British patrol engaging a German machine gun team in North Africa, by Peter Dennis © Osprey Publishing Ltd. Taken from Weapon 1: The Thompson Submachine Gun.
This Army List is based upon the troops and equipment available to the British, Commonwealth and affiliated forces throughout six long years of war in Europe, Africa, the Far East and, occasionally, beyond. The typical British infantry section began the conflict equipped with the venerable Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifle, the Bren light machine gun, and various kinds of hand grenades. During the war this was augmented with Thompson or Sten submachine guns, and towards the end of hostilities often a second Bren would appear in veteran sections. The infantry-carried anti tank weapons at the start of hostilities were the Boys anti tank rifle and No. 68 grenades, the latter designed to be fired from a launcher attached to a rifle. The Boys proved inadequate to deal with modern German tanks and from 1943 was replaced by the PIAT (Projector Infantry Anti-Tank) that fired hollow-charge missiles capable of penetrating even the armour of a Tiger tank.
Throughout the war the tendency was towards greater mechanisation, but when it came to the crunch it was the Poor Bloody Infantry who went into the attack on foot as they had always done. By the end of the war, the infantry were carrying twice the firepower and were backed-up by more aircraft, artillery pieces and tanks than eve before. The British practice of conserving manpower whenever possible, at the expense of greater weight of artillery or lengthier preparation, was honed throughout the war as resources dwindled and replacements became ever harder to find. This, in part, was the reason that British attacks were so carefully planned and used such heavy concentrations of supporting artillery and airpower.
As well as British troops, this list also covers the Commonwealth and other associated forces that fought alongside or as part of the British Army against the Germans, Italians and Japanese. As such it covers Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and South African forces from countries that were already independent nations, and troops from India and Africa that were still colonies under British administration. It also includes the forces of European countries occupied by the Germans, fighting with the British Army, most notably the Poles. The supposedly British army included many representatives of every allied nation, most of which fought in national brigades such as the Dutch Princess Irene Brigade, or as mixed formations such as Number 10 Commando (Interallied). When it comes to establishing ‘army game rules’ for an army that was so diverse in make-up and which fought in so many theatres for so long, everyone will have their own ideas. We address this by allowing players to chose one of a selection of special rules to reflect the character of their army as they perceive it, whether that’s the rapid-firing fire discipline of the native Briton, unflinching determination of the Poles, or tough hand-to-hand fighting Canadian and Australians, we leave to you to decide.
This is the official Bolt Action Army List for the forces of Britain and the Commonwealth in World War II. This fuller and more detailed listing both augments and supersedes the shorter Army List included in the Bolt Action rulebook.
Players can pick an army in either of two ways:
• Use the Reinforced Platoon selector from the Bolt Action rulebook in conjunction with the Army List in this book. To save referencing back to the rulebook, the generic Reinforced Platoon selector is repeated below.
• Instead of using the generic Reinforced Platoon selector, use any one of the Theatre Selectors starting on page XX in conjunction with the Army List given in this book.
Either method is perfectly acceptable depending on what kind of game you wish to play. The first method uses the generic selector and is more flexible and therefore ideal for pick-up games against any opponent, as it allows for a wider variety of different kinds of troops and equipment. The second method using the Theatre Selectors is more historically representative and therefore better suited for games where a historical portrayal is envisaged; for example the open battles of the western desert or the claustrophobic close fighting in the bocage of Normandy. We imagine that players will, on the whole, prefer to fight battles within a specific historical context, in which case simply use the appropriate Theatre Selector to choose your army.
1 Lieutenant – First or Second
2 Infantry sections
plus
0–3 Infantry sections
0–1 Captain or Major
0–1 Medic
0–1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
0–1 Machine gun team
0–1 Mortar team
0–1 Sniper team
0–1 Flamethrower team
0–1 Anti-tank team
0–1 Field Artillery, Anti-aircraft or Anti-tank gun
0–1 Armoured Car
0–1 Tank, Tank Destroyer, Anti-aircraft vehicle or Self-propelled Artillery
0–1 Transport vehicle or tow (soft skins or armoured) per infantry and artillery unit in the reinforced platoon
British tactical doctrine called for extensive preparatory bombardment prior to any attack.
When rolling for the effects of a Preparatory Bombardment instead of rolling one die on the results chart for each enemy unit (rulebook, p.118) roll two dice and choose the best result.
British forces were supported by well-coordinated gun batteries and were able to call down fire to support an attack or discourage the enemy’s advance.
British and Commonwealth armies can include one Regular Artillery Forward Observer for free. This officer does not count towards the limit of Observers in the reinforced platoons; he is additional and free. However, the free Observer cannot be included in a force whose selector does not include Artillery Observers in the first place (like a small Commando force, for example).
JAMES GORDON VC
Rank and unit: Private, 7th Australian Division, Western Desert Corps
Where and when: north of Djezzine, Syria, 10 July 1941
While fighting against Vichy French forces as part of the advance on Beruit, James Gordon was part of a company that came under intense machine gun fire and was pinned down. Every attempt to move forward was met with a hail of bullets and caused more casualties. Lieutenant Davis and Corporal Pollard were killed leading their men, and many more were injured. Further advance was impossible while the fortified machine gun post remained in place. Taking stock of the situation, and without waiting for orders, Gordon crawled forwards under constant machine gun fire and as the target of hand grenades. Finally, when he had closed the distance, he charged the machine gun position from the front and bayoneted the four gunners inside.
The enemy were completely demoralised and Gordon’s companions equally emboldened. Thanks to his selfless actions the company was able to continue its advance, during which Gordon fought with ‘equal gallantry’.
In recognition for his quick thinking, bravery and inspirational action, Gordon was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Jungle ambush – Chindits take the fight to the enemy
The British Army was far from being uniquely British including troops from all corners of a far-flung Empire as well as national contingents from all the occupied nations of Europe.
Rather than suggest a single bonus rule to cover this whole array of fighting men, we offer a choice of one of the following special bonuses. We will not allocate a rule to each nationality – mostly because we could not bear the arguments over who was the toughest the Australians or Canadians, or who the most disciplined the British or Indians, who the better shots, who the most determined to rid their homeland of the invader, and so on. So, any British army – whatever its national make-up – can choose any one of the following rules to represent it as you – its commander – chooses to see it. The only limit is that you can only choose one rule – and that rule applies to the whole army.
