Does anyone have an accurate date of arrival in North africa for this unit? Also, a breakdown of the number of 2Pdrs & 18Pdrs with which it was equipped please?
I have the regiment arriving in North Africa around June-July 1941 with 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Anti-Tank Batteries. At Tobruk on June 20th, 1942, the 6th Battery had 9 2pdrs. The rest of the regiment was under 1st SA Div and, I would imagine, similarly equipped.
Thanks David. 9x 2 Pdrs is understrength. I wonder if this is due to losses? Do you have any idea if the Regiment was issued with 18 Pdrs as a stop gap as were other Commonwealth units?
2nd South African Anti-Tank Regiment (-) (16 18-pounders, 48 2-pounders) listed on page 6 of the following document dated Nov 1941 http://www.2ndbn5thmar.com/history/Br8thArmy1941.pdf
Do you know if the 2 Pdrs were porteed or not? Not directly mentioned in any information I found. However this account of the Fall of Tobruk by a member of the 2nd South African Anti Tank regiment mentions burning "anti-tank portes" [sic] before the surrender. South African Military History Society - MY WWII PRISONER-OF-WAR ESCAPE
Did some more digging and came across this thread here: Allied WWII AFV Discussion Group: Gun portees about South Africans and portees. So I went to the Pathe site and started watching ACTION IN WESTERN DESERT - British Pathé and at around 4:08 you can see a convoy of portees crewed by South Africans. Unfortunately there's no information on unit or accurate date. Still a nice clip to watch though.
2nd South African Anti-Tank Regiment (-) (16 18-pounders, 48 2-pounders) listed on page 6 of the following document dated Nov 1941 http://www.2ndbn5thmar.com/history/Br8thArmy1941.pdf There are errors in this document. All the best Andreas
Do you know if the 2 Pdrs were porteed or not? Have you ever come across towed 2-pdrs in the desert? All the best Andreas
There are errors in this document. Care to elaborate? Have you ever come across towed 2-pdrs in the desert? What few photos I have seen of two-pounders in the desert have been porteed.
Not really at the moment, no time, and too many errors. The AHF thread on the OOB is a much better source. Same here on the photos, and indeed any reference I have seen. In Jan. 42 I have a reference to portees and 18-pdrs being in battle. All the best Andreas
I was only using it as a source of info for the S.A A/T Regs. The S.A units seem to have had far less written about them, than any of the other Commonwealth combatants. Thanks again.
Hi Orwell1984, Excuse my ignorance, but what were or what does "portee" mean? Thanks! George Here you go George Portee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and a nice action shot for you from Guns Against Tanks : L Troop, 33rd Battery, 7th New Zealand Anti-Tank Regiment in Libya, 23 November 1941 | NZETC A great read in and of itself! Cheers Mark
