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List of World War II weapons of the United Kingdom

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Small arms

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Rifles

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  • 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

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  • 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.
  • Owen gun - Fully automatic submachine gun designed in Australia in 1938 and entered service in 1942. Used by British and commonwealth forces throughout the war.

Machine guns

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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

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  • Welrod – a suppressed bolt-action pistol

Grenades

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Landmines

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Other

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Soldier with No 2 mk II "lifebuoy"

Infantry anti-tank weapons

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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

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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

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Guns and howitzers

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Coast defence guns
Railway guns

Anti-aircraft artillery

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

Mortars

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3 inch mortar with crew.

Vehicles

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Main articles: British Commonwealth armoured fighting vehicles of World War II and British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II
See also: List of World War II military vehicles by country § United Kingdom

Light tanks

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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

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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

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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

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

Other tanks

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Self-propelled guns

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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

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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

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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

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Aerial bombs

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

See also

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References

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  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.
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