List of World War II weapons of the United Kingdom explained
Small arms
Rifles
- De Lisle carbine – "silenced" design firing subsonic pistol ammunition. Specialist issue, 129 made.[1]
- Rifle, No.4 Mk.1 and No.4 Mk.I (T) – Lee Enfield rifle that replaced the No.I Mk.III* in larger numbers mid-war.
Submachine guns
- Sten – simple design, low-cost British submachine gun in service from late 1941 to the end of the war. Around four million produced.
- BSA Welgun – The Welgun was a prototype submachine gun developed by the British irregular warfare organisation, the Special Operations Executive. Although it performed well in tests, it was never adopted, and was produced in small numbers only.
Machine guns
- Bren light machine gun – Light machine gun for infantry use introduced in 1930s and used throughout the whole of the war.
- 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. 50|400x400px – used as a mounted armament on fighting vehicles, as well as an anti-aircraft weapon by the Royal Navy and other allied ships.
- Browning M2 – heavy machine gun, mounted on many lend-lease vehicles.
- Besa machine gun – in 7.92mm BESA and 15mm 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
- Welrod – a suppressed bolt-action pistol
Grenades
Landmines
Other
Infantry anti-tank weapons
Artillery
Anti-tank guns
Guns and howitzers
- Coast defence guns
- Railway guns
Anti-aircraft artillery
Mortars
Vehicles
See main article: British Commonwealth armoured fighting vehicles of World War II and British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II.
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. 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, named Sherman by the British
- 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 as a gun tank in war. Used for training and 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) – Derived from Cromwell, enlarged chassis to carry a 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
Self-propelled guns
- 25-pdr SP, tracked, Sexton
- Self Propelled 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer
- 3inch Self Propelled M10 – Gun Motor Carriage M10, provided under lend-lease from America.
- AEC Mk I Gun Carrier "Deacon" – 6pdr on armoured wheeled chassis
- Carrier, Valentine, 25-pdr gun, Mk.I, Bishop – interim design for 25 pdr on tank chassis
- SP 17-pdr, A30 (Avenger) – variant of Cruiser Challenger tank, not delivered to army until post-war.
- 105 mm SP, Priest – 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7, provided under lend-lease from America.
- M3 Gun Motor Carriage – provided under lend-lease from America. In British service designated "75 mm SP, Autocar".
- T48 Gun Motor Carriage – 680 provided by lend-lease from America. Many had gun removed to convert them back to armoured personnel carriers.
- M14 and M13 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage – provided by lend-lease from America. Many had guns removed to convert them back to armoured personnel carriers.
Other armoured fighting vehicles
Utility vehicles
Motorcycles
Aerial bombs
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: De Lisle Carbine. 2021-12-28. www.militaryfactory.com. en-US.
- Web site: Enfield P14 and M1917 Rifles. 2021-12-28. www.historyofwar.org.
- Web site: Lee-Enfield (Series). 2021-12-28. www.militaryfactory.com. en-US.
