111th (Bolton) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

639:, where the main bridge was down, then further demolitions beyond. For three days over 1000 Partisan men and women, and every available British soldier, worked to open the road. On the night of 13/14 December 212 Fd Bty, reinforced by some of the long-range 3.7-inch HAA guns, deployed within range of the German positions outside Podgorica. For the next 11 days the guns were edged forward as fast as the sappers and engineers could open tracks for them. The first shoot on 14 December expended 30 tons of ammunition and Vukanović was so encouraged that he authorised 476 Fd Bty also to be brought forward on 16 December, with the CO of 111th Fd Rgt in command. Fire plans had to be made with the sketchiest of information from the Partisans: on one occasion the guns were about to pound Podgorica itself when news arrived just in time that the town had fallen to the Partisans. Instead, 2500 rounds were fired at the main German withdrawal route. The guns reached the town on 20 December. The Germans had destroyed the river bridges, the gaps were too wide for the available Bailey equipment, and the current was too fast for a pontoon bridge, but directed by 401: 232: 311: 323:. One of the lessons learned from the Battle of France was that the two-battery organisation did not work: field regiments were intended to support an infantry brigade of three battalions. As a result, they were reorganised into three 8-gun batteries, but it was not until late 1940 that the RA had enough trained battery staffs to carry out the reorganisation. 111th Field Rgt accordingly formed its third battery, 'R Bty', while the regiment was stationed at 28: 52: 69: 594:. The main and secondary roads were blocked by demolitions, but by travelling 47 miles (76 km) over a tortuous mountain route the leading troop of 211 Fd Bty came into action on 30 October with its observation posts overlooking Risan. The Germans held two old Austrian fortified villages and the gunners found that the only way to breach the old walls was to use a combination of 490:. By May 1944 Land Forces Adriatic (LFA) had despatched a sizeable garrison to defend the island, including 111th Field Rgt. From 16 August this force was known as Vis Brigade, changing to Adriatic Brigade on 10 November. In September the Germans began withdrawing from Greece, and LFA began sending forces to raid their lines of retreat along the Balkan coast as part of 651:, but were not called upon by the Yugoslavs. Lieutenant-Col Jago had left the regiment in December to become chief of staff to LFA. On 17 January 1945 Allied landing craft arrived to begin withdrawing the force to Italy, and all troops had left by the end of the month. Hostilities on the Italian Front ended on 2 May with the 389:, which was launched on the night of 23/24 October. 50th (N) Division's infantry was not engaged on the first night of the battle, but every available gun was utilised to fire a massive artillery barrage. The division failed to break through the enemy minefields on 25/26 October, but then reinforced 634:

so that the gun column could get through. Before the guns could fire a round they were once again ordered back to Dubrovnik by Vukanović. However, Twohig persuaded him that 212 Fd Bty should advance from Niksic to bring the German columns within range. The road ahead was on a mountainside, with 31

318:

After the Dunkirk evacuation, Home Forces underwent a reorganisation to meet a potential German invasion. As part of this, 66th Division was disbanded on 23 June 1940 and 111th Fd Rgt reverted to 42nd (East Lancashire) Division from 3 July 1940. The regiment was eventually fully equipped with

540:

on the mainland, initially under Lt-Col C. de F. Jago, who had taken command of 111th Fd Rgt in September. Commandos accompanied the artillery purely as escorts: due to Tito's sensitivities they were not to take part in offensive operations, but Jago was warned that the Partisans operated as

545:, and if put under pressure by German forces they would disappear into the mountains. Once the commander of Vis Bde, Brig J.P. O'Brian Twohig, arrived to take over, Jago could concentrate on coordinating the British and Partisan artillery. The artillery under his command consisted of: 602:(HE) shells, a slow but effective process. Risan was entered on 21 November after some 150 tons of HE shells had been expended, and 'Evidence of the effectiveness of the British artillery fire was apparent everywhere'. With the Risan escape route now blocked, a German thrust through 621:

On 5 December the Partisans' mood became more cooperative as a result of fresh instructions from Tito's HQ. An operation to airlift guns to interrupt the continuing German withdrawals was prevented by bad weather. Instead a small force of 25-pdrs set off from Dubrovnik towards

530:. This was only intended to last for 24–48 hours, but the situation was so favourable that the Commandos were sent reinforcements, including 25-pdrs of 111th Fd Rgt. Although bad weather hindered the operation, Sarandë was attacked and captured on 9 October. 659:

got under way shortly afterwards. 111th (Bolton) Field Rgt passed into suspended animation on 10 November 1945. When the Territorial Army was reconstituted on 1 January 1947, 111th (Bolton) Field Rgt was formally disbanded.

