Morris CS8 Compressor Truck 4X2 on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in their Land Warfare exhibition. British WW2 4×2, 15-cwt truck, powered by Morris 6-cylinder petrol engine, fitted with an air compressor for operating air tools.
Category: world war two
Vickers Mk VIA Light Tank and Polish 3.7cm Bofors Anti-Tank Gun
The Vickers Mk VIA Light Tank was a British WW2 light tank, crew of 3, powered by Meadows 6-cylinder petrol engine, armed with two machine guns.
This one is on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford. It was one of 11 sent to Australia in 1941 for training purposes Standard British light tank till 1941.
The Mk VI Light Tank was the sixth in the line of light tanks built by Vickers-Armstrongs for the British Army during the interwar period. The company had achieved a degree of standardization with their previous five models, and the Mark VI was identical in all but a few respects. The turret, which had been expanded in the Mk V to allow a three-man crew to operate the tank, was further expanded to give room in its rear for a wireless set.
The British Army lost 331 Mark VI light tanks in the Battle of France of 1940.
The Mk VIB was also used in the North African campaign against the Italians late in 1940 with the 7th Armoured Division.
Here are some 15mm Flames of War Light Tank VIs and a metal 15mm one of mine, which is badly painted.
In front of the tank is a Polish manufactured 3.7cm Bofors Anti-Tank Gun.
The 3.7 cm Bofors Cannon M/36P anti-rtank gun was a Swedish design that was developed in the mid-1930s, and was also manufacured in Finland. During the Second World war, it was used by Polish, Danish, and Finnish armies as well as the British. Captured examples were also used by the German Army, who designated it the 3.7 Panzerabwehrkanone 36(p) oder 157(d).
Behind the tank is a 1912 Italian – Fiat 15 ter 1.5 ton Light Truck.
Mitsubishi Zero A6M3
At the Imperial War Museum there is a Mitsubishi Zero A6M3 in a very decayed state.
The Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the Mitsubishi Navy Type 0 carrier fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by its pilots as the Reisen (zero fighter), “0” being the last digit of the imperial year 2600 (1940) when it entered service with the Imperial Navy. The official Allied reporting name was “Zeke”, although the use of the name “Zero” was used colloquially by the Allies as well. The Mitsubishi Zero A6M3 was introduced in 1941.
The Zero is considered to have been the most capable carrier-based fighter in the world when it was introduced early in World War II, combining excellent manoeuvrability and very long range.
Morris Commercial 15-cwt R-Type Truck
This is the Morris Commercial 15-cwt R-Type Truck on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in their Land Warfare Exhibit.
Served with 20 Company Royal Army Service Corps in the late 1930s, early part of World War Two. The vast majority of R Type trucks were lost at Dunkirk.
Humber Super Snipe Staff Car (Old Faithful)
Staff Car employed by Field Marshal Montgomery of Alamein.
This staff car was used by Montgomery as his personal chauffeur-driven transport while commanding the British Eighth Army in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. Attached to his Tactical Headquarters (The Monty Caravans), ‘Old Faithful’ was used by Montgomery to visit the troops in the field, and from it he gave his famous ‘pep’ talks that did so much for morale. When Monty was chosen to command the D-Day landings and returned to the UK the vehicle remained behind and contunued as the pesonal transport for subsequent 8th Army commanders.
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.
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.
Matilda II
When I was last in Manchester, I had some time so I popped over to the Salford Quays to visit the Imperial War Museum North.
This is a fascinating museum, but unlike London and Duxford there aren’t quite as many vehicles or aircraft.
They have lots of smaller items and the displays are both fascinating and informative.
They do have a Matilda II infantry tank.
This is a British WW2 infantry support tank, crew of 4, powered by two Leyland 6-cylinder diesel engines, armed with 2pdr gun and machine gun.
This tank served with various Royal Armoured Corps training regiments within Britain.
I do have an old 15mm metal model, but that is still on the workbench since I bought it in the 1990s, typical wargamer!
A34 Comet Tank
Guarding the entrance to the Imperial War Museum Duxford is an A34 Comet Tank.
Imperial War Museum Duxford is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near Duxford in Cambridgeshire, and on a recent visit I was able to take a range of photographs of the aircraft and tanks on display.
The Comet was was a British cruiser tank that first saw use near the end of the second world war. It was designed as an improvement on the earlier Cromwell tank, mounting the new 77 mm HV gun in a new lower profile and part-cast turret. This gun was effective against late-war German tanks, including the Panther at medium range, and the Tiger.
I do have some of the Flames of War plastic models, but they are currently still in their boxes.