List of British military equipment of World War II
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The following is a list of British military equipment of World War II which includes artillery, vehicles and vessels.
Knives and bayonets
Small arms
Pistols (manual and semi-automatic)
- Enfield No.2 Mk.1 Revolver
- Webley Revolver - many marks in .38 and .455 inch calibre
- Browning FN-Inglis "Pistol No.II Mk.I*"
- Colt M1911A1
- Webley No.I Mk.I - (automatic pistol in .455 inch). Issued to the Royal Navy
- Welrod - silenced pistol for irregular forces such as SOE and supply to resistance groups
- Smith & Wesson Model 10
- Colt New Service
- Colt Official Police
Automatic pistols and submachine guns
- Lanchester - British submachine gun, developed from the German MP28, used by the Royal Navy & Royal Air Force.
- Sten - British submachine gun from late 1941/early 1942, to the end of the war.
- Thompson - American submachine gun used in large numbers until the Sten gun was introduced.
- Sterling-Patchett- British submachine gun trialled in small numbers in combat from 1944
- BSA Welgun - prototype only, did not see service
Rifles
- De Lisle Carbine - Specialist issue, very low number made
- Enfield Pattern 14 (P14) - Used as a marksman weapon until the No.IV Mk.I(T) was introduced, also issued in large number to the LDV.
- M1917 Enfield - Issued to LDV.
- Martini–Enfield - Used as a reserve arm by Commonwealth troops from India, New Zealand, etc.
- Lee–Enfield No.1 Mk.III* - Lee–Enfield rifle in service at the beginning of the war, supplemented and replaced by the No.4 Mk.I by mid-war.
- Lee–Enfield No.4 Mk.1 + No.4 Mk.I(T) - Lee–Enfield rifle that replaced the No.I Mk.III* in larger numbers mid-war.
- Lee–Enfield No.5 Mk.I Jungle Carbine - Introduced in 1944 to replace the longer No.1 Mk.III*, and No.4 Mk.I rifles for when in use in the jungles of the Far East.
- M1 Garand - American rifle, used in small quantities by special units.
- M1 & M1A1 Carbine - American rifle, used in small quantities by special units.
Grenades and grenade launchers
- Grenade, Hand or Rifle, No.36M Mk.I "Mills Bomb"
- "Grenade, Rifle No.68 /AT" HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) Rifle Grenade
- No.69 Mk.I Bakelite Concussion Hand Grenade
- No.76, Special Incendiary Phosphorus Hand Grenade
- No.73 Anti-Tank Hand Grenade "Thermos Grenade"
- Grenade, No.74 ST "Sticky Bomb"
- Hawkins grenade (No.75 Anti-Tank Hand Grenade)
- No.77 White Phosphorus Hand Grenade
- Grenade, Hand, No. 82 "Gammon Bomb"
- Lewes bomb - Used by the SAS
- Satchel charge
- Molotov cocktail
Flamethrowers
Machine guns
Infantry and dual-purpose machine guns
- Bren light machine gun - Light gun through the whole of the war.
- Besal -cancelled alternative to Bren light machine gun
- Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) - Issued to British Home Guard
- Lewis Gun - In service with some infantry at outbreak of war in small numbers, issued to British Home Guard for the rest of the war.
- Vicker Gas Operated (VGO) "Vickers K" - Aircraft machinegun, used in specialist roles on Long Range Desert Group and Special Air Service vehicles in North Africa, as well as a short-lived infantry machine gun with the Commandos.
- Vickers Medium Machine Gun - Standard medium machine gun of the British Army since 1912.
- Vickers-Berthier - Indian Commonwealth troops.
Vehicle and aircraft machine guns
- Browning M1919 - Mounted on many lend-lease vehicles.
- Browning M2 - Mounted on many lend-lease vehicles.
- Machine Gun, 7.92 mm BESA - British versions of the Czech ZB53 (Model 37) machine gun used as tank and armoured car armament only.
- Besa 15mm - similar adaption og ZB vz.60 heavy machine-gun as vehicle armament.
