prs	required therefore	128

  (2) 37 mm Bofors A-Tk Distribution:-  

Unit		37 mm Bofors	Remarks
Tobruk		26
4 Ind Div		18
Ordnance Depots		12
Total:-		56

 (c) 47/32mm Distribution:-  

Unit		2-prs	Remarks
Tobruk		42
L.R.D.G.		6
Ordnance Depots		6
Total:-		54

(g) Note:- 6 18-prs Mk V were despatched to India in Sep., a further 18 are being despatched this month.

NOTES

[1] CD – Coastal Defense, AA – Anti-Aircraft
[2] At El Alamein, with one battery with ‘E’ Force
[3] In Syria [4] Not in action during CRUSADER
[5] The famous ‘Bush Artillery’, mostly captured Italian guns.
[6] These guns would have arrived and been issued prior to operations commencing
[7] None of these guns would have made it to the theatre before operations commenced.

[8] One battery with ‘E’ Force