[25] This was codenamed Operation Goldflake, and it involved the redeployment of the I Canadian Corps and British 5th Division from Italy to North West Europe. An emergency repair effort was conducted, and many were shipped direct from the workshops to the front lines. [70] Of the 610 tonnes (600 long tons) of supplies and equipment dropped, 80 per cent was recovered. It was arranged that 40 tanks, 650 wheeled vehicles, 50 Bren gun carriers, and 3,700 personnel would disembark each day in Marseilles, where accommodation was provided for 10,000 troops in tents and 200 vehicles. as (hopefully) more information is found or supplied. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. The other units could not be found, and the 21st Army Group was informed that it would have to make do without them. London: Bantam, 2009. In 1947 all Batteries except those of the Royal Horse Artillery were placed on a single roll. Only the class 70 bridges would take a loaded tank transporter. [41] Pepperpot tactics involved supplementing the artillery fire with that of anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns, mortars and machine guns. 1st/4th and 9th battalions of the Seaforths were with the Rhine Army in 1919. A train caught alight, and the fire spread to three nearby storage tanks. [28], It was estimated that seven line of communications sub area headquarters would be required to support the advance into Germany. Country United Kingdom. This included the 6th Airborne Division, but it was held by the seaborne tail. Covered accommodation was eventually provided for between 300,000 and 400,000 troops. A general study of the historical experiences that have shaped the British army. This led to a scaling down of the British military presence, and a restructuring of command and support structures. [28][29] The first vehicles to arrive came with only fifty drivers, so a detachment from 141 Vehicle Park was sent to Marseilles from the RMA. A new ordnance field park was formed to hold the equipment, which was shipped from the UK. Until the railway bridges could be brought into operation, maintenance depended entirely on road transport. They were also utilised for duties such as manning level crossings. [44] For security reasons, troop movements had to be conducted at night. That day trains also began arriving at No. [27], On 10 February, the 5th Canadian Armoured Division loaded its 450 tanks and 320 Bren gun carriers on flat wagons in Rimini and Riccione, from whence they moved by rail to Leghorn. London: Penguin, 1970. [3], The 21st Army Group's campaign in North West Europe had commenced with Operation Overlord, the Allied landings in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Army Group Royal Artillery . [43] Over 2.5 million rounds of 25-pounder ammunition was made available for Operation Veritable. [9], Under the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, it was decided that British military units would cease to be permanent deployed in Germany by the end of 2019. The remaining RAF forces in Germany ceased to be a separate command, and instead became No 2 Group RAF, part of RAF Strike Command. A special train brought the required stores to the Second Army railhead within 48 hours of a demand being lodged with the advance base. [20], Commanders have included:[21]General Officer Commanding United Kingdom Support Command (Germany), General Officer Commanding British Forces Germany, Last edited on 10 December 2022, at 22:46, 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, "UK to maintain military presence in Germany", "So, it is time to say Aufwiedersehen. This included 15,000,000 rations, which were gradually eaten by the troops in the RMA. [14], In autumn 2019, British Forces Germany effectively closed,[15] with the last military base handed back to the German Bundeswehr in February 2020. 12 and 14 Army Roadheads were being run down. British Air Forces in Germany came under the command of RAF Germany. Instead, 18th GHQ Troops Engineers erected it the following day at a downstream site near the town of Honnopel. [95][92] To take pressure off the roads, the 21st Army Group placed an air composite platoon capable of receiving and handling up to 510 tonnes (500 long tons) per day under the Second Army's control. 2019 Ted Fund Donors There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). This reduced the pressure on the road network, and also permitted stone for road works to be supplied by rail. Photo courtesy of RAMC Lab Tech Cpl Peter Elgar 1958. [28], On 15 February, the region south of the Seine under British administration by 5th Line of Communications Sub Area and the 101st Beach Sub Area were reduced to the ports of Caen and Ouistreham and the depots around them, while that administered by the 9th Line of Communications Sub Area was handed over to the US Communications Zone, as was the region between the Somme and the Seine administered by the 6th Line of Communications Sub Area, except for the city of Amiens. british army of the rhine bases . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War. percheron breeders near me; manchester public schools teacher contract; arizona cardinals schedule 2022 2023. chevy 350 compression ratio chart; matthew gunner ohanion [87], Stocking of No. [55], When the II Canadian Corps assumed control of the left sector on 15 February, No. [12] Civilian labour was utilised at the bases in a variety of tasks to enable military personnel to be released for service in forward areas. Over 2.5 million rounds of 25-pounder ammunition were made available. The troops in the assault units were issued with 24-hour ration packs, together with a Tommy cooker and a tin containing tea, condensed milk and sugar, enabling the troops in the front line to brew a hot cup of tea. Mainstream histories of the British army have focused overwhelmingly on the myriad counterinsurgency operations in which it became involved after 1945 at the expense of the vital role played by the British Army of the Rhine in the nations deterrent posture. The second British Army on the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from 21st Army Group. In 1961, he received a commission into the Royal Corps of Signals, and served in the British Army of the Rhine . Fourteen transport platoons,[53] each of which operated thirty vehicles,[54] were taken from the formations to serve the corps's needs. [63] The final troop movements for Operation Plunder involved 662 tanks, over 4,000 tank transporters and 32,000 other vehicles. The BAOR was formerly armed with tactical nuclear weapons. The British Army, Manpower, and Society into the Twenty-First Century. SALUTE South London Warlords. Includes a chapter on the creation of the postmodern regimental system between 1945 and 1970 against the backdrop of postwar austerity and the consequent reorganization and amalgamation of many regiments. BMH Iserlohn was one of several BAOR (British Army Of The Rhine) army hospitals in Germany. [78] The 21st Army Group headquarters also allocated three additional general transport companies to the British Second Army. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}520734N 84059E / 52.12611N 8.68306E / 52.12611; 8.68306. The British Army of the Rhine was born in 1945 out of the British Liberation Army at the close of the war as the military government of the British zone of occupied Germany. USA & International; 100 Preparations were made to move it to a new site, but this was not required. Fifteen minutes after the glider landings, there was a resupply mission flown by 240 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers from the US Eighth Air Force. [4] Its original function was to control the corps districts which were running the military government of the British zone of occupied Germany. Demands for smoke generators exhausted the available stocks and generators were taken from the anti-aircraft gun positions around Antwerp. [73], The assault divisions established ordnance dumps on the west bank of the Rhine with at least one section of the divisional ordnance field park from which urgently required equipment and spare parts for vehicles could be sent across by DUKW without delay. REME Technical Services BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) 5 Infantry Workshop, Nijmegan Marchers 5 Infantry Workshop, Nijmegan Marchers It was therefore agreed that from 1 March onwards, 81,000 tonnes (80,000 long tons) of fuel held in British storage would be transferred to the Americans so that both armies could have thirty days' reserves. New search features Acronym Blog Free tools . [91] At Artlenburg, 7th Army Troops engineers constructing a 282-metre (925ft) class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge also came under air attack, and two of its mobile cranes were damaged by artillery fire, but the bridge was opened on schedule at 12:00 on 30 April. The bivouac areas were provided with temporary billets, latrines, emergency rations and fuel, and medical teams and vehicle maintenance crews were on hand. It was originally composed of five corps, composed of two divisions each, plus a cavalry division:[1], IV Corps: Commanded by Sir Alexander Godley, VI Corps: Commanded by Sir Aylmer Haldane, IX Corps: Commanded by Sir Walter Braithwaite and later by Ivor Maxse, Cavalry Division (formed from 1st Cavalry Division). Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. This brought the amount of road transport capacity under Second Army's control to 31,580 tonnes (31,080 long tons), which was reckoned to be the equivalent of 76 general transport companies. [26], The headquarters of the 9th Line of Communications Area was transferred to Paris to assist the American Communications Zone with the move. Army personnel will be permanently based in the country where the UK is retaining the 45-square mile Sennelager Training Area, which provides both UK and NATO forces with an expansive live firing. [5], First established following the Second World War, the forces grew during the Cold War, and consisted, by the early 1980s, of I (BR) Corps made up of four divisions; 1st Armoured Division, 2nd Armoured Division, 3rd Armoured Division and the 4th Armoured Division. The 21st Army Group instead became the British Army of the Rhine in August 1945. . Garrison/HQ JHQ Rheindahlen, Germany. 