6th Anti-Aircraft Brigade (6 AA BDE) was an air defense formation of the British Army formed during the Second World War. It served in the disastrous Norwegian Campaign in 1940 and then defended East Anglia during the Battle of Britain and The Blitz. It was reorganized to take part in the invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord), but instead was diverted to defending Southern England against V-1 flying bombs (Operation Diver). It was briefly recreated in the postwar Regular Army.

Norway Germany invaded Norway on 9 April 1940, and British and French forces launched a hastily planned and badly-executed operation to intervene. Because the bulk of Britain's Regular Army had already deployed to France, most of the troops available for the Norwegian Campaign were part-time soldiers of the Territorial Army (TA). After a failed attempt to seize Trondheim, the main Allied objective became the port of Narvik. A base was established on the island of Harstad just outside Narvikfjord, and an airstrip at Skånland on the opposite coast, with an anti-aircraft (AA) allocation of light (LAA) and heavy (HAA) guns of the Royal Artillery (RA). 6th Anti-Aircraft Brigade HQ was assembled in March under the command of Brigadier F.N.C. Rossiter and sent to coordinate the AA defence of these bases.Farndale, p. 27.Frederick, pp. 1048–52.Routledge, p. 110.

Order of Battle

By early May, 6 AA Bde had the following order of battle:Derry, Appendix B, p. 267.Farndale, Annex C.Joslen, p. 461. 51st (London) HAA Regiment (TA)Litchfield, p. 163. 151, 152, 153 HAA Batteries (23 x 3.7-inch guns) 82nd (Essex) HAA Rgt (TA)Litchfield, p. 71. 156, 193, 256 HAA Btys, (24 x 3.7-inch) 55th (Devon) LAA Rgt (TA)Litchfield, p. 43.55 LAA Rgt at RA 39–45. 163, 164, 165 LAA Btys, (36 x Bofors 40 mm guns) 56th LAA Rgt (TA)Litchfield, p. 116.56 LAA Rgt at RA 39–45. 167 LAA Bty only (10 x Bofors) 3rd LAA Bty (Regular) (10 x Bofors) (later under command of 56th LAA Rgt) No 10 Army Observer Unit

All these units were short of their establishment of men, instruments and vehicles.

Deployment On 14 May the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Lieutenant-General Claude Auchinleck, told London that he needed 104 x 3.7-inch guns and 96 x 40mm to hold Narvik and Tromsø, the latter having been added to the commitments. The Chiefs of Staff allowed him only 48 HAA and 72 LAA guns. 6 AA Brigade HQ therefore allocated its force as follows: Harstad/Skånland: 24 HAA and 18 LAA guns (from 51 HAA and 55 LAA Rgts) Bardufoss airfield: 8 HAA and 12 LAA guns (a Bty of 82 HAA and Trps from 3 and 55 LAA) Tromsø and Sørreisa: 8 HAA and 12 LAA guns (a Bty of 82 HAA and 167/56 LAA Bty) Supporting French force at Gratangen: 12 LAA guns (Trps of 3, 163, 165 LAA Btys) Bodø force: 8 HAA and 14 LAA guns (from 51 HAA and 55 LAA Rgts)

This deployment was gradually carried out during May, with some adjustments. 153/51st HAA Bty intended for Bodø was embarked but never sailed. Two troops of 40mm guns were sent to the blocking force at Mosjøen, but one was later withdrawn. All movements had to be carried out along steep narrow roads banked with six feet of snow, or on boats that could not take a 3.7-inch gun. On 9 May, for example, 3rd LAA Bty had its HQ and two guns at Harstad, two guns at Skaanstad, two struggling up the mountains to Bardufoss, and a troop of four fighting off dive-bombers attacking the French at Gratangen – a total spread of 80 miles of land and water. Yes

The campaign

As soon as the brigade was deployed its units were in action as the Luftwaffe made almost daily attacks on shipping in the fjord. 152/51st HAA Battery reported firing barrages, and on one occasion fired for four hours continuously. The Luftwaffe concentrated its air attacks on the AA defences: the Troop of 164/55th LAA Bty at Mosjøen fought its way back overland, with the loss of two of its guns to air attack. As soon as 40 mm positions were detected, the Luftwaffe bombers flew higher, while fighters picked off the AA guns. With high mountains and low cloud, early warning cover was poor, with just a single RAF radar post on the Lofoten Islands, and the Army AA units had to rely on information from radar-equipped warships, which provided most of the AA cover in Narvikfjord.Routledge, p. 111.

