Universal Carrier Tracked Vehicle [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

THE CARRIER

In the sixth part of his series, Nigel Watson turns his attention to Australian and New Zealand Local Pattern Carriers

A New Zealand-manufactured Bren No 2 Mk I LP Carrier with its distinctive camouflage pattern. Notice the ‘normal’ sloped glacis plate and the steering gear housing just above the horn.

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND LOCAL PATTERN CARRIERS (PRODUCED 1940-1944) ew Zealand and Australia purchased examples of the Bren No 2 Mk I Carrier from Britain in 1938 and 1939 respectively. They were to become the base models for the two countries’ own types of Carrier that were produced during the forties. New Zealand purchased six Carriers built in allowed the transfer of power through the Britain by Thornycroft and given WD numbers differential mechanism to the non-braked T2689-2694 and British registrations HMH242- side. A brake pedal also connected the 247. It then proceeded to manufacture 40 of steering rods which allowed both sides to be its own, known as the Carrier, Bren No 2 Mk I braked together. LP, at the Railway Workshops at Woburn, near However, in practice it was particularly Wellington. It was almost a copy of the Bren difficult to stop in a straight line as it was No 2 Mk I Carrier but incorporated difficult to ensure that the brakes were evenly improvements from the Bren No 2 Mk II Carrier adjusted. Many veteran drivers used the that was already being produced by Nuffield levers to brake both sides as this allowed and Aveling-Barford in England. adjustments to be made by them. The New Australia purchased one Bren No 2 Mk I Zealand Bren No 2 Mk I LP used the same Carrier as a template for its own production. It steering system as the British vehicle, track had been produced by Nuffield around March warping and braking by way of a steering or April 1937. The Australian LP Carrier was wheel. This didn’t allow for any power transfer known as Carrier, MG (Aust) No1 or LP1, and to the non-braked side. it was introduced in 1940 with approximately Other main differences between the two 160 being manufactured. Unlike its New countries’ LP Carriers concerned the rear Zealand counterpart, the Australian machine axle, the bogie wheels, the front glacis plate was steered using levers that actuated the and gunner’s compartment. The Ford axle hydraulic brake master cylinders. Pulling on used on the Australian LP1 was a standard one lever braked that particular side and also truck axle but with a different hub (which was

N

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to be further altered in later vehicles) whilst the New Zealand hub assembly was sourced from Canada. The Australians produced their own style of bogie wheel with ribbed spokes, while New Zealand opted for the British or Canadian-style spokes. Probably the most notable difference was to the front of the vehicle. The Australian Carrier’s front glacis plate was ‘lifted’ to enable the steering levers to be sited under it, similar to the Universal Carrier T16, and there was also a centrally-positioned towing eye. The firing slot was also wider to accommodate the Vickers gun on a pintle mount just under it. Because New Zealand production retained the steering wheel and the Bren gun, neither the glacis plate nor the firing slot were altered. Both countries’ LP Carriers saw service in North Africa but it was the severe conditions of that theatre that exposed the Australian LP1’s lack of reliability when defects such as overheating, excessive brake wear and the general shortage of spare parts meant that many were unserviceable. Units running the British and Canadian-based Carriers were

ER STORY 6

A side view ie of the N New Z Zealand land LP Ca Carrier. ie Above Abo the census number mb iis a tria triangular ul castt ir iron plate late signifying ignifyin that non-armoured d plat plates are fitted.

more fortunate as, although these defects were encountered, the overall reliability was better. Experiments were undertaken by Australian engineers using the track-warping steering system incorporated into a Carrier that had an enclosed front compartment. Subsequently, a machine that had the conventional open front compartment was tested and became the prototype for the LP2 and LP2A Carriers which went into production early in 1941 with four manufacturers, Victorian Railways (also the main coordinating contractor), South Australian Railways, the Metropolitan Gas Company and the Ford Motor Company. In 1943 a fifth company, State Engineering Works, joined the consortium. The new Australian Carriers were known as the Carrier, MG (Aust) LP2 and LP2A. They featured a welded hull and completely new stowage arrangements. A long, higher air scoop was introduced to combat engine overheating problems, and it was hoped that the introduction of a track-warping and braking steering system would address the braking defects encountered with the previous model. LP2s were fitted with a 1938 rear axle whereas LP2As came with a 1940-type axle. New Zealand obtained an Australian LP2 Carrier and, using it as a basis, produced 520 of what was known as the Carrier, MG LP2 (NZ) at the General Motors New Zealand plant in the Hutt Valley. As with the Australian-built LP2, Ford V8 side-valve engines were imported from Canada. New Zealand also sourced the drivetrain, radiator, gearbox, differential and rear axle from Canada, whereas Australia seems to have used its own resources for those components. New Zealand upgraded its

LP2 Carriers to accommodate Bren guns and later also used the 1940-type rear axle which, as with the Australian machines, resulted in an LP2A designation. All Carriers produced by Australia and New Zealand, and indeed by the other Commonwealth countries, used Horstmann

suspension units, but it was only Australia and New Zealand that opted for a slightly different track link system for their vehicles. Britain ordered through the Eastern Supply Group Council (ESGC) 650 Carriers from New Zealand to be given WD numbers T77594 to 78243. They would seem to have been

Experimental Australian LP1 with an enclosed front compartment and a hatch over the gunner. This Carrier used the track-warp steering system. The central headlamp is a later addition and not part of the experiment. CLASSIC MILITARY VEHICLE July 2013

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Above: This New Zealand LP Carrier has a Lewis gun fitted and is carrying an extra crew member in the back. Carriers were able to climb an incline of approximately 62%.

destined for Commonwealth units fighting in the Mediterranean, although none were to leave New Zealand. Instead they were modified to MMG, 3in Mortar, six-pounder AT tractors and flamethrowers to equip the country’s post-war army. As an aside, the ESGC had been formed in August 1940 and based in Simla, India. Its aim was to coordinate the allocation of surplus production from India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Various experimental Carriers were tested in both countries, with Australia eventually manufacturing an Anti-Tank Carrier and 3in Mortar Carrier. A pilot model for an upgraded LP2A was produced in 1944 but not adopted.