• Up and ‘at ‘em: If the army has this rule then any order given to make an assault is automatically treated as having been passed – the unit is assumed to have rolled whatever order die score is needed to pass its order. This rule does not apply to Inexperienced troops – including any units that start out as ‘green’.
• Blood curdling charge: If the army has this special rule then enemy units cannot react to an assault by shooting at them – they are simply transfixed with horror at the sight of their foe. This rule does not apply if the units launching the assault are Inexperienced – including any units that start out as ‘green’.
• Tough as boots: If the army has this special rule then all Regular or Veteran infantry units roll bonus attack dice when fighting at close quarters. For every three men fighting in the combat roll one extra die – so seven men would roll two extra dice, and ten men would roll three extra, and so on. This extra attack can be assumed to come from any of the men fighting.
• Rapid Fire: If the army has this special rule then all rifle armed Regular and Veteran infantry units roll bonus dice when shooting. For every three men shooting rifles roll one extra die – so four riflemen would roll one extra die, for example. These extra shots can be assumed to come from any of the men fighting.
• Vengeance: If the army has this special rule then every Regular or Veteran unit that has one or more pin markers can make a test to lose one pin marker if there are any enemy within 12” immediately before an order is given to it. For example, a unit of infantry has two pin markers and there is a German tank within 12” – when the infantry are allocated an order they can test to lose one pin marker immediately before the order test is taken. Roll a die: on a roll of 4, 5 or 6 the test is passed and the unit loses one pin marker; on a 1, 2 or 3 the test is failed and the unit retains the pin markers it has. Once this has been done, continue to test to see if the unit obeys its order in the usual way, even if they have lost their last pin marker (in which case the Order test is taken without negative modifiers from pin markers).
MEPACRIN
Where and when: jungles of Burma, January 1942–July 1945
In the jungles of Burma there were many enemies besides the Japanese, from the native Burmese bandits to the many cobras, pythons, vipers, kraits and other deadly snakes. On top of this there was an endless round of diseases such as dysentery, cholera and malaria.
Malaria-carrying mosquitoes were a regular companion in the jungle, and to forestall the inevitable the British issued anti-malaria tablets called Mepacrin to all their troops. These were foul-tasting and not well liked among the ranks, nor was there any great belief in their effectiveness. However, it was a military offence not to take them and after Slim made an example of a number of officers, their use was widely enforced. Luckily for the Tommy, taking Mepacrin turned your skin ‘a rich yellow’ and so the tablets themselves exonerated you should you actually catch the disease, as most eventually did.
The list is divided into categories as follows:
| 1 Infantry | Headquarters units Infantry sections and teams |
| 2 Artillery | Field artillery Anti-aircraft guns Anti-tank guns |
| 3 Vehicles | Tanks Tank Destroyers Self-propelled artillery Anti-aircraft vehicles Armoured cars Transports and tows |
C Company, British 2nd Parachute Battalion, at Bruneval, by Peter Dennis © Osprey Publishing Ltd. Taken from Elite 136: World War II Airborne Warfare Tactics.
Each platoon is centred upon a core that includes a headquarters unit in the form of a First or Second Lieutenant. Other HQ units can be added to the force, including higher-ranking officers, as well as medical units and supporting observers.
The middle ranks of officers were almost invariably drawn from the upper-middle classes: educated in the public schools, instilled with the values of empire, and imbued with a sense of confidence, duty and resolve that is difficult to conceive of today. An officer unit consists of the man himself and can include up to two other men acting as his immediate attendants. Officers can be rated as Inexperienced, Regular or Veteran.
Cost: Second Lieutenant 35pts (Inexperienced), 50pts (Regular), 65pts (Veteran)
First Lieutenant 60pts (Inexperienced), 75pts (Regular), 90pts (Veteran)
Captain 95pts (Inexperienced), 110pts (Regular), 125pts (Veteran)
Major 135pts (Inexperienced), 150pts (Regular), 165pts (Veteran)
Team: 1 officer and up to 2 further men
Weapons: Pistol, submachine gun, or rifle as depicted on the models
Options:
• The officer may be accompanied by up to 2 men at a cost of +7pts per man (Inexperienced) +10pts per man (Regular) or +13pts per man (Veteran)
The field medic presents the wounded soldier with his best chance of surviving serious injury and can ensure that lightly wounded soldiers are returned to fighting fitness as rapidly as possible. Junior medical staff such as stretcher-bearers can accompany medics in the field. As non-combatants under the Geneva Convention, medics were not issued with weapons -but the practicalities of war sometimes led to medical staff carrying pistols for their personal protection. We rate them as Regular or Veteran.
Cost: Medic 23pts (Regular), 30pts (Veteran)
Team: 1 medic and up to 2 further men
Weapons: Pistol or none as depicted on the model
Options:
• The medic may be accompanied by up to 2 men at a cost of +10pts per man (Regular) or +13pts per man (Veteran)
Forward observers are liaison officers responsible for coordinating the attack of heavy artillery batteries from behind the lines or aircraft strikes. They are likely to be accompanied by a radio operator and other immediate attendants. We rate these officers as Regular or Veteran, those of lesser ability being unlikely to find themselves in such a position. Note that the British army can include one Regular Artillery Forward Observer for free to represent the close coordination of artillery at a tactical level.
Cost: Artillery Forward Observer Free/100pts (Regular), 115pts (Veteran)
Air Force Forward Observer 75pts (Regular), 90pts (Veteran)
Team: 1 Forward Observer and up to 2 further men.
Weapons: Pistol, submachine gun, or rifle as depicted on the models.
Options:
• The observer may be accompanied by up to 2 men at a cost of +10pts per man (Regular) or +13pts per man (Veteran).
A section of British Tommies – next stop Germany!
British troops prepare a mouse-holing charge, by Peter Dennis © Osprey Publishing Ltd. Taken from Elite 160: World War II Infantry Assault Tactics.
The British soldier had a massive reputation to live up to: steadfast in the face of the enemy and forming a vital part of a well-oiled fighting machine. His equipment was effective and practical, even if the standard weapon – the Lee-Enfield .303 – had served his father in the previous war. Nonetheless, it was an effective and rugged weapon. It was ideally suited to British fire methods based on rapid, aimed single-shots.