1 Artillery Brigade Cold War.png 888 544; 45 KB. [62] XII Corps allocated sixty DUKWs each to the 6th Airborne Division, US 17th Airborne Division and the 15th Infantry Division; thirty were in corps reserve, nine were designated for casualty evacuation and six for the Royal Engineers. BMH Munster was one of several BAOR (British Army On The Rhine) army hospitals in Germany. While most of its units were British or Canadian, there were also contingents from Belgium, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia and Poland,[1] and the RAF Second Tactical Air Force operating in support also had Australian, French, New Zealand and Norwegian squadrons. These were manufactured locally in Brussels and fitted in Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) workshops. As was written earlier we are constantly searching for information, and adding or updating pages. [6] What followed was a far more rapid advance than anticipated. Military Identities: The Regimental System, the British Army and the British People c.18702000. Almost all BLA units were assigned to the 21st Army Group, which also included forces from other countries. In turn this demanded a high degree of organisation and professionalism required to utilise the available machines and firepower to best effect. [65], The buildup of stocks for Operation Plunder commenced on 8 March. A sweeping review of four hundred years of British army history. [7], The 1993 Options for Change defence cuts resulted in BAOR being replaced by forces roughly 25,000 strong, divided between Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, 1st Armoured Division, other combat support and combat service support forces, and administrative elements headed by United Kingdom Support Command (Germany). Both formations had areas of responsibility located around the German section of the River Rhine. Check 'British Army of the Rhine' translations into Italian. Expands. Four days later the German Instrument of Surrender was signed in Berlin, and the war with Germany was over. They only operated until newly constructed bridges were able to take traffic, which occurred about 72 hours into the operation. Troops met thin resistance as the operation wasn't intended as a surprise . General histories of the postwar British army have tended to overlook the services preparations to fight a tactical nuclear war against the Soviet Union in Europe, despite this being its primary mission throughout the Cold War. Part of Ministry of Defence. British Army of the Rhine (post First World War) B.A.F.S.V. Each man crossing the Rhine was issued with a 24-hour ration, an emergency ration, a tin of preserved meat, a tin of self-heating soup or cocoa, a packet of biscuits and a tommy cooker with six hexamine tablets. Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom enable the British Armed Forces to conduct expeditionary warfare and maintain a forward presence.Bases tend to be located in or near areas of strategic or diplomatic importance, often used for the build-up or resupply of military forces, as was seen during the 1982 Falklands War and the use of RAF Ascension Island as a staging post. [44], Thus far in the campaign in North West Europe, XXX Corps had only served as part of the British Second Army, and it found that maintenance procedures of the First Canadian Army differed from what it had been used to due to the fact that the First Canadian Army's operations had been conducted where there had been adequate communications. In the post World War Two years Argonne Barracks became . [30], A rail halt was established at Gevrey-Chambertin and bivouac areas at Montbard and Chalon-sur-Sane. [35] It would be carried out by General Harry Crerar's First Canadian Army, which was built up to a strength of 449,865 personnel through the addition of large numbers of British troops; counting civilians and prisoners of war, the army had a ration strength of 476,193. . The first British bridge across the river was the class 9 FBE bridge, known as "Twist", in the XII Corps area, which was erected by the VIII Corps Troops Engineers in ten hours on 24 March. Until the railway bridges could be brought into operation, maintenance depended entirely on road transport. The high use of road transport meant that the British Second Army burned 7,600 tonnes (7,500 long tons) of petrol a day, but pipelines were laid across the Rhine at Emmerich and were in operation by the end of April. London: William Kimber, 1971. [60] Every