- 6 Sherman V tanks
- 2 Sherman Firefly tanks
- US Parachute Infantry platoon
Market Garden
At first sight this may look a little odd. Why are US paratroopers being sold alongside British tankers? However, if you think about Operation Market Garden, it all becomes clear. Market Garden was General Montgomery's plan to move the British sector of the Allied front 64 miles from the Dutch border all the way to Arnhem, securing the most important prize: A bridge over the Rhine.
The reasons were obvious; secure a foothold on the German side of the Rhine and the armoured units can flood into Germany before the winter of 1944, enabling much more territory to be gained before the inevitable meeting with the Soviets coming the other way!
The plan was audacious to say the least. Airborne troops (Operation Market) would be dropped behind enemy lines along the route from Eindhoven to Arnhem (US 101st Airborne near Eindhoven, 82nd Airborne near Nijmegen and British 1st Airborne supported by the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade near Arnhem). In total, approximately 34,000 paratroopers would be dropped, with about 40% coming in by glider and 60% parachuting in. The paratroopers would take and hold all of the bridges along the route until relieved by regular troops.
Operation Garden would consist of British XXX Corps, spearheaded by the Irish Guards Battlegroup of the Guards Armoured Division, who would, to use the words of Lt. General Sir Brian Horrocks (OC XXX Corps), blast through the German front line and then 'drive like hell' up Highway 69 to link up with the Airborne troops in turn.
XXX Corps would be flanked by XX Corps to the left and VIII Corps to the right; the latter containing 11th Armoured Division, the 'Black Bull'. Commanded by George 'Pip' Roberts, the former Brigade Commander of 22nd Armoured Brigade during the North African desert campaign, and having learned lessons from fighting in all of the major operations of the Normandy campaign, the division was generally considered one of the best British Divisions in the Western Theater of Operations.
Both the Guards Armoured and 11th Armoured Divisions fought alongside US paratroop forces throughout Operation Market Garden, so their inclusion in British Armoured lists makes perfect sense.
Ultimately, Market Garden failed to achieve all of its objectives, due to a variety of factors, not least of which was poor intelligence, failure of command and the logistical difficulties of supplying an entire Army Corps from one highway. It remains, however, a tremendous example of the risks taken by the allies in the Western campaign to shorten the war at all costs.
Irish Guards Group, Guards Armoured Division
The Irish Guards had an interesting history in World War II. Notable actions included a Lieutenant John Gorman (I wonder if the comedian of the same name knows this) winning a Military Cross for disabling a German King Tiger by ramming it with his Sherman after his gun jammed, then bailing out, taking command of a nearby Sherman Firefly and finishing it off with the Firefly's 17-pdr main gun. Additionally, the Irish Guards won the final Victoria Cross of the European Theatre, when, with all four tanks of his platoon knocked out, Guardsman Charlton dismounted his tank (which had suffered electrical failure) with a Browning .50cal machine gun, and advanced in the face of an oncoming company of German soldiers, inflicting heavy casualties, and allowing the rest of the Guards to reform in a defensive perimeter. Charlton died of his wounds, still firing the machine gun until the last. The award of the VC was largely due to the testimony of German soldiers, as most of his actions were not witnessed by any Irish Guards Officers or NCOs. This is the sort of derring-do that graced the pages of the comic Commando, which I remember reading as a boy!
For any fan of military history, the film 'A Bridge Too Far' is a must-see. With an ensemble cast of screen legends, it also has some very memorable scenes and one-liners (including Gene Hackman with the worst Polish accent ever!). Two of my favourite characters are Lt General Sir Brian Horrocks (played by Edward Fox) and Lt Col J.O.E. Vandeleur of the Irish Guards (played by Michael Caine).
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| This is a story you'll tell your grandchildren, and mightily bored they'll be! |
John Ormsby Evelyn 'JOE' Vandeleur was Commanding Officer 3rd Battalion (Infantry) Irish Guards. Together with his cousin, Giles Vandeleur (acting-CO 2nd Battalion (Armour) Irish Guards) they formed the Irish Guards Battlegroup, one of four battlegroups making up the fighting strength of the Guards Armoured Division, under Major General Allan Adair. Vandeleur was personally chosen by Horrocks to lead the charge up the highway towards Arnhem, and embodied the spirit of dash and elan prevalent in the Guards. So imagine my surprise when I saw that you could add Joe and his ubiquitous Humber scout car to your force in Flames of War!
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| Lt Col J.O.E. Vandeleur (left) and his cousin, Lt Col Giles Vandeleur (right) |
It took no further persuasion for me to adopt the Irish Guards as my Allied army in Flames of War.
On a personal note, there is some further significance to my choice, as I served alongside the Irish Guards during my second tour of duty in the Falkland Islands whilst an officer in the Royal Navy, and I always found them 'excellent chaps', to use a phrase commonly used by one of their Captains. Indeed, said Captain was also observed to remark (upon being told that there were two Liverpudlian officers in the ship, HMS Southampton) 'Officers from Liverpool... two of them... quite remarkable!' As a final aside, he remains the only person I have ever met with a triple-barreled surname!
Anyway, on to the list!
Guards Armoured Division Armoured Squadron - Confident Veteran
Warrior Team (60)
JOE Vandeleur, Humber Scout Car, RAF Forward Air Controller
Headquarters
HQ (175)
- 2 x Sherman V
- AA MG on the Company 2ic Tank
Combat Platoons
Compulsory Armoured Platoon (435)
- 2 x Sherman V plus 2 x Firefly
Compulsory Armoured Platoon (385)
- 3 x Sherman V plus 1 x Firefly
Weapons Platoons
Recce Patrol (210)
- 4 x Stuart VI Light Tank
Brigade Support Platoons
Lorried Rifle Platoon (150)
- HQ Section with 2 Rifle Squads, PIAT team and light mortar
Column Platoon (100)
- 3 x Universal Carriers (Recce) or motorised mortar section or 6-pdr anti-tank gun section
Support Platoons
US Parachute Rifle Platoon (265) - Fearless Veteran
- HQ Section with 3 Rifle Squads, bazooka team and 60mm mortar
Royal Air Force (220) - Priority Air Support (Typhoon)
So, we get a total of 14 armoured fighting vehicles (7 Sherman V, 3 Firefly, 4 Stuart VI), 5 infantry squads, 2 light mortars, 2 anti-tank bazooka teams, air cover and a column platoon that can be changed out between battles to bring in something more specialised. Not a bad little fighting force!
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