List of British military equipment of World War II
The following is a list of British military equipment of World War II which includes artillery, vehicles and vessels.
Knives and bayonets
- Pattern 1907 bayonet
- Push dagger
- BC-41
- Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife
- Smatchet
- Bayonet
- Kukri
Small arms
Rifles
- De Lisle Carbine - Specialist issue,129 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.
- 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.
- 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* for service in the jungle.
SMG
- Lanchester submachine gun - British submachine gun, developed from the German MP28, used by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.
- Sten - simple design, low-cost British submachine gun in service from late 1941 to the end of the war.
- Thompson - American submachine gun used in large numbers until the Sten gun was introduced.
- Sterling/Patchett Machine Carbine Mark 1- British submachine gun first produced in 1944 but only trialled and used in small numbers during the war.
Machine guns
- Bren light machine gun - Light machine gun for infantry use introduced in 1930s and used throughout the whole of the war.
- Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) - Issued to 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.
- Vickers "K" machine gun also known as VGO - Fast firing aircraft machine gun, 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 machine gun - Standard medium machine gun of the British Army since 1912.
- Vickers. 50 - Used as a mounted armament on fighting vehicles, as well as an anti-aircraft weapon by the Royal Navy and other allied ships.
- Browning M1919 - Used by multiple countries during the war.
- Browning M2 - heavy machine gun, mounted on many lend-lease vehicles.
- Besa machine gun - in 7.92 mm BESA and 15 mm BESA forms used as armament on British-built tanks and armoured cars only.
- Vickers-Berthier - Light machine gun adopted by British Indian Army before the war, and used until replaced by Bren guns around 1942.
- Besal - Designed as a lighter, simpler, and cheaper to manufacture alternative to the Bren gun, never went into mass production.
Handguns
- Enfield No.2 Mk.1 Revolver
- Webley Revolver - many marks in .38 and .455 calibres
- 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 - suppressed pistol
- Smith & Wesson Model 10
- Colt New Service
- Colt Official Police.
Grenades
- 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, Hand, No.74 ST "Sticky Bomb"
- No.75 Anti-Tank Hand Grenade "Hawkins Grenade"/"Hawkins Mine"
- No.77 White Phosphorus Hand Grenade
- Grenade, Hand, No. 82 "Gammon Bomb".
Other
- No.II Mk.II Flamethrower "Lifebuoy"
- Lewes bomb - Used by the SAS
- Land Mattress - Multiple rocket launcher
- Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife
- Pattern 1907 bayonet
- Smatchet
- Kukri
Infantry anti-tank weapons
- Blacker Bombard - spigot mortar firing round. Issued for home defence only
- Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys "Boys Anti-Tank Rifle" - Infantry anti-tank weapon (prewar - 1943).
- Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank (PIAT) - Infantry anti-tank weapon (1943 until end of war).
Artillery
Anti-tank guns
- Ordnance QF 2-pounder - 40 mm weapon used at start of the war
- Ordnance QF 6-pounder - 57 mm weapon that replaced 2-pounder in artillery units
- Ordnance QF 17-pounder - 76 mm weapon introduced later in war for artillery units
Guns and howitzers
- Ordnance QF 25-pounder Gun-howitzer
- BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun
- BL 4.5-inch Medium Field Gun
- BL 7.2-inch Howitzer Mk.I
- BL 8-inch Howitzer - siege gun
- BL 60-pounder gun - 5 inch gun from First World War era, replaced by 4.5 inch gun during war
- 75 mm Pack Howitzer M1 and M8 - US supplied portable howitzer for use in mountainous areas
- QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer
- Smith Gun - smoothbore weapon for Home Guard use only
Anti-aircraft artillery
- 20 mm Oerlikon
- 20 mm Polsten - lower cost development of Oerlikon
- 40 mm Bofors
- QF 3 inch 20 cwt
- QF 3.7 inch AA gun
- QF 4.5-inch Mark 1 to Mark V
Mortars
- 2 Inch Mortar
- 3 Inch Mortar
- Ordnance ML 4.2 inch Mortar
- Blacker Bombard
- Northover projector - Home Guard use.
Vehicles
see also List of World War II military vehicles by country, United Kingdom
Light tanks
- Light Tank Mk VI - The main British light tank during the opening years of the war
- Light Tank Mk VII Tetrarch - British produced light tank, most of which did not see service. A small number were supplied via lend-lease to the Soviet Union, and a small number were delivered by glider into Normandy to support British airborne forces.
- M3 and M5 Light Tanks - US supplied tank, called the 'Stuart' in British service named after General J. E. B. Stuart. Despite the 'official' name of Stuart applied, most British primary sources refer to the tank as the 'Honey'.
- Light Tank (Airborne), M22 -US supplied light tank called the 'Locust', was used in small numbers in 1945.
