367:
278:
218:
406:
41:
65:
82:
421:, 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
237:. 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
433:
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
253:
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
450:
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
199:
824:
814:
819:
193:
211:
205:
394:
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
347:
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
289:) 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
356:
245:(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
318:
234:
294:
363:
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.
352:
321:. 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
526:
741:
285:
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
640:
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.
169:
626:
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.
442:
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.
799:
775:
760:
382:). Many Home Defence AA regiments were reduced from February 1944, and 132nd LAA Rgt lost 441 LAA Bty, which began disbanding at
306:
258:
226:
366:
277:
217:
782:
Gen Sir
Frederick Pile's despatch: "The Anti-Aircraft Defence of the United Kingdom from 28th July, 1939, to 15th April, 1945"
286:
439:
360:
434:
by launching V-1s from further north, in order to bypass the Diver defences. AA Command hurriedly set up a 'Diver Strip' in
589:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United
Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 2 December 1941, TNA file WO 212/80.
669:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United
Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 13 March 1943, TNA file WO 212/83.
344:'hit-and-run' attacks against coastal towns, and there was much redeployment of LAA units to deal with these raids.
310:
298:
525:
Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941, with amendments
242:
405:
649:
398:('Divers') against London at any time. AA Command began preparing the AA defences of Southern England for
17:
355:
covering London and the Thames Estuary. From December 1942 until April 1943, 436 LAA Bty was attached to
417:
The beginning of the V-1 campaign against London came on 13 June, a week after Overlord was launched on
153:
121:
173:
753:
History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941
348:
733:
History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Defence of the United Kingdom
730:
379:
314:
266:
230:
152:(85th S/L Rgt) which had only been raised in the previous year as part of the rapid expansion of
795:
771:
756:
737:
293:
on 19 March 1942, with 436, 437, 438, 441 LAA Btys. At first the new regiment was assigned to
180:.) The four searchlight (S/L) batteries assigned to it had been formed on 14 November 1940 at
177:
781:
560:
378:, AA Command was now being forced to release manpower for the planned invasion of Normandy (
326:
269:, still in 8th AA Division. However, 520 and 523 S/L Btys remained attached to 64th AA Bde.
189:
748:
426:
422:
399:
395:
246:
141:
81:
40:
164:
The regiment was formed during the rapid expansion of anti-aircraft (AA) defences during
410:
322:
250:
181:
70:
337:
The AA defences of Southern England were severely tested in the summer of 1942 by the
808:
456:
238:
383:
145:
137:
85:
435:
339:
165:
792:
History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55
168:
of 1940–41. Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) was formed on 23 January 1941 at
156:. It served in Home Defence throughout the war, until disbandment in 1945.
735:, London: HM Stationery Office, 1957/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004
262:
452:
755:, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996,
302:
257:
85th S/L Regiment left 64th AA Bde in the autumn of 1941 and joined
418:
404:
365:
276:
216:
699:
Order of Battle of AA Command, 27 April 1944, TNA file WO 212/85.
678:
Order of Battle of AA Command, 1 August 1943, TNA file WO 212/84.
241:. Eventually, one light in each cluster was to be equipped with
148:. The regiment was formed in March 1942 from the short-lived
305:
and South Coast. In June it transferred to a newly formed
794:, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994,
210:
523 S/L Bty by 231 S/L Training Rgt, cadre supplied by
204:
522 S/L Bty by 231 S/L Training Rgt, cadre supplied by
198:
521 S/L Bty by 230 S/L Training Rgt, cadre supplied by
580:
76th S/L Rgt War Diary, 1940–41, TNA file WO 166/3096.
825:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
815:
Light anti-aircraft regiments of the Royal Artillery
192:
of experienced officers and other ranks supplied by
254:'Killer Belt' cooperating with RAF night fighters.
117:
109:
101:
91:
76:
58:
50:
31:
820:Military units and formations established in 1942
459:, at some time between 13 March and 11 May 1945.
374:With the lower threat of attack by the weakened
281:A Bofors crew undergoing training in early 1942.
188:520 S/L Bty by 230 S/L Training Rgt, based on a
136:(132nd LAA Rgt), was an air defence unit of the
770:, Vol II, Wakefield, Microform Academic, 1984,
599:
597:
595:
386:, on 22 February 1944, completing by 16 March.
768:Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978
474:
472:
8:
695:
693:
636:
634:
632:
613:
611:
609:
249:(RAF) airfields, and had begun to receive
170:35th Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) Regiment's
150:85th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery
39:
18:85th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery
521:
519:
509:
507:
425:. As the launching sites were overrun by
317:, with 458 and 441 LAA Btys detached to
488:
486:
484:
468:
176:. (This regiment was later lost at the
556:
554:
552:
550:
548:
546:
544:
34:132nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA
28:
7:
351:. 28th AA Brigade came under a new
291:132nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
273:132nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
200:35th (First Surrey Rifles) S/L Rgt
134:132nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
25:
370:Bofors gun and crew, summer 1944.
527:The National Archives (TNA), Kew
80:
63:
327:Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham
325:('Thames South') including the
319:28th (Thames and Medway) AA Bde
409:V-1 slung under the wing of a
1:
513:Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.
225:The regiment was assigned to
221:150 cm S/L with AA Radar No 2
32:85th Searchlight Regiment, RA
97:Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
295:27th (Home Counties) AA Bde
841:
54:23 January 1941–March 1945
571:Routledge, pp. 98–9, 399.
538:Routledge, pp. 78–9, 393.
243:Searchlight Control radar
194:33rd (St Pancras) S/L Rgt
160:85th Searchlight Regiment
45:Royal Artillery cap badge
38:
603:Frederick, pp. 806, 841.
478:Frederick, pp. 861, 874.
212:60th (Middlesex) S/L Rgt
206:48th (Hampshire) S/L Rgt
717:Routledge, pp. 410–19.
414:
371:
282:
229:covering airfields in
222:
790:Brig N.W. Routledge,
617:Routledge, pp. 400–4.
408:
369:
280:
220:
172:RHQ at Black Hall on
154:Anti-Aircraft Command
122:Anti-Aircraft Command
650:Collier, Chapter XX.
95:Searchlight Regiment
438:. and formed a new
349:RAF Fighter Command
766:J.B.M. Frederick,
708:Routledge, p. 408.
687:Routledge, p. 409.
501:Farndale, Annex D.
492:Farndale, Annex M.
415:
380:Operation Overlord
372:
315:South East England
283:
231:South West England
223:
786:18 December 1947.
742:978-1-84574-055-9
660:Routledge, Map 6.
529:, file WO 212/79.
178:Fall of Singapore
174:St Giles', Oxford
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16:(Redirected from
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561:Pile's despatch.
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396:V-1 flying bombs
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427:21st Army Group
423:English Channel
400:Operation Diver
392:
390:Operation Diver
335:
311:6th AA Division
299:5th AA Division
275:
247:Royal Air Force
235:8th AA Division
227:64th AA Brigade
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142:Royal Artillery
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784:London Gazette
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411:Heinkel He 111
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323:Thames Estuary
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239:night fighters
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184:, as follows:
182:Blandford Camp
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71:United Kingdom
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457:Sittingbourne
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301:covering the
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251:GL Mark I E/F
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129:Military unit
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113:3–4 Batteries
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19:
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384:Cobham, Kent
375:
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290:
287:Bofors 40 mm
284:
256:
224:
163:
149:
146:World War II
138:British Army
133:
131:
118:Part of
86:British Army
26:
446:Disbandment
436:East Anglia
357:38th AA Bde
307:71st AA Bde
261:, covering
259:55th AA Bde
105:Air Defence
809:Categories
725:References
440:9 AA Group
361:2 AA Group
353:1 AA Group
431:Luftwaffe
376:Luftwaffe
340:Luftwaffe
313:covering
166:the Blitz
747:Gen Sir
267:Falmouth
263:Plymouth
453:Hartlip
413:bomber.
333:Mid-war
144:during
59:Country
798:
774:
759:
740:
429:, the
303:Solent
233:under
77:Branch
68:
51:Active
463:Notes
419:D Day
190:cadre
796:ISBN
772:ISBN
757:ISBN
738:ISBN
265:and
132:The
110:Size
102:Role
92:Type
359:in
309:in
297:in
140:'s
811::
751:,
692:^
631:^
608:^
594:^
543:^
518:^
506:^
483:^
471:^
455:,
402:.
342:'s
329:.
778:.
763:.
744:.
20:)
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