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Built by the Rootes Group. The vehicle used a Guy armored car mated with a Karrier KT4 chassis. Karrier began production in 1941. The vehicle was designated a Humber to avoid confusion with Karrier trucks. The Scout Car remained in service into the 1960's.
Dimensions: 3.372 x 1.575 x (h) mt
Weight: 6.85 tons
Armament: 1x Besa 15mm MG, 1x Besa 7,92 mm MG
Propulsion: Gasoline engine, 90 hp
Speed (Max): 72 km/hr
Armor (Max): 15mm
Crew: 2
Repair vehicle Sherman BARV
Midway through World War 2, with a growing experience of amphibious warfare (landing armies ashore from assault landing craft) the major operation in planning was Operation Overlord. This was to launch the allied invasion of continental Europe and liberate it from German occupation. The practice of the waterproofing vehicles had contributed to the success of earlier amphibious operations. When landing across open beaches it is necessary to keep the flow of traffic moving to allow speedy dismemberment from landing craft and the crafts swift removal from the area of operation. This enables the fighting units to become operational on land quickly and maintain the momentum of the assault. Tracked tractors had been used on the beaches to tow away any broken down vehicles, but where vehicles failed to get ashore (drowned) they became a hazard to incoming landing craft. A deep wading recovery vehicle was needed to remove such obstructions. One solution was to fit high sided armoured and watertight bodies to the tracked tractors, but these vehicles were very slow. A more logical scheme was to produce a special version of the ARV. After testing, the Sherman M4A2 was found to be most suitable, as its welded hull was easier to make watertight. Another reason for the choice of the Sherman M4A2 was that its diesel engines were less affected by the sudden cooling of the vehicle being plunged into deep water.By D Day in June 1944 about sixty Sherman M4 A2s had been converted to BARVs. The Ministry of Supply could not give the project full backing due to heavy commitments elsewhere. Therefore, several REME tradesmen were lent to the civilian contractors to speed up construction of the BARV. The Sherman BARVs together with wading tractors and normal wheeled recovery vehicles equipped REME beach recovery sections, which were among the first troops to land on D Day. The BARVs were invaluable and found an additional role in pushing stranded landing craft back into deep water.
Dimensions: 5.63 x 2.58 x 2.83 (h) mt
Weight: 28 tons
Armament: N/A
Propulsion: 2x Diesel GMC,
Speed (Max): 38 km/hr
Armor (Max): 85 mm
Crew: 4
Medium tank Sherman VC Firefly
Some 300 of these trusty and robust tanks first went into British service during the Battle of El Alamein in October 1942. From that point, the General Sherman, or simply "Sherman", quickly became the principle tank of the British armored force during WW2. These tanks came initially armed with US 75mm, 76mm, and 105mm guns, however, it was the British conversion to the Firefly design that made this tank a real battle winner. In 1943 it was decided to place the highly successful 17pdr gun in the Sherman. The British redesigned the turret slightly, mounted a 17pdr on it's side and then adapted it for left handed loading.
Dimensions: 7.52 x 2.68 x 3.25 (h) mt
Weight: 32.3 tons
Armament: 1x 76.2 mm Gun, 1x MG 7.62 mm
Propulsion: Gasoline Chrysler Multibank A57, 425
Armor (Max): 85 mm
Speed (Max): 47 km/hr
Crew: 5
Tank destroyer Archer
Vickers was asked to use the Valentine chassis to develop a self-propelled gun that could carry the 17 pounder (76.2 mm). The design had the gun facing to the rear. The armored superstructure was open topped. It was used in concealed positions and would retreat by driving off if needed. Was considered a success by those who used it. It first appeared in combat in NW Europe in October 1944.
