Mahross

The use of Battlegroups in the British army was theorised and practised in the late twenties and early thirties. The first account I have read about British battlegroups in WW2 was in North Africa. Among the units using the concept was the famous 7th Armd.

As to the 11th not using BG before Bluecoat was not Pip Roberts decicion. He was ordered to let the 29th and the 159th brigade fight separate battles (as the rest of the Armd divs during the operations) and their combat record was not impressive. Bimbo Dempsey wrote. 'I have 500 Shermans idle on the beaches' He could afford to loose materiel, not infantry. Therefore the poor decision to have separate battles in the start of the campaign.

My point was that the Black Bull had years of training in tank/inf cooperation. The infantry trusted the tankers and vice versa. Most divisions did not have that advantage. Many infantery divisions would fight with growing respect and trust alongside the armd brigades as the war progressed.

The desert veterans were wary of the armd brigades ,since they had learned the difference in service provided from an army tank brigade and an armd. brigade.

The optimal thing would be for the inf divs to have earmarked armd brigades for the campaign in NW Europe, and given enough time to train together.

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'We march. The enemy is retreating in transport. We follow on foot.' Lt.Neil McCallum 5/7 Gordons 19th November 1942