98th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
98th HAA Regiment, RA 498 (Gloucestershire) HAA Regiment, RA | |
---|---|
Territorial Army | |
Role | Air defence |
Size | Regiment |
Part of | Anti-Aircraft Command 21st Army Group |
Garrison/HQ | Cheltenham |
Engagements | Battle of Britain Manchester Blitz North West Europe |
98th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, was an air defence unit of Britain's
Origin
The Territorial Army was rapidly expanded following the
World War II
Mobilisation and Phoney War
In June, during the period of tension leading up to the outbreak of World War II, a partial mobilisation of AA Command's TA units was begun in a process known as 'couverture', whereby each unit did a month's tour of duty in rotation to man selected AA gun and searchlight positions. AA Command began to mobilise on 21 August, at which point 98th HAA Rgt had two old 3-inch guns for each battery and two modern 3.7-inch guns borrowed from 76th HAA Rgt for training (which had to be returned immediately). The guns were moved to their war stations at Bristol using hired lorries (which continually broke down). A detachment from 301 HAA Bty took up defence of the Bristol Aeroplane Company factory at RAF Filton on 31 August, equipped with 12 Lewis guns in case of low-level air attack. War was declared on 3 September.[7][8]
Much redeployment took place during the
At the beginning of October RHQ moved from Cheltenham to Rudgeway and a month later it took over operational control of 439 Bty, 63rd (4th Bn Queen's) Searchlight Rgt, which had 24 Lewis gun teams deployed at Avonmouth Docks. In December and January the regiment received several hundred 'immatures' (recruits under the age of 19) from the Staffordshire Yeomanry, 150th Rgt Royal Horse Artillery, 66th and 67th Anti-Tank Rgts and 76th HAA Rgt. In mid-January 1940 98th and 76th HAA Rgts were ordered to form a cadre for a new operational battery. This was the first of several cadres supplied by the regiment over the next two years to form the basis of new batteries at the training regiments (see below). The cadre left for 211th HAA Training Rgt at Oswestry on 15 February 1940, where it formed 320 HAA Bty; this officially joined 98th HAA Rgt on 1 June, though it was initially posted to Littlehampton in West Sussex under 47 AA Bde.[1][2][8]
By the new year the regiment still had just four 3-inch guns, at two gunsites, at Rockingham Farm and
Battle of Britain
The Phoney War ended on 10 May 1940 with the German invasion of the Low Countries. All leave was stopped and 301 HAA Bty was ordered to hand over its gunsites to 76th HAA Rgt and move immediately to take over sites protecting Southampton under 35 AA Bde. Ten days later the battery was moved to Weybridge to protect the Vickers and Hawker aircraft works at Brooklands under 47 AA Bde, manning eight mobile 3.7-inch guns. Meanwhile 231 HAA Bty from 74th (City of Glasgow) AA Rgt (a mobile 3.7-inch battery) arrived by rail at Gloucester to come under the command of 98th HAA Rgt. It deployed at two four-gun sites at Barnwood and Dean Farm to defend the Gloster Aircraft Company factory at Hucclecote. With its batteries scattered, RHQ 98th HAA Rgt was placed under 47 AA Bde to command several detached batteries. RHQ moved from Rudgeway to the Militia Camp at Fernhurst in West Sussex, which was closer to these units:[2]
- 301/98 HAA Bty at Weybridge
- 237/76 HAA Bty at RAF Tangmere
- 284/90 HAA Bty at Littlehampton
- 249/80 HAA Bty at Bramley Ordnance Depot
While the Battle of Britain raged over South East England in August and September, the regiment was progressively concentrated round Weybridge:[2]
- 300 HAA Bty HQ – RAF Tangmere from 4 June
- 4 guns – RAF Tangmere
- 4 x 3.7-inch guns – RAF Farnboroughfrom 25 August
- 301 HAA Bty HQ – Addlestone from 27 June
- 4 x 3.7-inch guns – Durnford Bridge
- 4 x 3.7-inch guns – Woburn Park
- 320 HAA Bty HQ – Cobham from 27 June
- 4 x 3.7-inch guns – Fairmile Common
- 4 x 3.7-inch guns – Wisley Common
- 98th HAA Rgt Training Centre – Andover, Hampshire