Dimensions: 6.68 x 2.76 x 2.25 (h) mt
Weight: 15.25 tons
Armament: 1x 76.2mm AT cannon, 1x 50 caliber MG HB M2
Propulsion: Diesel GMC 6-71, 165
Armor (Max): 60 mm
Speed (Max): 32.2 km/hr
Crew: 4
Infantry killer Churchill Crocodile
The Churchill Crocodile was a Mark V11 which was converted to a flame thrower. The flame gun had a range of 100 metres and was mounted in the place of the hull machine gun. The trailer carried 1520 liters of fuel which was pressurised to force it from the trailer to the flame gun
Dimensions: 7.32 x 3.42 x 2.7 (h) mt
Weight: 40 tons
Armament: 1x 75mm cannon, 1x fixed flamethrower
Propulsion: Gasoline Bedford, 350hp
Speed (max.): 20 km/hr
Armor (max.): 152 mm
Crew: 5
Anti aircraft CrusaderIII, AA MkIII
The Crusader concept stemmed from the "Fast Tank"concept, designed and produced around 1930 by the American Walter Christie, and could have evolved to generate an all-round fine tank. Instead, Crusader paid the consequenses of ill-defined high command theories and uncertain piecemeal decicions, hastily made by committee, and suffered from unfortunate shortcomings for most of its existence.
Crusader came from a lineage of "Cruiser Tanks" produced to complement the heavier armoured and slow going "Infantry Tanks" Then in service, such as the Matilda. By 1943, the Crusader series of Cruiser tanks was being phased-out of the combat role, and a new source of chassis became available. With the larger capacity of the Crusaders, larger weapons could be mounted, and the British were quick to seize the opportunity. Experiments were made with the excellent 40mm Bofors AA gun and with a triple 20mm Oerlikon mount. Originally, the 40mm field mount simply replaced the turret on the Crusader III tank. This became the Crusader III,AA, Mark I; and later modifications included a lightly armoured turret, surrounding the gun. The triple 20mm version was never mass-produced: however, a new mark, with a fully enclosed turret, soon appeared. The Crusader III, AA, Mark II, as this variant was called, carried a twin 20mm mount, similar to the weapons used for anti-aircraft defense on naval vessels. An additional modification to the new turret resulted in a third Mark of the Crusader II, AA; however the changes were primarily internal, and principally involved moving the radio from the turret to the hull.
Dimensions: 6.31 x 2.27 x 2.24 (h) mt
Weight: 20.085 tons
Armament: 2x 20mm AA guns, 1x 7.92 Besa MG
Propulsion: Gasoline Nuffield Liberty Mark III, 340 hp
Speed (Max): 43 km/hr
Armor (Max): 51 mm
Crew: 3
Artillery Valentine Bishop (25 pdr)
Birmingham Carriage & Wagon was asked in June 1941 to develop a SPG using a Valentine chassis. Turret was fixed and it restricted elevation of gun. The pilot was produced and ready for trials in August 1941. Used in the Royal Artillery batteries, through North Africa and into the early stages of the invasion of Italy. However, the British Tank Mission to the USA noted that the M7 Howitzer Motor Carriage was a superior vehicle and further orders were nullified. In July 1942, with 80 of the first 100 already built and British fortunes at their lowest ebb, a new order arrived for 50 more. The vehicle was considered unsophisticated and a disadvantage due to it's high silhouette. To get maximum range they had to be driven up onto ramps usually made from dirt.
Dimensions: 5.57 x 2.66 x 2.8 (h) mt
Weight: 17.5 tons
Armor (max): 60 mm
Speed (max): 24 km/hr
Engine: Diesel AEC, 131 hp
Armament: 1x 85 mm Q.F. 25pdr Mk 2 cannon, 1x 303 Bren MG
Crew: 4
Heavy tank Cruiser A34 Comet I
The Comet I heavy cruiser tank was similar in layout to the A.27 Cromwell cruiser tank, except that it had a welded hull and turret. The Comet carried a shortened 17 pdr gun, capable of defeating enemy Tiger and Panther tanks, especially when using the new A.P.D.S. tank round which was introduced in 1945. Comet tanks were first issued to the 11th Armoured Division in December 1944, and they took part in the Rhine crossings in March 1945. The Comet became the main battle tank of the British army after the war, it served in the Suez Canal Zone, Palestine, and West Berlin until 1958, when it was replaced by the Centurion tank. Many Comet tanks were sold, and remained in service with other armed forces until the late 1970s. The Comet was the best British tank of World-War Two, it proved a good match for enemy Tiger and Panther tanks. However, in terms of armoured vehicle design, the Comet was a step back: it had vertical armour plate like the Tiger I tank, rather than the more protective sloped plate of the Panther, T-34, or A.16 Crusader.
