Second Battle of El Alamein order of battle

Second Battle of El Alamein Order of Battle is a listing of the significant formations that were involved in the battle, 23 October – 3 November 1942.

British 8th Army

Under the command of Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery

Army Troops

*Kings Dragoon Guards
*3 South African Armoured Car Regiment
*4/8 South African Armoured Car Regiment

*8th Army Troops RE
*295 Field Company RE
*566 Army Troops Company RE
*568 Army Troops Company RE
*25 Field Company South African Engineers
*27 Field Company, South African Engineers
*31 Field Company, South African Engineers

*8th Army Signals

*HQ British 8th Armoured Divisionunder Major-General Charles Henry Gairdner
**146 Field Regiment RA
**73 Anti-tank Regiment RA
**56 LAA Regiment RA

**6 Field Squadron RE
**9 Field Squadron RE
**145 Field Park Squadron RE

**8 Armoured Division Signals

**1st Army Tank Brigade under Brigadier Price
***42 Royal Tank Regiment
***44 Royal Tank Regimentboth equipped with minesweeping Matilda tanks

British XXX Corps

Under the command of Lieutenant General Oliver Leese

*2 Medium Regiment RA
*64 Medium Regiment RA
*69 Medium Regiments RA

*66 Mortar Coy RE
*11 Field Company, South African Engineers
*13 Field Company, South African Engineers
*22 Field Park Company, South African Engineers

*XXX Corps Signals

=9th Australian Division=

under Major General Leslie Morshead

*9 Division Cavalry Regiment
*2/2 Machine Gun Battalion
*2/3 Pioneer Battalion

*2/7 Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
*2/8 Field Regiment, RAA
*2/12 Field Regiment RAA
*3 Anti-tank Regiment, RAA
*4 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RAA

*2/3 Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers
*2/7 Field Company RAE
*2/13 Field Company RAE
*2/4 Field Park Company RAE

*9 Australian Division Signals

Australian 24th Brigade

under Brigadier Arthur H.L. Godfrey
*2/28th Australian Infantry Battalion, Western Australia (WA)
*2/32nd Australian Infantry Battalion, Victoria (Vic.)
*2/43rd Australian Infantry Battalion, South Australia (SA)

Australian 26th Brigade

under Brigadier David A. Whitehead
*2/23rd Australian Infantry Battalion, Vic.
*2/24th Australian Infantry Battalion, Vic.
*2/48th Australian Infantry Battalion, SA

Australian 20th Brigade

under Brigadier H. Wrigley
*2/13th Australian Infantry Battalion, New South Wales (NSW)
*2/15th Australian Infantry Battalion, Queensland (Qld)
*2/17th Australian Infantry Battalion, NSW

=British 23rd Armoured Brigade=

under Brigadier George W. Richards

186 Valentine tanks
*8 Royal Tank Regiment [u/c from 1 SA Division]
*40 Royal Tank Regiment
*46 Royal Tank Regiment
*50 Royal Tank Regiment

British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division

under Major General Douglas Wimberley

*51st Reconnaissance Battalion
*1/7 Bn Middlesex Regiment (machine gun bn)

*126 Field Regiment Royal Artillery
*127 Field Regiment RA
*128 Field Regiment RA
*61 Anti-tank Regiment RA
*40 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA

*274 Field Company RE
*275 Field Company RE
*276 Field Company RE
*239 Field Park Company RE

*51st Highland Division Signals

British 152nd Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier George Murray
*2 Bn Seaforth Highlanders
*5 Bn Seaforth Highlanders
*5 Bn Cameron Highlanders

British 153rd Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Douglas Graham
*5 Bn Black Watch
*1 Bn Gordon Highlanders
*4/7 Bn Gordon Highlanders

British 154th Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Henry W. Houldsworth
*1 Bn Black Watch
*7 Bn Black Watch
*7 Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

2nd New Zealand Division

under Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg

*2 NZ Division Cavalry Regiment
*27 Bn (machine gun bn)

*4 Field Regiment Royal NZ Artillery
*5 Field Regiment RNZA
*6 Field Regiment RNZA
*7 Anti-tank Regiment RNZA
*14 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RNZA

*6 Field Company Royal NZ Engineers
*7 Field Company RNZE
*8 Field Company RNZE
*5 Field Park Company RNZE

*2 NZ Division Signals

New Zealand 5th Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Howard Kippenberger
*21 Battalion
*22 Battalion
*23 Battalion
*28th Māori Battalion

