421:
327:
295:
185:
43:
67:
84:
310:. In November 1940 AA Command had adopted a system of clustering three S/Ls together to improve illumination, but this meant that the clusters had to be spaced 10,400 yards (9,500 m) apart. This layout was an attempt to improve the chances of picking up enemy bombers and keeping them illuminated for engagement by AA guns or night fighters. Eventually, one light in each cluster was to be equipped with
317:
87th
Searchlight Rgt remained with 53rd LAA Bde until the end of the year. By October 1941 the availability of SLC was sufficient to allow AA Command's S/L sites to be 'declustered' into single-light sites spaced at 6,000 yards (5,500 m) intervals in 'Indicator Belts' in the approaches to the
496:
could be discounted. The WO began to reorganise surplus AA regiments into infantry battalions, primarily for line of communication and occupation duties, thereby releasing trained infantry for front-line service. 128th LAA Regiment was among those chosen, becoming
231:
386:, including raids on Birmingham in June and July. On 16 June 1942, 424 LAA Bty returned from WO conyro, then in August the battery was loaned back to 4th AA Division, and then in the autumn to 54th AA Bde.
957:
947:
208:
on 23 January 1941 and it was allocated four S/L batteries numbered 529, 532, 533 and 534. The batteries came from different training regiments, where each had been formed on 14 November around a
221:
952:
237:
493:
448:
In the early part of 1944, 3 AA Group had responsibilities for protecting 'Overlord' camps and embarkation ports, and at the same time preparing for the expected onslaught of
251:
338:) 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 87th S/L Rgt, which became
456:, with belts of LAA guns and S/Ls across the predicted flight path. The V-1 offensive began on 13 June, a week after the 'Overlord' convoys had left harbour and the
389:
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 groups of
359:
363:
262:
302:
The role of the S/L units was to track and illuminate raiders for the Heavy AA (HAA) guns of the Gun
Defence Areas (GDAs) and for the few available
354:
The new regiment initially remained in 53rd LAA Bde, but by early April it had become unbrigaded as it completed retraining. In late May it joined
505:
131:
556:
904:
831:
334:
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
624:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United
Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 2 December 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/80.
508:(itself converted from 55th AA Bde). After training the brigade deployed to North West Europe on 4 May. The war in Europe ended on 8 May (
688:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United
Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 1 October 1942, with amndments, TNA file WO 212/82.
258:
676:
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.
931:
888:
873:
854:
406:
367:
355:
460:
landings had begun. In the event, the
Bristol defences were not needed: US forces quickly sealed off the launching sites in the
420:
326:
294:
914:
Gen Sir
Frederick Pile's despatch: "The Anti-Aircraft Defence of the United Kingdom from 28th July, 1939, to 15th April, 1945"
335:
410:
394:
172:, which had only been raised in the previous year as part of the rapid expansion of Anti-Aircraft (AA) defences. It served in
176:
until near the end of the war, when it was converted into an infantry battalion for garrison duties in North West Europe.
485:
145:
717:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United
Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 13 March 1943, TNA file WO 212/83.
441:). Many Home Defence AA regiments were reduced, and 128th LAA Regiment lost 424 LAA Battery, which began disbanding at
184:
413:
covering South West
England, where LAA guns were urgently required to combat daylight raids by small formations of
697:
375:
311:
735:
568:
468:) progressed, AA units and formations were stripped from the West Country and repositioned along the coast of
492:
was suffering from such shortages of pilots, aircraft and fuel that serious conventional air attacks on the
318:
GDAs, and 'Killer Belts' at 6,000 yards (5,500 m) spacing to cooperate with the RAF's night fighters.
189:
243:
173:
127:
17:
196:
87th Searchlight Regiment (87th S/L Rgt) was created during the rapid expansion of AA defences during
866:
History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941
461:
398:
390:
822:
History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Defence of the United Kingdom
555:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941,
819:
488:
was suffering a severe manpower shortage, particularly among the infantry. At the same time, the
469:
438:
437:, AA Command was forced in early 1944 to release manpower for the planned invasion of Normandy (
927:
900:
884:
869:
850:
827:
913:
610:
472:. 3 AA Group HQ moved from Bristol to London, and 60th AA Bde was left as a skeleton force.
