Cavalry Div

Last Updated:
07 November, 2009

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Overview:

The Cavalry Division also took the Cavalry Brigade under command after the first few weeks of the campaign (01 January 1941).

Cavalry Components:

1st Cavalry Regiment (ex-Cavalry Brigade 01 January 1941)
3rd Cavalry Regiment
The Motorised Cavalry Regiment (Transferred to VIII Division, 07 November 1940)
IX Divisional Reconnaissance Group (Disbanded 22 January 1941)
X Divisional Reconnaissance Group (Disbanded 22 January 1941)

Infantry Components:

II/5th Infantry Battalion (From 03 October until 10 October 1940)
I/7th Infantry Battalion (From 03 October until 10 October 1940)
4th Infantry Regiment - less 1 Btn (From 31 October until 12 December 1940)
I/7th Infantry Battalion (From 31 October until 12 December 1940)
66th Infantry Regiment (From 13 November until 18 November 1940)
50th Infantry Regiment (From 01 December until 06 December 1940)
I/51st Infantry Battalion (From 01 December until 10 December 1940)
21st Infantry Brigade (April 1941 - But deployed separately)

Divisional Artillery:

Horse Artillery Group - 8 x 75mm (Transferred to XII Division on 01 February 1941)
Mountain Artillery Group - 8 x 65mm (formed on the 09 January 1941)
Skoda Portée Battery - 4 x 75mm
Xb Mountain Artillery Group - 8 x 75/19 Howitzers
Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group - 8 x 20mm & 4 x 37mm FlaK
Independent Pack Anti-Aircraft Battery - 4 x 20mm FlaK

Other Division Components:

Cavalry Division Sapper Troop
Cavalry Division Signals Squadron
Mounted Machine Gun Group - 12 x MMG & 1 Cavalry Squadron (ex-Cavalry Brigade 01 January 1941)

Operational History & Detailed OOBs:

Division HQ

3rd Cavalry Regiment:

I Cavalry Group:

II Cavalry Group:

The Motorised Cavalry Regiment (theoretical - see below also):

I Motorised Cavalry Group:

II Motorised Cavalry Group:

IX Divisional Reconnaissance Group:

X Divisional Reconnaissance Group:

Divisional Artillery

Horse Artillery Group:

Mountain Artillery Group:

Skoda Portée Battery

XIb Mountain Artillery Group:

Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group:

Independent Pack Anti-Aircraft Battery

Divisional Sapper Troop

Divisional Signals Squadron

Note on the Motorised Cavalry Regiment's Organisation:

The organisation presented above is the theoretical one, as described by General Papagos in his books. However, the actual commander of the Regiment; Chondrokoukēs' (Chondhrokúkis) provides the following organisation. It is most likely this was the actual organisation of the unit during the campaign:

The Motorised Cavalry Regiment:

Motorised Regiment HQ

I Motorised Group:

detached to Cav. Brigade until 10.11.1940

II Motorised Group:

Tank Squadron

formed mid-November 1940

The 35 L3 Tankettes is probably the total number captured/available over the first 2-3 months. Presumably not all were present at the same time and of those not all would have been operational and some were probably cannibalised to keep the others operational. It is probable then that about a third to a half were only ever operational at any given time (i.e. 10-15).