A Bofors Troop of 55th LAA Rgt re-embarked for Mo with 24 Guards Brigade and on landing moved to Stein to block the German forces coming from the south to relieve Narvik. The Germans attacked on 17 May but the little force held. Over succeeding days, however, it was forced back and eventually evacuated from Bodø on 31 May.Farndale, p. 28.

The Allies launched an attack at Narvik on 17 May by French, Polish and Norwegian troops, supported by British artillery, including Troops of 3rd LAA Bty and 55th LAA Rgt. The guns of 2 Trp, 3 LAA Bty under French control played a major part in breaking up a strong German ground counter-attack, and then shot down an aircraft. The final attack went in on 27 May and the town was secured the following day. However, immediately after its capture, orders were received to destroy the port and evacuate to the UK. (The British Expeditionary Force in France was simultaneously being evacuated from Dunkirk.)

To cover the evacuation, AA units were ordered to maintain maximum activity and especially to prevent reconnaissance overflights. At the same time, 6 AA Bde was ordered by London to recover its 3.7-inch and 40mm guns as a matter of priority. This was done by progressively thinning out defences. The Bodø force was evacuated at night by naval destroyers after a 100-plus German air raid destroyed the town and airstrip: all equipment there had to be abandoned. However, 6 AA Bde was able to assemble from the outlying positions 22 Bofors and five HAA guns at Harstad, with a number of predictors and heightfinders. 55th LAA Regiment saved all its Bofors guns. 6 AA Brigade ended all AA defence on 6 June.

By 8 June the British troops had embarked with their surviving equipment and the convoy sailed for the UK, still under air attack.Routledge, p. 112.

Battle of Britain On return from Norway, 6 AA Bde HQ joined Anti-Aircraft Command, the predominantly TA force charged with air defence of the United Kingdom. On 29 June Brigade HQ was ordered to proceed to RAF Debden. Initially it was assigned to 2 AA Division covering East Anglia and the East Midlands. On 4 July it was given command of 32nd (7th London) AA Battalion,Planck, pp. 230–1. a Royal Engineers (RE) searchlight (S/L) unit transferred from 41 (London) AA Bde, and 49th LAA Regiment, RA,49 LAA Rgt at RA 39–45. which was newly forming. Shortly afterwards the brigade was transferred to the command of 6 AA Division and gained two regiments from that formation: 12th (Finsbury Rifles) LAA RegimentLitchfield, p. 168.12 LAA Rgt at RA 39–45. from 56 Light AA Bde and 33rd (St Pancras) AA Bn.Sainbsury, Chapter 5. From now on, 6 AA Bde operated as a light AA formation in southern East Anglia, commanding widely spaced S/L sites and LAA guns scattered at vulnerable points (VPs), mainly RAF airfields.Routledge, Table LXV, p. 396.Sainsbury, pp. 134–5.

In August 1940, the AA Bns of the Royal Engineers were transferred to the Royal Artillery, when they were designated Searchlight (S/L) Regiments.Litchfield, p. 5.

The Luftwaffe began massed raids against RAF fighter airfields in August (the Battle of Britain), but these were mainly in South East England, outside 6 AA Bde's area of responsibility. However, RAF Debden itself was heavily attacked on 26 and 31 August, resulting in heavy damage. In September the attacks shifted to London.Routledge, pp. 383–6.

