WO 171/5084 - 13 Royal Horse - April 1945

Instructions regarding War Diaries and Intelligence Summaries are contained in F.S. Regs., Vol. 1. and the Staff Manual respectively Title pages will be prepared in manuscript.	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	Army Form C.2118
	WAR DIARY or INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY	Unit: 13th (HAC) Regiment, RHA
Month and Year: April 1945	(Erase heading not required).	Commanding Officer: Lt Col R.B.T. Daniell, DSO, RHA

Place	Date	Hour	Summary	Reference
	1		Across canal by KSLI. Capt Budgen MC killed by sniper while in sp coy attack by 8 RB. Lieut Rollo tales his place as Tp Comd "B" Tp. Guns fairly busy with (a) CB and CM work (b) fire plans in wp of br-head (c) fire plans in sp of local mopping-up attacks on pockets, mostly flak sites, this side of the Canal. In evening 159 Inf Bde Gp take over the brhead. Budgen, Gordon Douglas Heane Rollo
	2		Armd Bde gosss through, across canal and on to TECKLENBURG, where leading Regt Gp held up for 3 or 4 hrs by opp typical of what we were to encounter in every other village or bottleneck for the next 16 days - determined inf of coy strenght and upwards armed with such arms, MGs and bazookas (or panzerfausts) with sometimes a tk or SP gun in sp. Gunner problem was how to give quick close sp without slowing-up or interfering with the clearing up. Usually tackled by preliminary concs by the leading bty, often stopped up by the second bty and sometimes by the Med Bty, on each village, immediatly ahead of the adv before own tps got to it. Then according to the situation and the nature of the ground it was decided between the Armd Regt Comd and the BC wether there would be a fire plan in sp of his entry and assault. Very often there was not, because the entry was taken in the stride of the adv, in which case the arty sp was given by tks firing HE. Sm was rarely used. In the village itself there were usually one or two pin-point or tp tgts taken on by the leading F.O.O. TECKLENBURG eventually cleared after several hours hard fighting. Adv continued until last light. 2 hrs rest and then on through the night (3 R Tks and KSLI leading) to
	3		river crossing near EVERSHEIDE just North of OSNABRUCK. Br intact, taken by surprise at 0600 hrs. Adv continued to OSTERKAPPELN.
	4		Bde adv 2up: 23 H Gp left, KSLI right with I Bty in sp. I Bty lone march through thick woods. Bitter fighting at village en route - eventually 600PW. Routes converged just before first light next day and I Bty itself brought in 100 PW collected during the night.
	5		Up to the R WESER at STOLZENAU - 23 H Gp leading. Brhead formed by 8 RB in 3 hrs but not expanded. No fighter cover of own. Much trouble from enemy SPs and small calibre AA dual-purpose guns in rly embarkment bounding the brhead. Great difficulty in locating them - almost impossible to hit them.
	6		1 Cdo Bde take over part of the brhead.
	7		Capt HWD Cottam (Bty Capt I Bty) posted to 29 Armd Bde as Staff Capt. Cottam, Henry William Donald
	8		Brhead at Stolzenau abandoned and Div crosses at PETERSHAGEN by 6 Airborne Div. Bir.
	9		Adv through WENDEN, where afternoon attack by 8 RB involving fair amount of gun ap, and on to NORDREBBER and LADENHOLE. Halt at the R LEINE - brs gone. Well-stocked farms. Plenty of slave and PW labour.
	10		Inf Bde cross higher up at MANDESLOM. One of our FOOs with them.
	11		Armd Bde crosses at MANDESLOM and reaches R ALLER at SCHWARMSTEDT and ESPERKE. Night crossing by BC I Bty and 2 FOOs, in boats in sp of 4 KSLI. Comns - 18 sets. Eventually "dingo" across by raft and so 18-set for FOOs to BC, thence by 19-set in dingo back to Regt. Lt Col AA phayrs, DSO, arrives from Essex Yeo to become CRA. Brig Phayre formerly comd H Bty in 1941. Phayre, Robert Arthur
	12		Very sticky party across the river. Certain amount of enemy shelling - dingo brewed. But more inf and some tks, incl FOOs, across. Br completed.