A British infantry squad was referred to as a section. It normally consisted of ten men and was divided into a separate rifle group and Bren group. Each section was led by a corporal armed with a rifle or pistol and included a lance corporal who was in charge of the Bren group. All the section members apart from the corporal carried ammunition for the Bren – 700 rounds in 25 magazines in all. In addition, all men carried grenades.
As the war progressed, additional weaponry was acquired. The section leader and/or second in command would be issued with Thompson or Sten submachine guns (though these were sometimes quietly ‘lost’ to avoid making themselves obvious targets for snipers). Late in the war a second Bren was added to many Veteran sections, whether this was officially part of their issue or not.
The backbone of the British and Commonwealth armies was the regular soldier. At the start of the war these may have lacked practical experience, but were well trained professionals, and likely to be led by men who had fought during the previous war. Man for man the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) that fought in France showed itself a capable force, and the same may be said of troops that fought during the campaigns in Norway, Greece, East Africa and the Western Desert.
Cost: Regular Infantry 50pts.
Composition: 1 NCO and 4 men
Weapons: Rifles
Options:
• Add up to 5 additional soldiers at +10pts each
• One soldier may have a light machine gun for +20pts. Another soldier becomes the loader
• The entire squad may have anti-tank grenades for +2pts per model
Special Rules:
• Tank hunters (if anti-tank grenades taken)
As the war progressed, the armed forces swelled with the influx of conscripts. They became the new generation of ‘regular’ soldiers and rapidly gained combat experience in the theatres in which they were deployed. The mid-war saw submachine guns issued more widely to infantry sections, first in the form of the American Thompson, then the British-made Sten (which cost less than a third of the price).
Cost: Regular Infantry 50pts
Composition: 1 NCO and 4 men
Weapons: Rifles
Options:
• Add up to 5 additional soldiers at +10pts each
• The NCO and another soldier may have a submachine gun for +3pts each
• One soldier may have a light machine gun for +20pts. Another soldier becomes the loader
• The entire squad may have anti-tank grenades for +2pts per model
Special Rules:
• Tank hunters (if anti-tank grenades taken)
With the army filled with new conscripts fresh out of training, there were times when a commander could not avoid fielding Inexperienced units. When the German and Japanese assault crashed against untried Commonwealth forces, many Inexperienced units suddenly found themselves in battle for the first time.. As the war dragged on, the numbers of conscripts available dropped, and non-combatant soldiers were drafted in to fill the depleted ranks of combat units.
Cost: Inexperienced Infantry 35pts
Composition: 1 NCO and 4 men
Weapons: Rifles
Options:
• Add up to 5 additional soldiers at +7pts each
• One soldier may have a light machine gun for +20pts. Another soldier becomes the loader
• The entire squad may have anti-tank grenades for +2pts per model
Special Rules:
• Tank hunters (if anti-tank grenades taken)
British and Commonwealth troops were generally well-trained and after the pressing dangers of the first few years of war were over there was little likelihood of troops being thrown into battle without thorough and effective training. Even so, we allow for the possibility of hurriedly trained or inadequately prepared with the following entry.
Cost: Inexperienced Infantry 35pts
Composition: 1 NCO and 4 men
Weapons: Rifles
Options:
• Add up to 5 additional soldiers at +7pts each
• The NCO and another soldier may have a submachine gun for +3pts each
• One soldier may have a light machine gun for +20pts. Another soldier becomes the loader
• The entire squad may have anti-tank grenades for +2pts per model
Special Rules:
• Tank hunters (if anti-tank grenades taken)
A British section debuses from its M5 half-track transport
Following the retreat from Dunkirk the army had to be rebuilt and trained from scratch, whilst the ranks of the Local Defence Volunteers were assembled from men too old or otherwise exempt from military service. At first these men were armed with just about anything they could lay their hands on and many were not armed at all, but soon the Home Guard – as they were renamed in July of 1940 – acquired uniforms and weapons comparable to the regular army. These were often older, obsolete weapons left over from World War I, frequently in a mixture of calibres, and not always in prime condition – but they were weapons non the less! Instructions were given for the manufacture of Molotov cocktails for use against German tanks – although later the army passed on obsolete sticky-bombs as well as incendary grenades (the No.76 SIG). The Home Guard prepared to face an invasion that never came, and afterwards functioned as a militia freeing fitter and younger men up for service at the front. We represent them at the moment of danger – for potential service against Hitler’s jack-booted Stormtroopers during the hypothetical German invasion of Great Britain.
Cost: Inexperienced Infantry 35pts
Composition: 1 NCO and 4 men
Weapons: Rifles
Options:
• Add up to 5 additional unarmed soldiers at +4pts each
• Extra to give unarmed soldiers rifles at +3pts each
• Extra to give unarmed soldiers shotguns at +5pts each
• Extra to give unarmed soldiers pistols at +2pts each
• The NCO may have a submachine gun for +3pts
• One soldier may have a light machine gun for +20pts. Another soldier becomes the loader
• If no LMG is included, one soldier may have a BAR Automatic rifle for +5pts
• The entire squad may have anti-tank grenades/Molotov cocktails for +2pts per model
Special Rules:
• Tank hunters (if anti-tank grenades/Molotov cocktails taken)
• Green
• Shotguns: these weapons have the profile below:
| Type | Range | Shots | Pen | Special |
| Shotgun | 18” | 1 | n/a | Assault |
The defeats of the early war made veterans of Commonwealth troops the hard way. They were soon able to inflict similar losses on their foes, and as the tables slowly turned in favour of the allies it was the veterans who led the way. Note that these are not necessarily members of elite or special units, merely those who survived the early battles and learned from that experience.