At the beginning of September the Luftwaffe shifted its attention away from RAF Fighter Command's airfields and radar stations and began attacking targets nearer London. The Vickers works at Brooklands was badly bombed on 4 September (and a lone raider attacked the Hawker works on 21 September).[9][10][11] As a result, the defences were reorganised on 9 September, with Lt-Col Longueville being appointed AA Defence Commander (AADC), Weybridge, moving RHQ to nearby Cobham. On 26 September Lt-Col Longueville returned to Gloucestershire to take command of the newly raised 45th LAA Rgt, and Lt-Col F. Dearden from 47th LAA Rgt assumed command of 98th HAA Rgt on 28 September.[2]
Manchester Blitz
After its defeat in the Battle of Britain in September the Luftwaffe concentrated on night bombing of London and other cities (The Blitz). On 15 November RHQ 98th HA Rgt moved to the Bristol area, then on 24 November it moved with 300 and 320 HAA Btys to Manchester, where it came under the command of 44 AA Bde in 4th AA Division. 301 HAA Battery HQ (BHQ) moved to Manchester with the regiment, although its two Troops were at Plymouth and Bristol, and did not rejoin the regiment at Manchester until 28 January 1941. The regiment was deployed as follows:[2][12][13][14]
- RHQ – Cavendish House, Ellesmere Park, Eccles
- 300 HAA Bty
- BHQ + Gun station D (4 x 3.7-inch) – Littlemoss, Droylsden
- Gun station A (4 x 3.7-inch) – Heaton Park, Prestwich
- 310 HAA Bty HQ – Wilbraham Road, Manchester
- 320 HAA Bty
- BHQ + Gun station K (4 x 3.7-inch) – Ellesmere Park, Eccles
- Gun station G (4 x 3.7-inch) – Longford Park, Stretford
On the night of 21/22 November the Manchester guns engaged raiders on their way to and from Liverpool, and on the following two nights it was Manchester's turn to be hit (the Manchester Blitz). Raids on Manchester peaked at Christmas.[12][15][16] The Royal Artillery's historian considered that during these attacks on British cities 'the actions fought [by the AA batteries] were as violent, dangerous and prolonged as any in the field'.[17] At this point the HAA guns were firing virtually blind at night, unless a sound detector or searchlight managed to pick up a target. However, some examples of Gun-laying Mk I radar began to arrive for the HAA batteries.[2][18][19]
Lt-Col Dearden moved to command
Mid-War
The Blitz is generally held to have ended on 16 May 1941, though there were still sharp raids on Manchester and Merseyside on the nights of 1/2 and 25/26 June respectively. With the end of the Blitz, the regiment was able to carry out training with the improved equipment arriving. By now the HAA sites had the advantage of GL Mk I* radar with an elevation finding (E/F or 'Effie') attachment to supplement searchlights, and some of the gunsites replaced 3.7-inch with 4.5-inch guns.[2][18][21][16][22][23] 399 HAA Battery was reinforced by 25 other ranks transferred from the Royal Welch Fusiliers on 25 June and three days later established a new C Site at Audenshaw with four mobile 3.7-inch guns. The regiment maintained the same deployment in and around Manchester until August 1941, when 399 HAA Bty was moved into Manchester itself. In November the regiment redeployed in North Manchester.[2][12]
By this stage of the war, experienced units were being posted away to train for service overseas.[18][24] In January 1942 the regiment received a number of AEC Matador gun tractors and drivers, which led to rumours that it was to mobilise for service, which were soon confirmed. Regimental HQ for 151st (Mixed) HAA Rgt began to assemble alongside the regiment, and huts for the Auxiliary Territorial Service women assigned to this 'Mixed' regiment were erected.[c] In March, RHQ moved to Devisdale Camp, near Altrincham where Troops of 98th HAA Rgt began mobile training in March as they were relieved by 151st HAA Rgt.[25]
In late April 1942 the Luftwaffe began a new series of raids targeting open towns and cities, the so-called