643:

aircraft the gunners harassed the German rearguards until they were out of range on 24 December. Observers later reported on the devastation inflicted by the 25-pdrs and the Balkan Air Force on the retreating road columns.

586:. Movement was hampered by the state of the mountain roads, which had been subjected to demolitions by both sides, and the lack of practicable gun positions on rocky hillsides. The nearest German positions were at 536:'s Partisans were impressed by the power of the artillery in these raiding forces and began to demand help from British artillery. Floydforce launched another operation on 27 October 1944, landing at the city of 553: 1163: 614:

under General Radovan Vukanović. Air reconnaissance revealed the approach road to be 'black' with German motor transport, but before this inviting target could be engaged by the guns and the RAF's

1158: 334:

In the autumn of 1941 it was decided to convert 42nd (EL) Division into an armoured division. 111th Field Rgt left, and from 31 October 1941 it became an independent Army Field Rgt in

1148: 1153: 511: 408:

After Alamein 111th Fd Rgt left 50th (N) Division on 21 November 1942 and reverted to Eighth Army command for the pursuit across North Africa. By March 1943, for the

1143: 225: 859:

Order of Battle of the Field Force in the United Kingdom, Part 3: Royal Artillery (Non-Divisional units), 2 April 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/515.

582:

Second line transport to support Jago's artillery was provided by 3-ton trucks loaned by 25th Anti-Aircraft Brigade at Bari, and an artillery platoon of the

627: 347: 291: 362: 283: 107: 357:

control preparatory to embarkation for overseas service. On 24 May 1942 it was joined by 102 A/T Bty from 14th A/T Rgt. Together they embarked for

455: 448:. Eighth Army closed up to the river on 9 November and prepared to assault the position. For this operation 111st (Bolton) Fd Rgt was attached to 287: 103: 1039: 373:

In Egypt an order for the regiment to convert to 111th (Bolton) Medium Rgt was cancelled, and instead it was attached as a field regiment to

842:

Order of Battle of the Field Force in the United Kingdom, Part 3: Royal Artillery (Non-Divisional units), 22 October 1941, with amendments,

768: 167: 148: 72: 466:, accompanied by all the divisional and corps artillery, finally captured it by 01.30 on 29 November. The following night 1st Bn 437: 195: 611: 429: 618:, Vukanović ordered all the British guns except 212 Fd Bty and the 75 mm troop back to Dubrovik for political reasons. 462:

on the escarpment beyond. A German counter-attack recaptured the village early on 28 November, but a fresh attack by 1st Bn

1127: 463: 394: 382: 374: 111: 187: 136: 595: 433: 343: 328: 630:. The journey took four days in driving rain, and at one point the sappers had to erect a 100 yards (91 m) 470:

and 1/12th FFR captured the dominating ground beyond Mozzagrogna, completing the rupture of the Bernhardt Line.

583: 571: 491: 413: 390: 386: 400: 822: 499: 467: 231: 339: 320: 458:

developed a bridgehead, and on 27 November, after the flooded river had fallen, 8th Indian Division took

843: 564: 416:

HQ, which was operating as a temporary corps HQ. It had reverted to Eighth Army command by the time the

1066:

Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945

652: 640: 440:

from September 1943. The Germans took up a series of blocking positions, and in November were in the

1112:, London: HM Stationery Office, 1966/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-68-8. 1097:, London: HM Stationery Office, 1987/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-70-X. 1086:, London: HM Stationery Office, 1973/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-69-6. 1068:, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-843424-74-6. 1061:, London: HM Stationery Office, 1988/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-72-6. 1050:, London: HM Stationery Office, 1987/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-71-8. 1026:

History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941

449: 377:, temporarily replacing that division's 72nd (Northumbrian) Fd Rgt which had been destroyed at the 324: 183: 1106: