356:
267:
207:
395:
30:
54:
71:
410:, and Operation Diver was put into immediate effect. The V-1 presented AA Command's biggest challenge since the Blitz: the small fast-moving targets often cruising above the effective range of LAA guns presented a severe problem for AA defences, and after two weeks' experience AA Command carried out a major reorganisation, stripping guns from other areas and repositioning them along the South Coast to target V-1s coming in over the
226:. By the time it came into existence the Blitz was ending. During this campaign AA Command had adopted a S/L layout of clusters of three lights to improve illumination, but this meant that the clusters had to be spaced 10,400 yards (9,500 m) apart. The cluster system was an attempt to improve the chances of picking up enemy bombers and keeping them illuminated for engagement by AA guns or
422:
switched to air-launching V-1s over the North Sea, resulting in another redeployment for 1 AA Group, this time to the east of London. During this phase of
Operation Diver there were over 850 light and heavy AA guns to the east of London in the 'Diver Box', including 28th AA Bde. The Germans responded
242:
gun-laying radar equipped with elevation-finding equipment. By the autumn of 1941 the brigade began to receive its first purpose-built SLC radar (AA Radar No 2) in sufficient numbers to allow the sites to be 'declustered' into single-light sites spaced at 6,000 yards (5,500 m) intervals in a
439:
However, 132nd LAA Rgt remained in North Kent. As the war in Europe came to an end in early 1945, AA Command was rapidly run down. Regimental HQ 132nd LAA Rgt with 436, 437 and 438 LAA Btys disbanded at
188:
813:
803:
808:
182:
200:
194:
383:
AA Command had been given the responsibility for protecting the 'Overlord' embarkation ports, while at the same time intelligence indicated that the
Germans could start launching
336:
A reorganisation of AA Command in
October 1942 saw the AA divisions disbanded and replaced by a smaller number of AA Groups more closely aligned with the organisation of
278:) were becoming available in quantity. The command began a programme of converting some S/L regiments to the LAA role. One of those chosen was 85th S/L Rgt, which became
345:
234:(SLC or 'Elsie') and act as 'master light', but the radar equipment was still in short supply. 64th AA Brigade's batteries were deployed in three-light clusters at
307:
223:
283:
352:
responsible for South East
England outside London. 28th AA Bde had a constant turnover of units during 1943, but 132nd LAA Rgt remained with into 1944.
341:
310:. In July the whole regiment came under 28th AA Bde in 6th AA Division. This brigade was responsible for the AA defences on the south side of the
515:
730:
274:
After its rapid expansion, AA Command was now over-provided with S/L units and under-provided with LAA units, for which suitable guns (the
629:
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.
158:
615:
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.
431:
to take this over. 28th AA Bde moved to this new formation in
December 1944, giving up its previous units and taking over fresh ones.
788:
764:
749:
371:). Many Home Defence AA regiments were reduced from February 1944, and 132nd LAA Rgt lost 441 LAA Bty, which began disbanding at
295:
247:
215:
355:
266:
206:
771:
Gen Sir
Frederick Pile's despatch: "The Anti-Aircraft Defence of the United Kingdom from 28th July, 1939, to 15th April, 1945"
275:
428:
349:
423:
by launching V-1s from further north, in order to bypass the Diver defences. AA Command hurriedly set up a 'Diver Strip' in
578:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United
Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 2 December 1941, TNA file WO 212/80.
658:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United
Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 13 March 1943, TNA file WO 212/83.
333:'hit-and-run' attacks against coastal towns, and there was much redeployment of LAA units to deal with these raids.
299:
287:
514:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941, with amendments
231:
394:
638:
387:('Divers') against London at any time. AA Command began preparing the AA defences of Southern England for
344:
covering London and the Thames Estuary. From December 1942 until April 1943, 436 LAA Bty was attached to
406:
The beginning of the V-1 campaign against London came on 13 June, a week after Overlord was launched on
142:
110:
162:
742:
History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941
337:
722:
History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Defence of the United Kingdom
719:
368:
303:
255:
219:
141:(85th S/L Rgt) which had only been raised in the previous year as part of the rapid expansion of
784:
760:
745:
726:
282:
on 19 March 1942, with 436, 437, 438, 441 LAA Btys. At first the new regiment was assigned to
169:.) The four searchlight (S/L) batteries assigned to it had been formed on 14 November 1940 at
166:
770:
549:
367:, AA Command was now being forced to release manpower for the planned invasion of Normandy (
315:
258:, still in 8th AA Division. However, 520 and 523 S/L Btys remained attached to 64th AA Bde.
178:
737:
415:
411:
388:
384:
235:
130:
70:
29:
153:
The regiment was formed during the rapid expansion of anti-aircraft (AA) defences during
399:
311:
239:
170:
59:
326:
The AA defences of Southern England were severely tested in the summer of 1942 by the
797:
445:
227:
372:
134:
126:
74:
424:
328:
154:
781:
History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55
157:
of 1940–41. Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) was formed on 23 January 1941 at
145:. It served in Home Defence throughout the war, until disbandment in 1945.
724:, London: HM Stationery Office, 1957/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004
251:
441:
744:, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996,
291:
246:
85th S/L Regiment left 64th AA Bde in the autumn of 1941 and joined
407:
393:
354:
265:
205:
688:
Order of Battle of AA Command, 27 April 1944, TNA file WO 212/85.
667:
Order of Battle of AA Command, 1 August 1943, TNA file WO 212/84.