available amphibious craft was collected. TR. 12 Army Roadhead in the Rheine area commenced on 3 April, and the corps started drawing from it on 9 April. British Army of the Rhine (post Second World War) . No. An Inter-Allied force of British, French and . The next major operation was Operation Plunderthe assault crossing of the Rhine on 23 March. The best introduction to the regimental system of the British army. History of the british army of the rhine 06 09 14. A broad look at the cultural attitudes of the British army and its relationship with wider society. Cold War British Army Threat Recognition Guide It's the 1980s and the British Army Of the Rhine is still stationed in West Germany facing down the USSR's forces. Expand or collapse the "in this article" section, Expand or collapse the "related articles" section, Expand or collapse the "forthcoming articles" section, Africa, Gunpowder and Colonial Campaigns in, All-Volunteer Army, Post-Vietnam Through 2016, Armed Forces of the Ottoman Empire, 16831918, Australia from the Colonial Era to the Present. Sirs, Ladies and Gentlemen,Welcome to the website dedicated to the British Army of the Rhine, its locations, and those areas whilst not strictly within BAOR, thatwere vital to the operation of the theatre. British Army Germany was formed in 2020 to administer the remaining service personnel, UK Civil Servants, and dependents (family members), based in Germany.[2]. British logistics in the Western Allied invasion of Germany was the support of Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery's Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group and the RAF Second Tactical Air Force operations in the Second World War from 8 January 1945 until the end of the war in Europe on 8 May 1945. A third bridge, "Westminster", was commenced by the 6th Army Troops Engineers on 26 March, completed at 18:00 on 29 March, and ceremoniously opened by Dempsey the next morning. [82][83], In the XXX Corps area, the engineer units were grouped under the 13th AGRE, under the command of Colonel F. C. 1945British Army Royal Engineers enaged in the building of The Freeman Bridge, The River Rhine, Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. . The War Office found that it could provide another two field bakeries from the United Kingdom, along with three field butcheries that were already scheduled to be sent. BMH Iserlohn was housed in Argonne Barracks which was a German Calvary and Armoured Regiment building from the 1930s. [82][84], It was recognised in the planning of Operation Plunder that the maintenance of the floating bridges over the Rhine would require more engineers than could be spared from the campaign ahead. British Armed Forces Special Vouchers B.A.O.R. Stores still required by the 21st Army Group were moved forward to the new advanced base, and the rest returned to the War Office for disposal. IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO STAY ANONYMOUS OR KEEP ALL CONTENTS PRIVATE PLEASE STATE THIS CLEARLY ON SUBMISSION: All rights reserved. For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here. kat graham and ian somerhalder relationship; wet stone polisher harbor freight; how to transfer nft from coinbase wallet to metamask; colorado state university pueblo volleyball; platinum jubilee medal 2022 eligibility police; jay weatherill penny wong; The Regiments Depart: A History of the British Army, 19451970. The second British Army on the Rhine was formed on 25 August 1945 from 21st Army Group. [6], Disbandment of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) and Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG) in 1994, following the end of the Cold War and the Options for Change defence review in the early 1990s, reduced the strength of the British Armed Forces in Germany by almost 30,000 with just one division (1st Armoured) remaining by the late 1990s,[7] concentrated in North Rhine-Westphalia. Many had seen hard use in the Ardennes, where they had demonstrated their utility, and large numbers were in the REME workshops. Its commander was the British commander of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). [79] Seven American combat engineer battalions assisted with road and bridge maintenance in the British Second Army area. The corps sometimes had to send their transport back to the army roadheads to assist when major operations were required. [81] The XXX Corps plan called for the construction of a class 9 FBE bridge, a class 15 Bailey pontoon bridge and two class 40 Bailey pontoon bridges. 