This is the order of battle for Operation Epsom, a Second World War battle between British and German forces in Normandy, France between 26 June and 30 June 1944.
Second Army[1] General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey
| VIII Corps[2] [3] Lieutenant-General Sir Richard O'Connor | |
|---|---|
| Corps Troops | |
| 91st (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 121st (The Leicestershire Regiment) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 21st Army Group Troops (attached to VIII Corps for Epsom) | |
| 8th Army Group Royal Artillery | 16 BL 5.5 inch Medium Guns, 16 BL 7.2 inch Howitzer Mk.Is 24 heavy anti aircraft guns.[4] [5] |
| 11th Armoured Division[6] Major-General George Roberts | |
| 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry | Armoured reconnaissance regiment[7] 'A' squadron was detached for Operation Epsom Cromwell and M5 Stuart tanks[8] |
| 77th (Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery | Attached from 8th AGRA |
| 75th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 58th (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | Less two batteries |
| Counter-Mortar Battery, Royal Artillery | |
| 13th, 612th Field Squadrons, Royal Engineers | |
| 147th Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers | |
| 10th Bridging Troop, Royal Engineers | |
| 4th Armoured Brigade[9] [10] Brigadier J.C. Currie | Attached for Operation Epsom |
| The Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) | Sherman II, Sherman Vc "Firefly"[11] and M5 Stuart tanks |
| 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) | Sherman II, Sherman Vc and M5 Stuarts |
| 44th Royal Tank Regiment | Sherman II, Sherman Vc and M5 Stuarts |
| 2nd Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps | |
| 4th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery | Sexton self-propelled 25 pounder guns[12] |
| 144th Battery, 91st (A&SH) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | M10C Achilles self-propelled anti-tank guns[13] |
| 29th Armoured Brigade[14] Brigadier C.B.C. Harvey | |
| 23rd Hussars | Sherman V, Sherman Vc and M5 Stuarts |
| 3rd Royal Tank Regiment | Sherman V, Sherman Vc and M5 Stuarts |
| 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry | Sherman V, Sherman Vc and M5 Stuarts |
| 8th Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) | |
| 13th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (Honourable Artillery Company) | Sexton self-propelled 25 pounder guns[15] |
| 119th Battery, 75th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | M10 and M10C SP Anti-Tank Guns[16] |
| Troop, 612th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers | |
| 159th Infantry Brigade[17] Brigadier J.G. Sandie | |
| 4th Battalion, The King's Shropshire Light Infantry | |
| 1st Battalion, The Herefordshire Regiment | |
| 3rd Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment | |
| 2nd (Independent) Machine-Gun Company, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers | |
| 151st (Ayrshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-Pounder field guns |
| 117th Battery, 75th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 81st Squadron, 6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers | Elements attached from 79th Armoured Division 2 x Churchill Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) scissors bridges[18] |
| 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division[19] [20] Major-General G.H. MacMillan | |
| Divisional Troops | |
| 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps | Humber Light Reconnaissance Car Humber armoured car[21] |
| HQ and 346th Battery, 97th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| HQ 119th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| HQ 15th Divisional Engineers | |
| 624th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 26th Bridging Platoon, Royal Engineers | |
| HQ 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers machine guns and 4.2-inch mortars |
| 44th (Lowland) Infantry Brigade[22] Brigadier H.D.K. Money | |
| 6th Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers | |
| 6th Battalion, The Royal Scots Fusiliers | |
| 8th Battalion, Royal Scots | |
| 141st (Buffs) Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps | 2 x Troops Churchill Crocodiles attached from 79th Armoured Division |
| A Company, 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers MGs, platoon of 4.2-inch mortars |
| 190th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[23] |
| 159th Battery, 97th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| Battery, 119th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 81st Squadron, 6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers | Two Troops Churchill AVREs attached from 79th Armoured Division |
| 279th Field Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 46th (Highland) Infantry Brigade[24] Brigadier C.M. Barber | |
| 2nd Battalion, The Glasgow Highlanders | |
| 7th Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders | |
| 9th Battalion, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) | |
| A Squadron, 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry | Attached from 11th Armoured Division Cromwell tanks |
| Two Troops 141st (Buffs) Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps | Two troops Churchill Crocodiles attached from 79th Armoured Division |
| B Company, 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers MGs, platoon of 4.2-inch mortars |