- Light Tank, M24 - US supplied tank, called the 'Chaffee' in British service, named after General Adna R. Chaffee Jr.
Medium tanks
- Tank, Medium, Mk.II - Dug into ground with turret protruding for defence, in North Africa, & Great Britain.
- Medium Tank M3 - An American tank provided following purchase and later lend-lease. Standard production models were called the 'Lee', after Robert E. Lee. Tanks produced with a modified turret to British specification were called the 'Grant', after Ulysses S. Grant.
- Medium Tank M4 - An American tank provided under Lend-Lease, labeled the Sherman by the British after General William Tecumseh Sherman.
- Sherman Firefly - A Sherman rearmed with a British 17-pounder anti-tank gun, in addition to accompanying turret modifications.
Cruiser tanks
- 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) - training use only
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VI, Crusader (A15) - Entered service in 1941, replacing earlier models in combat formations
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VII, Cavalier (A24) - Not used in combat. Used as an observation post for artillery officers, and as an armoured recovery vehicle.
- Tank, Cruiser Mk.VIII, Centaur (A27L) - Initial models were only used for training use. Latter models, equipped with howitzers, were used for close support with only the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group.
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VIII, Cromwell (A27M) - First saw combat in 1944, and only used in North West Europe. The 7th Armoured Division was the only formation completely equipped with the Cromwell as its main tank. In the remaining British armoured divisions in France, it was used to only equip the armoured reconnaissance regiment.
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VIII, Challenger (A30) - Derivant of the Cromwell, enlarged chasis and turret equipped with a 17-pounder anti-tank gun.
- Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34) - Entered service in early 1945
- Tank, Cruiser, Centurion I (A41) - Entered service too late to see combat service.
Infantry tanks
- Tank, Infantry, Mk.I, Matilda I
- Tank, Infantry, Mk.II, Matilda II
- Tank, Infantry, Mk.III Valentine
- Tank, Infantry, Mk.IV, Churchill
- Tank, Infantry, Valiant - prototype only.
- Infantry Tank Black Prince - prototype only.
Other tanks
- "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
Self-propelled guns
- Self Propelled 17-pdr, Valentine, Mk.I, Archer
- 3in SP. M10 - Gun Motor Carriage M10, provided under Lend-Lease from America.
- 17pdr SP M10C - M10 rearmed with 17-pdr gun
- AEC Mk I Gun Carrier "Deacon"
- Carrier, Valentine, 25-pdr gun, Mk.I, Bishop
- 25-pdr SP, tracked, Sexton
- SP 17-pdr, A30 (Avenger) - Order not fulfilled until post-war.
- 105 mm SP, Priest - 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7, provided under Lend-Lease from America.
- 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.
Other armoured fighting vehicles
- Universal Carrier
- Loyd Carrier
- Half-track Car M2 - Provided under Lend-Lease by US.
- Half-track Car M3 - Provided under Lend-Lease by US.
- 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 personnel carrier
Utility vehicles
- AEC Matador - 4x4 truck and artillery tractor
- Albion CX22S - heavy 6x4 artillery tractor
- Austin K2/Y - military ambulance
- Austin K5 - heavy truck
- Bedford MW - general service truck
- Bedford OY - a series of trucks
- BSA M20 - motorcycle
- Canadian Military Pattern truck - Canadian-built truck
- Chevrolet C8A - Canadian-built truck
- Ford C11ADF - light truck
- Leyland Hippo Mk II - heavy 6x4 general service truck
- Leyland Retriever 6x4 truck
- Morris C8 - Morris Quad field artillery tractor
- Morris CDSW - 6x4 artillery tractor
- Queen Mary trailer - trailer for large but light loads, typically aircraft
- Royal Enfield WD/RE - lightweight motorcycle
- Scammell Pioneer - heavy 6x4 tractor unit
- Tilly (vehicle) - "Tilly", utility versions of civilian cars.
- Welbike - small motorcycle intended for parachute drop
- Willys MB - Willys Jeep
Navy ships and war vessels
- List of ships of the Second World War
Aircraft
Radar
Ground
- Chain Home, early warning radar
- GL Mk. I radar, gun laying radar for anti-aircraft batteries
- GL Mk. III radar, gun laying radar for anti-aircraft batteries
Aircraft
- Monica (radar), tail warning radar fitted to bombers
- H2S (radar), ground scanning radar fitted to bombers
- AI Mk. IV radar, airborne interception radar fitted to fighters
- AI Mk. VIII radar, airborne interception radar fitted to fighters
Naval
Missiles & bombs
Aerial bombs
- Fire balloons
- "Bouncing bombs"
- Upkeep
- Highball
- Gas bombs
- Smoke bombs
- Tallboy bomb
- Grand Slam bomb
- Blockbuster bombs
Cartridges and shells
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gollark: 2th warning...
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
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