- Vickers .50 machine gun, Marks II, IV and V - Mounted on some tanks until superseded by the 15mm BESA
- Vickers S 40mm ground-attack autocannon
- COW 37 mm gun - aircraft and vehicle autocannon
Artillery
Infantry mortars
- 2 Inch Mortar
- 3 Inch Mortar
- Ordnance ML 4.2 inch Mortar
- Northover projector - incendiary, used by Home Guard
Heavy mortars & rocket launchers
- Hedgehog (weapon) for anti-submarine warfare
Domestically produced
- RP-3 -3-inch rockets used for air-to-ground and some ground to ground use
- Mattress (rocket) (3-inch rocket
- Vickers-Armstrong dual barrel howitzer 25.4/70mm, M1930
- OQF 3-pounder gun
- QF 6-pounder 6 cwt Hotchkiss - used only on armoured trains
- Ordnance QF 13-pounder (obsolete by WWII)
- QF 2.95-inch Mountain Gun - also exported to US
- Ordnance QF 75 mm - 75 mm tank gun based on 6-pdr that used US 75mm ammunition
- Ordnance QF 3-inch howitzer - gun used on support tanks at start of war
- Ordnance QF 95 mm howitzer - gun used on support tanks later in war
- Ordnance QF 18-pounder (majority lost to Germans in France and never replaced as obsolete)
- Ordnance QF 25-pounder Gun-howitzer
- QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer - used for mountain and urban warfare
- BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VII - used on merchant ships
- BL 4 inch Mk IX naval gun - used on Flower-class corvettes
- QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun - main naval dual-purpose gun
- QF 4.5-inch howitzer - nearly obsolete at start of WWII
- BL 60-pounder gun - 5-inch heavy field gun
- BL 4.5-inch Medium Field Gun - replaced 60-pdr in service
- BL 6 inch Mk XII naval gun
- BL 6-inch Gun Mk XIX
- BL 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer
- BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun
- BL 7.2-inch howitzer - heavy field howitzers
Imported
- M116 howitzer (M1 pack howitzer)
- 75 mm Gun M2/M3/M6
- 155 mm Long Tom
- 240 mm howitzer M1
Fortress and siege guns
- QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun - for coastal defense
- QF 6 pounder 10 cwt gun - for navy and coastal defense
- BL 5.5 inch Mark I naval gun - for navy and coastal defense
- BL 6-inch Mk VII naval gun - for coastal defense
- BL 7.5 inch Mk VI naval gun - for coastal defense
- BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk 6 - 8
- BL 8 inch Mk VIII naval gun - for coastal defense
- BL 9.2-inch howitzer
- BL 9.2 inch gun Mk IX–X - purpose-built for coastal defense
- BL 13.5-inch Mk V naval gun - mounted as railway gun
- BL 14 inch Mk VII naval gun - 2 re-built for coastal defense
- BL 15 inch Mk I naval gun - 8 re-built for coastal defense
- BL 16 inch Mk I naval gun - 4 guns produced during WWII but never used
- BL 18 inch Mk I naval gun - 1 gun was lined-down to 16 inches and used for weapons tests during WWII
- BL 18 inch railway howitzer - never used in action
Anti-tank guns
- 25 mm Hotchkiss anti-tank gun - used in France until defeat in 1940
- Smith Gun - Home Guard use only
- Vickers-Armstrong dual barrel 44/60mm, M1936
- Ordnance QF 2 pounder
- Ordnance QF 6 pounder
- Ordnance QF 17 pounder
- Ordnance QF 32-pounder - prototype only
Anti-tank weapons (besides ant-tank guns)
- Boys anti-tank rifle Infantry anti-tank weapon (prewar - 1943).
