imperial war museum Archives - Page 2 of 2

Quick Fire 25 pounder Mark II Gun on a Mark I carriage, 1942.

This Quick Fire 25 pounder Mark II Gun on a Mark I carriage was on display at the Imperial War Museum in London. This 25 pdr field gun was used by 11 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, when it fought at Ruweisat Ridge on 2 July 1942.

The idea of combining the dual role of gun and howitzer arose in 1918, and was developed between the two World Wars. A pilot model was built in 1930, the first 25-pounder appeared in 1935 and the final stages of development were hastened by the outbreak of the Second World War. Initial production was slow, but by 1945, over 12,000 had been manufactured. The 25-pounder was probably the most outstanding field artillery piece used by British and Commonwealth forces in the Second World War, being durable, easy to operate and versatile. The Army’s basic close support artillery weapon, it doubled as an anti-tank gun in the North African Campaign, and was also employed in jungle, airborne and mountain roles. The 25-pounder remained the standard British divisional field gun until 1967, but the type saw service in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, in the Middle East in 1973 and was still in widespread use in the mid-1970s.

Chevrolet WB 30 cwt truck 4×2 Long Range Desert Group

Principal vehicle used by the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) between 1940 and 1943

This vehicle was discovered in the Egyptian desert in 1980 and recovered by the LRDG Association (now defunct). Its markings identify it as Truck No. 8 of W Patrol, one of the Long Range Desert Group’s original New Zealand patrols. W Patrol was disbanded in December 1940, before any major missions were undertaken, and the patrol’s vehicles were redistributed to the newly created G Patrol. The vehicle could therefore have been lost in the latter half of 1940, or more likely in early to mid 1941 when operated by G Patrol (but before they had chance to update the vehicle’s markings). The trucks were all given Maori nicknames. This one was named by Trooper Clarkie Waetford of W Patrol as Waikaha, where his grandparents grew up in New Zealand.

Imperial War Museum London

A few years ago I visited the Imperial War Museum in London. In the main atrium are a range of aircraft and missiles.

This is the view from the back of the hall, I posted photos back in July of the view from the front.

Standing tall on the right if a V2 missile. The V2 was the world’s first long range guided ballistic missile. he missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was developed during the Second World War in Germany as a “vengeance weapon”, assigned to attack Allied cities as retaliation for the Allied bombings against German cities.

There is also a Spitfire. The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. There is also a BAE Harrier GR.9 in the background.

T-34-85

The T-34, was a Soviet medium tank, which had a profound and lasting effect on the field of tank design. At its introduction in 1940, the T-34 possessed an unprecedented combination of firepower, mobility, protection and ruggedness.

After an unsuccessful attempt to develop a new, better armoured and armed tank, the T-43, Soviet command made the decision to retool the factories to produce an improved version of the T-34. Its turret ring was enlarged allowing a larger turret to be fitted and thus the larger 85 mm gun. This tank was called the T-34-85.

This T-34-85 is on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.

Rear view of the tank.

Close-up of the tracks.

The development of the T-34-85 led directly to the T-54 and T-55 series of tanks, which in turn evolved into the later T-62, T-72, and T-90 that form the armoured core of many modern armies.

Armoured Press Land Rover

A few years ago I visited the Imperial War Museum in London.

One of the exhibits is a armoured press and TV Land Rover on display which has certainly had a rough time.

You can imagine making one of these to be an objective for a game where a group of journalists and their camera crew have been stopped and held by bandits and a rescue mission is undertaken to free them.

Imperial War Museum

A few years ago I visited the Imperial War Museum in London.

In the main atrium are a range of aircraft and missiles. Standing tall on the left if a V2 missile. The V2 was the world’s first long range guided ballistic missile. he missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was developed during the Second World War in Germany as a “vengeance weapon”, assigned to attack Allied cities as retaliation for the Allied bombings against German cities.

In the atrium is a V1 Doodlebug or flying bomb. The V1 was an early cruise missile and the only production aircraft to use a pulsejet for power.

There is also a Spitfire. The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II.

And a BAE Harrier GR.9.