The regiment left AA Command and was now based at Cleethorpes under Northern Command as part of the GHQ Reserve. In December it was joined by its signal section of the Royal Corps of Signals (RCS) and workshop section of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), giving it the following organisation:[25][29][30]
- RHQ
- 300, 301, 320 HAA Btys
- 98 HAA Rgt Signal Section, RCS
- 1506 HAA Rgt Section, Royal Army Service Corps (RASC)
- 98 HAA Rgt Workshop Section, REME
In January 1943, the whole regiment moved to Coupar Angus in Scotland, from where it spent two weeks in February at 2nd HAA Training and Practice Camp at Burrow Head. It moved to Broughty Ferry in late April, then after another training period at Redesdale Practice Camp to Wollaton Park in Nottinghamshire (later at Carburton Camp). Here it joined 101 AA Bde in 21st Army Group training for the planned invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord). From now on moves to training areas were treated as movement exercises, though as a semi-mobile unit it was only able to move half its guns at a time and was dependent on railway or army transport to move most of the personnel.[25][31]
It was normal for the AA units in 21st Army Group to be loaned back to AA Command when they were not undergoing training, and on 1 August 98th HAA Rgt took over operational gunsites from 118th HAA Rgt in
North West Europe
75 AA Brigade and its units were follow-up forces for Operation Overlord, and remained in the UK after
Once 21st Army Group captured Brussels and
On 19 December, 98th HAA Rgt was transferred to the US 50th AA Artillery Brigade to assist in the Antwerp X Diver defence belt. Then, when the Germans began their offensive in the Ardennes in December 1944 (the Battle of the Bulge) and briefly threatened to break through to Antwerp, 80th AA Bde (which was operating the early warning radar system for the Antwerp X Defences) was warned on 20 December to prepare to convert into an Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA) at short notice.[e] If necessary, the brigade would take over 98th and 99th HAA Rgts to operate in the medium artillery role supporting 11th Armoured Division and 3rd AGRA. The brigade would also be responsible for the ground defence of the approaches to Tirlemont, taking anti-paratroop measures. Despite concerted attacks on nearby airfields by Luftwaffe fighters on 1 January (Operation Bodenplatte), the ground situation was well under control and the AGRA and local defence plans were cancelled on that day.[37][38]
The regiment was now back under 76 AA Bde. 300 HAA Bty was at Goes, with B Troop deployed in the AA role, but had to send A Troop to
Much of the early part of 1945 was taken up with unit training to use the new SCR-584 radar and No 10 Predictors. By March 1945 Luftwaffe activity was negligible and AA units were being employed for other duties. 98th HAA Regiment formed a gun tractor platoon on 15 March to assist the
Cadres
Between 1940 and 1942, 98th HAA Rgt provided the following cadres to form new batteries. A cadre typically comprised a battery commander-designate, up to 6 other officers and up to 36 other ranks.[1][2]
- 320 HAA Bty: cadre from 76th and 98th HAA Rgts transferred to 211th HAA Training Rgt at Oswestry on 15 February 1940, where it formed 320 HAA Bty on 1 May; this was regimented with 98th HAA Rgt on 1 June.
- 405 HAA Bty (Cadre No 97) formed at 205th HAA Training Rgt at 95th HAA Rgt.
- 467 (Mixed) HAA Bty (Cadre No 151), formed at 211th HAA Training Rgt at Oswestry on 7 August 1941, later joined 135th (Mixed) HAA Rgt.
- 517 (Mixed) HAA Bty, formed at 205th HAA Training Rgt at Arborfield on 13 January 1942, later joined 136th (Mixed) HAA Rgt
- 553 (Mixed) HAA Bty (Cadre No 235A), ordered to 7th HAA Training Rgt at Oswestry on 26 March 1942 but cancelled next day and battery never formed.
- 560 (Mixed) HAA Bty (Cadre No 235A), formed at 206th HAA Training Rgt at Arborfield on 30 April 1942, later joined 154th (Mixed) HAA Rgt.
Postwar
When the TA was reconstituted on 1 January 1947 the regiment was reformed at Cheltenham as 498 (Gloucestershire) HAA Rgt.
