British Corps in World War II
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During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
created several
field corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
; these were formations that controlled multiple divisions in addition to
artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
,
engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the ...
, and logistical units that would be used to support the divisions as needed. A corps itself was generally under the control of a higher formation such as a field army, an army group or a
command Command may refer to: Computing * Command (computing), a statement in a computer language * COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS * Command key, a modifier key on Apple Macintosh computer keyboards * ...
. During the war, the British military contained 16 field corps and three that were intended to control anti-aircraft units. The latter were not comparable in role to field corps that were intended to control divisions in combat; anti-aircraft units were assigned to control anti-aircraft formations within a designated area, which could cover hundreds or thousands of square miles. Through deception efforts, a further 11 corps existed within the British military structure. Twenty-seven real or fictitious corps were active during the war, although they did not all exist at the same time and there was overlap between notional and real corps. In 1939, at the start of the war, the British Army had only one field corps (
I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...
); this was quickly followed by two more to help control infantry divisions that were assigned to the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Within the UK, a further six corps were formed in 1940, and two more were formed in the following years, the last being the I Airborne Corps in December 1943. XIII Corps was formed in 1941, and was the first British corps to be formed outside the UK. Within the British military, corps were commanded by lieutenant-generals. The size and composition of a corps could vary depending on the mission assigned to it, as well as the tactical and strategic situation. The
Western Desert Force The Western Desert Force (WDF) was a British Army formation active in Egypt during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. On 17 June 1940, the headquarters of the British 6th Infantry Division was designated as the Western Des ...
, which was formed by re-designating a divisional headquarters, grew to a force of 36,000 men spread over one infantry and one armoured division as well as smaller units. At the start of
Operation Epsom Operation Epsom, also known as the First Battle of the Odon, was a British offensive in the Second World War between 26 and 30 June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy. The offensive was intended to outflank and seize the German-occupied city ...
, in Normandy in June 1944,
VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to: * VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VIII Army Corps (German Confederation) * VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...
was 57,000 men strong; it controlled logistical, administrative, engineer, and artillery assets, two infantry divisions, one armoured division, one armoured brigade, and one tank brigade. During the operation, its strength was increased to 65,000 men. The next major operation in which the corps was involved,
Operation Goodwood Operation Goodwood was a British offensive during the Second World War, which took place between 18 and 20 July 1944 as part of the larger battle for Caen in Normandy, France. The objective of the operation was a limited attack to the south, ...
in Normandy in July 1944, saw a completely different order of battle. It consisted of three armoured divisions, in addition to logistical, administrative, engineer, and artillery forces, with a combined strength of 62,000 men. British army corps did not only just control British forces. On the eve of the
Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa had prevented th ...
, the Eighth Army contained three corps and was a multi-national force. XIII Corps contained British and French formations,
X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to: France * 10th Army Corps (France) * X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * ...
contained only British troops, while XXX Corps consisted of Australian, British, Indian, New Zealand, and South African divisions. Unlike the other corps, the three anti-aircraft corps were static formations that administered the aerial defence of the UK. Each covered a different section of the UK and contained a different number of anti-aircraft divisions; five for I Anti-Aircraft Corps that covered the southern UK, four for II Anti-Aircraft Corps assigned to defend the Midlands, and three for III Anti-Aircraft Corps that administered those in the north. As the war progressed, more resources were allocated to I Anti-Aircraft Corps as it defended vital regions of the country that were vulnerable to
Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
attacks. In October 1942, all three corps were disbanded as part of a reorganization of the UK's aerial defences. The corps and divisions were replaced with seven groups that were intended to ease the command and control of the anti-aircraft formations, save manpower, balance out responsibility, and make the formations more flexible.


Corps


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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{British military formations during the Second World War British corps Corp World War I
Corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...