I Corps (United Kingdom)

I Corps
active	1901 to 1994
Country	United Kingdom
Armed forces	British Army
Type	corps
Insinuation	NORTHAG
former seat of the staff	Ripon Baracks, Bielefeld
commander
last commanding general	Lieutenant General Sir Jeremy Mackenzie

The I Corps ( German I. Corps) was a large unit of the British Army , which was used in the First and Second World War . The I. BR Corps was a large unit of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), which was subordinate to the multinational Army Group NORTHAG of NATO from 1951 to 1994 . The staff was in Bielefeld . The I. Corps used the main battle tank as a main weapon, which held three tank divisions in Germany and rotated them. It had 880 Chieftain and 325 Challenger tanks.

history

The memorandum of the war minister (Secretary of State for War) Edward Stanhope laid down in 1891 that Britain should be in a position, in addition to the garrisons in India also active for the home defense two and entertain too mobilizing Corps with 3 divisions. When the Second Boer War broke out in September 1899 , this Field Force (also known as 1st Corps) was mobilized and relocated to Cape Town . It was placed under the command of General Sir Redvers Buller as part of the home Aldershot Command . In South Africa, however, the corps never fought as a closed unit; his three divisions were spread over the whole theater of war. The reinforcement of the standing army, approved by parliament in 1901 , allowed six army corps, which were divided into six regional districts (Aldershot, Southern, Irish, Eastern, Northern and Scottish). These arrangements were only based on theory. In 1907 the briefly renamed "Aldershot Corps" command was again referred to as "Aldershot Command". The army reform begun by Haldane in 1907 created additional troop units for use overseas, but only the I. Corps (Aldershot Command) and II. Corps (Southern Command in Salisbury ) were made up entirely of regular troops.

First World War

The corps under General Douglas Haig , which landed in Le Havre on August 11, 1914, was part of the British Expeditionary Corps (BEF) under General John French . During the battle of Mons on August 23, 1914, the large association between Jemappes and the Canal du Center formed the right wing of the British and only had to break through with the II. Corps , against the German IX. Army Corps decline. The retreat east of Paris took the Corps back to the Seine on September 3 on the Gretz-Armainvilliers and Tournan-en-Brie line . After the counterattack in the Battle of the Marne (September 9th), the corps pursued the Germans via Fère-en-Tardenois to the Aisne and in mid-September was engaged in a major battle for the Chemin des Dames . The British crossed the Aisne, the I. Corps landed on the north bank at Bourg-et-Comin and formed a bridgehead on the right side. After heavy fighting over the plateau at Courtacon and Verneuil, Haig's troops gained space in a northerly direction on Monthenault and pushed the Germans back to the Ailette . With the race to the sea of the United Federation was on the railway line from Cassel to mid-October 1914 Ypres Salient moved and went to the new position at La Bassée and Givenchy in the trench warfare over.

During the battles of Aubers and Festubert (May 9, 1915) the I. Corps was still subordinate to the 1st and 2nd divisions, but was already subordinated to the 47th (1 / 2nd London) Division of the Territorial Force and the 1st Canadian Division strengthened. After the start of the Battle of Loos was on 25 September 1915 by the British side for the first time poison gas used, the I. Corps (2nd, 7th, 9th Division) tried the front of the German Army Corps IV. In the direction of La Bassée and Hulluch to break through. The 7th Division set up against Hulluch had 5,200 casualties on the first day of the attack, Major General Capper was fatally wounded. General Thesiger , the commander of the Scottish 9th Division, was killed by German artillery fire the following day. In the late summer of 1916, the 1st and 2nd Divisions were briefly deployed at the Battle of the Somme an der Ancre .

During the Battle of Arras in April 1917, the I. Corps (6th, 24th and 31st Divisions) under General Holland between Lens and Givenchy only had to make a distracting attack. In July 1917 with the 1st Army , the Corps in the Loos area was subordinate to the 6th and 46th Divisions, which successfully fought for height 70 with the Canadian Corps in the second half of August. In November 1918, the I. Corps advancing in the Lens area formed the right wing of the 5th Army (General Birdwood ) and advanced with the 15th and 58th Divisions on Nevergnies, the 16th Division behind them formed the reserve.