New Zealand 6th Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier William Gentry
*24 Bn New Zealand Infantry
*25 Bn New Zealand Infantry
*26 Bn New Zealand Infantry

=British 9 Armoured Brigade=

under Brigadier John Currie

35 Sherman, 37 Grant, 46 Crusader =118
*3rd (The King's Own) Hussars
*Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry
*Warwickshire Yeomanry
*14 Bn Sherwood Foresters

=South African 1st Infantry Division=

under Major-General Dan Pienaar
*3rd South African Armoured Car Reconnaissance Regiment
*Regiment President Steyn (Machine gun battalion)
*2nd Regiment Botha

*1st Field Regiment, Cape Field Artillery, South African Artillery
*4th Field Regiment, SAA
*7th Field Regiment, SAA
*1st Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, SAA
*1st Anti-tank Regiment, SAA

*1 Field Company, South African Engineers
*2 Field Company, SAE
*3 Field Company, SAE
*5 Field Company, SAE
*19 Field Park Company, SAE

*1 SA Division Signals

outh African 1st Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier E.P. Hartshorn
* 1st Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles
* 1st Royal Natal Carabineers
* 1st Transvaal Scottish

outh African 2nd Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier William Poole
* 1st Cape Town Highlanders
* 1st Natal Mounted Rifles
* 1st/2nd Field Force Battalion

outh African 3rd Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier ?
* 1st Imperial Light Horse
* 1st Rand Light Infantry
* 1st Royal Durban Light Infantry

=Indian 4th Infantry Division=

under Major-General Francis Tuker

*Central India Horse (Reconnaissance)
*5th Bn 6th Rajputana Regiment (machine gun)

*1 Field Regiment Royal Artillery
*11 Field Regiment RA
*32 Field Regiment RA
*149 Anti-tank Regiment RA
*57 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA

*4 Field Company, Bengal Sappers & Miners
*12 Field Company, Madras Sappers & Miners
*21 Field Company, Bombay Sappers & Miners
*11 Field Park Company, Madras Sappers & Miners

*4 Indian Division Signals

Indian 5th Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Dudley Russell
*1/4 BN The Essex Regiment
*4 BN (Outram's) 6th Rajputana Rifles
*3 BN Queen Mary's Own 10th Baluch Regiment

Indian 7th Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Alan Holworthy
*1 BN The Royal Sussex Regiment
*4 BN 16th Punjab Regiment
*1 BN 1 BN 2nd King Edward's Own Goorkha Rifles

Indian 161st Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Francis E.C. Hughes
*1 Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
*1st Bn 1st Punjab Regiment
*4th Bn 7th Rajput Rifles

British XIII Corps

Under command of Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks

*577 Field Company RE
*578 Field Company RE
*576 Field Park Company RE

*13 Corps Signals

=British 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division=

under Major-General John Nichols
*2 Bn Cheshire Regiment (machine gun bn)

*74 Field Regiment RA
*111 Field Regiment RA
*124 Field Regiment RA
*154 Field Regiment RA
*102 Anti-tank Regiment RA
*34 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA

*233 Field Company RE
*505 Field Company RE
*235 Field Park Company RE

*50 Northumbrian Division Signals

1st Greek Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Pausanias Katsotas
*1st Infantry Battalion
*2nd Infantry Battalion
*3rd Infantry Battalion

*1st Artillery Regiment

*1st Machine Gun Company

*1 Engineer Company

British 151st Infantry Brigade (attached to 2nd New Zealand Division 29 October to 3 November)

under Brigadier Joscelyn E.S. Percy
*6 Bn Durham Light Infantry
*8 Bn Durham Light Infantry
*9 Bn Durham Light Infantry

British 69th Infantry Brigade

under Brigadier Edward C. Cooke-Collis
*5 Bn East Yorkshire Regiment
*6 Bn Green Howards
*7 Bn Green Howards

=British 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division=

under Major-General Ivor T.P.Hughes

*44 Reconnaissance Battalion
*6 Bn Cheshire Regiment (machine gun bn)

*53 Field Regiment RA
*57 Field Regiment RA
*58 Field Regiment RA
*65 Field Regiment RA
*57 Anti-tank Regiment RA
*30 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA

*11 Field Company RE
*209 Field Company RE
*210 Field Company RE
*211 Field Park Company RE

*44 Home Counties Division Signals

=British 132nd (Kent) Infantry Brigade=

under Brigadier Lashmer Whistler
*4th Bn. The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
*5th Bn.The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
*2nd Bn. The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)

