V Corps (United Kingdom)

V Corps was a corps of the British Army in both World War I and World War II. The first formation of V Corps was during World War I as part of the Third Army and was composed of the 17th (Northern) Division and the 38th (Welsh) Division as its major units. It was recreated diring the Second World War in June 1940 and substantially reorganised in 1942 for participation in Operation Torch.

The Corps should not be confused with the French Ve Corps d'Armee which took part in the Battle of France in the 1940, or with the US V Corps of the US First Army which took part in the D-Day Normandy landings.

World War II

Formed as part of the Allied land forces, First Army, in Operation Torch (8 November 1942), the amphibious landings in French-held Morocco and Algeria. The Army was commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Kenneth Anderson. First Army was formed on the 1 January 1943, and was later redesignated as the Eastern Task Force.

Campaigns

V Corps participated in the following campaigns and battles during its World War II existence.

*Operation Torch (First Army)
*Tunisia Campaign December 1942 - May 1943 (First Army)
*Italian Campaign September 1943-May 1945 (as part of the Eighth Army)
**Allied invasion of Italy 1943 (Adriatic, Foggia, Termoli)
**Sangro Operation November - December 1943
**Adriatic Coast Operation February 1944
**Battle of Monte Cassino Operation May 1944
**Gothic Line (Die Gotische Linie) Operation Olive August 1944 (with 1st Armoured, 46th and 56th divisions)
***First Battle of Coriano
***Battle for Croce
***Second Battle of Coriano
***Battle of Rimini
**Spring 1945 offensive in Italy April 1945V Corps was assigned to Eighth Army for the rest of the war (as part of the 15th Army Group) 11.44

Commanders

The V Corps General Officers Commanding (GOC) were:
*01.06.1940 - 10.07.1940 Lt.Gen.Claude Auchinleck
*22.07.1940 - 01.04.1941 Lt.Gen. Bernard Law Montgomery
*01.04.1941 - 08.03.1942 Maj.Gen. Edmond Schreiber
*09.03.1942 - 08.08.1944 Lt.Gen. Charles Walter Allfrey
*01.00.1944 - 01.00.1945 Lt.Gen. Charles Keightley

Orders of Battle for V Corps, World War II

V Corps (British 1st Army) 20 April 1943
* 25th Army Tank Brigade (51st Royal Tank Regiment detached)
* 1st Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
* British 4th Infantry Division
* British 78th Infantry Division

V Corps (British 1st Army) 4 May 1943
* 1st North Irish Horse
* 7eme Régiment Tirallieurs Algériens
* British 1st Army Group Royal Artillery
* British 1st Infantry Division
* 46th (North Midland) Division (139th Brigade Group detached)
* British 78th Infantry Division

V Corps British Eighth Army (9 Apr 1945)
*8th Indian Infantry Division (Major-General Dudley Russell)
*56th (London) Division (United Kingdom) (Major-General J.Y. Whitfield)
*78th Infantry Division (United Kingdom) (Major-General Keith Arbuthnott
*New Zealand 2nd Division (Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg) (until 14 April)
*Cremona Combat Group (Italian)
*Royal Artillery
**54th Super Heavy Regiment less two batteries
**5th Survey Regiment
**57th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, less one battery
**52nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
**651st Air OP Squadron
**654th Air OP Squadron
**323rd Searchlight Battery
**17th Field Regiment one battery
**57th Anti-Tank Regiment one battery
**55th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, one battery
*V Corps Troops, Royal Engineers
**42nd Field Company
**564th Field Company
**565th Field Company
**751st Field Company
**215th Corps Field Park Company
**22nd Mechanical Equipment Platoon
**586th Army Field Company

**85th Company, South African Engineer Corps (Camouflage detachment)

ources and References

*cite book|title=The Gothic Line: The Autumn Campaign in Italy| first=Douglas| last=Orgill |location=London| publisher=Heinemann |date=1967