Second World War

After Great Britain declared war on the German Reich on September 3, 1939 , another expedition corps was formed under Lieutenant General Lord Gort and relocated to France and Belgium . General John Dill was given command of the 1st Corps, to which the 1st, 2nd and 48th Divisions were subordinate and which was advanced on the Dyle in the area east of Brussels . During the German attack at the beginning of the Battle of France on May 10, 1940, the I. Corps was led by General Barker and, after the breakthrough of the German XXXIX. Army Corps withdraw to the Scheldt . After the Kleist tank group broke through in the Abbeville area to the English Channel on May 20, Lort Gort had to order a retreat to Dunkirk . During the Battle of Dunkirk , the 1st Corps covered the withdrawal of the expeditionary corps to the coast with the 1st Division (General Alexander ), which was largely evacuated via the English Channel in Operation Dynamo by June 5th.

The I. Corps took part in the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 under Lieutenant General John Crocker as part of the 2nd Army . The Canadian and British 3rd Infantry Divisions , as well as the Canadian 3rd and British 27th Panzer Brigades were subordinated . The Canadians landed to the left of the XXX. Corps (General Bucknall ) on the eastern sector of Juno Beach between Courseulles-sur-Mer and St. Aubin, while the British went ashore at Sword Beach on either side of the Ouistreham . During the Battle of Caen , the Corps broke in Operation Goodwood (July 18-20 ) with the newly drawn VIII Corps east of the city via Demouville through the German defenses ( 21st Panzer Division and 12th SS Panzer Division ) to the railway line at Cagny . In September 1944 the corps occupied the port of Le Havre (September 12) as part of the 1st Canadian Army St. Valery with the 49th and 51st Divisions in Operation Astonia and advanced to the Scheldt section.

With the Rhine Army

Combat structure I. BR Corps 1989

Dislocation of the NORTHAG divisions in 1989

Areas of responsibility of the corps in NATO Central Europe in the 1980s

British camouflage pattern

British Chieftain tank. Main combat vehicle of the I. BR Corps

British Centurion tank

British tanks in Bergen-Hohne

Combat shooting with Scimitar tanks in Bergen-Hohne

In August 1945, the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) was formed from the 21st Army Group in the British Occupation Zone . The assigned combat strip of the subordinate I. BR Corps represented the North German Plain and was bordered by Hanover in the north, by Kassel in the south, in the east by the inner German border and in the west by the Weserbergland . The left neighbor was the I. DE Corps and the right the I. BE Corps . The likely focus was between Braunschweig , Helmstedt , Hanover, Hildesheim and Hameln . In the event of a defense, the first line of defense would have been formed by the cover forces of the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards , the 16th / 5th Queen's Royal Lancers and the 664th AAC (Army Air Corps) Squadron. The latter would have become an ad hoc brigade under the command of BAOR's Brigadier Royal Armored Corps (Royal Armored Corps). Behind the cover troops, according to GDP (General Defense Plan), the 1st and 4th Armored Divisions would have deployed to the FEBA (Forward Edge of Battle Area), which faced the 3rd Shock Army of the Soviet Army and engaged in tank battles. The 3rd Armored Division would have played the role of the operational corps reserve. The 2nd Infantry Division was tasked with securing the rear corps area and holding the last line of defense on the west bank of the Weser .

The first two divisions were reinforced in 1950 by the 11th Armored Division (11th Panzer Division) and in 1952 by the 6th Armored Division (6th Panzer Division). Together they formed the I. BR Corps, the British contribution to the NATO defense of West Germany . After the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Iron Curtain, the four divisions were reduced, restructured, modernized and equipped with new weapons technology and new equipment. The BAOR's area of ​​responsibility consisted of three zones:

• Mass of the I. BR Corps with headquarters in Bielefeld
• rear area (British Rear Combat Zone) with headquarters in Düsseldorf , responsible for supplying and setting up the combat units
• British Communications Zone with headquarters in Emblem in Belgium . Here reinforcements of British units from Great Britain were to be added and their relocation to the combat area of ​​the I. BR Corps controlled.

In addition, the 3,000-man Berlin Infantry Brigade was stationed in West Berlin , but was not subordinate to NORTHAG. The troop strength of the I. BR Corps varied in the course of its history between 60,000 and 25,000 men. The BAOR was commanded by a four-star general from the headquarters in Rheindahlen . The 2nd Allied Tactical Air Force (2 ATAF) was responsible for air support . In 1978 the I. BR Corps consisted of four armored divisions, one artillery division and the 5th Brigade-strength Field Force.

During peacetime, the four divisions were stationed in West Germany , in the former British occupation zone . Each armored division consisted of two armored and one armored reconnaissance regiment (Armored Reconnaissance Rgt), three armored infantry battalions (mechanized infantry), and artillery. In addition, engineer, army aviation, communication and supply units. Each division was able to lead up to five combat groups in the battle. These combat groups, which could be led flexibly, were divided into so-called “Task Forces” and fought according to the principles of combined arms combat . Each of these combat groups was led from a battalion or regimental command post by a tank or infantry officer, while supplies were carried out from the division command post. This form replaced the classic brigade command. Towards the end of the 1980s, the new concept proved inadequate and the previous brigade command was reintroduced.