	13		3 R Tks across and BC H Bty and his FOOs take over from BC I Bty and his FOOs. "Black Friday" - two tks (FOO and BC) KO - dvrs nastily injured and evac. Great bravery by Gnr Meylan - op in BCs tk - in removing and evac wounded dvr. Br-head all wood and bog. "Bazooka-Boys" in the wood: and two or three SPs or Tigers - two Tigers definitely identified. Many Boche killed though - FOO counted at least 300 yesterday. Day ended with one complete sqn bogging itself. All ARVs-incl our own - peeled for recovery. Our ARV was surplus to estab, but we have had it since last October, and it has been one of the hardest-worked vehs in the Regt. Its worth has been proved many times. There definitely should be one on the WE. Meylan, Alfred
	14		Negotiations on higher level for truce and move through typhus area. Cdos take over from 3 R Tks and KSLI. I Bty remains in sp of Cdos. Rest of us go east along the main rd towards CELLE and harbour just short of WINSEN, which is still being cleared by Inf Bde. We are then going to move North from through typhus area, Belsen, and NE to EBSTORF, so cutting Nothern exists from UELZEN.
	15		North from WINSEN through typhus area and past BELSEN.
	16		On to EBSTORF through a huge area of CW dumps and factories and past several large PW Camps. No opposition - but enemy air in the evening. Maj Smyth-Osbourne (BC H Bty) and Sgt Ellis his Signal Sgt hit, evac and lose arms. Capt Addington promoted Major and takes over H Bty. Lieut Todd promoted Capt and takes over D Tp. Addington, Raymond Thomas Casamajor Ellis Smyth-Osbourne, George William Todd
	17		Blocking UELZEN - shot up many enemy vehs etc, but Capt Kinnersley (FOO H Bty) shot up by own Typhoons. Identification maks and signals displayed. Seemed q case of mistaken map-reading by the air. Several isolated flak site in this area, consisting of SS and smaller-calibre wpns. Very srubborn, particularly at BARUM, wich was taken by 8RB after a day' a fighting. Our losses slight, but Boche heavy. Our guns very active all day in sp of them, shooting up tpt and firing red sm to indicate tgts for RAF. The red sm seems very successful and provided the tgt is clearly visible ranging is unnecessary: 2 rds usally suffice to draw attention to the tgts. In bad weather more time is required, and if tgt is hidden, eg, by woods etc, accurate pin-pointing is necessary. Kinnersley, Phillip
	18		Via MELBECK, where 500 British PW, to LUNEBERG and the ELBE.
	19		Attempt on br at LAUNBURG - unsuccessful.
	20		Move to BREITLINGEN in sp 15(S) for clearance of south bank of the ELBE north of LUNEBERG. Very small fire plan at night.
	21		Move back to 29 Armd Bde area West of LUNEBERG. 2IC (Major Farquhar) leaves to take over comd of 5 RHA. Everyone extremely sorry to see him go. Capt Rollo posted from G Bty to H Bty. Lieut Reichwald takes over Rollo's tp in G Bty Farquhar Reichwald Rollo
	23		Visit of CRA Capt Young (E Tp I Bty) warned for PICKFORD. Major JMC Chestnutt arrives on att. Chestnutt, James Maurice Alexander Young
	24		Recce of 15(S) area for assault crossing of ELBE. Preliminary preparation for calibration or our and 151 AY guns.
	25		H Bty relieve 151 in sp of 2 FF holding section of the ELBE around WINSEN.
	26		Calibration, and complete ralief of 151 AY by the Regt who now sp 159 Inf Bde. 2 BCs and 3 OPs out.
	27		Move to BRIETLINGEN to lie up prior to moving into battle posn for assault crossing of ELBE.
	28		Battle posns acc at last light.
	29		0050 hrs - fire plan for Op ENTERPRISE (Elbe crossing by 15(S) Div) commences. 400 rgp dumped: 200 rpg fired. Moved to fwd posn on river bank in late afternoon.
	30		Div crosses the ELBE at last light and passes through 15 (S) Div. 29 Armd Bde leading: Regt under comd. Normal grouping and distribution of FOOs.

previous month | next month

Source: 11th Armoured Division.

Disclaimer: This War Diary is based on its original, but typos might be corrected. Locations are calculated, so might not be in the correct place. For historical research, always check the originals.

Domains

More information

Contact