Cost: Veteran Infantry 65pts
Composition: 1 NCO and 4 men
Weapons: Rifles
Options:
• Add up to 5 additional soldiers at +13pts each
• The NCO and another soldier may have a submachine gun for +3pts each
• One soldier may have a light machine gun for +20pts. Another soldier becomes the loader
• The entire squad may have anti-tank grenades for +2pts per model
Special Rules:
• Tank hunters (if anti-tank grenades taken)
Veteran troops tend to acquire additional weapons, and the longer they are in the front line the more they add. Late-war sections had a tendency to end up with two Bren guns each, as well as several submachine guns. Sometimes these were issued; other times they just found their way into the unit on their own…
Cost: Veteran Infantry 65pts
Composition: 1 NCO and 4 men
Weapons: rifles
Options:
• Add up to 5 additional soldiers at +13pts each
• The NCO and up to 2 other soldiers may have a submachine gun for +3pts each
• Up to 2 soldiers may have a light machine gun for +20pts. Each LMG must have a second soldier allocated as a loader
• The entire squad may have anti-tank grenades for +2pts per model
Special Rules:
• Tank hunters (if anti-tank grenades taken)
Paratroopers played a vital role in ensuring the landings at Normandy went to plan. The 6th Airborne Division led the way by securing vital positions on the first day of the invasion. Paratroops then carried the fight through the Ardennes and were involved in the crossing of the Rhine into Germany. In addition to these elite forces many of the formations involved in the fighting in Europe were veterans of the African and Italian campaigns as well as the ill-fated Operation Market Garden – not least the Poles. Although otherwise armed in the standard fashion, special forces units would often a high proportion of submachine guns. Any of these units can be built up as follows.
Cost: Veteran Infantry 70pts
Composition: 1 NCO and 4 men
Weapons: Rifles
Options:
• Add up to 5 additional soldiers at +14pts each
• The NCO and up to four other soldiers may have a submachine gun for +3pts each
• One soldier may have a light machine gun for +20pts. Another soldier becomes the loader
• The entire squad may have anti-tank grenades for +2pts per model
• The entire squad may be mounted upon bicyles or welbikes for +1 pt per man
Special Rules:
• Tank hunters (if anti-tank grenades taken)
• Stubborn. Paratroops don’t give in easily! All paratroops count as stubborn. If forced to check their morale when reduced to half strength then they always test on their full morale value ignoring any pin markers
• Bicycle/Welbike-mounted infantry: These follow the same rules as infantry, except when moving entirely on a road, in which case they double their Run move to 24" (this move cannot be used to assault). In addition, the first time they receive any order other than Run, or if they receive a pinning marker, they dismount and abandon their bicycles for the rest of the game – replace the models with models on foot
British Paras sweep through a shattered town
‘Chindits’ is the name given to troops under Orde Wingate during the campaign in Burma in 1943 and 44. Although these formations were not universally composed of elite troops, especially during the later campaign of 1944, they included a core of men trained in jungle fighting and survival techniques. Chindits carried with as little heavy gear as possible and were masters of bush craft able to move through the jungles and penetrate enemy lines. They relied on airdropped supplies and mules to carry everything they needed in dense jungles that were inaccessible to motor vehicles. They developed a fast, hit-and-run style of warfare that was very different from the kind of battles fought elsewhere.
Cost: Veteran Infantry 75pts
Composition: 1 NCO and 4 men
Weapons: Rifles
Options:
• Add up to 5 additional soldiers at +15pts each
• The NCO and another soldier may have a submachine gun for +3pts each
• One soldier may have a light machine gun for +20pts. Another soldier becomes the loader
Special Rules:
• Behind enemy lines. When Outflanking as described on p.119 of the Bolt Action rulebook, units of Chindits ignore the – 1 modifier to the Order test for coming onto the table
• Fire & Manoeuvre. Chindit units do not suffer the -1 to ‘hit’ penalty for moving and shooting. This means they can be given an advance order, move, and then shoot without suffering the usual ‘to hit’ penalty. Note that his applies to all men in the section regardless of how they are armed
The Commando units formed at the beginning of the war were highly trained and well-motivated raiders – born killers who managed to terrify the enemy wherever they struck. All Commandos were volunteers and only the toughest were chosen. The training methods and skills developed by these small, elite units were later applied to whole Commando formations. The Commando forces included volunteers from all the occupied Allied nations, who comprised the largest single Commando unit (10 Commando). There was also one unit of enemy aliens – mostly exiled Germans and Austrians. From 1943 the Commando units were reorganised into larger fighting formations and began to take on the role of elite assault troops rather than raiders – some became the core of what were known as Special Service Brigades. From late 1944 these units all reverted to the title of Commandos.
Cost: Veteran Infantry 70pts
Composition: 1 NCO and 4 men
Weapons: Rifles
Options:
• Add up to 5 additional soldiers at +14pts each
• The NCO and any other soldiers may have a submachine gun for +3pts each
• One soldier may have a light machine gun for +20pts. Another soldier becomes the loader
• Light machine gun can be uprated to Vickers K LMG for a further +5 points
• The entire squad may have anti-tank grenades for +2pts per model
Special Rules:
• Behind enemy lines. When Outflanking as described on p 119 of the Bolt Action rulebook, units of Commandos ignore the -1 modifier to the Order test for coming onto the table
• Tough fighters
• Tank hunters (if anti-tank grenades taken)
• Vickers K gun. The Vickers K gun (also known as the VGO) was a rapid firing machine gun developed for airplanes but also favoured by special forces. The Commandos used it as an infantry support weapon during the fighting in Normandy. A Vickers K guns shoots with +1 dice compared to a regular LMG – 4 dice instead of 3
The Gurkhas are a Nepalese people who have served in their own regiments within the British and Indian armies since the early 19th century. They are legendarily fierce close combat fighters, sometimes abandoning their rifles in the last moments of an assault so that they can more freely wield their deadly kukri fighting knives. Their battle-cry is ‘Jaya Mahakali, aayo Gorkhali!’ It means ‘Glory to Mahakali, the Gurkhas are coming!’
Cost: Veteran Infantry 70pts
Composition: 1 NCO and 4 men
Weapons: Rifles
Options:
• Add up to 5 additional soldiers at +14pts each
• The NCO and another soldier may have a submachine gun for +2pts each
• One soldier may have a light machine gun for +20pts. Another soldier becomes the loader
Special Rules:
• Tough Fighters
• Scary Blighters! There is almost nothing so frightening as being charged by a bunch of Gurkhas wielding huge kukris and intent of inflicting bodily harm! Any enemy unit fighting Ghurkhas in close combat will halve its total number of attacks against the Ghurkas (rounding up)
Chindit patrol, by Peter Dennis © Osprey Publishing Ltd. Taken from Weapon 17: The Lee-Enfield Rifle.