Dimensions: 7.66 x 3.07 x 2.67 (h) mt
Weight: 29.659 tons
Armament: 1x 77mm OQF Mk. II Gun, 2x Besa 7.92 mm MG
Propulsion: Gasoline Rolls Royce Meteor, 570 hp
Speed (Max): 51,4 km/hr
Armor (Max): 102 mm
Crew: 5
Super heavy tank A39 Tortoise
In early 1943 considerable thought was being applied to the preparation of men and equipment for the assault of the German forces in north-west Europe. Clearly tough resistance was to be expected with the enemy fighting from strongly fortified positions. It is against this background that a new class of vehicles, Assault Tanks emerged. The concept behind these vehicles was for maximum armour protection at the expense of mobility. Initially work was concentrated on the A33 essentially a heavy Cromwell (cruiser) and the A38 Valiant which may be regarded as a heavy Valentine (infantry tank). In addition to this there was a program to up armour the Churchill. This was pretty typical of WWII British tank development as the adopted doctrine of Infantry tanks and Cruisers invariable meant that each new design specification could be approached from two existing starting points. Designed specifically to outgun and outlast the heavy German tanks and self propelled guns. At the time of design, the armor was totally proof against all known German guns. The design work began in 1944 but the first of 6 test vehicles were not delivered until 1947. The tank was never put into production.
Dimensions: 9.9 x 3.63 x 3 (h) mt
Weight: 77 tons
Armament: 1x 32pdrBall-mounted concentric recoil Tk Mk I , 3x 7.92mm Besa MG
Propulsion: Gasoline Rolls-Royce Meteor V, 600 hp
Speed (max): 19.2 km/hr
Armor (max): 279 mm
Crew: 7
Radio tank A27m Cruiser MkVIII Cromwell, Command/OP
Perhaps the most important British tank at the time of the invasion of Europe in 1944. The engine was placed between 2 air cleaners and 2 fuel tanks. The radiators were mounted upright in the back. In later models side doors were added for the driver and hull gunner to be able to exit the tank easier. Some storage was lost, and local modifications often added additional storage. With experience in Africa, the General Staff change the specifications to include the 75 mm gun that would allow HE ammunition to be fired at infantry and anti-tank targets. The ammunition was American made and taken from the Lend Lease supplies. This was the most numerous British tank in 1944-45, and replaced Shermans in many units. Many considered it too lightly armed and armored. Many were used by the 7th Armored. Vehicles in the later part of the series were constructed using 100% welding. The Cromwell continued in service long after WW2 ended. Cromwell 2 had it's hull mounted MG removed for more internal storage. Cromwell 2 also had wider tracks installed. Cromwell 5w was the first all welded model and was fitted with a 75mm main gun. Cromwell O.P. was the command version. The O.P. had a dummy gun and extra radio equipment.