The Th Ne New Zeal Zealand d LP C Carrier ri had a single ingl kit lock locker on th the tr track k guard, d, less l of a sloped lo d gl glacis is plate, late a different rear hub arrangement and cast bogie wheels with reinforcement ribbing on the inside and a smooth outside finish.

the two-pounder QF gun on a modified LP2 Carrier hull. At first the gun was mounted on the left side, positioned over the gunner’s

travelling. A modification to the engine deck allowed for it to be elevated and traversed more easily. Further designs were proposed involving the mounting of the engine centrally in a forward position, and then to one side of the front compartment, but after extensive te iv testing some major issues evolved concerning failed driveshaft couplings, poor access to various components and engine venting problems. It was eventually decided to lengthen the hull by 8.75in (222mm) as

‘…almost a copy of the Bren No 2 Mk I Carrier…’

TWO-POUNDER ANTI-TANK CARRIER (PRODUCED 1942) Initial designs were developed for mounting

compartment, tm t, and nd hyd hydraulics ulic enabled abled the th gun to be raised to a firing position or lowered for

Right: This side view shows the AT Carrier in travelling mode. Between the gun shield and the driver you can see the three gun crew seats. Below: LP1 crew members of the 6th Australian Infantry Division pause to view ruins as they advance through Greece in the spring of 1941. Note that their LP1 retains the early Caunter-pattern camouflage scheme.

Th

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Ab Above: A Carrier, MG (Aust) LP2. Left: A Carrier, MG (Aust) No 1, or LP1, illustrating characteristics such as a steeper-sloped glacis plate, wider firing slot, twin kit lockers, ribbed-spoke bogie wheels su and early rear-sprocket wheel hub. an

well as incorporate an improved cooling system and transmission arrangement. This also improved the space available to operate the gun and stow ammunition. The position of all the suspension units relative to the rear sprocket stayed the same but the front idler wheel was moved.

The two-pounder was mounted centrally on a rear deck allowing 360 degrees of traverse. The driver’s compartment was forward and to the right. The engine was mounted to the left of the driver with its air intake on the front plate. The earlier design had a single air scoop on its glacis plate and a small air cleaner. After further testing these were then modified to provide better air circulation for the engine.

Above: The Carrier, Carrier MG (Aus.) No 3, 3 or LP3, LP3 was the final LP Carrier proposed. Similar in design to its predecessors, it incorporated several innovations including a new steering front idler wheel which enabled track warping in a different way and larger rear engine ducting.

The Anti-tank Carrier had a crew complement of four – driver, crew commander, gun layer and loader. The gunnery team sat in the rear where they were able to man the gun at short notice. Apart from the two-pounder, the Carrier was equipped with a .303 Bren, a .45 Thomson sub-machine gun and a .45 Colt automatic pistol. In February 1942 the prototype underwent gunnery trials at Puckapunyal and produced exceptional results. Fifteen rounds were fired in 60 seconds against a moving target at 800 yards (734m) and 12 hits were recorded. On the back of this trial the Australian Army placed an order for 200 Anti-tank Carriers with the Metropolitan Gas Company in Victoria. The last came off the production line on 15 October 1942 but it soon became obvious from reports coming out of North Africa that the two-pounder was unable to deal effectively with enemy armour. As a result, the AT Carrier was destined to be a training and defence vehicle. THE 3IN MORTAR CARRIER (PRODUCED 1942-1943) Various attempts had been made to mount a 3in mortar on a conventional Carrier hull. Britain had used a Carrier with the mortar mounted in the gunner’s compartment, and Australia took a similar route by testing a mortar that was mounted on a strengthened

Below: This Anti-Tank Carrier is the later version with twin air scoops on the glacis plate ahead of the engine’s air cleaner arrangement.

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The mortar’s Th rt ’s tturntable ntable b base.

A rear view of the Mortar Carrier (Aust) shows the rear curved bins where weapons spares and crew items were stowed. The mortar bomb bins can be seen down each side of the fighting compartment.

engine deck. It was not adopted and, in early 1942, the Metropolitan Gas Company was tasked with designing a Carrier specifically for the mortar role but utilising as many existing parts as possible. The main features of what was to be called the Carrier, 3in Mortar (Aust), st), were the same as for the Anti-tank Carrier and it was only the rear compartment that

was altered. The mortar was mounted on the revolving floor deck where the two-pounder

machine gun were provided within the fighting compartment against the rear and forward bulkheads respectively. The mortar tools, aiming posts and pioneer tools were clamped to the mortar bomb compartment lids. The pilot model was tested towards the end of April 1942 and an order for 400 was subsequently placed. It was completed by the end of June 1943 having been delayed by Anti-tank Carrier production. A further order for 640 was switched to MG Carrier production as the Australian Army’s requirement ir for the type ceased. All 400 Mortar Carriers were shipped overseas as aid towards the end of the war.

‘…exposed the Australian LP1’s lack of reliability…’ had ha be been iinstalled, talled andd th the mortar rt bbombs bs were stored in armoured bins. Stowage brackets for the crew’s .303 rifles and Thomson sub-

Belo C Below: Carrier, ri 3in 3i Mort Mortar (Aust). Notic Notice th the mortar rt b base plat plate mounted on the side of the engine compartment at the front.

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