Improving the UK OOB

[James Fennell]

The Centurion BARV entered service with the new Fearless class assault ships in 1963 and was still in service in 1985. The BARV is based on a rebuilt early model Mk 3 Centurion.

[James Fennell]

The British also use the Mexifloat for amphibious landings. These are large powered rafts carried on the sides of landing ships - they can ferry 130,000lbs of vehicles and stores between landing ships and the beaches. The Mexifloat entered service in 1966 and is used to this day. A Maxi-Mexifloat is also is also used capable of carrying 400,000lbs of vehicles and stores. They allow rapid unloading of assault ships and landing ships and were used extensively in the Falklands.

[James Fennell]

Another unusual vehicle pioneered by the Royal Marines was the hovercraft. The SRN5 hovercraft was used by the Royal Marines from 1965-75 principlally in Borneo and the Falklands. It could make 81 mph on water and carry 16 troops or 5,500lbs of stores. armament was a 12.7mm HMG on a ring mounting.

[James Fennell]

Thr BL 7.2" Howitzer Mk 6 was produced in 1944-5 but remained in service until replaced by the M110 8" Howitzer in 1964. A heavy artillery regiment would have six BL 7.2" Howitzers and six M1 155mm Long Tom guns.
Weight 10.22 long tons (10.38 t)
Length 24 ft 4 in (7.42 m)
Barrel length 14 ft 3 in (4.34 m) L/22.4
Width 9 ft (2.7 m)
Height 4 ft 3 in (1.30 m)
Crew 10
Shell HE
Shell weight 202 pounds (92 kg)
Calibre 7.2 inches (182.9 mm)
Breech Welin screw & asbury mech
Carriage Box trail
Elevation 0° to 45°
Traverse 4° left & right
Rate of fire 3 rpm under optimal conditions
Muzzle velocity 1,697 ft/s (517 m/s)
Maximum firing range 16,900 yd (15,500 m)

[James Fennell]

The WW2 vintage vickers universal carrier reamained in use from 1948-1958. In the early 1950s each infantry platoon had one assigned for the platoon commander and 2" mortar team. These are in Korea in 1952.

[James Fennell]

The much larger 7.5 ton Oxford carrier entered service in 1946 and was used as an APC, 17lb and L2 BAT 120mm RCRL gun artillery tractor and 4.2" mortar carrier in Korea. They remained in service until 1958. It was capable of 30 mph and could carry a section of 10 men. It was followed by the experimental Cambridge carrier which in turn led to the FV430 series of APCs.

[James Fennell]

The Churchill Mk VII was in service from 1948-52. One squadron served in the Korean war. Like much UN armour in Korea it was often used as artillery too.
Mark VII-VIII - 152 mm hull and turret front, 95 mm hull sides and turret sides and rear, 51 mm hull rear
Main armament QF 75mm (Mark VII) QF 95mm (Mark VIII)
Secondary armament: Two 7.92mm Besa machine guns
Engine Bedford 12-cylinder, 4 stroke, water-cooled, horizontally opposed, L-head petrol engine
350 hp (261 kW) at 2,200 rpm
Power/weight 9.1 hp (6.7 kW) / tonne
Transmission Merritt-Brown 4-speed constant-mesh epicyclic gearbox
Suspension Coiled spring
Operational range 56 miles (90 km)
Maximum speed 15 mph (24 km/h)
Steering system Triple differential steering in gearbox

[James Fennell]

The Churchill FV3902 'Toad' mine flail tank was possibly the most powerful mine flail ever built. Entering service in 1954 they remained in reserve until 1977. The Toad was built on a Churchill VII chassis with the Cromwell's RR Meteor engine to power the flail. Max speed was 12.7 mph. It could eat up minefields however.

[James Fennell]

Cromwell VII tanks were used as artillery observation posts in Korea. They served from 1948-51.

[James Fennell]

The Churchill AVLB bridgelayer was in service from 1948-72 and carried a 30' heavy bridge.

[James Fennell]

The Fairey Firefly was the Royal Navy's primary strike aircraft during the Korean War and was also used in Malaya. In service from 1948-55, some Dutch Navy Fireflys were used for close air support in New Guinea as late as 1960-2. The FB4 variant was the primary strike aircraft in Korea and Malaya and has a maximum speed of 386 mph, armed with 4 x 20mm cannon, 16 x RP-3 rockets and 2 x 1,000lb bombs or napalm canisters. Fireflys were also used by Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, Ethiopia and India.

[James Fennell]

From 1975-85 the Royal Navy operated a small number of larger VT2, BN7 and SRN6 Hovercraft. These could carry 60 troops or 6 landrovers, were fully amphibious and had a maximum speed over water of 60 knots.

[James Fennell]

The M116 75mm pack howitzer had been used by the parachute regiment's light artillery batteries during WW2 and continued in use until 1952 when it was replaced by 25 pounders, which were used in Suez in 1956. However the 25lb gun was too heavy to be lifted by early helicopters and In 1957 33 Parachute Field Regiment RA was re-equipped with 4.2" mortars for use in Cyprus and the old M116 75mm Howitzers for use in Radfan, Aden and redesignated 33 Light Regiment RA. 33 Light Regiment re-equipped with the L5 105mm pack howitzer in 1959, although it kept a battery of 4.2" mortars in use until 1975 when the whole regiment re-equipped with L118 105mm light guns.

The guns were towed by either jeeps or landrovers and were air portable by Whirlwind and Belvedere helicopters..