British concept of forward defense

The British concept of Forward Defense 83 in the NORTHAG section essentially comprised the following points:

• Fight in the most suitable terrain. Defense of defined key areas
• Delay battle close to the border designed for a limited time only
• Mass of forces not in front of the FEBA / VRV, but in the depth of the defense section from positions favorable for the defense
• Infantry / Mech Infantry defends in depth from well-developed, strong stretches of terrain in the protection of extensive barriers, primarily with anti-tank weapons (tank destroyers, TOW, HOT etc.)
• Cavalry regiments (Royal Dragoon Guards, Queen's Royal Hussars, Royal Lancers etc.) clear up the front with fast wheeled armored vehicles (FV701 Ferret, FV601 Saladin) and are ready to counterattack with heavy battle tanks
• Time saved through defense in depth and space for counter attacks
• Intercept the attack of the 1st season of the Warsaw Pact by counter-attacks from strong reserves, if possible in the flanks and back of the enemy
• Smashing the 2nd season of the Warsaw Pact with new artillery systems and air force operations with new ammunition

Subordinate associations

The I. BR Corps consisted of corps troops and four divisions. The 2nd Infantry Division stationed in Catterick was one of those divisions that could be quickly relocated to Germany with the help of the 24th Airmobile Brigade. It was a fully air-packable division that could be transported with all its equipment to its place of use by helicopter. The main task of their three infantry battalions, equipped with MILAN- PALR, consisted of fighting tanks. The other two brigades were made up of the British Army Territorial Army (TA) volunteer reserve. These were well trained and highly motivated volunteers who could be mobilized quickly in the event of war. The other three divisions were spread over 20 locations in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia . The military training areas Sennelager , Bergen-Hohne and Munster were firmly connected to the history of the I. BR Corps due to numerous combat exercises. The British armored divisions consisted of three brigades, which differed in equipment, strength and efficiency. Each division could call for air support through the Army Air Corps Regiment (Gazelle and Lynx observation helicopters).

In October 1951 the following divisions were subordinate to the I. BR Corps:

• 2nd Infantry Division
• 6th Armored Division
• 7th Armored Division
• 11th Armored Division

The following reorganization took place in the late 1970s:

• 1st Armored Division
• 2nd Armored Division
• 3rd Armored Division
• 4th Armored Division
• 5th Field Force

Between 1980 and 1981 there was a further reclassification, of which only the 1st and 4th Armored Divisions remained. Both faced the 3rd Army of the Soviet Army and the 3rd Armored Division as an operational corps reserve. The 2nd Infantry Division, which remained stationed in Great Britain, also had security duties for the rear area.

• 1st Armored Division , Verden (Aller) , in the northern section
  • 7th Armored Brigade
  • 12th Armored Brigade
  • 22nd Armored Brigade

• 3rd Armored Division, St. Sebastian Barracks, Soest , Corps Reserve. The 3rd Armored Division was divided into the ECHO and FOXTROTT Task Group.
  • 4th Armored Brigade
  • 6th Armored Brigade
  • 33rd Armored Brigade

• 4th Armored Division , Hammersmith Barracks , Herford , in the hilly and wooded southern section. She was used there together with the 19th Light Infantry Brigade (UK). The 4th Armored Division was divided into GOLF and HOTEL Task Group.
  • 11th Armored Brigade
  • 20th Armored Brigade
  • 19th Infantry Brigade (remains in UK)

• 2nd Infantry Division (remains in York , UK)

Within 72 hours of mobilization, the 2nd Infantry Division could be deployed on the German theater of war. Your mission was to defend the rear corps area and build a line of defense along the Weser Uplands. Therefore, the 29th Engineer Brigade was subordinate to her.

• • 15th Infantry Brigade (TA)
  • 24th Airmobile Brigade
  • 49th Infantry Brigade (TA)

• Artillery Division (HQ Ripon Barracks in Bielefeld )

The I. BR Corps had the following battle structure under NORTHAG in 1989:

