Monday, April 13, 2020

Operation Supercharge

Montgomery's plan for Operation Supercharge was to have  XXX Corps attack with infantry. The infantry were under the command of General Freyberg. The infantry attack would be on a "front" of some 4,000 yards. The aim was to penetrate the enemy defenses to some 6,000 yards. They would use patrols to push to the west. They would "cover" the armor "breakout". Armored cars would push to the west, "destroying" whatever they could. X Corps armor would push to "Point 46-Tel el Aqqaqir". If the XXX Corps attack did not succeed, then the X Corps would fight their way to the first "objective". The 2nd New Zealand Division would be ready to take over the area captured and free up X Corps to attack some more.
The plan was to "break into the enemy positions near the "Rahman Track". The 1st Armoured Division with two armored brigades and the 7th Motor Brigade would "cross the Rahman Track" and "defeat the enemy's armor." The task for the 51st Highland Division was to taken Point 32. They would be supported by 13 Field Regiments and 3 Medium Regiments. Prior to the start of Supercharge, the 1st Armoured Division had 271 tanks. The 9th Armoured Brigade had 132 tanks. The 23rd Armoured Brigade had 111 tanks. The reduced 7th Armoured Division had 84 tanks. The 7th Armoured Division was not involved in the main push. The 4th Light Armoured Brigade had 74 tanks, of which 53 were Stuart light tanks.
They thought that they knew the enemy force numbers. The 15th Armored Division had some six thousand men and 25 tanks. The 21st Armored Division was stronger with some eight thousand men and 125 tanks. The 164th Division had 6,800 men. The 90th Light Division had 7,800 men. The Italian 101st Trieste Division had 4,600 men and 30 tanks. The 102nd Trento Division had but 2,400 men. The Italian armored division Ariete had 4,300 men and 140 tanks. The Littorio Division had 4,200 men and about 60 tanks. This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Australian Official History.

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