List of World War II weapons of the United Kingdom facts for kids
During World War II, the United Kingdom used a wide range of military equipment. This included everything from small guns carried by soldiers to huge tanks and powerful artillery. Many of these weapons were made in Britain, but some important ones were also supplied by allies like the United States through programs like Lend-Lease. This article will explore some of the key weapons and vehicles that helped the British forces fight during the war.
Small Arms
Small arms are weapons that soldiers can carry, like rifles, pistols, and machine guns.
Rifles
Rifles were the main weapons for infantry soldiers. They were used for shooting at enemies from a distance.
- De Lisle Carbine
* This was a special "silenced" rifle that fired quiet pistol bullets. Only 129 were made for special missions.
- Enfield Pattern 14 (P14)
* This rifle was first used for expert marksmen. It was also given to many members of the British Home Guard, who protected Britain at home. It was also called "Rifle No. 3."
- M1917 Enfield
* This rifle used powerful 30-06 ammunition and was also given to the British Home Guard.
- Lee Enfield No.1 Mk.III*
* This was the standard rifle at the start of the war. It was later replaced by the newer No.4 Mk.I.
- Rifle, No.4 Mk.1 and No.4 Mk.I (T)
* This was the main Lee Enfield rifle used by British soldiers for most of the war.
* This was a shorter and lighter version of the Lee-Enfield. It was made in 1944 especially for fighting in jungles.
_-_AM.032027_noBG.jpg)
Submachine Guns
Submachine guns are automatic weapons that fire pistol ammunition. They were good for close-quarters combat.
* This British submachine gun was based on a German design. It was used by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.
* The Sten gun was a very simple and cheap British submachine gun. It was used from late 1941 until the end of the war, with about four million made.
* This American submachine gun was widely used by British forces until the Sten gun became common.
- Sterling/Patchett Machine Carbine Mark 1
* This British submachine gun was made in 1944 but only used in small numbers during the war.
* The Welgun was a special prototype submachine gun made for the Special Operations Executive, a secret British group. It worked well but was never mass-produced.
Machine Guns
Machine guns fire many bullets very quickly and are used for continuous firing.
* The Bren gun was a light machine gun used by infantry throughout the entire war.
- Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
* This American machine gun was given to the Home Guard.
* The Lewis Gun was used by some infantry at the start of the war and later by the British Home Guard.
- Vickers "K" machine gun (VGO)
* This fast-firing aircraft machine gun was also used on vehicles by special forces like the Long Range Desert Group and Special Air Service in North Africa.
* This was the standard medium machine gun for the British Army since 1912.
- Vickers .50
* This larger machine gun was mounted on fighting vehicles and used as an anti-aircraft weapon by the Royal Navy.
- Browning M1919
* This American machine gun was used by many countries during the war.
* A heavy machine gun, often mounted on vehicles supplied by the US.
* This machine gun was used only on British-built tanks and armoured cars.
- Vickers-Berthier
* A light machine gun used by the British Indian Army until it was replaced by Bren guns around 1942.
* This was designed to be a lighter and cheaper alternative to the Bren gun but was never mass-produced.
.jpg)
Handguns
Handguns are small, short-range weapons carried by officers or for self-defense.
- Enfield No.2 Mk.1 Revolver
- Webley Revolver
* Many different types of Webley revolvers were used.
- Browning FN-Inglis "Pistol No.II Mk.I*"
- Colt M1911A1
- Webley No.I Mk.I
* This automatic pistol was given to the Royal Navy.
* A special pistol with a built-in silencer.
- Smith & Wesson Model 10
- Colt New Service
- Colt Official Police.
Grenades
Grenades are small bombs that can be thrown by hand or launched from a rifle.
- Grenade, Hand or Rifle, No.36M Mk.I "Mills Bomb"
- "Grenade, Rifle No.68 /AT"
* A special high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rifle grenade designed to damage tanks.
- 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".
Infantry Anti-Tank Weapons
These weapons were designed to help infantry soldiers fight against enemy tanks.
* A type of mortar used only for home defense.
- Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys "Boys Anti-Tank Rifle"
* An anti-tank rifle used from before the war until 1943.
* A powerful anti-tank weapon used from 1943 until the end of the war.
Artillery
Artillery refers to large guns that fire shells over long distances.
Anti-Tank Guns
These guns were specifically designed to destroy enemy tanks.
- Ordnance QF 2-pounder
* A 40mm gun used at the start of the war.
- Ordnance QF 6-pounder
* A 57mm gun that replaced the 2-pounder in artillery units.
- Ordnance QF 17-pounder
* A powerful 76mm gun introduced later in the war.
Guns and Howitzers
These were used for general support, firing shells at enemy positions.
- Ordnance QF 25-pounder
* A very common and versatile gun-howitzer.
- BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun
- BL 4.5-inch Medium Field Gun
- 75 mm Pack Howitzer M1 and M8
* A portable howitzer supplied by the US, used in mountainous areas.
- QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer
- Smith Gun
* A simple weapon used only by the Home Guard.
- QF 18-pounder gun
* A World War I era gun, replaced by the 25-pounder.
- Coast Defence Guns
These large guns were placed along the coast to protect against enemy ships.
- QF 6-pounder 10 cwt
- QF 4.7-inch Mk I–IV
- BL 6-inch Mk VII & Mk XXIV
- BL 9.2-inch Mk X
Anti-Aircraft Artillery
These guns were used to shoot down enemy aircraft.
- Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
* A light anti-aircraft gun.
- 20 mm Polsten
* A cheaper version of the Oerlikon.
- 40 mm Bofors
* A very effective anti-aircraft gun.
- QF 3.7 inch AA gun
* A heavy anti-aircraft gun.
Mortars
Mortars are simple weapons that fire shells in a high arc, often used to hit targets behind cover.
- SBML 2-inch Mortar
- Ordnance ML 3 inch Mortar
- Ordnance ML 4.2 inch Mortar
- Northover projector
* Used by the Home Guard.
Vehicles
British forces used many different types of vehicles, from fast tanks to transport trucks.
Light Tanks
Light tanks were fast and agile, often used for scouting or supporting infantry.
- Light Tank Mk VI
* The main British light tank at the start of the war.
- Light Tank Mk VII Tetrarch
* Some were sent to the Soviet Union, and a few were even delivered by glider during the Normandy landings.
- M3 and M5 Light Tanks
* These American tanks were called the 'Stuart' or 'Honey' by the British.
- Light Tank, M24
* Another American tank, called the 'Chaffee' by the British.
Medium Tanks
Medium tanks balanced speed, armor, and firepower.
- Medium Tank M3
* An American tank. The standard version was called 'Lee', and a modified British version was called 'Grant'.
- Medium Tank M4
* The M4 Sherman was the most widely used Allied tank of the war. It was supplied by the US.
-
- Sherman Firefly
* This was a British modification of the Sherman, fitted with a powerful 17-pounder anti-tank gun.
Cruiser Tanks
Cruiser tanks were designed to be fast and attack enemy lines, similar to cavalry.
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VI, Crusader (A15)
* This was the main British cruiser tank in the middle of the war.
- Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VIII, Cromwell (A27M)
* This tank first saw combat in 1944 and was mainly used in North West Europe.
- Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34)
* Entered service in early 1945.
- Tank, Cruiser, Centurion I (A41)
* This tank was ready too late to see combat in World War II.
Infantry Tanks
Infantry tanks were heavily armored and slower, designed to support infantry attacks.
- Tank, Infantry, Mk.II, Matilda II
- Tank, Infantry, Mk.III Valentine
- Tank, Infantry, Mk.IV, Churchill
* The Churchill tank was one of the heaviest and most armored Allied tanks of the war.
Self-Propelled Guns
These vehicles had artillery guns mounted directly onto a tank or vehicle chassis, making them mobile artillery.
- 25-pdr SP, tracked, Sexton
- Self Propelled 17pdr, Valentine, Mk I, Archer
* The Archer was a powerful 17-pounder anti-tank gun mounted on a Valentine tank chassis.
- 3inch Self Propelled M10
* An American tank destroyer supplied to Britain.
-
- 17pdr Self propelled M10C
* This was an M10 rearmed with the British 17-pounder gun.
- Carrier, Valentine, 25-pdr gun, Mk.I, Bishop
* A 25-pounder gun mounted on a Valentine chassis.
Other Armoured Fighting Vehicles
These include vehicles used for transporting troops or other special roles.
- Universal Carrier
* A widely used British personnel carrier that served throughout the war.
- Half-track Personnel Carrier M3
* An American half-track used for transporting troops, supplied to British forces.
.jpg)
Utility Vehicles
These were non-combat vehicles used for transport, supplies, and other support roles.
* A military ambulance.
* A series of general service trucks for troops and cargo.
* Known as the "Quad," this was a field artillery tractor used to pull guns.
- Willys MB
* The famous Willys Jeep, a versatile utility vehicle.
.jpg)
Motorcycles
Motorcycles were used for scouting, messages, and quick transport.
* A very small motorcycle designed to be dropped by parachute.
Aerial Bombs
These were bombs dropped from aircraft.
* Special bombs like Upkeep and Highball designed to bounce across water to hit dams or ships.
- Tallboy bomb
- Grand Slam bomb
* These were very large and powerful "earthquake" bombs designed to cause huge damage.
- Blockbuster bombs
* Large bombs designed to destroy entire city blocks.
Other Equipment
- No.II Mk.II Flamethrower "Lifebuoy"
* A portable flamethrower used by soldiers.
* A famous fighting knife used by British commandos.
* A knife attached to the end of a rifle.
|
See also
- List of British military equipment of World War II
- World War II armoured fighting vehicles of the United Kingdom
- World War II military equipment of the United Kingdom topics
