Kingfish Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Looking for any info - online, print, whatever - that deals with the 6th South African armored division, and in particular the battles around Florence in July / August 1944. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwxspoon Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 They used tanks 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rune Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 Kingy, I have all sorts of references...what do you need? Rune 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfish Posted June 7, 2006 Author Share Posted June 7, 2006 I tried e-mailing you but apparently the address you have listed at Boots and Tracks is no longer valid. Aaaaaanyway... I need whatever info you may have on the Imperial Light Horse/Kimberly regiment, which was the motor battalion of the 11th SA armored brigade. On July 24th this unit overran a strong German position 2 miles south of the small town of Mercantale, but was then hit by a German counterattack. I am looking to design a scenario based on this action. As best as I can determine the German unit was from the 356th ID. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 Kingfish, In the Grenadier Ridge thread I gave you the OOB (as a link) for this unit. Also, I believe I gave rune, in his La Foce thread, for which I dug up loads of stuff, the citation for the official 6th SAD unit history, even going so far as to identify which store had a copy. ISTR he passed on that idea, something to do with the 100 buck plus price tag for the fairly rare book. When I get a chance, I'll see if I can dig up something useful for you. Regards, John Kettler Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rune Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 Kingy, Will research when I get home from work tonight. Rune 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted June 7, 2006 Share Posted June 7, 2006 Try http://academic.sun.ac.za/mil/mil_history/military_archives_ww2.htm 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfish Posted June 7, 2006 Author Share Posted June 7, 2006 Thanks. I actually e-mailed the webmaster of that site a while back but got no repsonse. Too bad, really, as it seems to be the logical place to get what I need. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rune Posted June 8, 2006 Share Posted June 8, 2006 Kingy. Apologies, but the Vista computer crashed during some testing,and I had to get it going again. Will try to look up the stuff tonight. Rune 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WineCape Posted June 8, 2006 Share Posted June 8, 2006 Kingfish, try these Stellenbosch military academy contacts below ... Lt Col J. Ellis johane@ma2.sun.ac.za Cdr T.D. Potgieter thean@ma2.sun.ac.za Lt Col G.E. Visser visser@ma2.sun.ac.za Sincerely, Charl Theron 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rune Posted June 8, 2006 Share Posted June 8, 2006 Kingy, According to the August 1944 OOB, the Light Horse/Kimberly Regiment was a motor battalion assigned to the 11th South African Armoured Brigade Group. Also with the unit was the Special Service Battalion (armoured regiment), the 4/22 Field Artillery Regiment (105mm SP guns), mortar platoon Royal Durban Light Infantry (4.2"), 3rd/24th Anti-tank Battery (M10 SP guns). Division Assets include 5/5" howizters, and towed 17 pdrs. Importantly, at this point the Light Horse/Kimberly Regiment was actually down to a total of six rifle platoons. They then gained four more rifle platoons manned by crews of the Light Anti-aircraft Batterys. [They were assigned as a platoon, one per company) "Even so, it remained well under strenght". Late Auguest 1944, due to the manpower shortage, the Indian 4th/13th Frontier Force Rifles were assigned to the division. Also note, a battery of SP 105mm was 7 guns and not 8, due to the problems they were having with maintenence. Rune 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfish Posted June 9, 2006 Author Share Posted June 9, 2006 Winecape, Thank you for the contacts. E-mails on the way. Rune, Thank you for the OOB info. Is there any mention of when this combined arms group was formed? The scenario I am designing is based on a battle that occured on July 24th. Also, is the 3rd/24th AT battery from an attached unit? According to this site the 1st/11th was the resident AT regiment of the 6th SA AD. I note also that there are no M10s in the South African purchase screens up to May '45. :confused: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rune Posted June 9, 2006 Share Posted June 9, 2006 Kingy, 3/24th was part of 1/11th Anti-tank Regiment assigned to the Division in Feb 1943, and stayed with the unit till the end of the war. An exact date was not given, but it was immediately after the counter attack by the Herman Goring Fallschirmjager Panzer Division at Chiusi. Since that battle took place 21-22 June, the OOB I gave you is accurate. Rune 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonC Posted June 10, 2006 Share Posted June 10, 2006 Just admiring kudos to Rune for the helpful info... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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