The Universal Carrier, popularly known as the Bren Gun Carrier from its light machine gun armament, was a British armoured tracked vehicle of the Second World War.
The Universal was the culmination of design of a series of light armoured tracked vehicles built initially by Vickers-Armstrongs and then production shared with other companies. The first carriers – the Bren Gun Carrier and the Scout Carrier which had specific roles – entered service before the war, but a single improved design that could replace these, the Universal, was introduced in 1940.
The vehicle was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War. Universal Carriers were usually used for light reconnaissance, transporting personnel and equipment under fire, mostly support weapons such as mortars, or as machine gun platforms.
Design and development The origins of the Universal Carrier family can be traced back generally to the Carden Loyd tankettes family, which was developed in the 1920s, and specifically the Mk VI tankette.
In 1934, Vickers-Armstrongs produced, as a commercial venture, a light tracked vehicle that could be used either to carry a machine gun or to tow a light field gun. The VA.D50 had an armoured box at the front for driver and a gunner and bench seating at the back for the gun crew. The War Office considered it as a possible replacement for their Vickers "Light Dragon" artillery tractors and took 69 as the "Light Dragon Mark III". The War Office agreed in 1935 to purchase two for evaluation. One was built as the "Carrier, Machine-Gun Experimental (Armoured)". It had a Vickers machine gun in the front and carried a second machine gun with its four man crew; the latter intended to dismount and operate separately. The passengers were sat either side of the engine protected by armoured sides that could fold down. The decision was made to drop the machine gun and its team and the next design had a crew of three—driver and gunner in the front, third crew-member on the left in the rear behind protection and the right rear open for storage. Fourteen of this design were built in mild steel as "Carrier, Machine-Gun No 1 Mark 1" and entered service in 1936. Six were converted into pilot models for the Machine gun Carrier No.2, Cavalry Carrier and Scout Carrier designs – the remainder were used for training.Instruction book, 1939, p7
The carrier put the driver and commander at the front sitting side by side; the driver to the right. The Ford V8 sidevalve engine with four speed gearbox was placed in the centre of the vehicle with the final drive (a commercial Ford axleInstruction book, 1939, p20) at the rear. The suspension and running gear were based on that used on the Vickers light tank series using Horstmann springs. Directional control was through a vertical steering wheel which pivoted about a horizontal axis. Small turns moved the crosstube that carried the front road wheel bogies laterally, warping the track so the vehicle drifted to that side. Further movement of the wheel braked the appropriate track to give a tighter turn.
The hull in front of the commander's position jutted forward to give room for the Bren light machine gun (or other armaments) to fire through a simple slit. To either side of the engine was an area in which passengers could sit or stores could be carried. Initially, there were several types of Carrier that varied slightly in design according to their purpose: "Medium Machine Gun Carrier" (the Vickers machine gun), "Bren Gun Carrier", "Scout Carrier" and "Cavalry Carrier". The production of a single model came to be preferred and the Universal design appeared in 1940; this was the most widely produced of the carriers. It differed from the previous models in that the rear section of the body had a rectangular shape, with more space for the crew.
Production
Production of carriers began in 1934 and ended in 1960. Before the Universal design was introduced, the vehicles were produced by Aveling and Porter, Bedford Vehicles, Ford of Britain, Morris Motors Limited, the Sentinel Waggon Works, and the Thornycroft company. With the introduction of the Universal, production in the UK was undertaken by Aveling-Barford, Ford, Sentinel, Thornycroft, and Wolseley Motors. By 1945 production amounted to approximately 57,000 of all models, including some 2,400 early ones.
The Universal Carriers, in different variants, were also produced in allied countries. Ford Motor Company of Canada manufactured about 29,000 vehicles known as the Ford C01UC Universal Carrier. Smaller numbers of them were also produced in Australia (about 5,000), where hulls were made in several places in Victoria and by South Australian Railways workshops in Adelaide, South Australia. About 1,300 were also produced in New Zealand.
Universal Carriers were manufactured in the United States for allied use with GAE and GAEA V-8 Ford engines. About 20,000 were produced.
Operational history
The Universal Carrier was ubiquitous in all the theatres during the Second World War with British and Commonwealth armies, from the war in the East to the occupation of Iceland. Although the theory and policy was that the carrier was a "fire power transport" and the crew would dismount to fight, practice differed. It could carry machine guns, anti-tank rifles, mortars, infantrymen, supplies, artillery and observation equipment.
United Kingdom
The seven mechanized divisional cavalry regiments in the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France during 1939–1940 were equipped with Scout Carriers – 44 carriers and 28 light tanks in each regiment. There were 10 Bren Carriers in each infantry battalion in the same period.
The Reconnaissance Corps regiments – which replaced the cavalry regiments in supporting Infantry divisions after 1940 – were each equipped with 63 carriers, along with 28 Humber scout cars.
Universal Carriers were issued to the support companies in infantry rifle battalions for carrying support weapons (initially 10,An Infantry (Rifle) Battalion, ref II/1931/12B/3, notified in Army Council Instructions 6 April 1938 21 by 1941,An Infantry Battalion (Higher Establishment), ref II/1931/12F/2, notified in Army Council Instructions 4 June 1941. and up to 33 per battalion by 1943An Infantry Battalion, ref II/233/2, notified in Army Council Instructions 19 May 1943, effective date 30 April 1943.). A British armoured division of 1940–41 had 109 carriers; each motor battalion had 44.
