KingForce - El Alamein, 1942

KingForce, so named after its commander Major Norris King MC, was formed from six Churchill Mark IIIs which arrived in Egypt on 1 October 1943. These were reworked tanks as indicated by their T numbers having the suffix R.

Churchill T31954/R Name of commander not known
Note the canvas screen dodger, designed to minimise thrown up dust,
which was only marginally successful.
Photograph courtesy Imperial War Museum

The other five Churchills numbers and commanders were:
T68189/R, Major King; T31950/R, Lieutenant Howard; T31665/R, 2nd Lieutenant Appleby; T68186/R, Corporal Kelly; T68714/R, Corporal McCaffery.

Crews preparing Churchills for action, Alexandria, Egypt.
Photograph courtesy Imperial War Museum

While the Churchills had being serviced and camouflaged, under command of Major King, five additional officers and fifty-three ORs were gathered together to form what was initially known as the Special Tank Squadron. None of the Officers or NCOs had Churchill experience - unlike the ORs who had arrived from the UK with the tanks.

The crews of the newly formed Squadron had barely become acquainted with their Churchills before they were loaded on war flats bound for the British railhead, Burj al-'Arab, whence, aboard tank transporters, they moved forward to Tel-el-Eisa, a small railway station. The Squadron was then placed under command of 7th Motor Brigade (1st Armoured Division) and renamed KingForce.

Operation "Lightfoot"

The key to Montgomery's plan was to convince the enemy that 8th Army would be attacking in the south, the construction of a water pipeline to the Southern Sector playing a large part in the deception. Consequently, following a gigantic artlllery barrage on the night of 23rd October, in the Northern Sector - the Axis forces were taken completely by surprise.

The First Battle

Location map of KingForce's first action.

7th Motor Brigade, led by the Queen's Bays went into action as soon as the Northern Corridor had been cleared of mines. Good progress was made until coming under fire from enemy tanks, some of which were dug-in, defending a line located south of Kidney Ridge given the name Snipe. So effective was the defender's fire, the number of the Bay's tanks was reduced to just a dozen Shermans and Crusaders. The time had come for KingForce to go into action!

Led by Major King, Churchills went into action for the first time since the Raid on Dieppe. Everything considered, they acquitted themselves well despite Cpl Kelly Appleby's tank having to leave the field when its 6-pdr gun failed to return from the recoil position. Major King's tank, although it had been hit eight times without being penetrated, claimed hits on four Panzers. Of the six Churchills engaged, 2nd Lt. Appleby's tank (see photograph below) was destroyed after being hit in excess of fifty times, eight of which coming from "friendly fire." Later examination showed that the Churchill, despite all the hits, was only penetrated three times. Sadly, Appleby and three of his crew were killed, the one survivor being wounded. By day's end, the enemy having withdrawn their forces from the Kidney Ridge area, KingForce withdrew in order get the remaining five Churchills ready for whatever may lie ahead.

Photograph courtesy Imperial War Museum

The Second Battle

Location map of KingForce's second action.

While Kingforce was refitting, on 27th October, the Germans launched an attack, by 21st Panzers, in an attempt to recapture their lost positions. Stoutly defended, Kidney Ridge stayed in 8th Army's possession. The attack having failed, Field Marshal Rommel, who had returned from Germany, ordered his troops to take up defensive positions in and around the village of Tell el Aqqaqir. Removing the enemy from these positions proved to be KingForce's next task.

Once again, KingForce was called upon to assist Shermans of 7th Motor Brigade which had run into difficulty attacking the German defences. The Churchills ran into heavy fire, particularly from A/T guns. However, despite numerous hits none was destroyed. During the action Lt. Howard's tank was hit over thirty times but suffered nothing greater than a broken track. Two other Churchills were hit multiple times jamming their turrets, again without any penetration.

With the enemy defences being overrun and the long Axis retreat westwards beginning, as it was obvious that the slow I-Tanks could not keep up. As a result, KingForce was ordered to makes its way back to Alexandria, which they accomplished on their own tracks, there to be disbanded.

Maintenance prior to the move eastwards
Photograph courtesy Imperial War Museum

KingForce Disbands

That the Squadron had achieved so much, with but a short period available for training on the Churchills, did not go unnoticed by the powers-that-be when the battle reports reached the UK. The decision was reached to ship the highly trained Regiments of 25th and 21st Army Tank Brigades to do battle in Tunisia, in the mountains of which Churchills proved to be a formable fighting vehicle. KingForce casualties were seven killed and eight wounded. That the Mark IIIs of KingForce had shown they could withstand a tremendous amount of punishment was a great morale booster for crews that was not misplaced - the Churchill proved to be the safest in which to fight of all the AFVs that did battle in World War Two.

The dust problem, which the tanks of KingForce tried to overcome with the installation of canvas dodgers, was soon solved after experiments carried out by Churchill Regiments, the North Irish Horse included. Removal of the front track guards was the solution and one widely practised, which helps to explain why so many photographs of Churchills in action show the guards not in place.

There is no doubt, without the efforts of Canadians, who took Churchills to Dieppe, and crews of KingForce who fought in Egypt, the Churchill would have not enjoyed a long illustrious career lasting until long after the ending of World War Two.

Sources:
W.G.E.Jackson, The Battle for North Africa 1940-43
David Fletcher, Mr. Churchill's Tank
Copyright photographs reproduced courtesy Imperial War Museum

Return to
The Battle for Longstop Hill - Page Two