panda1gen
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Sorry but not sure what sort of book you mean.
Battle for Arnhem.... (5 Viewers)
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panda1gen
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Ref ; Wikipedia
A tripod mount with 42 degrees of traverse was available to allow the Bren to be used on "fixed lines" of fire for defensive shooting at pre-determined areas in the dark or if obscured by fog or smoke.
The Bren was also used on many vehicles, including the Universal Carrier also known as the "Bren Gun Carrier" ....
and on tanks and armoured cars.
The Bren Carrier was intended to use its "armour, speed and cross country performance" to bring the gun team into position from where it would fire dismounted; firing from the vehicle only in an emergency.
A tripod mount with 42 degrees of traverse was available to allow the Bren to be used on "fixed lines" of fire for defensive shooting at pre-determined areas in the dark or if obscured by fog or smoke.
The Bren was also used on many vehicles, including the Universal Carrier also known as the "Bren Gun Carrier" ....
and on tanks and armoured cars.
The Bren Carrier was intended to use its "armour, speed and cross country performance" to bring the gun team into position from where it would fire dismounted; firing from the vehicle only in an emergency.
panda1gen
Major
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The Bren could not be used as a co-axial weapon on tanks, as the magazine restricted its depression and was awkward to handle in confined spaces, and it was therefore used on a pintle mount only.
The belt fed Vickers or Besa, the latter being another Czechoslovak machine gun design adopted by the British, were instead used as co-axial weapons.
It was often used with a pintle mount.
An unfortunate problem occurred when the Bren was fired from the Dingo Scout Car using a pintle mount; the hot cartridge cases tended to be ejected down the neck of the driver, whose position was next to the pintle. A canvas bag was designed to catch the cartridges and overcome the problem, but it seems to have been rarely issued.
The Bren was also employed in the anti-aircraft role with the tripod reconfigured for high angle fire. There were also several designs of less-portable mountings, including the Gallows and Mottley mounts. A 100-round pan magazine was available for the Bren for use in the anti-aircraft role.
The Bren's direct ancestor, the Czechoslovak ZB vz. 26, was also used in World War II by German and Romanian forces, including units of the Waffen SS.
Many 7.92 mm ZB light machine guns were shipped to China, where they were employed first against the Japanese in World War II, and later against UN forces in Korea, including British and Commonwealth units. Some ex-Chinese Czech ZB weapons were also in use in the early stages of the Vietnam War. Production of a 7.92 mm round model for the Far East was carried out by Inglis of Canada.
The Bren was also delivered to the Soviet Union as part of the lend-lease program.
The belt fed Vickers or Besa, the latter being another Czechoslovak machine gun design adopted by the British, were instead used as co-axial weapons.
It was often used with a pintle mount.
An unfortunate problem occurred when the Bren was fired from the Dingo Scout Car using a pintle mount; the hot cartridge cases tended to be ejected down the neck of the driver, whose position was next to the pintle. A canvas bag was designed to catch the cartridges and overcome the problem, but it seems to have been rarely issued.
The Bren was also employed in the anti-aircraft role with the tripod reconfigured for high angle fire. There were also several designs of less-portable mountings, including the Gallows and Mottley mounts. A 100-round pan magazine was available for the Bren for use in the anti-aircraft role.
The Bren's direct ancestor, the Czechoslovak ZB vz. 26, was also used in World War II by German and Romanian forces, including units of the Waffen SS.
Many 7.92 mm ZB light machine guns were shipped to China, where they were employed first against the Japanese in World War II, and later against UN forces in Korea, including British and Commonwealth units. Some ex-Chinese Czech ZB weapons were also in use in the early stages of the Vietnam War. Production of a 7.92 mm round model for the Far East was carried out by Inglis of Canada.
The Bren was also delivered to the Soviet Union as part of the lend-lease program.
Louis Badolato
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I loved the original wood and metal LRDG Chevy 300 Weight Truck, one of my all time favorite K&C products:
panda1gen
Major
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They are excellent (and rare!).
Just a shame we had the lost photos on that shoot, I would have liked more.