GAJE GHALE VC
Rank and unit: Havildar, Indian Army, 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles
Where and when: Chin Hills, Burma, May 1943
During late May 1943, the 20-year-old Gaje was in command of a platoon of Gurkhas assigned to capture a key position known as Basha East Hill. Despite never having been in combat before, Gaje led his men forward along the only approach – an exposed ridge – under intense mortar, artillery and machine gun fire. When a particularly heavy mortar strike caused his untried platoon to falter, he rallied them and again pushed forwards. Then, just as they were about to launch their attack, he was wounded in the chest, arm and leg by a hand grenade. Despite being covered in blood from multiple untended wounds, he led assault after assault in person, shouting the Gurkha battle cry to inspire his men as they advanced, and always in the thick of the hand-to-hand fighting that ensued. After multiple attacks his platoon finally carried the Japanese position that had resisted several previous assaults by other units.
Havildar Ghale then consolidated the position, which remained under heavy enemy fire, only leaving to have his wounds tended at the Regimental Aid Post when ordered to do so by an officer.
For his ‘dauntless courage and superb leadership’ Gaje Ghale was awarded the Victoria Cross.
A .303 Vickers water-cooled machine gun offered fire support to infantry units. This was another weapon of World War I vintage that soldiered on through World War II and beyond, proving extremely effective at laying down continuous fire over range. A typical team consisted of a lance corporal gunner, a loader and an ammunition bearer. They were often carried in a Universal ‘Bren’ carrier.
Cost: 35pts (Inexperienced), 50pts (Regular), 65pts (Veteran)
Team: 3 men
Weapon: 1 MMG
Special Rules:
• Team weapon
• Fixed
Vickers machine gun team
The Boys anti-tank rifle was a heavy 0.55-inch rifle that fired an armour-piercing round capable of penetrating the armour of the light tanks and carriers of the late 1930s. It was used widely on Universal Carriers (in place of the usual Bren) and in many scout and armoured cars as well as being part of each infantry platoon’s equipment. As the thickness of enemy armour increased, the effectiveness of the Boys anti-tank rifle waned and it was replaced by the PIAT from 1943.
Cost: 21pts (Inexperienced), 30pts (Regular), 39pts (Veteran)
Team: 2 men
Weapon: 1 anti-tank rifle
Special Rules:
• Team weapon
The Blacker Bombard was a development of the spigot mortar – a kind of mortar without a barrel in which the mortar bomb fitted over a long spike or spigot. After the army retreated from Dunkirk, there were very few anti-tank weapons available to resist the anticipated German invasion, most of the army’s 2-pdrs and 25mm Hotchkiss guns having been abandoned on the continent. The Blacker Bombard, named after its inventor Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart Blacker, was intended to provide the beleaguered British with an improvised response to the dreaded Panzers. In fact the 20 pound explosive charge had little armour penetrating power, though no doubt it would have given any tank crewmen a severe fright had it scored a direct hit. A slightly lighter round was intended for use against enemy infantry. It claimed a range comparable to that of a mortar – but the chances of hitting anything beyond 100 yards were probably remote. The bombard was operated from a large, cruciform platform and many were emplaced in static defensive positions. Though more than 22,000 were made, they made little if any contribution to the war, though some may have been used in the Western Desert.
Cost: 28pts (Inexperienced), 40pts (Regular), 52pts (Veteran)
Team: 3 men
Weapon: 1 Blacker Bombard
Special Rules:
• Team weapon
• Fixed
• Blacker Bombard: this weapon has the profile below:
| Type | Range | Shots | Pen | Special |
| Blacker Bombard | 24” | 1 | HE | Team, Fixed, HE (D6) |
Royal Marine Commandos, supported by a Centaur CS tank, liberate a French village
The PIAT launcher was the British equivalent to the American bazooka. It had the same role as the main hand-held anti-tank weapon amongst infantry formations after the Boys anti-tank rifle was withdrawn. The PIAT (Projector Infantry Anti-Tank) was developed from a spigot mortar design and fired a shaped charge missile with an effective range of 100 metres against armoured targets. It was first used by the Canadian army during the invasion of Sicily.
Cost: 28pts (Inexperienced), 40pts (Regular), 52pts (Veteran)
Team: 2 men
Weapon: 1 PIAT
Special Rules:
• Team weapon
• Shaped Charge
Snipers were armed with a SMLE No.4 Rifle equipped with a No.32 Mk.1 telescopic sight. The team carried fifty rounds of ammunition, five tracer rounds and five armour-piercing rounds. Two No.36 Mills bombs or two No.77 smoke grenades were also carried, along with binoculars and a camouflage net.
Cost: 50pts (Regular), 65pts (Veteran)
Team: 2 men
Weapons: Sniper has a rifle and a pistol, spotter has a pistol
Special Rules:
• Team weapon
• Sniper
The portable flamethrower available to British forces was the Ack Pack. At a weight of 64lbs, the Ack Pack could be carried and operated by one man, though we shall give our man a companion by way of support. Fully loaded, the Ack Pack was capable of 10 bursts with a 2 second duration. With a range of 50 yards it was a truly fearsome weapon that excelled in clearing bunkers and buildings.
Cost: 50pts (Regular), 65pts (Veteran)
Team: 2 men
Weapons: 1 infantry flamethrower
Special Rules:
• Flamethrower
• Team weapon
British forces were armed with the 2-inch mortar for close support purposes. Two men were needed to operate it. An NCO was responsible for carrying and firing the weapon while the other carried ammunition. Weighing less than 11lbs and offering an effective range of 500 yards, these mortars were quick to manoeuvre and deploy as needed.
Cost: 24pts (Inexperienced), 35pts (Regular), 46pts (Veteran)
Team: 2 men
Weapon: 1 light mortar
Special Rules:
• Team weapon
• Indirect fire
• HE (D3)
The 3-inch mortar was used to provide support from up to 3,000 yards dependent upon the projectile used. The 3-inch mortar was operated by a crew of 3 and was often transported in a Universal ‘Bren’ Carrier.
Cost: 35pts (Inexperienced), 50pts (Regular), 65pts (Veteran)
Team: 3 men
Weapon: 1 medium mortar
Options:
• May add Spotter for +10 points
Special Rules:
• Team weapon
• Fixed
• Indirect fire
• HE (D6)
The 4.2-inch heavy mortar was first used by the Royal Engineers at the Battle of El Alamein in 1942. From 1943 it was employed as divisional support for infantry formations.