230:. Eventually, one light in each cluster was to be equipped with
137:. The regiment was formed in March 1942 from the short-lived
294:
and South Coast. In June it transferred to a newly formed
783:, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994,
199:
523 S/L Bty by 231 S/L Training Rgt, cadre supplied by
193:
522 S/L Bty by 231 S/L Training Rgt, cadre supplied by
187:
521 S/L Bty by 230 S/L Training Rgt, cadre supplied by
569:
76th S/L Rgt War Diary, 1940–41, TNA file WO 166/3096.
814:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
804:
Light anti-aircraft regiments of the Royal Artillery
181:
of experienced officers and other ranks supplied by
243:'Killer Belt' cooperating with RAF night fighters.
106:
98:
90:
80:
65:
47:
39:
20:
809:Military units and formations established in 1942
448:, at some time between 13 March and 11 May 1945.
363:With the lower threat of attack by the weakened
270:A Bofors crew undergoing training in early 1942.
177:520 S/L Bty by 230 S/L Training Rgt, based on a
125:(132nd LAA Rgt), was an air defence unit of the
759:, Vol II, Wakefield, Microform Academic, 1984,
588:
586:
584:
375:, on 22 February 1944, completing by 16 March.
757:Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978
463:
461:
8:
684:
682:
625:
623:
621:
602:
600:
598:
238:(RAF) airfields, and had begun to receive
159:35th Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) Regiment's
139:85th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery
28:
510:
508:
498:
496:
414:. As the launching sites were overrun by
306:, with 458 and 441 LAA Btys detached to
477:
475:
473:
457:
165:. (This regiment was later lost at the
545:
543:
541:
539:
537:
535:
533:
23:132nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA
17:
7:
340:. 28th AA Brigade came under a new
280:132nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
262:132nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
189:35th (First Surrey Rifles) S/L Rgt
123:132nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
14:
359:Bofors gun and crew, summer 1944.
516:The National Archives (TNA), Kew
69:
52:
316:Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham
314:('Thames South') including the
308:28th (Thames and Medway) AA Bde
398:V-1 slung under the wing of a
1:
502:Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.
214:The regiment was assigned to
210:150 cm S/L with AA Radar No 2
21:85th Searchlight Regiment, RA
86:Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
284:27th (Home Counties) AA Bde
830:
43:23 January 1941–March 1945
560:Routledge, pp. 98–9, 399.
527:Routledge, pp. 78–9, 393.
232:Searchlight Control radar
183:33rd (St Pancras) S/L Rgt
149:85th Searchlight Regiment
34:Royal Artillery cap badge
27:
592:Frederick, pp. 806, 841.
467:Frederick, pp. 861, 874.
201:60th (Middlesex) S/L Rgt
195:48th (Hampshire) S/L Rgt
706:Routledge, pp. 410–19.
403:
360:
271:
218:covering airfields in
211:
779:Brig N.W. Routledge,
606:Routledge, pp. 400–4.
397:
358:
269:
209:
161:RHQ at Black Hall on
143:Anti-Aircraft Command
111:Anti-Aircraft Command
639:Collier, Chapter XX.
84:Searchlight Regiment
427:. and formed a new
338:RAF Fighter Command
755:J.B.M. Frederick,
697:Routledge, p. 408.
676:Routledge, p. 409.
490:Farndale, Annex D.
481:Farndale, Annex M.
404:
369:Operation Overlord
361:
304:South East England
272:
220:South West England
212:
775:18 December 1947.
731:978-1-84574-055-9
649:Routledge, Map 6.
518:, file WO 212/79.
167:Fall of Singapore
163:St Giles', Oxford
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550:Pile's despatch.
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385:V-1 flying bombs
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738:Martin Farndale
720:Basil Collier,
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416:21st Army Group
412:English Channel
389:Operation Diver
381:
379:Operation Diver
324:
300:6th AA Division
288:5th AA Division
264:
236:Royal Air Force
224:8th AA Division
216:64th AA Brigade
151:
131:Royal Artillery
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53:
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5:
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773:London Gazette
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400:Heinkel He 111
380:
377:
323:
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312:Thames Estuary
263:
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228:night fighters
204:
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197:
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185:
173:, as follows:
171:Blandford Camp
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60:United Kingdom
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3:
2:
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789:1-85753-099-3
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765:1-85117-009-X
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750:1-85753-080-2
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446:Sittingbourne
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290:covering the
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240:GL Mark I E/F
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118:Military unit
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102:3–4 Batteries
101:
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68:
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61:
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26:
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780:
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373:Cobham, Kent
364:
362:
335:
327:
325:
279:
276:Bofors 40 mm
273:
245:
213:
152:
138:
135:World War II
127:British Army
122:
120:
107:Part of
75:British Army
15:
435:Disbandment
425:East Anglia
346:38th AA Bde
296:71st AA Bde
250:, covering
248:55th AA Bde
94:Air Defence
798:Categories
714:References
429:9 AA Group
350:2 AA Group
342:1 AA Group
420:Luftwaffe
365:Luftwaffe
329:Luftwaffe
302:covering
155:the Blitz
736:Gen Sir
256:Falmouth
252:Plymouth
442:Hartlip
402:bomber.
322:Mid-war
133:during
48:Country
787:
763:
748:
729:
418:, the
292:Solent
222:under
66:Branch
57:
40:Active
452:Notes
408:D Day
179:cadre
785:ISBN
761:ISBN
746:ISBN
727:ISBN
254:and
121:The
99:Size
91:Role
81:Type
348:in
298:in
286:in
129:'s
800::
740:,
681:^
620:^
597:^
583:^
532:^
507:^
495:^
472:^
460:^
444:,
391:.
331:'s
318:.
767:.
752:.
733:.
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