Commanding generals

• Lieutenant General Sir Redvers Buller (January 10, 1901– October 25, 1901)
• Lieutenant General Sir Henry Hildyard (October 25, 1901– September 15, 1902)
• Lieutenant General Sir John French (September 15, 1902 - August 1914)
• Lieutenant General Sir Douglas Haig (August – October 1914)
• Lieutenant General Sir Charles Monro (December 27, 1914– July 13, 1915)
• Lieutenant General Sir Hubert Gough (July 13, 1915 - May 1916)
• Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Holland (May 1916–1918)
• Lieutenant General Sir John Dill (September 1939 – April 1940)
• Lieutenant General Michael Barker (April – May 1940)
• Lieutenant General Harold Alexander (June – December 1940)
• Lieutenant General Laurence Carr (December 1940 – May 1941)
• Lieutenant General Henry BD Willcox (May 1941 – May 1942)
• Lieutenant General Frederick Morgan (May 1942 – April 1943)
• Lieutenant General Gerard Bucknall (April – July 1943)
• Lieutenant General John Crocker (August 1943 – May 1945)
• Lieutenant General Sidney Kirkman (May – September 1945)
• Lieutenant General Gwilym Ivor Thomas (September 1945 – June 1947)
• Lieutenant General Sir Dudley Ward (November 1951 – January 1953)
• Lieutenant General Sir James Cassels (January 1953 – April 1954)
• Lieutenant General Sir Hugh Stockwell (April 1954 – December 1956)
• Lieutenant General Sir Harold Pyman (December 1956 – March 1958)
• Lieutenant General Sir Michael Alston-Roberts-West (March 1958 – March 1960)
• Lieutenant General Sir Charles Phibbs Jones (March 1960 – March 1962)
• Lieutenant General Sir Kenneth Darling (March 1962 – December 1963)
• Lieutenant General Sir Richard Goodwin (December 1963 – January 1966)
• Lieutenant General Sir John Mogg (January 1966 – January 1968)
• Lieutenant General Sir Mervyn Butler (January 1968-January 1970)
• Lieutenant General Sir John Sharp (January 1970 – January 1972)
• Lieutenant General Sir Roland Gibbs (January 1972 - January 1974)
• Lieutenant General Sir Jack Harman (January 1974-April 1976)
• Lieutenant General Sir Richard Worsley (April 1976-July 1978)
• Lieutenant General Sir Peter Leng (July 1978 – October 1980)
• Lieutenant General Sir Nigel Bagnall (October 1980 - May 1983)
• Lieutenant General Sir Martin Farndale (May 1983-May 1985)
• Lieutenant General Sir Brian Kenny (May 1985 – August 1987)
• Lieutenant General Sir Peter Inge (August 1987 - September 1989)
• Lieutenant General Sir Charles Guthrie (September 1989 - December 1991)
• Lieutenant General Sir Jeremy Mackenzie (December 1991 – August 1992)

maneuver

• Exercise Spearpoint 80 (1980)
• Lionheart 84 (1984)
• Plain Sailing (1989)

This included regular readiness exercises such as Quick Train, Rocking Horse and Active Edge.

See also

• British armed forces in Germany

literature

• MP Robinson and Rob Griffin: The Royal Armored Corps in the Cold War 1946-1990. Pen & Sword Books. 2016. ISBN 978-1-4738-4375-2 .

Notes and individual references

1. ↑ " It is a tank heavy force, generally having three armored divisions on the Continent at any one time. Units are rotated periodically, so the listing below is typical of the formations present in the mid 1980s. The British tank inventory consists of 880 Chieftains and 325 Challengers . " Steven Zaloga and Steven Zaloga: Tank War - Central Front NATO vs. Warsaw Pact: NATO Versus Warsaw Pact (Elite, Volume 26), p. 23. Osprey Publishing. 1989. ISBN 9-78-085-045904-3.
2. ↑ David Stone: Cold War Warriors: Story of the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire). Pen & Sword Books Ltd. 1998. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-85052-618-9 .
3. ↑ Army Aviation Association
4. ↑ David Stone: Cold War Warriors: Story of the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire). Pen & Sword Books Ltd. 1998. p. 224. ISBN 978-0-85052-618-9 .
5. ^ The Counterstroke Future Battlefield Study. DOAE Note 663/202 (DOAE, August 31, 1983), DEFE 48/1077, TNA. in K. White, K. Mearsheimer's folly: NATO's Cold War capability and credibility. Infinity Journal, 5 (4). S. 2231. 2017. ISSN 23125888
6. ↑ Forward Defense 83. Reclassification and rethinking of the I. BR Corps, in Troop Practice 1/1985. Magazine for tactics, technology and Education. Bonn, Herford, Darmstadt, Frankfurt. 1985
7. ↑ Front Edge Battle Area / Front Edge of Defense
8. ↑ Anti-tank guided missile
9. ↑ David Isby and Charles Kamps Jr: Armies of NATO's Central Front, Jane's Publishing Company, pp. 256-258, 1985, ISBN 978-071060341-8 .
10. ^ Territorial Army