Cost: 46pts (Inexperienced), 65pts (Regular), 84pts (Veteran)
Team: 4 men
Weapon: 1 heavy mortar
Options:
• May add Spotter for +10 points
Special Rules:
• Team weapon
• Fixed
• Indirect fire
• HE (2D6)
World War I had bolstered an already strong appreciation for artillery within the British Army with the result that it was a well respected and relatively well supplied force.
Throughout the war the trend was to mobilise ever more guns, both in field artillery and anti tank categories. This allowed mechanised units to retain immediate artillery support whilst maintaining their rate of advance. Infantry units included integral guns (and the gunners to handle them) and lightweight versions were developed for mountain units and paratroops.
The mighty 25pdr punishes the enemy from afar
British artillery was both effective and numerous with the smaller and mid-calibre weapons providing well-coordinated close range support. The 25-pdr is probably the iconic artillery piece of the war and would serve in the British Army for many years afterwards. Artillerymen were well trained and in many respects an elite force, so we treat all British gunners as Regular or Veteran.
The standard British field gun of World War II was the 25-pdr gun-howitzer, a versatile weapon with a calibre of 3.45 inches (87.6mm). This was the weapon used in overwhelming numbers in every theatre, although the 3.7-inch (94mm) Mountain Howitzer was also deployed in the Netherlands and the Ruhr by units originally equipped for mountain fighting in Greece. Some airborne units used a lightweight version of the same weapon. We categorise the 25-pdr as a light field gun for our purposes – although it was really an intermediate type capable of providing close range support and longer-range indirect fire. It was also pressed into service in an anti-tank role, and we’ve allowed for this by giving it a separate anti-tank shell.
Cost: 55pts (Regular), 66pts (Veteran)
Team: 3 men
Weapons: 1 light howitzer
Options:
• May add Spotter for +10 points
Special Rules:
• Gun shield
• Team weapon
• Fixed
• Howitzer
• HE (D6)
• 25-pdr AT shell: In the Western Desert the 25-pdr often found itself pitched against enemy tanks. It was provided with an AT shell which was fired with the maximum charge over a flat trajectory to achieve the highest velocity. We give this a Pen value of +4 – the same as a light anti-tank gun. The 25-pdr can shoot either HE or AT – if put into ambush the player must specify which kind of shell is loaded
DESPERATE TIMES, DESPERATE MEASURES
Where and when: 1940, England
During the dark days after the Fall of France, the British forces looked to their own defence, expecting a German invasion to follow swiftly on from the many successes of the Wehrmacht on the Continent. With much heavy equipment and most of their tanks abandoned in France, the British Army would clearly find enemy armour a major problem. This problem would be even worse for the hastily raised Local Volunteer Force (or Home Guard). In the spirit of ‘make do and mend’ that the Ministry of Information promulgated at the time, pamphlets were issued with a number of alarming suggestions for improvised anti-tank weapons.
The first suggested teams of three or four men, armed with a length of railway line, a blanket, a bucket of petrol and a box of matches. The team would hide and wait for an enemy tank to drive past, then rush out. The first men would jam the drive sprocket or other suspension with the length of railway line, thus halting the tank. Then the blanket would be thrown onto the tank, preferably over the engine compartment, the bucket of petrol would be thrown over the blanket and the whole thing set on fire with the matches before the team made their escape.
The second approach was even more basic. All you needed was a brave volunteer with a hammer and a hand grenade. As an enemy tank approached the volunteer leapt on board and climbed onto the turret where they hammered on the hatch as hard as they could. When the enemy commander opened up to see what was happening the volunteer dropped the grenade inside and jumped off.
As Operation Seelowe (Operation Sealion – the code name for the German invasion) was postponed and then cancelled it seems that neither of these suicidal plans was ever tried in combat.
Medium artillery units were primarily used for counter-battery fire against enemy artillery and were equipped with the 4.5-inch (114mm) or 5.5-inch (140mm) field guns. Such weapons would be unlikely to find themselves involved in the kind of close fighting represented in the Bolt Action game, unless perhaps they were to be unfortunate enough to be overrun by a rapidly advancing enemy, or perhaps the target of a raid by paratroops or other special forces.
Cost: 75pts (Regular), 90pts (Veteran)
Team: 4 men
Weapon: 1 medium howitzer
Options:
• May add Spotter for +10 points
Special Rules:
• Gun shield
• Team weapon
• Fixed
• Howitzer
• HE (2D6)
Heavy artillery units in the British Army were equipped with the 7.2-inch howitzer (182.9mm) and the American 155mm Long Tom. The 7.2-inch was a stopgap design produced at the start of the war, and based upon an older World War I howitzer, but it was successful enough to remain in service throughout the conflict. By D-Day this weapon had replaced any older designs still in service. As with medium artillery pieces it is extremely unlikely these weapons would be deployed anywhere near the frontline fighting.
Cost: 115pts (Regular), 138pts (Veteran)
Team: 5 men
Weapon: 1 heavy howitzer
Options:
• May add Spotter for +10 points
Special Rules:
• Gun shield
• Team weapon
• Fixed
• Howitzer
• HE (3D6)
Anti-tank weaponry was integral to most units in the British Army throughout the war. Initially, a mixture of anti-tank rifles and 2-pdrs was bolstered by stopgap measures such as the 25-pdr field gun equipped with an anti-tank round. As the war progressed, the British developed an effective anti-tank gun with the 57mm calibre 6-pdr and finally with the mighty 76.2mm calibre 17-pdr – one of the best anti-tank guns of the war.
At the outbreak of war, the QF 2-pdr (QF stands for ‘quick firing’) was the standard anti-tank gun of the British Army. It was an adequate weapon for the time, being slightly more effective in terms of armour penetration then the contemporary German 37mm PaK 36. It was, however, larger and heavier and employed an unusual carriage that required the wheels to be removed before it could fire. Against the early panzers, light vehicles and the poorly armoured Japanese tanks it did well and was popular, meeting success in France, North Africa and the Far East. Though the rapid rate of improvement in German armour made its replacement inevitable in Europe, it soldiered on rather longer against the Japanese and in light vehicles such as armoured cars, whose realistic defence against enemy tanks was flight. As a side-note, the BEF lacked sufficient 2-pdrs and as a result was partially equipped with French 25mm Hotchkiss AT guns, which can be represented by the same entry for players fielding BEF forces.
