WesWorld

A look see at what is cooking in Britain's armouries...

Light Tank Mk VI (A14): Designed by Vickers as a private venture in 1936 this is a wholly new design. New independent spring suspension uses large road wheels and flexible track steering. Production will be undertaken by Metropolitan-Cammell. The 165hp Meadows petrol engine provides a top speed of 40mph on roads and 20mph cross-country. Range is 140 miles. The armour is 14-4mm thick and the armament is one 2pdr QF Mk IX and one co-axial Vickers K MG. Only two crewmen are carried.
[Really the Tetrarch a few years early]

Cruiser Tank Mk III (A13): Lt. Colonel G. Le Q. Martel, recently appointed Assistant Director of Mechanisation, on witnessing trials of the Christie type suspension in the USA suggested a much faster tank could be built using the A10 chassis with the Christie suspension. A trial vehicle designated A13E1 was built in mid 1936 by Morris Motors for trials. The "trackless running" feature was removed as an unnecessary complication and the second trials vehicle the A13E2 featured the turret of the A9 and a 300hp Nuffield V-12 engine. Speeds over 30mph were obtained and this formed the basis of the proper A13 tank Designed by Morris and Nuffield the A13 is powered by a 300hp Nuffield V-12 offering a top speed of 30mph on roads and 24mph cross-country. Range is 90 miles. Armour is 25-6mm and the armament is one 2pdr QF Mk IX and one co-axial 0.303in Vickers MG. The crew comprises four men including a radio-operator. 65 initial vehicles will be built by Morris Motors, Crawley, Oxfordshire, and the following 200 tanks will be built by Nuffield Aero & Mechanisation, Cowley, Oxfordshire in a new purpose-built factory in a joint programme with Morris.

Infantry Tank Mk II (A12): Vickers is currently working on a new Infantry Tank armed with a 3.7in howitzer and a top speed of 16mph. Prototypes are to begin testing in late 1936. Armament is a single 3.7in QF Mk II with a co-axial .661in HMG and the armour is 76-10mm thick. Two 87hp AEC diesel engines power the tank to 16mph over 160 miles. 140 will be completed by late 1937 by Vickers.
[The Matilda II but with revised armament]

Guy Wheeled Tank: A private venture begun in late 1936 by Guy Motors based on their Guy Quad-Ant four-wheeled drive artillery tractors but with an all-welded mild steel body and a turret with a single .661in Vickers HMG and a co-axial .303in Vickers MG. Top speed is 55mph and range is 210 miles. Production versions will have armour 15-4mm thick.

Daimler Scout Car Mk I: In response to a 1936 requirement issued by the Mechanisation Board for a light turret less scout car three companies offered prototypes which were tested during 1936. Alvis offered its small 'Dingo' which weighed 2 tons and was armed with a single Vickers 'K' LMG, BSA offered a smaller and cheaper design and Daimler DSA Ltd offered a very similar design. All were rear-engined and were roofless. Daimler was offered a production contract on the basis of very successful trials. This two man car weighs 2.8tons and is powered by a 55hp Daimler petrol engine, has a top speed of 55-60mph and a range of 260 miles. Armament is a single Vickers 'K' machine gun and four-wheel drive is fitted and production models will feature a folding roof.

Carrier Machine Gun No.1 Mk I: About to enter service this light 3.15ton tracked vehicle has a crew of three and is armed with a dismountable .303in Vickers. It has 10mm thick armour. The same chassis forms the basis of the Carrier Mortar No.1 Mk I with a 3in mortar and sixteen rounds of ammunition and the six-seat Infantry Carrier No.1 Mk I armed with two Lewis LMGs. All three will enter service in 1936. The observation OP Carrier No.1 Mk I with radio equipment, cable drums and a steel roof will enter service in 1937.
[The Bren Gun Carrier by another name]

Ordnance QF 25pdr Mk I, is under development from mid 1935 for service from 1937 to replace the 18pdr and to have a secondary anti-tank role.