BTW I shall just finish the background on the Bren ....
Ref: Wikipedia
Summary of Variants
Mark 1
Introduced September 1937; the original Czechoslovak designed ZGB 33.
Overall length 45.5 inches (1.16 m), 25 inches (0.64 m) barrel length. Weight 22 lb 2 oz (10.0 kg).
Features:
Mark 2
Introduced in 1941, it was a simplified version of the Mk1, more suited to wartime production, with original design features subsequently found to be unnecessary deleted.
It was produced by Inglis of Canada and the Monotype Group through a number of component manufacturing factories. It was sometimes known as the "Garage hands" model.
Overall length 45.5 inches (1.16 m), 25 inches (0.64 m) barrel length. Weight 23 lb 3 oz (10.5 kg).
Features:
The bipod was simplified in design as well as not having extending legs. Most Mk2 bipods resembled a simple A-frame and were more 'soldier proof'. The Mk2 also featured a slightly higher rate of fire than the Mk1.
The woodwork on the Mk2 was simplified by being less ornate and ergonomic, which sped up the manufacturing process.
The barrel was also simplified by means of a non-stepped removable flash hider and, in some cases, a barrel fore-end that was matte instead of highly polished.
The buffered buttplate of the Mk1 was omitted and replaced with a sheet metal buttplate.
A small number of Inglis-made .303 Bren Mk 2 were converted post-war to fire the .280 in (7 mm) Mk 1Z round used by the EM-2 rifle.
The Inglis version of the Bren Mk 2 chambered for the .30-06 (7.62 mm) cartridge and known as the M41 was also manufactured in Taiwan after the end of the Chinese Civil War.
Mark 3
A shorter and lighter Bren, made by Enfield from 1944, for the war in the East and for Airborne Forces.
This was similar to the Mk2 but with the light weight features of the early Mk1, with the main distinguishing feature being a shorter barrel and serrated area in front of the barrel nut.
Overall length 42.9 in (1.09 m), 22.25 in (0.565 m) barrel length. Weight 19 lb 5 oz (8.8 kg).
Mark 4
As with the Mk3 but this was a conversion of a Mk2.
Overall length 42.9 in (1.09 m), 22.25 in (0.565 m) barrel length. Weight 19 lb 2 oz (8.7 kg).
Besal gun
The Besal or Faulkner light machine gun was a Bren-inspired emergency design developed in the aftermath of the French campaign and the Dunkirk Evacuation as the British Expeditionary Force lost almost 30,000 Brens.
Another factor was the potential vulnerability of a single, well known, manufacturing site for the Bren at Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield.
Developed in 1940 by Harry Faulker of the Birmingham Small Arms Company, the Besal looks much like a Bren, but was developed with much simplified machining operations in mind to allow it to be produced in any machine shop.
Unlike the Bren, the Besal was full automatic only rather than select fire and lacked a cocking handle, using the pistol grip instead.
In Mark 2 format the Besal had no interchangeable parts with the Bren, but was designed to use Bren magazines.
Production
United Kingdom
Bren guns were produced at the Royal Small Arms Factory, in Enfield, London. The first Bren guns were built in September 1937, and by December, a total of 42 had been produced.
Weekly production was 300 Brens a week in July 1938, and 400 a week in September 1939.
The Monotype Group produced Mark 2 Brens.
Enfield produced a total of 220,000 Mark I Bren guns, 57,600 in Mark III, and 250 in Mark IV.
Canada
John Inglis and Company received a contract from the British and Canadian governments in March 1938 to supply 5,000 Bren machine guns to the UK and 7,000 Bren machine guns to Canada. Both countries shared the capital costs of bringing in this new production facility.
Production started in 1940. By August 1942, the Inglis plant was averaging 10,000 Brens per month, and produced 186,000 Bren guns of all variants by the end of the war, including 43,000 chambered in 7.92×57mm Mauser for export to the Chinese National Revolutionary Army.
India
In 1942, the Ishapore Arsenal began to produce Bren guns, and continued to do so long after the end of World War II, also manufacturing variants in 7.62×51mm NATO.
