Mobilisation The TA was doubled in size following the
Munich Crisis of 1938, with existing units splitting to form duplicates before the outbreak of the
Second World War. Part of the reorganisation was that field regiments changed from four six-gun batteries to an establishment of two batteries, each of three four-gun
troops. For the 77th (Highland) Fd Rgt this resulted in the following organisation from 12 June 1939:
77th (Highland) Field Regiment • Regimental HQ (RHQ) at Greenock • 305 (Renfrew) Field Bty at Greenock • 306 (Renfrew) Field Bty at Greenock
128th Field Regiment • RHQ at Greenock • 307 (Renfrew) Field Bty at Glasgow • 308 (Renfrew) Field Bty at Greenock
77th (Highland) Field Regiment On the outbreak of war 77th (Highland) Field Rgt mobilised in 51st (H) Division under the command of Lt-Col W.H. Denholm, still equipped with its First World War-era 18-pounders and 4.5-inch howitzers (one 12-gun battery of each), though now on pneumatic tyres and towed by gun tractors. The division moved to
Bordon in January and arrived in France to join the new
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on 29 January 1940. On 19 February the regiment exchanged with a field regiment of
4th Division at
Croix, near
Roubaix, and remained with this Regular Army formation for the rest of the war.
Battle of France The
Battle of France began on 10 May with the German invasion of the Low Countries. The BEF responded by executing the pre-arranged
Plan D, advancing into Belgium to take up defences along the
River Dyle; 4th Division was in support of the river line. However, the
Panzers of
Army Group A had broken through the
Ardennes and threatened the BEF's flank, so on 16 May it began to withdraw to the
River Escaut. The first 'bound' was back to the line of the
River Senne during the night of 16/17 May, the second took the BEF back to the
River Dendre the following night. The Belgian forces retired more rapidly, and 4th Division found its left flank was open, so there was hard and confused rearguard fighting as it withdrew across the Dendre and back to the Escaut. By 20 May the BEF was established on the Escaut line, but on 22 May the Germans began making determined attacks against 4th Division's positions. Worse, the BEF was now cut off from the south as the
Panzers reached the coast at
Boulogne. It began to withdraw into a 'pocket' round
Dunkirk from which it was preparing to evacuate (
Operation Dynamo). 4th Division held the northernmost sector of the east-facing line, first on the old Franco-Belgian frontier, then back on the
River Lys and the
Ypres-Comines Canal, where enemy attacks were driven back. The division was then drawn back into the shrinking pocket to protect the coastal flank, where the Belgian army had surrendered. The division defended
La Panne while the evacuation proceeded. The men then had to destroy their remaining equipment and march along the beach to be picked up at Dunkirk on 31 May.
Home Defence On return to the UK, the regiment re-formed at
Charmouth in
Dorset. 4th Division joined
V Corps in anti-invasion defences on the South Coast on 19 June. Units returned from Dunkirk were progressively brought back up to strength and re-equipped with whatever was available. By September 1940 77th (Highland) Fd Rgt was stationed at
Barton-on-Sea, equipped with old French
75 mm guns. In December it received modern
25-pounders. One of the lessons learned from the
Battle of France was that the two-battery organisation did not work: field regiments were intended to support an infantry brigade of three battalions. As a result, they were reorganised into three 8-gun batteries, each of two four-gun troops of 25-pounders with
Quad gun tractors. It was not until late 1940 that the RA had enough trained battery staffs to carry out the reorganisation. 77th (H) Field Rgt accordingly formed 'X' Bty, which was numbered as 455 Fd Bty by February 1941. At the end of October 1942 4th Division was assigned to
I Corps, but was then sent as reinforcements for
First Army after the Allied landings in North Africa (
Operation Torch). The last phase of Vulcan (
Operation Strike) began on 5 May with 4th Division attacking a ridge on the Medjez el Bab–Tunis road the following day. The assault began at 03.00 with artillery bombardment including
counter-battery (CB) fire, concentrations on specific targets, and
barrages to assist the advancing infantry. In two hours 16,632 shells fell on the enemy facing 4th Division, and in the first 24 hours of the battle the whole artillery support averaged 368 rounds per gun (rpg). This weight of support broke the initially stiff enemy opposition, and the division fought its way methodically forward from one objective to another according to timetable. By 12 May the Allies had fought their way into Tunis and the
Axis forces surrendered next day After the
Tunisian Campaign ended, 4th Division remained in North Africa until 16 December 1943, when it went by sea to
Egypt. Then on 14 February 1944 it sailed from Egypt to join in the
Italian Campaign. After this fighting, 4th Division was withdrawn into Army Reserve, rejoining XIII Corps after the capture of Rome in the first week of June for the pursuit to
Lake Trasimeno. On 21 and 22 June the division moved out of Corps Reserve and took over part of the front facing the German
Trasimene Line. On 24 June it had a hard fight to clear
Vaiano, held by the
1st Parachute Division. Next, XIII Corps moved on
Arezzo, and the guns of 4th Division fired in support of
6th Armoured Division and
2nd New Zealand Division as they attacked the hills in front of the town. 4th Division then continued the advance towards
Florence, clearing the
Chianti mountains and the west bank of the
Arno against tough opposition as the Germans slowly gave ground. Florence was entered on 4 August, then 4th Division had a fierce battle to clear the
