List of World War II weapons of the United Kingdom

Summary

Small arms edit

Rifles edit

 

  • 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.[3]

 

Submachine guns edit

 

 

  • 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 edit

 
The Bren was the main British light machine gun(LMG) of the war
  • 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 edit

 

 

 

 

 

  • Welrod - A suppressed bolt action pistol

 

 

 

Grenades edit

Landmines edit

Other edit

 
Soldier with No 2 mk II "lifebuoy"

Infantry anti-tank weapons edit

 
Boys anti-tank rifle which was the main infantry anti-tank weapon of the British Army in the early war
 
PIAT (Projector, Infantry, Anti-tank) along with ammunition
 

Artillery edit

 
QF 2-pounder anti-tank gun was in use at start of war
 
The QF 6-pounder replaced the 2-pdr
 
BL 5.5 inch medium gun was introduced mid war for medium gun batteries

Anti-tank guns edit

Guns and howitzers edit

Coast defence guns
Railway guns

Anti-aircraft artillery edit

 
40mm Bofors guns in Greece 1940
 
QF 3.7 inch Heavy anti-aircraft gun set up for firing

Mortars edit

 
3 inch mortar with crew.

Vehicles edit

Light tanks edit

 
Light tank VI, main British early war light tank
  • 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'[citation needed].
  • 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 edit

 
The M4 Sherman was most widely used allied tank of the war. Obtained from the US through lend-lease
  • 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 edit

 
The Cruiser Mark VI Crusader was the main British mid war cruiser tank. In late 1942 they were supplanted by American tanks such as the M3 Lee and M4 Sherman.

Infantry tanks edit

 
Churchill infantry tank was one of the heaviest (most armoured) allied tanks of world war II

Other tanks edit

Self-propelled guns edit

 
Archer was a powerful 17-pounder anti-tank gun on Valentine chassis
 
Bishop was a 25-pounder gun mounted on a Valentine chassis

Other armoured fighting vehicles edit

 
Universal carrier which was British personnel carrier that served from 1940 through all of the war
 
M3 Half track used as personnel carrier and provided to British forces through lend-lease

Utility vehicles edit

 
Austin K2/Y military ambulance
 
Bedford OYD general service transport for troops and cargo
 
Morris C8 Quad field artillery tractor with 25pdr gun and limber

Motorcycles edit

Aerial bombs edit

 
British aerial bombs: 2000lb, 4000lb and 12000lb blockbusters, 1000lb and 500lb GP bombs

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "De Lisle Carbine". www.militaryfactory.com. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  2. ^ "Enfield P14 and M1917 Rifles". www.historyofwar.org. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  3. ^ a b c "Lee-Enfield (Series)". www.militaryfactory.com. Retrieved 2021-12-28.