2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade (2 AA Bde) was an air defence formation of the British Army during the Second World War, seeing active service in the Battle of France and the North African and Italian campaigns.
Origin During the 1930s the development of airpower led the British Army to expand its anti-aircraft (AA) defences. 2nd Anti-Aircraft Group was formed at Lichfield on 1 October 1936 as part of Northern Command. Initially it comprised the two senior Royal Artillery (RA) AA gun 'brigades' (at that time an RA 'brigade' was a regimental-size unit). Brigadier Edward Chadwick, MC, former Commanding Officer (CO) of 1st AA Bde (Rgt) was brought back from commanding the Mediterranean Air Defence Group in Egypt to lead the new Group, which was composed as follows:Frederick, p. 1048.Monthly Army List various dates.Chadwick at Generals of World War II.Farndale, Annex J.Routledge, p. 46. 1st AA Bde 1, 2, 17 AA Batteries, 4 Machine Gun (MG) Battery 2nd AA Bde 4, 5, 6 AA Batteries, 2 MG Battery
Terminology changed frequently: for a while the new group was termed 2nd Air Defence Brigade, and by July 1937 the MG batteries were termed Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) batteries. In January 1938 the RA changed the designation of a lieutenant-colonel's command from 'brigade' to 'regiment' allowing the AA groups to take the more usual designation of 'brigade'. By the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, 2 AA Bde at Lichfield came under Western Command, but its wartime role was to support the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) that was to be sent to France.Western Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files.
Second World War Phoney War The prewar planning for the BEF had envisaged two AA brigades, one for forward defence and one guarding the bases and lines of communication, but this was quickly expanded, new headquarters (HQs) were created and the Regular Army AA units were supplemented by part-time units of the Territorial Army (TA) that had been mobilised for war service under Anti-Aircraft Command. The order to mobilise was received by 2 AA Bde HQ on 1 September and the advance party disembarked at Nantes on 5 September, followed by the main body aboard SS Manxman on 11 September. 1st and 2nd AA Regiments crossed to France the following day. 2 AA Bde HQ remained at Nantes throughout September organising disembarkation of searchlight units and awaiting the arrival of its signals, workshop and transport companies. 1st AA Regiment moved up to the forward area on 8 October, where it joined another brigade, as did 2nd AA Rgt. By November, 2 AA Bde HQ was established at Beauval, Somme, with the following units under command:2 AA Bde War Diary, France 1940, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 167/427.Farndale, p. 12–3; Annex A.Routledge, pp. 113-4; Table XVII, p. 125.
60th (City of London) AA Rgt (TA) – 24 x 3-inch guns 210 Bty of 73rd AA Rgt (TA) – 8 x semi-mobile 3-inch guns 51st (Devon) LAA Rgt (TA) – 12 x Bofors 40 mm guns, 48 x Light machine guns (LMGs) 1st Searchlight Battalion, Royal Engineers (Regular) – 96 x searchlights (S/Ls) 2 AA Bde Signals, Royal Corps of Signals (RCS) 2 AA Bde Workshop, Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) 2 AA Bde Company, Royal Army Service Corps (RASC)
A new 5 S/L Bde took over responsibility for all the BEF's searchlights in February 1940, and there were several changes in 2 AA Bde's composition and locations. Its HQ moved to Villers-Bretonneux in April, by which time its responsibilities were to defend Royal Air Force (RAF) airfields of the BEF's Air Component, together with certain French power stations.
Battle of France The so-called Phoney War was a monotonous period of watching and training. It ended on 10 May 1940 with the German invasion of the Low Countries, and surprise attacks on RAF airfields in France.
Order of Battle 10 May 1940 At this point 2 AA Bde's dispositions were as follows:Ellis, Appendix I.Farndale, Annex A.Routledge, pp. 115–6; Table XVIII, p. 126. 2nd AA Rgt 6, 21 AA Btys – 16 x 3.7-inch defending Arras airfield 60th (City of London) AA Rgt 168 AA Bty – 4 x 3-inch at each of Abbeville and Poix airfields 169 AA Bty – 4 x 3-inch at each of Vitry and Seclin airfields 194 AA Bty – 4 x 3-inch at each of Amiens–Glisy and Rosieres-en-Santerre airfields 210/73 AA Bty – 6 x 3-inch at Mons-en-Chaussee, 2 x 3-inch at Péronne Civil Airport 51st (Devon) LAA Rgt 151 LAA Bty – 4 x Bofors at each of Abbeville, Poix and Amiens Glisy 152 LAA Bty – 4 x Bofors at Mons-en-Chaussee, 8 x AA LMGs at each of Rosieres and Vitry 153 LAA Bty – 4 x Bofors at Vitry, 4 x Bofors and 8 x AA LMGs at Seclin 58th (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders) LAA Rgt 172 LAA Bty – 4 x Vickers Mk VIII 2-pounders at each of Pont-à-Vendin, Lomme and Comines 173 LAA Bty – 4 x 2-pounders at each of Douai and Dechy
The gunsites of 2nd and 60th AA Rgts and 51st LAA Rgt were each supported by a S/L Troop or half-Troop from 5 S/L Bde.
Guns of 2 AA Bde were in action from the beginning: 151 LAA Bty at Abbeville airfield claimed a number of hits and suffered a few casualties as the first air raids began on 10 May.Farndale, pp. 63–4. As the campaign developed, the BEF followed the pre-arranged Plan D and advanced into Belgium to take up defences along the Dyle. 2 AA Brigade's role was to defend the Air Component's airfields in its rear. Brigade HQ had moved up to Anzin-Saint-Aubin near Arras by 14 May, and GHQ gave it an AA Operations Room (AAOR) to control AA engagements. Arras was badly bombed on the night of 14/15 May. Afterwards, three GL Mk I gun-laying radar stations were moved to 2 AA Rgt there and the S/L allocation was increased to introduce a S/L Illuminated Zone round the town and airfield.Routledge, pp. 116–7.