Dimensions: 6.03 x 2.9 x 2.46 (h) mt
Weight: 28 tons
Armament: 1x 95mm short howitzer, 2x MG
Propulsion: Gasoline Rolls-Royce Meteor V, 600 hp
Speed (max): 64 km/hr
Armor (max): 76 mm
Crew: 5
Fighter Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc
Following the Battle of Britain in 1940, the Royal Air Force (RAF) had planned to replace its Spitfire Mk. I and II fighters with the Mk. III, which had been under development for two years. The Mk. III included significant improvements such as an improved wing design, a retractable tail wheel, and a new Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine. Before the RAF could put the Mk. III into production, however, the Germans introduced the improved Messerschmitt Bf 109F. Since this new German fighter greatly outperformed the current Spitfires at high altitude, the RAF could not wait for the factories to be retooled for the Mk. III, and they hurriedly developed an interim aircraft, the Sptifire Mk. V (the Mk. IV designation had already been assigned to another version). Unwilling to wait while the Mk. V went into hurried production, the RAF quickly converted more than 100 Spitfire Mk. I aircraft into the Mk. V version. These converted aircraft started arriving at the combat units in March 1941. In addition to these converted aircraft, a total of 6,464 Spitfire Mk. Vs were built between 1941 and 1943. Fighting on every front during the war, these Mk. Vs equipped more than 140 RAF squadrons, including the "Eagle" Squadrons composed of American volunteers flying for the RAF. Nine other Allied nations, including the United States, flew Mk. Vs. The United States Army Air Forces' (USAAF) 31st and 52d Fighter Groups flew them first during Operation TORCH, the invasion of North Africa in November 1942. Some of the American pilots removed one machine gun from each wing to lessen weight and thereby improve maneuverability. Also, to protect the engine in the desert climate, the RAF tropicalized (Trop) the Spitfire Mk. Vs by adding either a Vokes or a smaller Aboukir air filter to the aircraft.
Wing span: 10.83 mt
Lenght: 8.733 mt
Height: 3.442 mt
Weight (max): 3053 kg
Propulsion: 1x Rolls-Royce Merlin 45, 1470 hp
Speed (max): 598.4 km/h
Service ceiling: 11100 mt
Armament: 2x Hispano 20 mm cannons, 4x Browning.303 MG
Bomb load: 2x 112.5 kg
Crew: 1
Interceptor Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was the result of Air Ministry specification "F.18/37", which reached final form in early 1938 and specified a heavily armed interceptor to destroy heavy long-range escort fighters. The specification called for an armament of twelve 7.7 millimeter (0.303 caliber) Browning machine guns, or preferably four 20 millimeter cannon if development of these weapons then in progress proceeded on course. The so-called 'N type' fighter (developed in parallel with the Tornado) was powered by a 2,180 HP Napier Sabre engine. This powerful engine gave the Typhoon exceptional low-altitude performance, but it had a lot of teething troubles. Another problem was the conservative wing design, with a thickness of 18%, which was resulted in serious compressibility problems. A bad high-altitude performance and problems with the tail structure (finally traced back to a failure of the elevator balance weight causing flutter) sealed its failure as an all-round fighter. The Typhoon then earned fame as ground attack aircraft.
Wing span: 12.67 mt
Lenght: 9.73 mt
Height: 4.67 mt
Weight (max): 5100 kg
Propulsion: 1x Napier Sabre IIB, 2220 hp
Speed (max): 656 km/h
Service ceiling: 10730 mt
Armament: 4x 20 mm-es Hispano Mk I cannons
Bomb load: 2x 227 kg or 1x 454 kg or 8x rockets
Crew: 1
Air transport Douglas DC3 Skytrain
Few aircraft are as well known or were so widely used for so long as the C-47 or "Gooney Bird" as it was affectionately nicknamed. The aircraft was adapted from the DC-3 commercial airliner which appeared in 1936. The first C-47s were ordered in 1940 and by the end of WW II, 9,348 had been procured for AAF use. They carried personnel and cargo, and in a combat role, towed troop-carrying gliders and dropped paratroops into enemy territory. After WW II, many C-47s remained in USAF service, participating in the Berlin Airlift and other peacetime activities. During the Korean War, C-47s hauled supplies, dropped paratroops, evacuated wounded and dropped flares for night bombing attacks. In Vietnam, the C-47 served again as a transport, but it was also used in a variety of other ways which included flying ground attack (gunship) , reconnaissance, and psychological warfare missions. Under the name Lisunou Li2, the Russians built hundreds of them under licence and the Japanese did the same after the war.