| 181st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-Pounder field guns[25] |
| 161st Battery, 97th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| Battery, 119th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 81st Squadron, 6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers | Three troops Churchill AVREs attached from 79th Armoured Division |
| 278th Field Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 227th (Highland) Infantry Brigade[26] Brigadier J.R. Mackintosh-Walker | |
| 2nd Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders | |
| 2nd Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders | |
| 10th Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) | |
| C Company, 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers MGs, platoon of 4.2-inch mortars |
| 131st (Lowland – City of Glasgow) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-Pounder field guns |
| 286th Battery, 97th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 391st Battery, 119th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 20th Field Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 31st Independent Tank Brigade[27] Brigadier G.S. Knight | Attached for Operation Epsom |
| 7th Royal Tank Regiment | Churchill tanks |
| 9th Royal Tank Regiment | Churchill tanks |
| C Squadron, 2nd County of London Yeomanry (Westminster Dragoons) | Attached from 79th Armoured Division Sherman Crab Flail tanks[28] |
| B Squadron, 22nd Dragoons | Attached from 79th Armoured Division Sherman Crabs |
| 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division[29] [30] Major-General Ivor Thomas | |
| Divisional Troops | |
| 43rd (Wessex) Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps (The Gloucestershire Regiment) | Armoured cars, light reconnaissance cars; not in action during Epsom |
| HQ 8th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers machine guns and 4.2-inch mortars |
| HQ and 236th Battery, 59th (Duke of Connaught's Hampshire) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| HQ and 362nd Battery, 110th (7th Dorset) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| HQ 43rd (Wessex) Divisional Engineers | |
| 207th (Wessex) Field Park Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 129th Infantry Brigade[31] Brigadier G.H.L. Luce | |
| 4th Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry | |
| 4th Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment | |
| 5th Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment | |
| A Company, 8th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers MGs, platoon of 4.2-inch mortars |
| 94th (Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-Pounder field guns |
| 235th Battery, 59th (DoCH) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 360th Battery, 110th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 30th Independent Anti-Aircraft Troop | |
| 206th (Hampshire) Field Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 130th Infantry Brigade[32] Brigadier N.D. Leslie | |
| 4th Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment | |
| 5th Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment | |
| 7th Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment | |
| B Company, 8th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers MGs, platoon of 4.2-inch mortars |
| 112th (Wessex) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-Pounder field guns |
| 233rd Battery, 59th (DoCH) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 362nd Battery, 110th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 32nd Independent AA Troop, Royal Artillery | |
| 553rd Field Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 214th Infantry Brigade[33] Brigadier H. Essame | |
| 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment | |
| 5th Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry | |
| 7th Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry | |
| C Company, 8th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun) | Vickers MGs, platoon of 4.2-inch mortars |
| 179th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery | Towed 25-pounder field guns |
| 333rd Battery, 59th (DoCH) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 361st Battery, 110th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery | |
| 31st Independent Anti-Aircraft Troop, Royal Artillery | |
| 260th (Wessex) Field Company, Royal Engineers | |
| 32nd (Guards) Infantry Brigade[34] Brigadier G.F. Johnson | The first major formation of Guards Armoured Division to land in Normandy; attached on 28 June for the remainder of Operation Epsom[35] [36] |
| 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards | |
| 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards | |
| 5th Battalion, Coldstream Guards | |
| 55th (Wessex) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (West Somerset Yeomanry) | |
| 21st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery | Less one battery |
| 615th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers | |
General Friedrich Dollmann (until 1700 hours 28 June)[37]
General der Panzertruppe (General of Armoured Troops) Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg (from 1700 hours 28 June)[38]
SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich[40]
SS-Obergruppenführer Paul Hausser (until morning of 29 June)[37]
SS-Obergruppenführer Willi Bittrich (from morning of 29 June)[40]
[41] General der Flakartillerie Wolfgang Pickert[47]