417:
fighter bombers against coastal towns and small ports. These raids continued until mid-1943
288:
247:
209:
141:
861:
481:
465:
449:
402:
342:
on 3 March 1942, with 421, 422, 423, 424 LAA Batteries, with 424 LAA Battery under direct
303:
280:
161:
83:
42:
512:), but the converted artillery units served in the occupation forces for several months.
405:. Shortly afterwards 128th LAA Regiment (with all four of its batteries) transferred to
383:
307:
266:
72:
941:
843:
History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West
314:(SLC) and act as 'master light', but the radar equipment was still in short supply.
838:
165:
87:
758:
Order of Battle of AA Command, 27 April 1944, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/85.
371:
343:
284:
276:
205:
464:. The story in the London area was different, and as efforts to combat them (
271:
197:
924:
History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55
849:, London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004,
824:, London: HM Stationery Office, 1957/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004
227:
217:
453:
442:
201:
868:, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996,
509:
457:
419:
370:. 11th Anti-Aircraft Division's responsibility was the defence of
325:
293:
183:
726:
Order of Battle of AA Command, 1 August 1943, TNA file WO 212/84.
452:('Divers'). An elaborate anti-Diver plan was drawn up to protect
168:. The regiment was formed in March 1942 from the short-lived
501:
on 23 January 1945, consisting of five batteries, A to E.
236:
533 S/L Bty, formed by 236th S/L Training Rgt, cadre from
515:
628th Infantry Regiment disbanded on 20 September 1945.
212:
of experienced men drawn from an existing S/L regiment:
926:, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994,
382:
carried out a series of night attacks, the co-called
160:(128th LAA Rgt) was an air defence unit of Britain's
958:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
948:
Light anti-aircraft regiments of the Royal Artillery
899:. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press.
137:
123:
115:
105:
93:
78:
60:
52:
31:
953:Military units and formations established in 1942
242:534 S/L Bty, formed by 237th S/L Training Rgt at
226:532 S/L Bty, formed by 236th S/L Training Rgt at
216:529 S/L Bty, formed by 234th S/L Training Rgt at
433:With the lower threat of attack by the weakened
362:. In June it transferred within the division to
330:A Bofors crew undergoing training in early 1942.
883:, Vol II, Wakefield, Microform Academic, 1984,
784:
782:
663:
661:
659:
657:
655:
445:, on 17 February 1944, completing by 16 March.
200:. Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) was formed at
188:90 cm 'Projector Anti-Aircraft', displayed at
897:Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945
881:Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978
530:
528:
257:After training, the regiment was assigned to
8:
269:. The night Blitz was coming to an end, but
393:. 11th and 4th AA Divisions merged to form
754:
752:
684:
682:
645:
643:
641:
639:
232:34th (Queen's Own Royal West Kent) S/L Rgt
170:87th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery
41:
620:
618:
366:, and then in July it switched again to
287:was raided on the night of 8/9 May (the
18:628th Infantry Regiment, Royal Artillery
542:
540:
524:
275:raids continued to overfly en route to
606:
604:
602:
600:
598:
596:
594:
504:On 28 January the new regiment joined
322:128th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA
34:128th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA
28:
279:, including seven nights in May (the
7:
56:23 January 1941 – 20 September 1945
340:128th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
158:128th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
25:
424:Bofors gun and crew, summer 1944.
557:The National Archives (TNA), Kew
82:
65:
767:Routledge, pp. 410–17; Map 37.
261:, commanding the S/L units of
222:71st (East Lancashire) S/L Rgt
1:
429:Operations Overlord and Diver
298:150 cm S/L with AA Radar No 2
180:87th Searchlight Regiment, RA
32:87th Searchlight Regiment, RA
238:73rd (Kent Fortress) S/L Rgt
476:628th Infantry Regiment, RA
36:628th Infantry Regiment, RA
974:
698:Collier, Appendix XXXVII.