Wing span: 28.5 mt
Lenght: 19.35 mt
Height: 4.83 mt
Weight (Max): 14850 kg
Propulsion: 2x Pratt & Whitney R-1830s, 1200 hp each
Speed (Max): 371 km/h
Service ceiling: 7335 mt
Armament: N/A
Bomb load: N/A
Crew: 6
Bomber Avro Lancaster Mk I
Entering service at the beginning of 1942, the Lancaster’s design grew out of a failed predecessor, the Avro Manchester. While its’ airframe offered a stable platform for heavy bombing assignments, the Manchester’s twin engine design was inadequate to the task. By upgrading to four Merlins, the resulting aircraft met the nation’s needs and 7366 Avro Lancasters were built during the war, the most of any British bomber. Armament included eight to ten Browning machine guns for fighter defense (depending on model variant) mounted in the nose, upper dorsal turret and the tail. Experience with a variety of bomb loads eventually led to adoption of the ‘Grand Slam’ 22000-pound bomb, the largest carried by any aircraft in the war. For the dam-busting strike in May 1943, the Lancaster dropped British designer Barnes Wallis’s ‘bouncing bombs’ which skipped on the surface before impact. Wartime Lancaster sorties totaled about 156000 during which roughly 608000 tons of ordnance were dropped on the enemy. As the war in Europe drew to a close, the Lancaster was readied for service against Japan as part of Bomber Command’s ‘Tiger Force’, but the war’s end put a halt to this plan. Apart from its primary bombing tasks, the versatile Lancaster was also used for maritime surveillance, photo reconnaissance missions and, later, as an engine test bed platform. The final airframe was delivered in February, 1946 but the plane flew for many years in civilian guise and as a warplane when sold to other nations.
Wing span: 30.6 mt
Lenght: 20.88 mt
Height: 6 mt
Weight (Max): 30600 kg
Propulsion: 4x Rolls-Royce Merlin XX , 1460 hp each
Speed (Max): 459.2 km/h
Service ceiling: 7350 mt
Armament: 2x 7.7mm MG in ,in nose, ventral and dorsal turrets, 4x 7.7mm MG in tail turret
Bomb load: 14x 450 kg bombs, or 1x 9900 kg Grand Slam bomb
Crew: 7
Turbojet fighter Gloster Meteor F.Mk III
The Gloster Meteor entered the history books as the only turbojet powered aircraft flown in combat by the Allies during World War Two.
It fought V-1 and V-2 rockets, and also served on the other side of the channel looking for Me 262s and Me 163s.
Eight prototypes of the Meteor were built during development, each with differing engines of various speeds and powers.
The first prototype to fly was the fifth one built. It got airborne on 5 March 1943 powered by two dH Halford H.I engines, with about 1,500 pounds of thrust each. The first production batch consisted of 20 Gloster G.41A Meteor F.Mk Is.
These had Welland engines and a clear-view canopy. The first Meteor was traded to the United States for a Bell YP-59A Airacomet, the USA's first jet fighter. One was used in an experimental design for the world's first turboprop-driven plane. This aircraft, the Trent-Meteor, used reduction gears on the engine to drive a propeller shaft with a five bladed propeller. It was equipped with longer stroke landing gear to give clearance for the propeller tips. The first operational jet fighter squadron was No. 616. It was given a detached flight of seven Meteor F.Mk Is when it moved to Manston, Kent in July of 1944. RAF Flying Officer Dean claimed the first V-1 to be destroyed by a jet fighter. After all four of his guns jammed, he used his wing tip to push the V-1 nose-first towards the ground. The same day another Meteor claimed a second V-1. By the end of August, the squadron was completely converted to Meteors. The first Meteor F.Mk IIIs were delivered on December 18, 1944, and these began to replace the Mk. Is. The Mk IIs had the much better Derwent turbojets, which improved performance considerably. In January of 1945, one flight from No. 616 Squadron was moved across the channel to begin operations in Belgium. After the war, production continued. The most prolific version built was the Meteor F.Mk 8, with gyro-gunsights, bubble canopy, ejection seats and bigger Derwent engines, with a top speed of 600 mph (966 km/h). A two-seat, dual control trainer was built for the RAF under the designation Meteor T.Mk 7, and a two-seat night fighter, the Meteor NF Mk 13, entered service in 1952.