166 Field Maintenance Centre (FMC) at Veghel and the two Canadian FMCs at Wijchen and Oss. Margaret Brown. Montgomery's armies were reinforced by the redeployment of three divisions from Italy under Operation Goldflake. Positioned on the North German Plain, it is the command element of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). Blaxland, Gregory. Bulk demands for artillery equipment, clothing and general stores were sent periodically by the formation's R.C.O.C. Lorries then took them to the dispersal point at Renaix via Lyon and Dijon, guided by road markers that read "GF". The Operation Pluto Dumbo pipeline was now in operation. [86] At Rees steel-piled class 40 and class 70 jetty bridges 490 metres (1,600ft) long and known as "Tyne" and "Tees" were built by the 50th GHQ Troops Engineers, and were opened on 23 May. The attacks resulted in the deaths of nine people, including three civilians, and many wounded. It was therefore decided that the floating bridges should be replaced by semi-permanent ones as soon as operational circumstances permitted. During this advance it suffered 7,665 casualties and captured 78,108 prisoners. The class 40 timber pile bridge at Zanten, known as "Dempsey" was built by the 18th GHQ Troops Engineers and was opened on 26 May. [89][88] The high use of road transport meant that the Second Army was burning 7,600 tonnes (7,500 long tons) of petrol a day, but the supply of fuel caused no problems. The following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total. 15 Army Roadhead. Not only are the well-equipped forward elements presented, but the light security elements that form BAOR's vital reinforcements are included as well. Likewise, French 2008 and Strachan 2000 have produced histories of the cultural attitudes of the British Army and how the institution relates to wider society. BAOR is defined as British Army Of the Rhine frequently. Its original function was to control the corps districts which were running the military government of the British zone of occupied Germany. To maximise their turnaround time, they were only used to cover the flooded stretch, with loads transferred to them and unloaded from them into other vehicles at each end. [4] German resistance was stubborn, and the British and Canadian advance much slower than planned until July,[5] when the American Operation Cobra broke through the German defences. [46] There were 350 different types of ammunition in all. This annotated bibliography presents the best quality scholarship relating to BAOR, from its inception until its replacement under the conditions of the 1994 Options for Change defense review with the twenty-five-thousand strong British Forces Germany. [50], Because it was not anticipated that the advance would be rapid, it was not considered necessary to hold large stocks of petrol, oil and lubricants (POL) in the FMCs, but to ensure that vehicles moving to the assembly areas arrived with full tanks of fuel, a train loaded with petrol was sent to Nijmegen to allow them to be topped off. Armata Britannica del Reno la traduzione di "British Army of the Rhine" in italiano. As a result of this fire it was decided to remove camouflage from the oil storage tanks, because it was not effective against the V-2, and hampered fire fighting efforts. [38] Operation Blackcock, a preliminary operation to clear German forces from the Roer Triangle, was carried out by the XII Corps in January 1945. During the first three weeks of April 1945, the 21st Army Group advanced about 320 kilometres (200mi) across northern Germany to reach the Elbe on 19 April and then the Baltic Sea. [77] A 370-metre (1,220ft) class 40 Bailey pontoon bridge was built at Venlo by the 15th GHQ Troops Engineers. The Meuse-Escaut Canal was also opened that month, and by the end of March the Zuid-Willemsvaart and the MaasWaal Canal were also open, allowing barge traffic from Antwerp to reach the Waal. Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War. Select from premium British Army Of The Rhine of the highest quality. Strachan, Hew, ed. The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) began life in 1945 as a postwar administrative headquarters deployed in support of the civilian authority of the British zone of occupation, northern Germany. [66] The British rail line of communications now ran from Antwerp to Nijmegen via Roosendaal and Tilburg,[67] where the railway bridge that had opened on 22 December was duplicated by 3 January 1945. [75][66] The road network was also developed, and by 23 March eleven routes were open across the Maas, of which six were in the First Canadian Army area, including the sole class 70 route (ie one capable of carrying loads of up to 70 tonnes (69 long tons)) and five in the British Second Army area. [47], The opening of a railway bridge over the Maas at Ravenstein on 4 February enabled the FMCs to be served by rail. [14] With the German offensive defeated, the US First Army reverted to American command on 18 January 1945,[15] but the US Ninth Army remained part of the 21st Army Group until 4 April. List of units and formations of the British Army, "Neuer britischer Kommandeur in Paderborn", "Adventurous Training Foundation Delivery (AFTD)", Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom, British Forces British Indian Ocean