Shell weight 8.27 kg (18 lb 4 oz)
Caliber 75 mm (2.95 in)
Breech Horizontal-block
Recoil Hydro-pneumatic, constant
Carriage Box trail[1] or Split-trail depending on model
Elevation -5° to +45°[1]
Traverse 6°[1]
Rate of fire 6 rpm[1]
Muzzle velocity 381 m/s (1,250 ft/s)
Effective firing range 8,800m (5.5 mi)

[James Fennell]

The BL 4.2" mortar remained in service from 1948-75. After WW2 the mortars were handed over to the Royal Artillery. The 170th Mortar Battery used them at the Battle of Imjin River in Korea. One battery of 33 Parachute Light Regiment used them in the Middle East, based at Cyprus from 1957-75. They were deployed to Kuwait in 1961 in support of the parachute regiment. During the Confrontation in Borneo from 1964-7 a number of anti-aircraft batteries were re-equipped with 4.2" mortars to support ground forces on the border with Indonesia. 33 Light Regiment used the Austin Champ and later the Landrover as prime mover and a special 2 wheel trailer was developed for the weapon. The 4.2" mortar could be airlifted by medium helicopters.

Shell Weight 19 lb 13 oz (9 kg)[2]
Calibre 4.2-inch (106.7 mm)[3][4]
Elevation 45° - 80°
Traverse 10°
Rate of fire 20 for 1 minute
15 for 3 minutes
10 rpm sustained
Muzzle velocity 730 ft/s (223 m/s)[2]
Maximum firing range 4,100 yards (3,750 m)

[James Fennell]

Although the RAF and Royal Navy continued to operate the 1950s Sikorsky designed S-55 and S-58 helicopter models into the 1970s, the Westland produced variants were all much more powerful and better performers than the US produced counterparts, with improved powerplants and rotorheads and blades. The last Whirlwind model was the turbine powered HAR 10 designed for rescue work but hastily redeployed to four combat transport squadrons in Borneo in 1964-5. The HAR 10 had nearly twice the power of the original S-55, a maximum speed of 118 mph and could carry a 10 man infantry section or lift a 105mm pack howitzer. They operated from forward bases throughout the Borneo jungle and carried 7.62mm door guns. The Royal Navy operated the piston engined HAS 7 in the combat transport role in Suez, Aden and Borneo up to 1964. Turbine Whirlwinds were in use from 1963-76 in the combat transport and rescue role.

[James Fennell]

The Westland Wessex was the main combat transport helicopter during the '60s and '70s and was in service from 1960-85. The early single engined HAS 1 versions were soon superceeded by the twin engined HC2 and HU5 transport variants. The Wessex was tough and powerful, could carry 16 fully equipped troops and be armed with rocket packs, 7.62mm and 20mm fixed guns. 7.62mm door guns, and SS-11 ATGMs. This HC2 is an RAF machine operating covertly in support of the British Army and SAS in Oman during the Dhofar War in 1974. It has been painted in RAFO colours. The Wessex was used in combat in Aden, Borneo, Oman, Northern Ireland, Belize and the Falklands. Wessex squadrons were also deployed in Norway, Germany, Cyprus, Brunei and Hong Kong.

Crew: Two pilots (civilian type 60 Wessex cleared for single pilot operation)
Capacity: 16 troops or 8 stretchers
Length: 65 ft 10 in (20.07 m)
Height: 15 ft 10 in (4.83 m)
Empty weight: 8,340 lb (3,783 kg)
Gross weight: 13,500 lb (6,123 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × de Havilland Gnome H.1200 Mk.110/111 turboshaft, 1,350 shp (1,010 kW) each (limited to 1,550 shp (1,160 kW) total)
Main rotor diameter: 56 ft 0 in (17.07 m)
Main rotor area: 2,463 sq ft (228.8 m2)
Performance
Maximum speed: 132 mph (212 km/h, 115 kn)
Cruise speed: 122 mph (196 km/h, 106 kn)
Range: 310 mi (500 km, 270 nmi) with standard fuel
Service ceiling: 12,000 ft (3,700 m)
Rate of climb: 1,650 ft/min (8.4 m/s)

[James Fennell]

The Shorland was developed as a armoured patrol car for use by the police and Ulster Defence Regiment in Northern Ireland. It was widely exported too. Based on the landrover series II and III the shortland had 30mm of armour protection for the turret and crew compartment, a top speed of 55mph and a turret mounting a Browning M1919 7.62mm MG. Shorland versions were in service from 1966-85.

[James Fennell]

The Shorland personel carrier was also used in small numbers by the RUC in Northern Ireland.

[James Fennell]

48 squadron RAF Regiment turned in its L70 bofors guns in Singapore and Cyprus for the Shorts Tigercat short-range SAM system from 1967-78, when it was replaced by Rapier. Tigercat was optically guided and subsonic, and was effective against slower low level targets such as first generation jets, props and helicopters. The system was mobile using a landrover prime mover and could be airlifted by a Wessex helicopter. Tigercat was exported to Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, South Africa, Argentina, Iran, Jordan, Qatar and India and used in the Indo-Pakistani, Rhodesian, Angolan, Mozambiquan, Iran-Iraq and Falklands conflicts, as well as Yom Kippor.

[James Fennell]

The Austin K9 light 4x4 truck was in service from 1952 to 1970 (to 1980 in some reserve signals units). Used as a light truck, radio van and ambulance. This one is being unloaded in Port Said during the Suez crisis. They were used in Malaya, by the British medical team in Saigon and Australian forces in Vietnam. It was replaced by the 1 Ton 'forward control' landrover.