Wing span: 13.10 mt
Lenght: 12.57 mt
Height: 3.96 mt
Weight (max): 6207.75 kg
Propulsion: 2x 770kg Rolls Royce Welland
Speed (max): 795 km/h
Service ceiling: 13400 mt
Armament: 4x 20 mm cannons
Bomb load: N/A
Crew: 1
Fying wing bomber/transport Cunliffe-Owen Clyde Clipper OA-1 (Burnelli UB 14)
The Burnelli UB-14 was one of the span-loader design aircraft, which used their wide fuselage for lifting.
The UB-14 only stands for a list of brilliant transports that Burnelli designed from 1920 until 1945.
The Cunliffe-Owen Clyde Clipper was built in England under a license from Mr. Burnelli and under his supervision. The aircraft was used by General Charles de Gaulle during WWII
Wing span: 21.64 mt
Lenght: 13.41 mt
Height: 3.05 mt
Weight (max): 9500 kg
Propulsion: 2x Pratt & Whitney Hornet, 750 hp each
Speed (max): 338 km/h
Service ceiling: 6705 mt
Armament: N/A
Bomb load: 5330 kg
Crew: 1
Destroyer J Class
In common with the United States Navy, the Royal Navy had come out of World War One with a large number of new destroyers. Because of the large quantity of the V & W ships, there was no need for new construction for most of the 1920s. One experimental prototype was laid down in 1924 Amazon and 1925 Ambuscade, just to test technical and construction advances. It was finally decided to start a new construction program to replace obsolescent ships from World War One. The next class of destroyers was a more positive step forward. By introducing a new stronger form of longitudinal construction the Admiralty was able to reduce the size, increase torpedo armament to ten tubes, and sacrifice only one twin gun-mounting. This more balanced design was known as the 'J' or Javelin Class, and a further innovation made them the first single funnelled destroyers, as two improved boilers gave the same power as three of the old type in the 'Tribals'. Both these classes rectified a serious omission in previous destroyers by having a four-barrelled two pounder (40 mm) pom-pom for close range aircraft defense. At last small ships had some defense against dive bombers, and the weapon remained standard throughout World War II. A disadvantage of these new destroyers was the Admiralty's failure to produce a workable high-angle gun-mounting for the main armament. The new expensive and weighty twin 4.7 inch mount in the 'Tribals' and Javelins could elevate only to forty degrees, which allowed it to fire only at distant aircraft formations. The reason was partly financial, in that the Naval Estimates did not allocate enough money to Research and Development on small ship fire-control and AA gun design, and partly due to discouraging experience with the high-angle eight inch gun of the 1920s.
Displacement (Max): 2550 tons
Dimensions: 97.8 x 10.5 x 2.7 (lenght x beam x draft) mt
Propulsion: 2x boilers, 40000 shp
Speed (Max): 36 knots
Main Armament: 6x 120mm QF MKX11 guns in pairs
Secondary Armament: 2x 533mm torpedo tubes,
AA: 2x quad 2-pounder pompom
Crew: 218
Submarine V class
In 1941, modifications were made to the design of the U Class submarines in order to quickly obtain a type of boat which while retaining the same characteristics, would be stronger but simpler and less expensive. The resultant V Class were slightly longer than the U boats and, because of a partly-welded pressure hull, had a greater operational depth of 60 mt. None of the 22 V Class submarines built were lost during the war, and the lead ship, HMS Venturer, distinguished herself by sinking two German submarines, one in November 1944, the other in February 1945. Venturer was transferred to the Norwegian Navy following the war, and many other V Class vessels served with Allied navies (particularly Greece, Norway and Free France) during and after the conflict. The last of the class in service with the Royal Navy, was scrapped in 1958.
