Universal Carrier
"Where a goat can go, a man can go. Where a man can go, he can drag a gun."
- – William Phillips, Major General of the British Army
The Universal carrier, more commonly known as the Bren Carrier, holds the record as the most produced armored vehicle in history. It primarily served in the British Army as an IFV equipped with a Bren LMG (Thus the name). It had a reputation as being a reliable workhorse. Much like the Sherman or Churchill, there were variants for just about anything.
Early War
Mid War
Late War
IRL
The Bren Carrier was first produced to meet a request from the War office for a replacement for their current fleet of Artillery Tractors. Several variants were intially, ordered, but eventually a single design was settled upon to be the Universal design.
Most often, Bren Carriers served in their intended roles as Artillery tugs, and were mostly used to drag QF-6 pounders. However, they also served in Carrier sections, and usually carried either a Boys AT rifle or a PIAT, as well as a 2 in. Mortar in each section in addition to the Bren guns equipped on each vehicle.
Of the Subvariants, the most notable and interesting are the Wasp, which carried a Flamethrower, and the Praying Mantis, a development by the British to help develop fighting platforms for their troops that could see over the Hedgerows being used by the Germans during the Normandy campaign, though ultimately this design saw limited service.
British Forces in Flames of War | |
---|---|
Tanks: | Crusader (Tank) - M5/M3 Stuart - Cromwell Recce - Churchill - M4 Sherman - T14 Heavy Tank - Matilda II - TOG 2 - Comet - Challenger - Valentine |
Transports: | M3 Halftrack - Universal Carrier - CMP 3-ton - LVT-4 |
Infantry: | Mortar Platoon - British Mech Company - Commando Platoon - Parachute Company - Rifle Platoon - Rifle Company - Vickers Platoon |
Artillery: | 6lb Gun - 17lb Gun - M7 Priest - 25-Pounder Field Troop - Land Mattress |
Tank Destroyer: | Archer (Tank Destroyer) - Churchill Gun Carrier |
Recon: | Humber Scout Car Troop - Daimler Armoured Car Troop - Boarhound Armored Car - Staghound |
Aircraft: | Typhoon - Hurricane - Auster - Kittyhawk |
Anti-Aircraft: | Crusader AA - Bofors Light AA Troop - Bofors AA Troop |