A British Carrier platoon originally had ten Universal Carriers with three carrier sections of three Universal Carriers each plus another Universal Carrier in the platoon HQ (along with a 15-cwt GS truck). Each Universal Carrier had a non-commissioned officer (NCO), a rifleman and a driver-mechanic. One Universal Carrier in each section was commanded by a sergeant, the other two by corporals.
All the Universal Carriers were armed with a Bren gun and one carrier in each carrier section also had a Boys anti-tank rifle. By 1941, the carrier platoon had increased in strength to contain four carrier sections; one carrier in each carrier section also carried a 2-inch mortar.
By 1943, each Universal Carrier had a crew of four, an NCO, driver-mechanic and two riflemen. The Boys anti-tank rifle was also replaced by the PIAT anti-tank weapon. The Universal Carrier's weapons could be fired from in- or outside the carrier. A carrier platoon had a higher number of light support weapons than a rifle company.
+Carrier section composition (after 1943)TaskRankWeaponNotesOrderlyPrivateStenEquipped with a motorcycleCarrier 1CommanderSergeantRifleDriver-mechanicPrivateRifleGunnerPrivateBrenRiflemanLance corporalRifleNo.38 Wireless setCarrier 2CommanderCorporalRifleDriver-mechanicPrivateRifleGunnerPrivateBrenRiflemanPrivateRifle2-inch mortar with 36 roundsCarrier 3CommanderCorporalRifleDriver-mechanicPrivateRifleGunnerPrivateBrenRiflemanPrivateRifle and PIAT
To allow the Universal to function as an artillery tractor in emergencies, a towing attachment that could allow it to haul the Ordnance QF 6 pounder anti-tank gun was added from 1943. Normally the Loyd Carrier – which was also used as a general utility carrier – acted as the tractor for the 6-pdr.
In Motorised Infantry Battalions in the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) in the early 1950s the Universal was issued one per platoon carrying the Platoon Commander, driver, signaller and the 2-inch Mortar group Nos 1 & 2.
Australia Universal and the earlier Bren carriers were used by Australian Army units in the Western Desert campaign.
Australian Universal Carriers were deployed to the Western Desert, Egypt during August 1942 serving as command vehicles for the 9th Divisional Cavalry Regiment.
Germany Captured Universal Carriers were used in various roles by German forces.
A total of around sixty Bren No.2 Carriers and Belgian Army Vickers Utility Tractors were converted into demolition vehicles. Carrying a large explosive charge, these would be driven up to enemy positions under remote control and detonated, destroying both themselves and the target. Twenty-nine of both kinds were deployed in 1942 during the Siege of Sevastopol. They achieved some success in destroying Soviet trenches and bunkers, but a significant number were destroyed by artillery. Others were disabled by land mines before reaching their target or were lost because of mechanical breakdowns. A difficulty for the Germans using these foreign-built vehicles was the lack of spare parts.
Variants
The widespread production of the Carrier allowed for several variants to be developed, manufactured and/or used by different countries.
Argentine An attempted conversion to self-propelled artillery consisting of a single T16 carrier fitted with a six-Model 1968 recoilless gun mount was developed in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
British Early variants Carrier, Machine-Gun No. 2 Introduced in 1937 The Vickers machine gun was in an armoured housing and the third crewman was given an armoured backrest. First vehicles were built by Vickers-Armstrong but then production was carried on by Thornycroft, Morris, Aveling Barford ,and Sentinel Wagon Carrier, Bren No.2, Mark I and Mark II Modification of the Carrier Machine Gun No.2 design by Thornycroft for the Bren machine gun. Seating for three crew. Armour plate on front and left hand side only. Carrier, Scout Mk 1 Carried a No. 11 Wireless set.Instruction book, 1939, p24 Armour plate on front and right hand side only. Batteries for the radio in bullet proof box over rear axle. Added screening to engine cover to limit radio interference. Carrier, Cavalry Mk 1 Used for carrying personnel of Light tank regiments in Mobile Divisions. A total of 50 were built by Nuffield, discontinued with the reorganization of the Mobile Divisions into Armoured divisions. Seating was provided for six passengers on benches. Carrier, Armoured Observation Post For carrying Royal Artillery observers under protection. The machine gun position was fitted with an armoured shutter instead of gun slit. Ninety-five built in two marks. Carrier, Armoured, 2-pounder (40 mm) A Carrier, Machine Gun converted in 1938 to mount a 2-pdr anti-tank gun with fixed armoured shield protecting the crew of four. Carrier, Armoured 6-pounder (57 mm) A Carrier, Machine Gun converted to mount a 6-pdr gun with fixed armoured shield protecting the crew. In addition, the Experimental Machine-Gun Carrier was rebuilt as the "General Service Vehicle" with a Boys anti-tank rifle on a rail allowing it to be swung from the front to aim to the sides. A Bren Gun Carrier was also rebuilt - probably at Ford Dagenham for a local Home Guard unit - with a Smith Gun, a 3-inch smoothbore gun firing antipersonnel or anti tank projectiles, in the hull front giving rise to a self-propelled gun
Later variants Universal Mk. I Initial model. Universal Mk. II