Displacement (max): 740 tons
Dimensions: 61.05 x 4.77 x 4.77 (lenght x beam x draft) mt
Propulsion: 2x diesel engines, 900 shp; 2x electric motors, 900 hp
Speed: 12.5 (surfaced), 9 (submerged) knots
Main Armament: 1x 76.2 cannon 3x 7.7 mm MG
Secondary Armament: 4x 533.4mm torpedo tubes (all in the bow)
AA: N/A
Crew: 37
Landing Craft Tank Mk VI (LCT6)
The LCT-6 was an improved LCT-5 designed to permit stern loading and better living accommodations. Three watertight sections that were carried disassembled on decks of larger ships or carried assembled on a LST deck were methods of transporting these craft.
It has the capacity of four medium up to three 50-ton tanks, or 150 tons cargo.
Displacement (max): 255.6 tons
Dimensions: 35.73 x 9.84 x 1.016 (lenght x beam x draft) mt
Propulsion: 3x Gray Diesel engines, 225 shp each
Speed (max): 7 knots
Main Armament: N/A
Secondary Armament: 4x 50 cal. machine guns
AA: 2x 20 mm cannons
Crew: 12 + 150 tons cargo
Battlecruiser Hood "Admiral" class battlecruiser
Originally to be a class of four, huge and powerful battlecruisers meant to counter the never completed German Mackensen class battlecruisers. Only one (The Hood) was completed and to a somewhat modified design compared to what was originally envisioned. She was one of the most handsome ships ever made, her long clean lines and her stance at speed were unparalleled by any other ship. However, she was built with a highly stressed hull and with only moderate deck protection. On 24 May 1941, in possibly the most famous Naval Battle of World War II, the British ships HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales engaged the German ships KM Bismarck and KM Prinz Eugen at the Denmark Straits between Iceland and Greenland.
Displacement (max): 48360 tons
Dimensions: 262.3 x 31.7 x 10.2 (lenght x beam x draft) mt
Propulsion: 24x Yarrow 3 drum small tube boilers, 4 Brown-Curtis single reduction geared steam turbines, 4x shafts, 151280 shp
Speed (max): 32.07 knots
Main Armament: 8x 381mm/42 cal Mk.1 cannons in 4 double turrets
Secondary Armament: 12x 140mm/50 cal BL Mk.1, 4x 533mm torpedo tubes
AA: 8x 102mm/45 cal QF HA MkXVI (4x2), 24x 40.5mm/40 cal Mk VIII (3x8), 16x 12.7mm/62 cal MG (4x4), 5x U.P. (unrotated projectiles, 20 tubes each)
Armour: 75 mm (deck), 305 mm (side), 381 mm (turrets), 280 mm (control tower)
Crew: 1421
Aircraft carrier Illustrious class
The "Illustrious" Class ships were the radical next generation of aircraft carrier which the Admiralty took steps to develop in 1935. HMS Illustrious had along and renowned service history inparticularly during her Mediterranean posting between September 1940 and January 1941. Illustrious is best remembered for her strike on the Italian Fleet at Taranto on the night of 11-12 November 1940. Torpedoes from her Fairey Swordfish aircraft sank one battleship and forced two others to be beached. She also led strike on Benghazi on 16-17 September, was part of Malta convoys between September-October, and again on Malta convoys from November 1940 to January 1941.
The immense strength of the ships stood them in good stead, for their war turned out to be one of air, rather than submarine attack. Soon after Taranto, the Illustrious survived punishment from dive-bombing that would have sunk any other carrier afloat, a performance echoed by the Formidable after Matapan. In the Pacific War most of them withstood one or even two kamikaze strikes without having to leave station. But all these immense blows were absorbed mainly by the ships' horizontal protection and it would seem in retrospect that the vertical armour was bought at an excessive price in operational efficiency even though, in the Pacific, the class worked with something like 60 per cent over its designed aircraft complement. When the Americans copied the armoured deck concept, it was not at the cost of capacity, so carrier sizes began their inevitable escalation. The ships were scrapped in 1956, 1969, 1955 and 1953 respectively.