=British 7th Armoured Division=

under Major-General John Harding

*1 Household Cavalry Regiment
*11th Hussars [under command from 4th Armoured Brigade]
*2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry [under command from 8th Armoured Div]

*3 Field Regiment RHA
*4 Field Regiment RA
*97 Field Regiment RA
*65 Anti-tank Regiment RA
*15 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA

*4 Field Squadron RE
*21 Field Squadron RE
*143 Field Park Squadron RE

*7 Armoured Division Signals

British 4th Light Armoured Brigade

under Brigadier Marcus G. Roddick

57 Stuart, 14 Grant –71 tanks
*Royal Scots Greys
*4th/8th Hussars
*1st Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps

=British 22nd Armoured Brigade=

under Brigadier George "Pip" Roberts

57 Grant, 46 Crusader, 19 Stuart-122 tanks
*1 Royal Tank Regiment
*5 Royal Tank Regiment
*4 County of London Yeomanry
*1 Bn Rifle Brigade

=British 131st Infantry Brigade=

under Brigadier William Donovan Stamer
*1/5 Bn Queens Regiment
*1/6 Bn Queens Regiment
*1/7 Bn Queens Regiment

1st Free French Brigade

under Brigadier Marie Pierre Koenig
*2 Foreign Legion Bn
*3 Foreign Legion Bn
*1 March Bn

*1 Artillery Regiment

British X Corps

Under command of Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden

*571 Field Company RE
*572 Field Company RE
*573 Field Company RE
*570 Field Park Company RE

*10 Corps Signals

=British 1st Armoured Division=

under Major-General Raymond Briggs

*12th Royal Lancers
*4/6 South African Armoured Car Regiment

*2 Field Regiment RHA
*4 Field Regiment RHA
*11 Field Regiment RHA [ex 8th Armoured Div]
*76 Anti-tank Regiment RA
*42 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA

*1 Field Squadron RE
*7 Field Squadron RE
*1 Field Park Squadron RE

*1 Armoured Division Signals

=British 2nd Armoured Brigade=

under Brigadier Arthur Fisher

92 Sherman, 68 Crusader-160 tanks
*2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)
*9th Queen's Royal Lancers
*10th Royal Hussars
*Yorkshire Dragoons

=British 7th Motor Brigade=

under Brigadier Thomas J. Bosville
*2 Bn Kings Royal Rifle Corps
*2 Bn Rifle Brigade
*7 Bn Rifle Brigade

=British 10th Armoured Division=

under Major-General Alexander Gatehouse
*Royal Dragoons

*1 Field Regiment RHA
*5 Field Regiment RHA (attached from 8 Armoured Div)
*104 Field Regiment RHA (attached from 8 Armoured Div)
*98 Field Regiment RA
*84 Anti-tank Regiment RA
*53 Light Anti Aircraft Regiment RA

*2 Field Squadron RE
*3 Field Squadron RE
*141 Field Park Squadron RE

*10 Armoured Division Signals

=8th Armoured Brigade=

under Brigadier Edward C.N. Custance

45 Crusader, 57 Grant, 31 Sherman-133 tanks
*3 Royal Tank Regiment
*The Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers)
*Staffordshire Yeomanry

=British 24th Armoured Brigade=

under Brigadier Arthur G. Kenchington

93 Sherman, 45 Crusader=138 tanks
*41 Royal Tank Regiment
*45 Royal Tank Regiment
*47 Royal Tank Regiment
*11 Bn Kings Royal Rifle Corps

=British 133rd Infantry Brigade=

under Brigadier Alec W. Lee
*2nd Bn, The Royal Sussex Regiment
*4th Bn, The Royal Sussex Regiment
*5th Bn, The Royal Sussex Regiment

Panzer Army Africa

(Field marshal Erwin Rommel, Georg Stumme at the start of the battle in Rommel's absence)

Army troops

=German 90th Light "Afrika" Division=

(GeneralMajor Ernst Strecker)
*155th PanzerGrenadier Regiment (with 707th Heavy Infantry Gun Company)
*200th PanzerGrenadier Regiment (with 708th Heavy Infantry Gun Company)
*346th PanzerGrenadier Regiment (should be 361st, 346th assigned to 217th Inf Div, the 361st was formed in theatre from former french foreign legionaires of german origin)
*190th Artillery Regiment
*190th Anti-tank Battalion
*under command: Force 288 (PanzerGrenadier Regiment 'Afrika', the three battalions listed after this are not part of this 8-to-10 company detatchment)
**605th Anti-tank Battalion
**109th Anti-aircraft Battalion
**606th Anti-aircraft Battalion