However, the German Army's rapid breakthrough in the Ardennes soon threatened the BEF's flank. On 17 May, as the situation worsened, 2 AA Bde's forward units were ordered to withdraw, while others prepared for ground defence of their airfields and established roadblocks on the main roads. 210 AA Battery and its accompanying S/L Trps were re-positioned at Conteville and Crécy airfields as Péronne fell on 18 May.Ellis, Chapter IV.Ellis, Chapter V.Routledge, p. 117.
By the night of 18/19 May enemy columns were approaching Arras. 60th AA Regiment was sent to Béthune, while the rest of the brigade was initially ordered cooperate in the defence of Arras. The CO of 60th AA Rgt was ordered to assume command if 2 AA Bde HQ was cut off, and the brigade's staff captain was sent away with the main body of the HQ. Later the brigade was ordered to withdraw towards Hazebrouck. Its RASC lorries took as many rations as possible from the abandoned stores, but came under fire from Panzers as they withdrew. Clearly, the enemy had almost surrounded Arras, and on 21 May as the brigade continued its retreat, the BEF counter-attacked in the Battle of Arras.Ellis, Chapter VI.
Brigade HQ was re-established at Renescure, outside Saint-Omer. Meanwhile, 2nd AA Rgt and 58th LAA Rgt had been redeployed to defend Hazebrouck and the Channel ports of Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk, while 60th AA Rgt, and 51 LAA Rgt were disposed around Saint-Omer and Merville, inland of Dunkirk; most of these units had S/L detachments with them. As well as AA defence, the brigade had to organise its troops to defend the Canal de l'Aa. The RAF's fighter squadrons were withdrawing from France, and 2 AA Bde was allowed to withdraw all its units from Abbeville, Conteville and Crécy airfields along with the RAF ground crews. The static 2-pounders had to be abandoned and there was a shortage of towing vehicles for the semi-mobile 3-inch guns, so 60th AA Rgt and 2nd S/L Rgt lent their lorries. 210 AA Battery and its accompanying S/L Trps were ordered west to Rouen to join 3 AA Bde, but they found that 2nd Panzer Division was already in Abbeville, and they had to disable their guns and fight a rearguard action to get back to Boulogne and then to Dunkirk.Ellis, Chapter X.
Order of Battle 22 May 1940
On 22 May the brigade reorganised into ad hoc groups under regimental commanders: 'Huntforce' – Merville airfield RHQ 60th AA Rgt 169 AA Bty (less 1 Trp) 1 Trp 194 AA Bty 151 LAA Bty 'Hammondforce' – Saint-Omer and Clairmarais RHQ 51st LAA Rgt 168 AA Bty 194 AA Bty (less 1 Trp) 155 LAA Bty from 52nd (East Lancashire) LAA Rgt 'Forbesforce' – Hazebrouck 21 AA Bty (with a pool of 13 gun tractors for the whole brigade) 152 LAA Bty 1 Trp 1 Independent LAA Bty 1 Trp 173 LAA Bty 3 and 4 S/L Btys of 1st S/L Rgt 2nd S/L Rgt less 1 Btys – Point de Jour 5 S/L Bty with Huntforce
On the evening of 22 May, 2 AA Bde HQ was divebombed and three drivers and signalmen were killed. That night the HQ moved to Droglandt, near Cassel.
By now, rear area troops were being evacuated back to the UK and German forces were advancing on the Channel ports from the south. Early on 23 May, a Troop of 2nd AA Rgt at Boulogne lost all its guns, but destroyed two tanks of 2nd Panzer Division. The evacuation from Boulogne went on steadily through the day, and most of the garrison were taken off by Royal Navy destroyers during the night of 23/24 May. 172 LAA Battery of 58th LAA Rgt and the detachments of 2nd AA Rgt and of 1st and 2nd S/L Rgts in Calais were less lucky, for having fought alongside the garrison until the evening of 26 May they were forced to surrender.Routledge, pp. 119–20.
As the German net round Dunkirk tightened, the AA units moved back towards the port. On 24 May Brig Chadwick and 2 AA Bde HQ was given control of all AA gun defences in Dunkirk, and two days later the decision was made to evacuate the isolated BEF through that port (Operation Dynamo).Ellis, Chapter XI.Farndale, pp. 77–8.Routledge, pp. 117–9.
The brigade still had 60th AA Rgt and 51st LAA Rgt under its command, and was joined by 85th (Tees) AA Rgt, which had been withdrawn from Belgium with two batteries of 3.7-inch guns. 85th AA Rgt took the eastern sector, with 174 Bty at Téteghem and 175 Bty at Leffrinckoucke, while the 3-inch guns of 60th AA Rgt were disposed in a dual AA/Anti-tank role at the bridges across the Colme Canal south of Dunkirk. 51st LAA Regiment deployed its Bofors guns to cover the road, rail and canal entrances to Bergues. Brigade HQ was near Rosendaël in the suburbs. Dunkirk was heavily bombed and machine-gunned from 24 May onwards, but only 28 rounds of 3.7-inch ammunition were available until more arrived by sea on 26 May and again on 31 May. The AA guns were ordered to remain in action while the BEF passed through them, until forced to withdraw themselves after direct contact with enemy ground forces.Farndale, p. 44.