Displacement (max): 28661 tons
Dimensions: 225.99 x 32.07 x 8.46 (lenght x beam x draft) mt
Propulsion: Steam Turbines (6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 shafts, Parsons geared turbines), 111000 shp
Speed (max): 30.5 knots
Main Armament: 8x twin 114mm cannons
Secondary Armament: 36x Aircrafts
AA: 6x octuple 2-pdr pom-pom AA, 3x 40mm Bofors, 52x 20mm Oerlikon
Armour: 76.2mm (flightdeck), 114.3mm (side), 114.3 (deck), N/A (conning tower)
Crew: 1400
Super battleship HMS Lion
The 2nd ship of the 2nd last class of British Battleships, HMS Lion was the follow on design to the King George V class of "treaty" battleship. Designed with 16" guns and even thicker armour than the "Iowa" class HMS Lion was intended to do 30 knots. HMS Lion was laid down in 1939, just before the outbreak of WWII. Within 2 months of the start of the war (October 1939) all work was suspended, never to restart.
Displacement (max): 42076 tons
Dimensions: 227.10 x 31.40 x 8.80 (lenght x beam x draft) mt
Propulsion: 8x Admiralty 3 drum boilers, 4x Parsons steam turbines, 4x shafts, 110000 shp
Speed (max): 30 knots
Main Armament: 12x 14"/45 Mk VII guns in 3x quadruple turrets
Secondary Armament: 16x 5.25"/50 Mk I guns in twin turrets, 2x Walrus seaplanes
AA: 32x 2pdr guns in 4x octuple mountings
Armour: 152.4 mm (deck), 381 mm (side), 330.2 mm (turrets), 330.2 mm (barbettes)
Crew: 1422
British 5.5-Inch Mark III
Specifications for an advanced field gun intended to replace the 6-Inch Mark XIX guns and the 6-Inch 26cwt Mark I howitzers were issued in January of 1939. It took more than three years before the first examples reached the units in May of 1942. First, the engineers overdid it, by adding a series of gadgets that proved useless or counterproductive and had to be removed later. After that, the production was slow to start.
Its first battlefield was the Western Desert in the second half of 1942. Firing powerful ammunitions, the new weapon was well-liked, despite its limited range. A spate of accidents in Italy, due to its conditions of use, tarnished temporarily its reputation in 1943-44. The cause and the solution having been found, it became the most popular British Field guns during the campaign on the continent. As soon as 1943, lighter ammunitions (down from 100 lbs to 80 lbs) had corrected its range problem.
Caliber: 140 mm L/30
Barrel weight: 1868.83 kg
Length: 4.17 meters
Weight of the projectile: 45.36 kg
Muzzle velocity: 517 meters per second
Range: 14807 meters
AA gun Bofors 40mm
On April 23, 1937 fell the British decision to buy license to build the Swedish antiaircraft guns, which made the reputation of Aktiebolaget Bofors. The weapon was the best in its category and it proved a good alternative to the 2-pounder AA of the same caliber. The British built the Bofors during the whole of the conflict, with almost no alterations compared to the original model, except for its integration in the British antiaircraft defense system. The Royal Navy, even if it was slower to replace its pom pom, finally adopted the weapon too.
Caliber: 40 mm L/56.25
Barrel weight: 438.18 kg
Length: 2.25 meters
Weight of the projectile: 0.91 kg
Muzzle velocity: 823 meters per second
Range: 9 871 meters
Ceiling: 7193 meters
AT field gun 6pdr MK II
The 6-pounder gun was ready as soon as 1940. It took almost two years for its mass-production to start, though and some additional months for it to supersede the 2-pounder, of which the inadequacy had long been recognized.
The new weapon was a smart compromise between firepower and lightness. It could fire not only antitank shells, but also antipersonnel ammunitions, which allow it to become an infantry gun, after that the antitank regiments had reached their full allocation.
That good weapon was still more improved by the adoption of the core shells from October of 1943 onwards, and later the discardable sabots (APDS) in June of 1944. The doubled the penetration ability compared to the classical AP ammunitions.
Caliber: 57 mm L/43
Length: 2.44 meters
Weight of the projectile: 3.0 kg
Muzzle velocity: 815 meters per second
Range: 5027 meters