Footnotes
- ^ Although it was not until 1 June 1940 that RA units manning 3-inch, 3.7-inch or 4.5-inch guns were officially designated as Heavy AA (HAA) regiments to distinguish them from the new Light (LAA) regiments appearing in the order of battle, 98th HAA Rgt referred to itself as such from the beginning.[1][2]
- 57th (Wessex) HAA Rgt, was one of 98th HAA Rgt's officers who volunteered for this.[2]
- ^ 'Mixed' units were those in which women from the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) were integrated; in the case of HAA batteries they provided approximately two-thirds of the personnel.
- ^ During this period two officers and 18 other ranks applied to transfer to the Glider Pilot Regiment.[25]
- ^ AGRAs were groups of (usually) medium and heavy artillery held at Corps level.
- ^ On 1 April 1947 a new 98th HAA Rgt was formed in the Regular Army by the redesignation of the war-formed 161st (M) HAA Rgt, but it only had a short existence.[41]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g Frederick, pp. 756–8, 779.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q 98 HAA Rgt War Diary 1939–41, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file 166/2388.
- ^ Monthly Army List, May 1939.
- ^ a b Litchfield, p. 86.
- ^ AA Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files.
- ^ Routledge, Table LX, p. 378.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 65–6 & 371.
- ^ a b c 46 AA Bde War Diary 1939–40, TNA file WO 166/2287.
- ^ Collier, Chapter XIII.
- ^ Collier, Chapter XV.
- ^ Collier, Appendix XIV.
- ^ a b c d e f 44 AA Bde War Diary 1939–41, TNA file WO 166/2287.
- ^ Farndale, Annex D.
- ^ Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.
- ^ Collier, Chapter XVII.
- ^ a b Collier, Appendix XXX.
- ^ Routledge, p. 395.
- ^ a b c Pile's despatch.
- ^ Routledge, p. 389–90.
- ^ Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941, TNA file WO 212/79.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 98–9, 393.
- ^ Collier, Chapter 19.
- ^ Collier, Appendix XXXI.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 398–404.
- ^ a b c d e f 98 HAA Rgt War Diary 1942, TNA file WO 166/7466.
- ^ Collier, Chapter XX.
- ^ Monthly Army List various dates.
- ^ Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 14 May 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/81.
- ^ Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 1 October 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/82.
- ^ Order of Battle of the Field Force in the United Kingdom, Part 3: Royal Artillery (Non-Divisional Units), 18 February 1943, TNA file WO 212/9.
- ^ Order of Battle of the Forces in the United Kingdom, Part 2: 21 Army Group, 24 July 1943, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/238.
- ^ Routledge, Table XLIX, p. 319.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 314–5, Table L, p. 327.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 321; Table LI, p. 329.
- ^ a b c d 98 HAA Rgt at RA Netherlands.
- ^ Routledge, pp. 333–8; Table LII, p. 331.
- ^ 80 AA Bde War Diary 1944, TNA file WO 171/1085.
- ^ 80 AA Bde War Diary 1945, TNA file WO 171/4893.
- ^ a b 76 AA Bde War Diary, January–July 1945, TNA file WO 171/4889.
- ^ Routledge, p. 348; Table LVII, p. 366.
- ^ Frederick, p. 961.
- ^ Frederick, pp. 1004, 1018.
- ^ 474–519 Rgts RA at British Army 1945 on.
- ^ 289–322 Rgts RA at British Army 1945 on.
- ^ Litchfield, p. 88; Appendix 5.
- ^ Watson, TA 1947.
References
- Basil Collier, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Defence of the United Kingdom, London: HM Stationery Office, 1957.
- Gen Sir ISBN 1-85753-080-2.
- J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol II, Wakefield, Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-009-X.
- Norman E.H. Litchfield, The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, ISBN 0-9508205-2-0.
- Gen Sir Frederick Pile's despatch: "The Anti-Aircraft Defence of the United Kingdom from 28th July, 1939, to 15th April, 1945" London Gazette 18 December 1947.
- Brig N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, ISBN 1-85753-099-3