page_title: 76th Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom)
section_title: D-Day
hierarchical_section_title: 76th Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom) / D-Day
caption_attribution_description: THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1939-45; Crusader III anti-aircraft tank with 40mm Bofors gun, at the Armoured Fighting Vehicle School, Gunnery Wing at Lulworth in Dorset.
context_page_description: The 76th Anti-Aircraft Brigade was an air defence formation of the British Army during World War II. It landed on D-Day and saw action throughout the campaign in North West Europe. Its guns operated in both anti-aircraft and ground roles in clearing and then defending the Scheldt Estuary until the end of the war.
context_section_description: In Second Army's plan for Overlord, 76th AA Bde was to support XXX Corps in its landing on Gold Beach. Light AA (LAA) defence was emphasised at the start of the operation, since low-level attack by Luftwaffe aircraft was considered the most likely threat. Assault units were to be landed with minimum scales of equipment, to be brought up to strength by parties landing later. As well as the towed Bofors 40 mm guns of the standard LAA regiments, a battery of 93rd LAA Regiment was attached to the brigade for this phase, equipped with triple 20 mm Polsten guns, half of them self-propelled (SP), mounted on Crusader tank chassis.
  The order of battle of 76th AA Bde for the assault phase on D-Day, under 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division on Gold Beach, was as follows:
  Regimental HQ (RHQ) 113th HAA Rgt (Lt-Col F.R. Gilbert)
  320/93rd LAA Bty
  RHQ 120th LAA Rgt
  394/120th & 395/120th Btys
  A Troop, 356th Independent S/L Bty
  152 AAOR
  Meanwhile, five AA barges were standing off Gold Beach to defend the anchorage, manned by a battery from 139th LAA Rgt attached from 80th AA Bde. Also attached from 80th AA Bde to land shortly on Gold Beach were 373 Bty and one Trp of 372 Bty of 114th LAA Rgt, with 24 SP Bofors guns mounted on Crusader tank chassis, Barrage balloon parties, and detachments from 112 Company Pioneer Corps equipped with smoke generators.
  By nightfall on D-Day, 76th AA Bde planned to have put ashore:
  12 x 3.7-inch HAA guns
  30 x 40mm Bofors
  12 x 20mm
  6 x S/L
  In practice, this proved too ambitious. Nevertheless, 394/120th and 320/93rd LAA Btys landed their 40mm and 20mm guns in the first 90 minutes without too much difficulty, although a Bofors gun was lost when its LCT hit a mine. RHQ of 113rd HAA Rgt landed on the next tide and set up the tactical HQ, but none of its own guns appeared. While awaiting their guns, the remainder of 120th LAA Rgt acted as infantry, clearing enemy positions. Brigadier Benson and his staff landed from two LSTs at Le Hamel near Asnelles at 18.00 and established their Tactical HQ at Buholt at 22.30. By midnight the commanding officers of 113th HAA and 120th LAA Rgts had landed, while 394/120th and 320/93rd LAA Btys had landed 8 x  Bofors and 6 x 20mm guns in King Sector and 9 x Bofors and 2 x 20mm in Jig Sector. A reconnaissance party from 112 Pioneer Company had arrived, but no HAA guns, searchlights or balloons had been landed. Three enemy aircraft were destroyed by the LAA guns during the night, two at dusk and one at dawn.
caption: Crusader AA tank mounting 40 mm Bofors gun.
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