Ordnance QF 4.5in Gun Mk I, under development to fire a 55lb shell over 21,000 yards. To enter service in 1936. Weight in action is 12,880lbs, 55lb shell weight of which 3.875lbs is HE filling. Maximum range is 21,500 yards and the carriage has 60 degrees of traverse and 30 degrees of elevation.

BL 7.2in Howitzer No.1 Mk I, entering development to enter service in 1937.

Ordnance QF 3.7in Mk III, is under development by Vickers partly as a private venture, firing trials to begin in 1936. It is based on a similar Naval AA gun. Weight in action is 9.2 tons mobile and 17.1 tons static, effective ceiling is 32-45,000 feet and ground range is 20,600-25,600 yards. Rate of fire is 25 rpm on the mobile mount and 19 rpm on the static mount. Elevation is 85 degrees on the mobile and 90 degrees on the static mounts.

The Matlida II with a 3.7" gun will most likely need a larger turret than the historical one. There were a few 3.7" CS Matilda IIs in RL but they were even more horribly cramped. I'd suggest the turret off a CS Churchill would work quite well in a drawing, but with no counterweight.

Any particular reason for the 4.5" over the 5.5"? Also, the historical 7.2" howitzers were modified from WWI 8" guns. Spike Milligan's autobiography covers the time he spent in Africa with the heavy artillery, and its hugely funny.

Shouldn't the rates of fire for the 3.7" gun be the other way around? With the static mounting being 25rpm (and then only with autoloader)

Wasn't the 5.5" a gun-howitzer, though, having lower range (though a larger shell) than the 4.5" gun?

A Matilda with a bigger turret would look quite nice I think.

The 7.2in howitzer is a new weapon with a longer barrel and purpose-made carriage (no need for the ramps and scary jumping howitzers in WW).

The 4.5in gun is a serviceable weapon, besides 5.5in seems wrong to me, either go the full hog to 6in or stick with 4.5ins.

Here are a few other bits and pieces;

.303in Rifle No.3 Mk I; this rifle is 3ft 8.4in long, weighs 9.13lbs, muzzle velocity is 2,465 ft/sec and has a ten round magazine. A new 9in long bayonet can be fitted. Entering service 1937.

9mm Machine Gun Lanchester No.1 Mk I; George Lanchester who worked for the Sterling Armament Company at Dagenham, Essex, in 1935 began developing a copy of the German MP28 for the export market. An example was brought by the company in 1934 and George Lanchester began a series of refinements. The wooden butt was finely machined and based on the new Rifle No.3 design, the blow-back system was machined from the finest steel and the magazine housing was solid brass. A bayonet mounting was added (for the usual SMLE bayonet), the rifling was altered to suit British 9mm rounds, and a single or automatic firing selector was added. A 50-round box magazine was used. A rumoured export order for 500 for Argentina never materialised but the Royal Marines were looking for a more compact weapon than the SMLE rifle with more firepower. The chunky and sturdy Lanchester fitted the bill and 5,000 were ordered in 1936. This gun is 33.5in long, weighs 9.57lbs, rate of fire (cyclic) is 600 rpm and muzzle velocity is 1,245 ft/sec.

Boys Anti-Tank Rifle No.1 Mk I, entering development in late 1936 this .55in calibre rifle is designed to penetrate 21mm of armour at 300 yards. It is fed by a five-round clip and will become the standard platoon anti-tank weapon.

The Belgians will be interested in the Boys.
Ok, that line looks weird. The Boys anti-tank rifle.

Awkward!

The Boys AT Rifle: not meant for boys. Just REAL MEN. (Seriously, that sucker's heavy!)

Hell its a 55 cal weapon, its not surprising that its a real beast to lug around.

I saw a photo of some Canadian air gunner trainees brandishing Vickers 'K' guns from the hip and I thought, why not create an infantry support version like the BAR...