A shadow factory for Ishapore was set up at Kanpur and produced .303 Brens before it was later rechambered to fire 7.62 NATO ammo in 1964 as the 1A LMG.
Australia
In 1940, the Lithgow Small Arms Factory in New South Wales began to manufacture Bren guns, producing a total of 17,249 by 1945.
Just a shame we had the lost photos on that shoot, I would have liked more.
BTW I shall just finish the background on the Bren ....
Ref: Wikipedia
Summary of Variants
Mark 1
Introduced September 1937; the original Czechoslovak designed ZGB 33.
Overall length 45.5 inches (1.16 m), 25 inches (0.64 m) barrel length. Weight 22 lb 2 oz (10.0 kg).
Features:
- Drum-pattern rear aperture sight
- Buttstrap for use over-the-shoulder when firing
- Rear grip under butt
- Telescoping bipod
- Folding cocking handle
Mark 2
Introduced in 1941, it was a simplified version of the Mk1, more suited to wartime production, with original design features subsequently found to be unnecessary deleted.
It was produced by Inglis of Canada and the Monotype Group through a number of component manufacturing factories. It was sometimes known as the "Garage hands" model.
Overall length 45.5 inches (1.16 m), 25 inches (0.64 m) barrel length. Weight 23 lb 3 oz (10.5 kg).
Features:
- Folding-leaf rear sight
- Buttstrap deleted
- Rear grip deleted
- Fixed height bipod
- Fixed cocking handle
The bipod was simplified in design as well as not having extending legs. Most Mk2 bipods resembled a simple A-frame and were more 'soldier proof'. The Mk2 also featured a slightly higher rate of fire than the Mk1.
The woodwork on the Mk2 was simplified by being less ornate and ergonomic, which sped up the manufacturing process.
The barrel was also simplified by means of a non-stepped removable flash hider and, in some cases, a barrel fore-end that was matte instead of highly polished.
The buffered buttplate of the Mk1 was omitted and replaced with a sheet metal buttplate.
A small number of Inglis-made .303 Bren Mk 2 were converted post-war to fire the .280 in (7 mm) Mk 1Z round used by the EM-2 rifle.
The Inglis version of the Bren Mk 2 chambered for the .30-06 (7.62 mm) cartridge and known as the M41 was also manufactured in Taiwan after the end of the Chinese Civil War.
Mark 3
A shorter and lighter Bren, made by Enfield from 1944, for the war in the East and for Airborne Forces.
This was similar to the Mk2 but with the light weight features of the early Mk1, with the main distinguishing feature being a shorter barrel and serrated area in front of the barrel nut.
Overall length 42.9 in (1.09 m), 22.25 in (0.565 m) barrel length. Weight 19 lb 5 oz (8.8 kg).
Mark 4
As with the Mk3 but this was a conversion of a Mk2.
Overall length 42.9 in (1.09 m), 22.25 in (0.565 m) barrel length. Weight 19 lb 2 oz (8.7 kg).
Besal gun
The Besal or Faulkner light machine gun was a Bren-inspired emergency design developed in the aftermath of the French campaign and the Dunkirk Evacuation as the British Expeditionary Force lost almost 30,000 Brens.
Another factor was the potential vulnerability of a single, well known, manufacturing site for the Bren at Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield.
Developed in 1940 by Harry Faulker of the Birmingham Small Arms Company, the Besal looks much like a Bren, but was developed with much simplified machining operations in mind to allow it to be produced in any machine shop.
Unlike the Bren, the Besal was full automatic only rather than select fire and lacked a cocking handle, using the pistol grip instead.
In Mark 2 format the Besal had no interchangeable parts with the Bren, but was designed to use Bren magazines.
Production
United Kingdom
Bren guns were produced at the Royal Small Arms Factory, in Enfield, London. The first Bren guns were built in September 1937, and by December, a total of 42 had been produced.
Weekly production was 300 Brens a week in July 1938, and 400 a week in September 1939.
The Monotype Group produced Mark 2 Brens.