Incontro ridge in a loop of the Arno. It completed this on 8 August and was relieved. The next major attack was
Operation Olive, aimed at breaching the
Gothic Line, where 4th Divisional artillery supported the initial attack by
I Canadian Corps on 25 August. 4th Division itself was held in readiness at
Foligno for the pursuit towards the
River Po. Breaching the successive defence lies proved slow and costly, and 4th Division remained waiting for the breakthrough. A new phase began on 12/13 September against the
Rimini Line, which began with a series of massed artillery bombardments. 4th Division began to pass through the attacking Canadians to continue the advance but got held up. It continued on the following days and crossed the
Ausa during the night of 17/18 September behind artillery preparations fired by its own guns assisted by those of several other divisions. Operations in Italy then began to bog down in a series of river crossings. 4th Division's next major operation was to seize a bridgehead over the
Savio on 19 October, where the bridge was isolated by artillery fire in an attempt to prevent its destruction. However, it was demolished just as the infantry patrols reached it, and the division had to make an assault crossing at
Cesena the following day. When the Germans fell back to the
Ronco, attempts to 'bounce' more crossings on the night of 25/26 October met with disaster. The division got across the Ronco on 31 October, but was halted by German troops defending
Forlì Airport. It attacked during the night of 7/8 November while the artillery concentrated on the airfield buildings. The defenders pulled back to the
Montone on 8/9 November. 4th Division then fought its way up a narrow corridor between the Montone and the Ravaldino Canal, utilising
air observation post aircraft to direct artillery fire onto dug-in German heavy tanks. The division finally broke through on 12 November, the artillery laying 'bomb lines' of coloured smoke shells to direct air attacks. 4th Division's last major operation in the campaign was a pre-dawn attack on 21 November to cross exposed ground up to cross the Cosina, but little went right, and only one company got across. Once the neighbouring
II Polish Corps crossed, on 25 November, however, the division made good progress, fanning out north of the
Via Aemilia.
Greece 4th Division was now relieved from the front line. It was intended to send it to the
Middle East for rest, but it was diverted to Greece where civil war (the so-called
Dekemvriana) had broken out after the withdrawal of German occupying forces. Some of the infantry were airlifted, the remainder of the division without heavy equipment was sent by sea to
Faliron Bay on 12 December. The artillery regiments were reorganised as infantry for internal security duties and guarding prisoners, any artillery support required being provided by
Royal Navy warships. By 16 December the division had established defences round the base and began methodically clearing the road from Faliron to
Athens on 17 December while the dismounted gunners and Greek National Guard defended the base and communications. Bitter fighting went on into the new year. The
Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) began withdrawing from central Athens on 27 December, and the British started an offensive on 2 January 1945. ELAS retreated completely from Athens on 5 January, although fighting went on in other parts of the country. 77th (Highland) Field Regiment remained in Greece until after the end of the Second World War. 128th Field Rgt formed its third battery, 492 Fd Bty, on 1 March 1941when the regiment was stationed at
Rosemarkie. It was authorised to use its parent's 'Highland' subtitle on 17 February 1942. On the second night of the battle, 51st (H) Division's guns fired a similar succession of CB tasks, concentrations and then a barrage to support
1st Armoured Division's attack. On the night of 25/26 October 51st (H) Division made progress towards its own objective as the 'dog-fight' phase continued. The 'break-out' phase began on the night of 1/2 November with Operation Supercharge, preceded by another powerful barrage. In the early hours of 4 November 51st (H) Division broke through to the Rahman Track, and the Axis forces began to retreat. 51st (H) Division then took part in the pursuit to
El Agheila and
Tripoli in January 1943. By 25 February it was past
Medenine in Tunisia and facing the
Mareth Line. The Axis force made a spoiling attack on 6 March (the
Battle of Medenine) but there was plenty of warning and the advance was easily repulsed. 51st (H) Division had already moved most of its artillery south in waiting for the attack, leaving three Troops to move and fire between various positions to simulate the whole divisional artillery remaining in its old positions. The
Battle of the Mareth Line began on the night of 16/17 March when 51st (H) Division took the outpost line against negligible opposition. The main attack followed on 20/21 March with another massive night barrage. But little progress was made over the Wadi Zigzaou for the first two days and the line held until it was outflanked by other forces in the south. The Axis defence collapsed on 28 March and the following day 51st (H) Division was on its way to
Gabès. The next Axis defence line was along
Wadi Akarit. The barrage for 51st (H) Division's assault began at 04.15 on 6 April, followed by four more barrages over five hours, one involving a difficult change of direction, and the division's attack, in the words of the
Official History, 'went like clockwork'. Axis troops then began counter-attacks and the Highlanders had to fight hard to hold their gains. The pursuit was resumed the following day, through
Sfax, after which the divisional artillery was in action in the hill country near
Enfidaville. This lasted until the fall of Tunis and the end of the campaign.