Cost: 40pts (Inexperienced), 50pts (Regular), 60pts (Veteran)
Crew: 3 men
Weapon: 1 light anti-tank gun
Special Rules:
• Gun shield
• Team weapon
• Fixed
The QF 6-pdr was the highly successful replacement for the 2-pdr, being copied by the Americans as the 57mm gun, M1. Its useful lifespan was extended by new developments in ammunition that improved its armour penetration capabilities, allowing it to knock out Panthers and Tigers from the flank. Although supplemented by the 17-pdr, it was never entirely replaced and continued to serve in infantry units long after the war ended. The 6-pdr replaced the 2-pdr as the standard weapon in British tanks as it became available, but even as it did so, a replacement was being sought. Although HE shells were available, the limited size of charge meant they were relatively ineffective, making the 6-pdr less than ideal as a tank gun and leading to the development of the 75mm weapon used in British tanks such as the Cromwell and Churchill. The QF 6-pdr used by British airborne forces had a special carriage that allowed them to be towed as if they were light anti-tank guns.
Cost: 60pts (Inexperienced), 75pts (Regular), 90pts (Veteran)
Crew: 3
Weapon: 1 medium anti-tank gun
Special Rules:
• Gun shield
• Team weapon
• Fixed
BEF 2-pdr anti-tank gun
A British Army 6-pdr team prepare to ambush enemy panzers
The QF 17-pdr was developed to overcome the more heavily armoured German tanks encountered by the British during the fighting in North Africa. A few hybrid 17-pdrs on 25-pdr carriage (called ‘Pheasants’) were sent in early 1943, though the final version was not deployed until later that year, making its combat debut in Italy. By the time of the campaign in Western Europe, it equipped the Royal Artillery anti-tank regiments. The 17-pdr was the most formidable anti-tank gun deployed by the western Allies, and was capable of penetrating more than 200mm of armour at short range using APDS shot. Its bulk and weight meant it was far less manoeuvrable than the 6-pdr, and for this reason it never replaced the lighter weapon. As part of the Royal Artillery, we treat gunners as Regular or Veteran.
Cost: 140pts (Regular), 168pts (Veteran)
Crew: 5 men
Weapons: 1 super-heavy anti-tank gun.
Special Rules:
• Gun shield
• Team weapon
• Fixed
This was the main British heavy anti-aircraft gun throughout the war. Being such a large and heavy piece, it was generally deployed to protect fixed or rear echelon installations and only a few were used by the field army. The 3.7-inch gun was considered too heavy and too unmanoeuvrable to make an effective anti-tank gun, and in practice it was never developed for this role unlike the much lighter but similar looking German 88mm gun for example. However, anti-tank rounds were available from 1944, and guns could be deployed against enemy vehicles in emergencies. The sighting equipment provided for this purpose was rudimentary, firing with the barrel depressed put unforeseen strain on the mounting, and it would be unrealistic to imagine the 3.7-inch was an effective anti-tank weapon for all its size. Once the 17-pdr become available all thoughts of developing the 3.7-inch AA gun in this role were abandoned. For game purposes were shall treat the 3.7-inch gun as a heavy anti-tank gun with some further reduction in accuracy to reflect its improvised role. We also remove the option to have veteran crew – as crew were antiaircraft gunners with little experience of this kind of combat.
Cost: 80pts (Inexperienced), 100pts (Regular)
Team: 6 men
Weapons: 1 heavy anti-tank gun
Special Rules:
• Team weapon
• Fixed
• Flak
• Improvised role. The 3.7-inch gun is not really designed to engage ground targets. Each time it shoots it gains one pin marker upon itself to represent both the mechanical strain on the gun and that upon its crew!
Chindit Bofors gun crew, by Peter Dennis © Osprey Publishing Ltd. Taken from Command 28: Archibald Wavell.
During the opening years of the war the unstoppable German blitzkrieg was heralded by the siren whine of dive-bombing Stukas, and anti-aircraft weapons were of major importance. As the war progressed, the resources of the Luftwaffe were both reduced and misdirected so that the impact on front line troops was less and less. D-Day planners had allowed for losses from enemy air attacks, but in the event the threat was revealed to be so minimal that many anti-aircraft units were disbanded and their soldiers used to bolster the depleted ranks of the infantry instead.
The 20mm Oerlikon cannon was widely used by the British Navy and as an aircraft gun, but not by the army, which relied instead upon the Bofors for mobile aerial defence. The Polsten cannon was a development of the Oerlikon. It appeared in 1944, and was much lighter and significantly cheaper to produce than the earlier weapon, but once again its principle use was by the Navy and Air Force. Its only significant use by land forces was by airborne troops and by the Royal Marine Commandos, who fielded it during the Normandy campaign, often mounted on LVT Buffaloes. It could be towed behind a jeep. The cannons could be mounted individually, or on double, triple or quadruple mounts. The Canadians also produced some multiple versions that were mounted onto trucks, and Polsten cannons were also used in the Crusader AA tank.
Cost: 40pts (Inexperienced), 50pts (Regular), 60pts (Veteran)
Team: 3 men
Weapon: 1 light automatic cannon
Options: may add a second, third or fourth light autocannon to the mount at a cost of + 30pts per gun
Special Rules:
• Team weapon
• Fixed
• Flak
The 40mm Swedish-designed Bofors was an enormously successful design, seeing service on both sides of the battlefield. It was the main medium anti-aircraft weapon of the British forces throughout the war. The robust and reliable design could be used as both an anti-aircraft weapon and against ground targets with equal effectiveness. As the British developed their doctrine of night assaults it was also employed to mark cleared lanes in minefields, firing tracer on fixed lines to orient the advancing troops.
Cost: 48pts (Inexperienced), 60pts (Regular), 72pts (Veteran)
Team: 4 men
Weapon: 1 heavy automatic cannon
Special Rules:
• Team weapon
• Fixed
• Flak
This section is divided into four main areas: one each for Light, Cruiser and Infantry tanks, and a final section on US vehicles in British service. The first three sections are based on classifications defined before the war, and are what underpinned the entirety of British armoured design and combat doctrine.
CS (close support) variants with howitzers rather than antitank guns are usually given as options within each entry. Specialised versions such as the AVRE (Armoured Vehicle, Royal Engineer) are listed after their parent vehicle. Other variants that turn tanks into other categories of vehicle, such as AA (Anti-Aircraft), Tank Destroyers, Self-Propelled Artillery or transport are dealt with in the relevant section of the list.