The Blitz As the battle continued into the night bombing of The Blitz, the brigade's S/L batteries deployed across East Anglia frequently engaged enemy bombers crossing to raid London and the industrial Midlands, and developed cooperation with RAF Night fighter units operating from Debden. The S/L layouts had been based on a spacing of , but due to equipment shortages this had to be extended to by September 1940. In November this was changed to clusters of three lights to improve illumination, but this meant that the clusters had to be spaced apart. The cluster system was an attempt to improve the chances of picking up enemy bombers and keeping them illuminated for engagement by AA guns or night fighters. Eventually, one light in each cluster was to be equipped with Searchlight Control (SLC) radar and act as 'master light', but the radar equipment was still in short supply and did not make its appearance until April 1941.Routledge, pp. 388-9, 393.Sainsbury, p. 137.

Order of Battle 1940–41 During this period the brigade was constituted as follows:Farndale, Annex D.6 AA Division 1940 at RA 39–45.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 12 May 1941, with amendments, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 212/79. 12th (Finsbury Rifles) LAA Rgt – to 8 AA Division by May 1941 34, 35, 36 LAA Btys 49th LAA Rgt 84, 90, 119 LAA Btys 32nd (7th London) S/L RgtLitchfield, p. 170.32 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45. 328, 329, 330 S/L Btys 33rd (St Pancras) S/L Rgt33 S/L Rgt at RA 39–45. 332, 333, 334 S/L Btys

Mid-War The Blitz ended in May 1941, but occasional raids continued. Newly formed units joined AA Command, the HAA and supporting units increasingly being 'mixed' ones into which women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) were integrated. At the same time, experienced units were posted away for service overseas. This led to a continual turnover of units, which accelerated in 1942 with the preparations for Operation Torch and the need to transfer AA units from North West England to counter the Baedeker Blitz and Luftwaffe hit-and-run attacks against South Coast towns.Routledge, pp. 399–404. The widespread introduction of SLC permitted the 'declustering' of the S/L units into 'Indicator Belts' of lights at 10,400 yard spacing and 'Killer Belts' at 6000 yard spacing cooperating with night fighters.Routledge, p. 399.Sainsbury, pp. 140–42.

Order of Battle 1941–42 During this period the brigade was composed as follows:Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 2 December 1941, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/80.Order of Battle of Non-Field Force Units in the United Kingdom, Part 27: AA Command, 14 May 1942, with amendments, TNA file WO 212/81.Sainsbury, p. 144. 121st HAA Rgt – joined from 29 (East Anglian) AA Bde February 1942 385 HAA Bty – attached to 71 AA Bde from August 1942 387, 388 HAA Btys 413 HAA Bty – joined from 85th (Tees) HAA Rgt July 1942 34th LAA Rgt – joined April 1942; to 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division May 1942 Joslen, p. 81.34 LAA Rgt at RA 39–45. 65, 92, 246 LAA Btys 49th LAA Rgt – to 28 (Thames & Medway) AA Bde June 1942 84, 90 LAA Btys 280 LAA Bty – attached to 37 AA Bde from March 1942 298 LAA Bty – attached to 37 AA Bde from March 1942; to 133rd LAA Rgt April 1942 452 LAA Bty – new bty joined March 1942 131st LAA Rgt – converted from 81 S/L Rgt in 29 AA Bde; joined April 1942 but rostered for overseas service and left soon afterwardsFarndale, Annex M. 432, 433, 434, 435 LAA Btys 32nd S/L Rgt – to 56 LAA Bde August 1942 328, 330 S/ Btys – attached to 27 (Home Counties) AA Bde, from March 1942, then 56 LAA Bde from June 1942 329 S/L Bty 526 S/L Bty joined from 86th S/L Rgt by December 1941 33rd S/L Rgt 332, 333, 334 S/L Btys 543 S/L Bty – joined from 89th S/L Rgt January 1942, attached to 56 LAA Bde from March 1942 6 AA Brigade Signal Office Mixed Sub-Section (part of 6 AA Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals) 6 AA Brigade Group, ATS