3.03in Vickers Light Machine Gun No.3 Mk I, based on the Vickers-Berthier Light Machine Gun No.2 Mk I this is another squad-level support weapon. By 1935 foreign armies had begun to develop semi-automatic rifles and the War Office felt the need to look into a British version of the BAR concept. The Light Machine Gun No.3 Mk I has a lighter stock, new grip, new shoulder sling, shorter barrel, the bipod and carrying handle were removed, simpler sights fitted and the breach-block has been altered to load vertically from below and is used with new 20 round boxes. It weighs 20.5lbs, is 40ins long, muzzle velocity is 2,450ft per sec and rate of fire, cyclic, is 450-600rpm. Both single shot and automatic fire can be selected. This weapon will replace one rifle in every infantry squad and mortar and anti-tank crew complement from 1937.

*Warning- shameless shilling ahead*
The FN-Browning M1930 is already available, and sounds very close to the same end result. All those British development pesos could be spent buying actual weapons and enriching Belgians, err I mean um defending the Empire...


Fusil-mitrailleur 1930
Oft called the Belgian BAR, this light machine gun is the standard in front line units. Developed by John Browning while working for Fabrique Nationale, it is capable of being fired from a standing position, there is a tripod available for it. The tripod features telescoping legs which allows a gunner to switch to AA mode if needed, but this feature is not generally used.


Caliber : 7.65 x 53 Mauser
action : automatic
Length : 1.06m
Weight : 9.65
magazine : 20 round clip
MV : 850m/s
ROF : 350 rpm long term, 600rpm max

No! Being British means sticking to the 'B' principle (the 'B' from 'British'), meaning that they should Build their on equipment which will no doubt be Better than those of a bunch of weirdoes on the European mainland.

*quickly runs away from angry Belgian mob*

No actually, I would think the Belgians would know that, but the fumes from the cheese lead to delusions...

It's just a historical weapon that seems to be exactly what they are trying to develop 5 years later

I'm curious why the Brits would ponder going with the 'K' gun, rather than the historical Bren or Vickers-Berthier. Also not too sure how well a bottom-mounted magazine would work out with the fairly-long, curved magazine the rimmed and tapered .303 British round requires. Using only 20 rounds would help, though, vs the 30 round magazine used in either the Bren or the V-B.

See! Buy Belgian, we have a top mounted magazine!!!

Quoted

Originally posted by Kaiser Kirk
See! Buy Belgian, we have a top mounted magazine!!!

???? Uhm, no, the FN-Browning, like the BAR, has a bottom-mounted magazine. The Bren and the Vickers-Berthier, on the other hand, have top-mounted magazines.

If you fire the gun upside down its on the top!

Quoted

Originally posted by Hrolf Hakonson

Quoted

Originally posted by Kaiser Kirk
See! Buy Belgian, we have a top mounted magazine!!!

???? Uhm, no, the FN-Browning, like the BAR, has a bottom-mounted magazine. The Bren and the Vickers-Berthier, on the other hand, have top-mounted magazines.

?
Hmm looks like I have to do more digging. The picture I have been using, ostensibly of the FN-Browning, clearly has a top mounted magazine. Poking back to at least one site, they have the bottom mounted. Now I have to find out which is right. Argh. Next week.

Quoted

I'm curious why the Brits would ponder going with the 'K' gun, rather than the historical Bren or Vickers-Berthier.

Yes, they should stick to the 'B' principle so either the Bren or Vickers-Berthier.

Quoted

Hmm looks like I have to do more digging. The picture I have been using, ostensibly of the FN-Browning, clearly has a top mounted magazine.

Like Wes said: "If you fire the gun upside down its on the top!"... which would be something Belgians would do.

*quickly runs away from angry Belgian mob*

Ahh figured it out- I think I wound up with a pic of the French BAR the fusil-mitrailleur modèle 1924 M29 some site used as the Belgian BAR. Now I have to go find a good pic of the Belgian BAR and swap it out...

Oh, and a Wiki image search for Belgian BAR... produces mainly Bars. So I think Roo doesn't have to worry, they will be too drunk on Belgian Ales to give chase.

Oh, and Roo....
how about the 'B' principle as in 'B' for Belgian ?
OR
FN-Browning
OR
BAR?
Put it together and you get Belgian FN-Browning BAR !! Unbelievable !

That's the Belgian 'B' principle, not the British 'B' principle.