German 164th Light "Afrika" Division

(GeneralLeutenant Carl-Hans Lungershausen)
*125th Infantry Regiment
*382nd Infantry Regiment
*433rd Infantry Regiment
*220th Artillery Regiment
*220th Engineer Battalion
*220th Cyclist Unit
*609th Anti-aircraft Battalion

Ramcke Parachute Brigade

(GeneralMajor Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke)
*One battalion each from 2nd, 3rd and another Parachute Regiments (1st bn's 2 & 3, 2nd bn 5th)
*Lehrbattalion Burkhardt
*Parachute Artillery Battery
*Parachute Anti-tank Battalion

=German "Afrika Korps"=

(GeneralLeutnant Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma)

=German 15th Panzer Division=

(GeneralMajor Gustav von Vaerst)
*8th Panzer Regiment
*113th PanzerGrenadier Regiment (should be 115th, 113th was assigned to 1st Pz Div)
*33rd Artillery Regiment
*33rd Anti-tank Battalion
*33rd Engineer Battalion

=German 21st Panzer Division =

(GeneralMajor Heinz von Randow)
*5th Panzer Regiment
*104th PanzerGrenadier Regiment
*155th Artillery Regiment
*39th Anti-tank Battalion
*200th Engineer Battalion

Italian Army Africa

(Marshal Ettore Bastico)
(Note: other than the Pistoia Division and rear-area troops, the Italian Army HQ in Africa had only administrative control over Italian formations. All Italian formations were under the tactical control of Rommel's Panzer Armee Afrika.)

Pistoia Division

*35th Infantry Regiment
*36th Infantry Regiment
*3rd Motorised Artillery Regiment
*?? Bersagliere Battalion

Giovanni Fascisti (Young Fascists) Division

*2 Infantry Battalions

Italian X Corps

(Lieutenant General Edoardo Nebba; Major General Enrico Frattini in temporary command to October 26)
*9th Bersagliere Regiment
*16th Corps Artillery Group
*8th Army Artillery Group

Italian 27 Infantry Division "Brescia"

(Major General Brunetto Brunetti)
*19th Infantry Regiment
*20th Infantry Regiment
*1st Mobile Artillery Regiment
*27th Mixed Engineer Regiment

=Italian 17 Infantry Division "Pavia"=

(Brigadier General N. Scattaglia)
*27th Infantry Regiment
*28th Infantry Regiment
*26th Artillery Regiment
*17th Mixed Engineer Battalion

Italian 185 Parachutist Division "Folgore"

(Major General Enrico Frattini)
*185th Parachutist Regiment
*186th Parachutist Regiment
*187th Parachutist Regiment
*185th Parachutist Artillery Regiment

Italian XX Motorized Corps

(Lieutenant General Giuseppi de Stephanis)
*8th Army Artillery Group (part)
*90th Engineer Company

=Italian 132 Armoured Division "Ariete"=

(Major General Raffaele Cadorna)
*132nd Armoured Regiment
*8th Bersaglieri Regiment (motorised)
*132nd Artillery Regiment (motorised)
*3rd Battalion Lancieri de Novara
*3rd Battalion Nizza Cavalleria
*32nd Mixed Engineer Battalion (motorised)

Italian 133 Armoured Division "Littorio"

(Major General G. Bitossi)
*133rd Tank Regiment
*5th Bersaglieri Infantry Regiment
*3rd Artillery Regiment
*133rd Artillery Regiment (part)
*3rd Tank Group Lancieri di Novara

=Italian 101 Motorised Division "Trieste"=

(Brigadier General Francisco La Ferla)
*11th Tank Battalion
*65th Infantry Regiment
*6th Infantry Regiment
*21st Artillery Regiment
*8th Armoured Bersagliere Regiment
*52nd Mixed Artillery Battalion

Italian XXI Corps

(Lieutenant General Enea Navarini; Major General Alessandro Gloria in temporary command to October 26)

*7th Bersagliere Regiment
*24th Corps Artillery Group
*8th Army Artillery Group (part)

=Italian 102 Motorised Division "Trento"=

(Brigadier General Giorgio Masina)
*61st Infantry Regiment
*62nd Infantry Regiment
*46th Artillery Regiment

=Italian 25 Infantry Division "Bologna"=

(Major General Giorgio Masina)
*39th Infantry Regiment
*40th Infantry Regiment
*205th Artillery Regiment
*25th Engineer Battalion

References and sources

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