Territories, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_Army_Germany&oldid=1141875126, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Military command, support, and administration, Land Training Fleet (Sennelager) which provides and maintains a pool of. [103] In this campaign the British Army demonstrated its proficiency in logistics. [11] The first phase of this was the transfer of remaining stores to the advanced base. The bank control groups controlled all movement from the marshalling areas on the near side of the Rhine to the dispersal areas on the far side. Dorsten Ammunition Depot munitions storage facility. Originally scheduled to start at the beginning of January 1945, when the ground would have been frozen, Operation Veritable, the 21st Army Group's advance to the Rhine, was delayed for five weeks by the German Ardennes Offensive. british army of the rhine bases. A problem was encountered when defects were discovered in the tensioners of the 29th Armoured Brigade's new Comet tanks. The XXX Corps Troops Engineers commenced work on the "Lambeth" class 15 Bailey pontoon bridge at 15:00 on 24 March, but work was frequently interrupted by German fire, and the bridge was not opened until 08:30 on 26 March. The BAOR Locationsteam-5 October 2009. Chandler, David, and Ian Beckett, eds. Mallinson, Allan. In a broader context, Barnett 1970 and Chandler and Beckett 2003 provide an essential overview of the experiences that have shaped the British Army over its long history. Two pipelines were laid across the Rhine at Emmerich and were in operation by the end of April. Contents 1 History 1.1 1919-1929 [61] Up to seven trains per day were required to move the ammunition from the advance base to the ammunition railheads at No. London and Portland, OR: Frank Cass, 2000. The former held 200 rounds per gun of medium and 250 rounds per gun of heavy artillery ammunition, while the latter held 200 rounds per gun of medium and 150 rounds per gun of heavy artillery ammunition. [53], Once the battle commenced on 8 February, the main administrative task was replenishing the stocks of ammunition. Five days before the operation began, the Navy asked for 40 more, which were provided. [2] The Cologne Post was a newspaper published for members of the BAOR during this period. [24], The Combined Chiefs further decided to reinforce Eisenhower's armies in North West Europe at the expense of those in the Mediterranean. Includes a chapter on the creation of the postmodern regimental system between 1945 and 1970 against the backdrop of postwar austerity and the consequent reorganization and amalgamation of many regiments. [94] New lines continued to be laid, the last one being laid to Bocholt on 24 May. The British Liberation Army (BLA) was the official name given to the British Army forces which fought on the Western Front of World War II between the Invasion of Normandy and the end of the war. [47] As it was thought that vehicle movement in the battle area would be restricted by the weather, terrain and battle damage, units were issued with "compo" ration packs for up to two-thirds of a formation's strength, and the divisions and independent brigades were also supplied with two-, three- and five-man "AFV" ration packs in case the distribution of compo packs proved to be too difficult. British and Commonwealth PWX were flown directly to the UK, while American PWX were flown to collecting camps around Le Havre. Both stocked 200 rounds per gun of field artillery ammunition for the entire XXX Corps. There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Petrol, oil and lubricants (POL) was brought by ships and the Operation Pluto pipeline from the UK at a rate of 15,000 tonnes (15,000 long tons) per day, of which 3,000 tonnes (3,000 long tons) was over the pipelines, and delivered by barge and pipeline to the army roadheads. Free shipping for many products! [79], Vehicles crossing the Rhine did so with full fuel tanks and a reserve of filled jerricans. Consequently, the daily pack trains that carried supplies were normally run straight through from the advanced base to the corps railheads, which were normally stocked on a commodity basis, and the roadheads supporting the First Canadian Army carried much less stock than its British Second Army counterparts. Disbandment of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) and Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG) in 1994, following the end of the Cold War and the Options for Change defence review in the early 1990s, reduced the strength of the British Armed Forces in Germany by almost 30,000 with just one division (1st Armoured) remaining by the late 1990s, [7] BAOR stands for British Army Of the Rhine. Moody, Simon J. Imagining Nuclear War in the British Army, 19451989. A German V-2 rocket scored a direct hit on the British POL installation at Antwerp on 19 January. A smoke screen concealed preparations on the west bank of the Rhine.