With the release of the Market Garden Handbook hopefully within the next few months I've spent time this week completing some British Airborne Support. They have, by virtue of being airborne, a limited range of integral heavy support options, with the two most obvious options for Market Garden being the QF 6-pdr and 17-pdr anti tank guns. For the parachute battalions these guns were provided by separate air landing anti-tank batteries from the Royal Artillery with these units being delivered by glider.
1st Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery RA provided four troops of anti-tank guns in support of 1st Parachute Brigade. A, B and C Troop supported 1st, 2nd and 3rd Parachute Battalions respectively. These troops each consisted of four 6-pdr anti-tank guns and so in theory each parachute battalion would have four guns in direct support. D Troop consisted of four 17-pdr guns and provided support at brigade level.
2nd Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery RA supported 4th Parachute Brigade in an identical manner.
The three airlanding battalions that made up 1st Airlanding Brigade each had two integral anti-tank platoons with four 6-pdr's in each platoon for a total of eight guns per battalion.
In addition an ad hoc third anti-tank battery was created. This comprised of P and Z Troop from 1st Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery and F Troop from 2nd Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery. P and F Troop had four 17-pdr's each while Z Troop had four 6-pdr's. This group was under command of Divisional HQ.
In total 1st Airborne Division had fifty two 6-pdr's and sixteen 17-pdrs due to fly into Arnhem on the eve of Market Garden. These guns provided a potent anti-tank force, but this was dependent on all elements successfully landing and joining with their respective units.
Each anti-tank gun was flown in as a single glider load with its towing vehicle and crew. The 6-pdr was a modified version designed to fit into a Horsa glider along with an airborne jeep and an immediate supply of ammunition. The 17-pdr was carried by the larger Hamilcar glider, along with a cut down Morris C8 Mk III AT Tractor and ammunition. In theory this meant a gun could move out and deploy or fight immediately after landing.
In addition to the anti-tank guns 1st Airborne also had its own artillery. This was provided by 1st Airlanding Light Regiment RA which was organised into three batteries each with eight 75mm Pack Howitzers. The 75mm gun could fit into a Horsa glider along with an airborne jeep, an ammunition trailer and four of the crew. A second glider carried the remainder of the crew, a second jeep and two further ammunition trailers. Each trailer carried 45/46 rounds and so upon landing, in theory, each gun would have 125 rounds of HE available for immediate fire missions (together with six AP rounds and six Smoke rounds). The inclusion of the AP rounds indicates that the howitzer firing over open sights was allowed for, and there is at least one recorded instance of this at Arnhem ( F Troop at Oosterbeek ). I am hopeful that the Handbook will introduce this gun into the game.
QF 6-pdr (5 crew) + JL - 4 support points
Brilliant work - they all look great.
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