- Blacker Bombard - spigot mortar
- Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank (PIAT) - Infantry anti-tank weapon (1943 until end of war)
Anti-aircraft weapons
Light anti-aircraft guns
- Holman Projector
- Gun, Machine, Vickers, .5-inch, Mk. III in quadruple mounts - obsolete by WWII
- 20 mm Oerlikon
- 20 mm Polsten
- Hispano-Suiza HS.404 - imported
- Vickers 25.4x189mm AA gun - only for export, twin mounts
- 40 mm Bofors
- QF 2-pounder naval gun (pom-pom)
- Ordnance QF 3-pounder Vickers dual-purpose gun - obsolete at start of WWII
Heavy anti-aircraft guns
- Unrotated Projectile (2-inch rocket artillery)
- QF 13-pounder 6 cwt AA gun (few guns may have survived in colonies until WWII)
- QF 12-pounder 12 cwt AA gun (used as naval dual-purpose gun on small ships during WWII)
- 75mm Vickers antiaircraft gun model 1936/39 - export only
- QF 3 inch 20 cwt
- Vickers Model 1931 - export only
- QF 3.7 inch AA gun
- QF 4 inch Mk XIX naval gun - dual-purpose naval gun for small warships
- QF 4.5-inch Mark 1 to Mark V
- QF 5.25 inch gun Mk 2 - naval, anti-aircraft and coastal defense roles
Vehicles
Tankettes
- Carden Loyd tankette (Mk 1 -Mk 6)
- Light Tank Mk I to Mk V
- Light Tank Mk VI
Tanks
- Vickers L1E3 - light amphibious tank trialled but not used
- Vickers 6-Ton (Vickers Mark E), Type A and Type B
- Light Tank Mk.VII Tetrarch
- Light Tank Mk VIII (Harry Hopkins tank)
- Vickers Medium Mark II - Used in small scale in the early battles in North Africa, from then; dug into ground with turret protruding for defence, in North Africa, & Great Britain.
- Medium Mark III - only 3 built
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.I (A9)
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.II (A10)
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.III (A13)
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.IV (A13 Mk.II)
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.V, Covenanter (A13 Mk.III)
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VI, Crusader (A15)
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VII, Cavalier (A24) - gun tank used for training only, OP and ARV tank used.
- Tank, Cruiser Mk.VIII, Centaur (A27L)
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VIII, Cromwell (A27M)
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VIII, Challenger (A30)
- Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34)
- Tank, Cruiser, Centurion I (A41) - Entered service too late to see combat service.
- Tank, Infantry, Mk.I, Matilda I (A11)
- Tank, Infantry, Mk.II, Matilda II (A12)
- Tank, Infantry, Mk.III Valentine
- Tank, Infantry, Mk.IV, Churchill (A22)
- Tank, Infantry, Valiant (A38) - prototype only.
- Infantry Tank Black Prince (A43) - prototype only.
- "Tank, Heavy Assault, A33 (Excelsior)" - prototype only
- Tortoise heavy assault tank - prototype only
- Tank, Heavy TOG 1 - prototype only
- Tank, Heavy TOG 2 - prototype only
Imported tanks
- M3 Lee (Lee/Grant) - Medium Tank M3, provided by Lend-Lease from America.
- M3 Stuart
- M4 Sherman - Medium Tank M4, provided by Lend-Lease from America.
- Sherman Firefly - Sherman tank, rearmed with a British 17pdr gun.
- M22 Locust
- M24 Chaffee
Exported tanks
- Vickers A4E11 (also Vickers A4E12 and T-37 tank) - exported to China, Dutch and USSR
Self-propelled guns
Tank-based
- Self Propelled 17pdr, Valentine, Mk.I, Archer
- Carrier, Valentine, 25pdr gun, Mk.I, Bishop
- 3in SP. Wolverine - Gun Motor Carriage M10, provided under Lend-Lease from America.
- 17pdr SP. Achilles - rearmed with 17 pdr gun
- 25pdr SP, tracked, Sexton
- SP 17pdr, A30 (Avenger) - Order not fulfilled until post-war.
- 105 mm SP, Priest - 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7, provided under Lend-Lease from America.
- Alecto (SPG) - 2 prototypes
Other
- AEC Mk I Gun Carrier "Deacon"
- M3(T12) 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage - Provided under Lend-Lease from America. In British service designated "75 mm SP, Autocar".
- T48 57 mm Gun Motor Carriage - 680 provided by Lend-Lease from America. Many had gun removed to convert them back to Armoured Personnel Carriers.
- Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M14 - Provided by Lend-Lease from America. Many had guns removed to convert them back to Armoured Personnel Carriers.
