page_title: Sword Beach
section_title: 3rd Division group
hierarchical_section_title: Sword Beach / Order of battle / 3rd Division group
caption_attribution_description: English: Film still from the D-Day landings showing commandos aboard a landing craft on their approach to Sword Beach, 6 June 1944. Film still from the D-Day landings showing commandos aboard a landing craft on their approach to Sword Beach, 6 June 1944.
context_page_description: Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944. Stretching 8 kilometres from Ouistreham to Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, the beach was the easternmost landing site of the invasion. Taking Sword was to be the responsibility of the British Army with sea transport, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment force provided by the British Royal Navy as well as elements from the Polish, Norwegian and other Allied navies.
  Among the five beaches of the operation, Sword is the nearest to Caen, being located around 15 kilometres from the goal of the 3rd Infantry Division. The initial landings were achieved with low casualties, but the advance from the beach was slowed by traffic congestion and resistance in heavily defended areas behind the beachhead. Further progress towards Caen was halted by the only armoured counter-attack of the day, mounted by the 21st Panzer Division.
context_section_description: 3rd Division –  Major-General T. G. Rennie
  8th Brigade (assault brigade)
  1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment
  2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment
  1st Battalion South Lancashire Regiment
  9th Brigade
  2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
  1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers
  2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles
  185th Brigade
  2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
  1st Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment
  2nd Battalion King's Own Shropshire Light Infantry
  Divisional Troops
  3rd Reconnaissance Regiment Royal Armoured Corps
  HQ Royal Artillery (RA) 3rd Division
  33rd and 76th Field Regiments, RA (self-propelled guns)
  7th Field Regiment, RA
  20th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA
  92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA
  3rd Divisional Royal Engineers (RE) – CRE: Lieutenant Colonel R.W. Urquhart
  17th Field Company, RE
  245th Field Company, RE
  253rd Field Company, RE
  15th Field Park Company, RE
  3rd Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals
  2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment (machine guns)
  Attached units and formations
  27th Armoured Brigade (DD Tanks)
  13th/18th Royal Hussars
  1st East Riding Yeomanry
  Staffordshire Yeomanry
  5th Assault Regiment, RE
  77 & 79 Assault Squadrons, RE (AVREs)
  629 Field Squadron, RE
  71 Field Company, RE
  263rd (Sussex) Field Company, RE (attached from XII Corps Troops, Royal Engineers as beach obstacle clearance parties)
   1st Special Service Brigade (landed on eastern extremity of Sword) – Brigadier Lord Lovat
  No. 3 Commando – Lieutenant Colonel Peter Young
  No. 4 Commando – Lieutenant Colonel Robert Dawson
  A force of 176 French Marine Commandos from No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando, commanded by Commandant Philippe Kieffer landed with No. 4 Commando
  No. 6 Commando – Lieutenant Colonel Derek Mills-Roberts
  No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando – Lieutenant Colonel Charles Ries
   4th Special Service Brigade (landed between Juno and Sword)
  101 Beach Sub-area
  No. 5 Beach Group (Queen sector)
  5th Battalion King's Regiment (Liverpool)
  'M' AA Assault Group (from 80th Anti-Aircraft Brigade)
  RHQ 73rd Light AA Rgt, RA – Lieutenant-Colonel J.A. Armstrong
  218 LAA Bty and 296 LAA Bty less 2 Troops
  G & H Troops 322 LAA Bty, 93rd LAA Rgt, RA
  322 HAA Bty and C Troop 323 HAA Bty, 103rd Heavy AA Rgt, RA
  B Troop 474 Independent Searchlight Bty, RA
  16 Fire Control Post, RA
  76 & 103 Coast Observation Detachments, RA
  One Platoon 112 Company Pioneer Corps (smoke generators)
  73 LAA Rgt Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME)
  'N' AA Assault Group (from 80th AA Bde)
  RHQ 103rd HAA Rgt, RA – Lieutenant-Colonel H.E. Johnston (AA Defence Commander, 101 BSA)
  D Troop 323 HAA Bty and 324 HAA Bty
  220 LAA Bty, 73rd LAA Rgt, RA
  I Troop 322 LAA Bty, 93rd LAA Rgt, RA
  C Troop 474 S/L Bty, RA
  160 AA Operations Room, RA
  One Platoon 112 Company, Pioneer Corps
  103 HAA Rgt Workshop, REME
  18th GHQ Troops Engineers – CRE: Lieutenant-Colonel J.H. Boyd
  84th Field Company, RE
  91st Field Company, RE
  8th & 9th Stores Sections, RE
  50th Mechanical Equipment Section, RE
  205th Works Section, RE
  654th & 722nd Artisan Works Companies, RE
  Two Advanced Park Sections of 176th Workshop and Park Company, RE
  49th Bomb Disposal Section, RE
  999th & 1028th Port Operating Companies, RE
  940 Inland Water Transport Company, RE
  Five Companies, Pioneer Corps
  No. 6 Beach Group (in reserve)
  1st Buckinghamshire Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
caption: Film still from the D-Day landings showing commandos aboard a landing craft on their approach to Sword, 6 June 1944.
exif: {}