Enfield produced a total of 220,000 Mark I Bren guns, 57,600 in Mark III, and 250 in Mark IV.
Canada
John Inglis and Company received a contract from the British and Canadian governments in March 1938 to supply 5,000 Bren machine guns to the UK and 7,000 Bren machine guns to Canada. Both countries shared the capital costs of bringing in this new production facility.
Production started in 1940. By August 1942, the Inglis plant was averaging 10,000 Brens per month, and produced 186,000 Bren guns of all variants by the end of the war, including 43,000 chambered in 7.92×57mm Mauser for export to the Chinese National Revolutionary Army.
India
In 1942, the Ishapore Arsenal began to produce Bren guns, and continued to do so long after the end of World War II, also manufacturing variants in 7.62×51mm NATO.
A shadow factory for Ishapore was set up at Kanpur and produced .303 Brens before it was later rechambered to fire 7.62 NATO ammo in 1964 as the 1A LMG.
Australia
In 1940, the Lithgow Small Arms Factory in New South Wales began to manufacture Bren guns, producing a total of 17,249 by 1945.
panda1gen
Major
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To return to the story ....
The last men out were from a section of No. 11 Platoon, lead by Lance-Corporal Albert Wilson who said,
I'd only become the temporary section commander the previous day. When Lieutenant Barnes told me we were to be the rearguard, I said, what about the other two section commanders?
They were both long-serving section commanders.
“He said, 'I'm asking you to do it, Ginger' - very politely; he was a gentleman.
Frank Aston and I were the last to go; I didn't think we would get out.
I told Frank to take all the tracers out of the Bren mags - one every fourth round - and I fired the tracers at the curtains in the houses, to set them alight - range 400 yards. I could put anything inside eight inches at that range; that's my grouping capacity in my pay-book.
The curtains caught fire, and Frank kept firing short bursts to stop them putting the fires out. Then we made a dash for it. He went out one end of the trench, and I went out the other.
Both of the anti-tank guns had to be abandoned after being 'spiked', also six of the seven jeeps, which had been damaged by mortar fire. Only the artillery officer's jeep, with one wheel buckled and a boiling radiator, drove out across the fields near the river with the wounded aboard.
The bodies of at least five men, including two sergeants, were left behind”.
On reporting to Battalion HQ, Lieutenant Joe Hardy says,
“We were greeted as conquering heroes. After all, we had knocked off quite a lot of the enemy; we had been surrounded by a far superior force; and we had fought our way out. It hardly seemed necessary at the time to tell people that we had sneaked out through the back entrance”.
The last men out were from a section of No. 11 Platoon, lead by Lance-Corporal Albert Wilson who said,
I'd only become the temporary section commander the previous day. When Lieutenant Barnes told me we were to be the rearguard, I said, what about the other two section commanders?
They were both long-serving section commanders.
“He said, 'I'm asking you to do it, Ginger' - very politely; he was a gentleman.
Frank Aston and I were the last to go; I didn't think we would get out.
I told Frank to take all the tracers out of the Bren mags - one every fourth round - and I fired the tracers at the curtains in the houses, to set them alight - range 400 yards. I could put anything inside eight inches at that range; that's my grouping capacity in my pay-book.
The curtains caught fire, and Frank kept firing short bursts to stop them putting the fires out. Then we made a dash for it. He went out one end of the trench, and I went out the other.
Both of the anti-tank guns had to be abandoned after being 'spiked', also six of the seven jeeps, which had been damaged by mortar fire. Only the artillery officer's jeep, with one wheel buckled and a boiling radiator, drove out across the fields near the river with the wounded aboard.
The bodies of at least five men, including two sergeants, were left behind”.
On reporting to Battalion HQ, Lieutenant Joe Hardy says,
“We were greeted as conquering heroes. After all, we had knocked off quite a lot of the enemy; we had been surrounded by a far superior force; and we had fought our way out. It hardly seemed necessary at the time to tell people that we had sneaked out through the back entrance”.