Armoured cars
- AEC Armoured Car
- Alvis-Straussler AC3, 12 "Alvis-Straussler Type A" produced for Aden garrison, "AC3D" exported to Dutch and Portugal
- Armadillo armoured fighting vehicle, extemporized armoured vehicle based on a truck chassis
- Bison concrete armoured lorry, a series of extemporized armoured vehicles based on truck chassis
- Bedford OXA, armoured car based on a truck chassis
- Coventry armoured car
- Daimler Armoured Car
- Daimler Dingo, similar "Lynx scout car" produced in Canada
- Humber Scout Car
- Humber Light Reconnaissance Car
- Guy Armoured Car/Humber Armoured Car (most widely used WWII armoured car of Great Britain)
- Lanchester 6x4 Armoured Car
- Morris Light Reconnaissance Car
- Morris CS9
- Peerless Armoured Car - First World War era armoured car
- Rolls-Royce Armoured Car
- Standard Beaverette
- Leyland type C Armored Tender
Export only
- Alvis-Straussler AC2 (produced in Hungary as 39M Csaba)
- Vickers-Morris M1931 (6 made for export to Siam)
- Crossley IGA1 (450 in Indian service since 1930s)
Import only
- Half-track Car M2 - Provided under Lend-Lease by US.
- Half-track Car M3 - Provided under Lend-Lease by US.
- M3 Scout Car (White scout car) - provided under Lend-Lease by US.
- Otter Light Reconnaissance Car - ""Car, Light Reconnaissance, Canadian GM Mark I", based on layout of Humber Light Reconnaissance Car
Armoured carriers
- "Kangaroo" armoured personnel carriers
- Universal Carrier, also earlier specialized version "Bren Carrier" and "Scout Carrier"
- Praying Mantis (prototype only) - elevating machine gun carrier
- Loyd Carrier - utility carrier
- Half-track Personnel Carrier M3 - Provided under Lend-Lease by US.
- Half-track Personnel Carrier M5 - Provided under Lend-Lease by US.
- 4-ton amphibian, Terrapin - amphibious load and personnel carrier
- Landing Vehicle Tracked (Buffalo) - imported from USA
- DUKW - imported from USA
Engineering and command
- Guy Lizard - armoured command vehicle
- AEC Armoured Command Vehicle
- Cultivator No. 6 - trench cutter, not used
- Hobart's Funnies - collective name applied to specialist vehicles of the 79th Armoured Division
Trucks
- AEC Matador
- Austin K5
- Bedford OY
- Bedford QL trucks series
- Bedford QLD - most common in QL series, "General Service" (cargo version)
- Canadian Military Pattern truck - various trucks built by Canadian companies to common specifications
- Crossley FWD (mostly used by RAF)
Passenger cars
- Humber Super Snipe - militarised as "Car, 4-seater, 4x2"
- Willys MB - Lend Lease "jeeps"
- "Tilly" - nickname applied collectively to military versions of cars
- Ford Fordor - Canadian Ford production, used as "Car, Heavy Utility 4×2 Ford C11" ·
Motorcycles
Tractors & prime movers
- Albion CX22S heavy artillery tractor
- Diamond T tank transporter
- Scammell Pioneer
- Scammell Pioneer Semi-trailer
- Morris C8
- Morris CDSW
Miscellaneous vehicles
- Austin K2/Y, ambulance
Aircraft
Main article: List of aircraft of the United Kingdom in World War II
Radar
Ground
- Chain Home, early warning radar
Aircraft
- Monica (radar), tail warning radar fitted to bombers
- H2S (radar), ground scanning radar fitted to bombers
Naval
Main article: List of World War II British naval radar
Missiles & bombs
Aerial bombs
- "Bouncing bombs"
- Upkeep
- Highball
- Gas bombs
- Smoke bombs
- Tallboy bomb
- Grand Slam bomb
- Blockbuster bombs
- 4,000 lb HC (High Capacity)
- 8,000 lb HC
- 12,000 lb HC
See also
- List of equipment used in World War II
- List of common World War II infantry weapons
- List of secondary and special issue World War II infantry weapons
References
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, January 22, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.