"Question: Brit para cpy/plt strength/org 42-43" Topic

Hi guys

I have found this organisation for a 1944 British airborne platoon, was it the same in Tunisia 42-43? The company had 3 x PIATs attached, the PIAT was first used in Tunisia, would they have had PIATs or Boys AT rifles?

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Armand

You should probably be looking at the May 42 org:
PDF link

No clue offered though if/when the AT rifles were swapped out as PIATs became available. Maybe Gary will know…

So the paratroops really used the Smith Gun en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_Gun ?

I suspect in practice it was the PIAT that was used.

Cheers,
John

I suspect both as the PIAT only became available in 1943 and they were in action from November to March.

Yeah, I'm thinking both, there's this pic, but I suspect it's from Sicily.

They certainly wouldn't have Sten Mk V in Tunisia…

No, Sten Mk II or III

The changeover from the Boys anti-tank rifle to the PIAT was announced via a War Office letter of 16th June 1943 (thought I'd found a copy of it somewhere in the Canadian online archive but I can't find it now). They were initially to replace the Boys on a one-for-one basis, however Progress Bulletin (Infantry) of June 1943 noted that ammunition supplies were not initially available for non-active theatres so they'd have to make do with practice PIAT rounds. That would suggest they were being prioritised for Field Force units.

The Smith Gun is positively identified on the May 1942 WE, and is named also on the Middle East version of Nov 1942, which is effectively identical with the May 1942 WE. I've no idea if they were taken overseas, let alone used in anger. My instinct says 'no' however it's the kind of thing that might only be revealed by a Battalion War Diary.

Ditto re the above on Sten gun Marks of course.

Gary

Here's a IWM film from 22/3/43 of a training exercise in Tunisia showing the Inniskillen Fusiliers with PIATs. With that date they may have seen action with the Paras.

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I found the WO letters I was thinking of, slightly out on my dates from the above post. WOL of 1st Mar 1943 stated the PIAT was being introduced to Infantry Battalions, at home and abroad, in replacement of Boys anti-tank rifles and the No.68 grenade. Initial scale was to be three per Rifle Company.

The letter of 16th Jun 1943 stated that anti-tank rifles were to be replaced on a one-for-one basis by PIATs as these became available, throughout the Service. This was to be staged, with Infantry units (including Recce, Motor and Defence units) having priority. Anti-tank rifles and .55-inch amn, plus No.68 grenades and associated equipment, were to be withdrawn as PIATs were received on a unit basis.

1 Parachute Brigade went overseas in November 1942, and my understanding is the PIAT was still in the later stages of testing and development at that time. 2 Parachute Brigade followed in April 1943. If I recall, the PIAT was used in the latter stages of Tunisia. The 6th Bn, Inniskillings, had gone overseas in November 1942 as part of 6th Armoured Division, so look to have received the PIAT while in North Africa – can't get the clip to play on my PC…

Gary

Thanks gents, all useful info, I'm going to include them, and I'm going to have to change the stens, all my AB figures I was using for the stens are MkV, I've just bought the Revell para box, it has MkIIs I think, I might be doing some fine surgery