378:. During this period the
312:Searchlight Control radar
47:Royal Artillery cap badge
40:
736:Collier, Appendix XXXIX.
534:Frederick, pp. 861, 874.
895:Joslen, H. F. (2003) .
667:Frederick, p. 806, 840.
649:Routledge, pp. 399–405.
569:Collier, Appendix XXX.
506:306th Infantry Brigade
499:628th Infantry Rgt, RA
425:
331:
299:
193:
190:Fort Nelson, Hampshire
132:306th Infantry Brigade
922:Brig N.W. Routledge,
847:The Defeat of Germany
806:Joslen, pp. 402, 463.
423:
401:and cooperating with
329:
297:
259:53rd Light AA Brigade
187:
128:Anti-Aircraft Command
797:Ellis, pp. 369, 380.
480:By the end of 1944,
252:3rd (Ulster) S/L Rgt
462:Cherbourg peninsula
391:RAF Fighter Command
374:and the industrial
879:J.B.M. Frederick,
788:Frederick, p. 882.
746:Routledge, p. 409.
708:Routledge, Map 36.
633:Routledge, pp. 99.
579:Routledge, p. 393.
546:Farndale, Annex M.
470:South East England
439:Operation Overlord
426:
332:
300:
194:
918:18 December 1947.
906:978-1-84342-474-1
832:978-1-84574-055-9
776:Ellis, pp. 141–2.
588:Farndale, p. 107.
559:, file WO 212/79.
486:North West Europe
151:
150:
146:North West Europe
16:(Redirected from
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611:Pile's despatch.
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450:V-1 flying bombs
360:11th AA Division
289:Nottingham Blitz
248:Northern Ireland
142:Nottingham Blitz
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21:
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862:Martin Farndale
820:Basil Collier,
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482:21st Army Group
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466:Operation Diver
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403:No. 9 Group RAF
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304:Royal Air Force
281:Liverpool Blitz
263:4th AA Division
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162:Royal Artillery
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916:London Gazette
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494:United Kingdom
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384:Baedeker Blitz
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346:(WO) control.
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308:night fighters
267:North Midlands
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73:United Kingdom
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932:1-85753-099-3
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889:1-85117-009-X
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874:1-85753-080-2
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855:1-845740-59-9
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376:West Midlands
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250:, cadre from
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153:Military unit
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19:
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629:
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514:
503:
498:
489:
484:fighting in
479:
447:
434:
432:
414:
388:
379:
353:
339:
336:Bofors 40 mm
333:
316:
301:
270:
256:
195:
169:
166:World War II
157:
155:
124:Part of
88:British Army
26:
407:60th AA Bde
368:68th AA Bde
364:54th AA Bde
356:67th AA Bde
265:across the
138:Engagements
119:4 Batteries
109:Air Defence
97:Searchlight
942:Categories
845:, Vol II:
839:L.F. Ellis
814:References
411:3 AA Group
395:4 AA Group
372:Birmingham
344:War Office
285:Nottingham
277:Merseyside
206:Lancashire
174:AA Command
490:Luftwaffe
435:Luftwaffe
415:Luftwaffe
397:based at
380:Luftwaffe
272:Luftwaffe
198:The Blitz
860:Gen Sir
244:Holywood
228:Oswestry
218:Carlisle
111:Garrison
101:Infantry
99:Light AA
454:Bristol
443:Torquay
399:Preston
350:Mid-War
283:), and
202:Burnley
164:during
61:Country
930:
903:
887:
872:
853:
830:
510:VE Day
306:(RAF)
79:Branch
70:
53:Active
519:Notes
458:D Day
210:cadre
928:ISBN
901:ISBN
885:ISBN
870:ISBN
851:ISBN
837:Maj
828:ISBN
156:The
116:Size
106:Role
94:Type
409:in
358:in
291:).
204:in
944::
864:,
841:,
826:,
781:^
751:^
681:^
654:^
638:^
617:^
593:^
539:^
527:^
246:,
934:.
909:.
891:.
876:.
857:.
834:.
192:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