Sicily 128th (H) Field Rgt then rested and trained for the
Allied landings in Sicily (Operation Husky). The regiment landed shortly after the assault infantry on 10 July. The division was moving forward by nightfall, with the objectives of
Palazzolo Acreide and
Vizzini, which it reached by the night of 14/15 July. Despite some fierce fighting the division continued with scarcely a pause towards the
Dittaino river. On 17 July the division deployed to cross the Dittaino and attempt to capture
Paternò. It achieved a bridgehead but further advance was checked, so on the night of 20/21 July the division sent a composite force of infantry and armour against the main enemy defences at
Gerbini Airfield. Although the attack succeeded, fierce counter-attacks by the
Hermann Goring Division drove the Highlanders out the following morning, after which 51st (H) Division was put onto the defensive. 51st (H) Division's artillery joined in
XXX Corps' artillery preparation for operations against
Adrano (the
battles round Etna). These began on 31 July while 51st (H) took bridgeheads over the Dittaino. Paternò fell on 4 August,
Biancavilla on 6 August. The division made a 'sidestep' on 12 August and the guns came into action north of
Zafferana the following night. By now the Axis forces were evacuating Sicily, which was completed on 17 August. 51st (H) Division did not take part in the subsequent Italian Campaign, having been earmarked for the Allied invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord. However, its guns did assist in the massive bombardment covering the assault crossing of the
Strait of Messina on 3 September (
Operation Baytown). The division embarked for the UK on 7 November and disembarked at
Liverpool on 26 November. It then went into training for Overlord. On 23 June the division expanded the bridgehead by a night attack at Ste Honorine la Chardonnerette. The guns had remained silent before the attack to ensure surprise, after which the enemy's successive attempts to recover the village were stopped by artillery fire. The division supported 3rd Division's attack on the flank of
Operation Goodwood. On 8 August 51st (H) Division spearheaded
II Canadian Corps' attack towards
Falaise (
Operation Totalize), preceded by a massive barrage. The attack began before dawn and by first light the break-in was going well, with a number of villages taken. After a second artillery preparation the
4th Canadian and
1st Polish Armoured Divisions passed through to continue the advance. The Canadians renewed the advance to Falaise on 14 August in
Operation Tractable, with 51st (H) Division attacking towards the Liaison Valley on the left flank. By 21 August the
Falaise Pocket had been closed and the division was advancing eastwards towards
Lisieux. 51st (H) Division then moved up to and across the
Seine for the assault on
Le Havre (
Operation Astonia). This was a major operation with a massive field artillery preparation alongside support from medium guns and RAF bombers, which cowed the opposition. It was followed by a similar assault to take
Boulogne (
Operation Wellhit). The division next made a long move to the
Antwerp area at the end of September, then spent three weeks in the line at
Sint-Oedenrode.
Low Countries on 23 October 1944. The division's next offensive action was west of
's-Hertogenbosch on the night of 23 October. With massive artillery support the infantry took all their objectives, with follow-up advances over succeeding days through
Loon op Zand and across the Afwaterings Canal towards the
Meuse () by early November. On 14 November the division carried out an assault crossing of the
Willems Canal near
Weert accompanied by another heavy artillery barrage, then moved on to the Zig Canal and crossed that on 17 November with much less preparation. 51st (H) Division was then moved to hold 'The Island', the wet low-lying country between
Nijmegen and
Arnhem that had been captured during Operation Market Garden (
see above). In mid-December the division was pulled out of the line for rest. In December the division was suddenly moved south as part of the response to the German breakthrough in the Ardennes (the
Battle of the Bulge), and fought its way into the flank of the 'Bulge' in winter conditions.
Rhineland Like 3rd Division, 51st (H) Division was engaged in the fighting in the Reichswald (
Operation Veritable). It began at 05.00 on 8 February with a huge artillery preparation, after which the Highlanders attacked and were on their objectives by 23.00 that night. Over the next two days 128th Fd Rgt regiment fired smoke and HE to help the brigade continue the advance through the forest. The slow advance continued through
Gennep on 11 February, then German counter-attacks were driven off by DF fire. The final phase of the operation for 51st (H) Division began on 18 February against
Goch, which was successfully taken after stiff fighting. The division took a leading part in the Rhine crossing (
Operation Plunder). OP parties from the regiment were among the first troops across the river on the night of 23/24 March, while the guns fired throughout the night just from the river and under frequent return fire. The division fought its way into
Rees, and the guns were brought over two days later. The division then continued through
Isselburg and
Anholt. The division reached the
Dortmund–Ems Canal on 8 April. After a pause at the canal, it advanced rapidly towards
Bremen against delaying actions. It reached
Delmenhorst on 20 April and closed in on the centre of Bremen. The
German surrender at Lüneburg Heath ended the fighting on 5 May. 128th (Highland) Field Regiment was placed in suspended animation on 4 April 1946 in
British Army of the Rhine. ==Postwar==