Louis Badolato
Lieutenant General
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2005
- Messages
- 17,516
Kevin,
That's a great shot of the LRDG Truck with the K&C Prototype for the Bedford Troop Transport Lorry:
That's a great shot of the LRDG Truck with the K&C Prototype for the Bedford Troop Transport Lorry:
panda1gen
Major
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(see map the second lift - from Arnhem 1944: The Airborne Battle by M. Middlebrook).
The KOSB companies were located around the extensive Ginkel Heath, which was due to be the 4th Parachute Brigade's dropping zone.
4th Parachute Brigade were loading up .......
Their positions were particularly exposed, separated one from another and from the rest of the division by thick woodland.
They were also closer to the German forces now being assembled on the west side of the landing areas.
The KOSB companies were located around the extensive Ginkel Heath, which was due to be the 4th Parachute Brigade's dropping zone.
4th Parachute Brigade were loading up .......
Their positions were particularly exposed, separated one from another and from the rest of the division by thick woodland.
They were also closer to the German forces now being assembled on the west side of the landing areas.
Louis Badolato
Lieutenant General
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2005
- Messages
- 17,516
Three of the early K&C resin and metal Kubelwagons. One Afrika Corps and two Waffen SS.
panda1gen
Major
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The first action of the day resulted in a minor disaster. Major Gordon Sherrif's D Company was responsible for the eastern side of the drop zone. He kept most of his company in the wood along the southern side of his sector, but sent his second in command, Captain George Gourlay, with No. 16 Platoon to occupy a group of huts in an open space a quarter of a mile beyond the trees.
The huts were shown on aerial photographs, but it was not known who was occupying them. On arrival, Captain Gourlay found that it was a civilian work camp run on village lines, with a school in the canteen, and with the men folk going out to farm the surrounding land. The occupants were Dutch families displaced from their village near the coast and relocated here.
Captain Gourlay deployed the platoon's sections around the edges of the camp and told the civilians to stay inside their huts. At 'stand-to' on the Monday morning, the platoon came under heavy fire from unseen positions in the woods.
The fire was returned, but the radio link to the 3-inch mortars at the main company position was not working, so no outside support or reinforcement could be obtained.
The presence of the Dutch civilians severely hampered the defence, and the action was all over by mid-morning.
Seven KOSBs, including the platoon sergeant, were dead or were to die of wounds later, and six more were wounded, including both officers present. All the survivors were taken prisoner.
Their attackers were No. 5 Company of SS Wach Battalion 3 - mostly Dutch SS. The capture of this platoon and the forcing out of its position of one of A Company's platoons at the north-east corner of the heath meant that German troops would be able to fire from these sectors when the parachute drop took place later in the day.
The huts were shown on aerial photographs, but it was not known who was occupying them. On arrival, Captain Gourlay found that it was a civilian work camp run on village lines, with a school in the canteen, and with the men folk going out to farm the surrounding land. The occupants were Dutch families displaced from their village near the coast and relocated here.
Captain Gourlay deployed the platoon's sections around the edges of the camp and told the civilians to stay inside their huts. At 'stand-to' on the Monday morning, the platoon came under heavy fire from unseen positions in the woods.
The fire was returned, but the radio link to the 3-inch mortars at the main company position was not working, so no outside support or reinforcement could be obtained.
The presence of the Dutch civilians severely hampered the defence, and the action was all over by mid-morning.
Seven KOSBs, including the platoon sergeant, were dead or were to die of wounds later, and six more were wounded, including both officers present. All the survivors were taken prisoner.
Their attackers were No. 5 Company of SS Wach Battalion 3 - mostly Dutch SS. The capture of this platoon and the forcing out of its position of one of A Company's platoons at the north-east corner of the heath meant that German troops would be able to fire from these sectors when the parachute drop took place later in the day.
Woodyskysolo
Private 2
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I have to say Panda every picture tells a story, I would love to like every single photo but you have so many so I'm just going to give you a big thumbs up
. And if you ever decided to do a book with all your pictures and everything you have told us about Arnhem I believe it would be very popular with all the Treefroggers around the world. Keep up the great work all the best Paul