As well as a brief historical overview and gaming details, the entry for each vehicle indicates when it saw service and approximately how many were produced.
A British armoured column awaits orders
British tanks were designed to fill one of three battlefield roles. The first was the light tank which performed similar recce duties to the armoured cars. Cruiser tanks were the second category, intended to operate independently of the infantry and to exploit breakthroughs. The third type were the heavily armoured infantry tanks.
Light tanks did not need a lot of armour as they were not expected to fight major battles. Instead they relied on speed to scout out weak areas in the enemy defences and return to report their findings. Early battles often saw the light tanks being used in the role of the cruisers – a practice born out of desperation, but which led to huge losses. A combination of these early losses and the relative successes of the armoured cars led the light tank to be removed from British armoured units.
TANK NAMES
Where and when: all theatres, throughout the war
With soldiers away from their loved ones for months or years at a time, and with death and boredom facing them every day, it is not surprising that troopers give names to their weapons and vehicles. Some were named for sweethearts, others in bold or threatening terms. However, none can match the tradition of the names of the Royal Tank Regiment whose World War II tanks were often given the same names as those they fought with when the regiments were first formed in 1917.
Cruiser tanks were also lightly armoured and fast, intended to operate in a similar role to the ships of that name. In open areas such as the North African desert, units of cruiser tanks even manoeuvred in naval formations, ‘steaming’ in columns and firing on the move.
The final type was the infantry tank. These were required to support the infantry directly, and so would spend their time in the beaten zone of enemy artillery and under the guns of their bunkers. Consequently they had a top speed only slightly faster than the soldiers they supported, but were very heavily armoured.
One feature that was unfortunately common across these three classes was the mechanical unreliability of many designs. This was not a reflection on the quality of British engineering, merely a result of the speed they were developed at. Many early war designs were commissioned directly from drawings, without a prototype being made or tests run. This left trials to be done as the production lines rolled and resulted in many problems in the field. As the likelihood of a German invasion waned then disappeared, and as the American lend-lease vehicles were made available in quantity, British designs were allowed to mature before they were ordered, and so their reliability in the field rose. In game terms, this has little effect as the problems were mainly in numbers of vehicles that were available for combat rather than breakdowns in action.
INFANTRY TANKS
Infantry tanks have been criticised by many. However, such criticism is rather unfair as they did exactly what they were designed to do. Armour was more important than speed for their role, and if they had installed larger engines to increase their speed then they would have had to sacrifice their protection. The battle they were intended for was a repeat of the final months of World War I. They would advance alongside the waves of infantry, bombarded by enemy artillery and machine guns as they went. They needed good trench-crossing ability to bypass obstacles and shell holes, and were expected to destroy enemy strongpoints and bunkers. Of course, World War II was not generally fought like this, and so these tanks had to be adapted to fit new roles.
The heavy armour of these tanks was often a step ahead of the opposing anti-tank weaponry and they survived much longer than contemporary cruiser (and lend-lease medium) tanks. Their slow speed was often a problem, but their ability to get over most obstacles was very welcome, and on relatively static fronts they proved to be a valuable asset.
Problems with main armament mirrored that of the reliability. Simply put, British tanks were almost always a step behind the calibre they needed to be for the enemy vehicles that faced them at the time. Certainly this was true right up until mid-1944, when the Fireflies began to arrive at the front.
A final theme of British armour was the many varieties of engineer vehicles developed. British inventiveness supplied her armoured units with a wealth of practical and not so practical vehicles for dealing with common battlefield problems such as crossing soft ground, breaching minefields, destroying enemy bunkers, bridging gaps, and so on. No other army could boast such specialised support and late war armoured attacks were almost always accompanied by at least an AVRE or two.
SPECIAL RULE: CULIN HEDGEROW CUTTER
Sgt Curtis Grubb Culin III served with the 102nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron during WWII. Inspired by the sight of steel chevaux de fries (huge iron crosses placed on the Normandy beaches to hamper tanks and landing craft), he had them fixed like giant knives onto the front of Sherman tanks. Such a simple idea was quickly copied, enabling tanks to clear large hedges and make a path through otherwise impenetrable hedgerows.
Players should add the Culin hedgerow cutter only to vehicles that are part of theatre selectors and forces from June 1944 onwards. A tank may add a Culin Hedgerow Cutter at the cost of 10pts per model. A tank so equipped may move at advance rate through any bocage or hedgerow or comparable obstacle that is otherwise rated impassable to vehicles. As it does so it automatically creates a gap passable to any tracked vehicles moving at advance rate.
SPECIAL RULE: LITTLEJOHN ADAPTORS
These are extensions that are screwed onto the front of a QF 2-pdr anti tank gun. The principle is known as squeeze bore, where the hard core of the projectile is surrounded by a softer jacket, which is removed as it travels through the shrinking diameter of the barrel. This effectively increases the muzzle velocity and aids accuracy and penetrating power.
In the game this adds a further ‘pip’ of penetration to the QF 2-pdr light anti-tank gun giving it a Pen value of +5, the same as a medium anti-tank gun though with no greater range. However, it is not terribly reliable. If you roll a 1 (before modification) when you are rolling to hit then it has broken. The crew must spend a whole turn outside the vehicle removing the broken adaptor before they can fire their main weapon again. Remember that the main weapon will now only be a normal light anti-tank gun.
Also, while the Littlejohn adaptor is fitted, you cannot fire HE.
During the 1930s, Vickers produced a series of light tanks; some for domestic use and others for export. These were largely obsolete by the time war broke out, though they still formed the mainstay of the BEF armour and the early forces in the desert. In reality they had never been intended for more than recce duties in war and keeping the peace in the colonies at other times. A variant was produced for the Indian Army with slight detail differences.
The differences between the marks is largely unimportant on the tabletop as they were mainly reorganisations of vehicle layout, simplification of manufacture, improvements in the comfort of the ride over rough ground and so on. None made major differences to battlefield effectiveness.
A tiny number of vehicles were converted to AA and support roles of various types, including a bridge-layer! None of these more exotic variants saw combat. Principal service: 1939–42. Numbers manufactured: fewer than 100 of each of the early marks were built. About 1,600 Mk VIs of types A–C (plus variants) were built.
Cost: 60pts (Inexperienced), 75pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted HMG and co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
The final version of this line of light tanks was better armed than its predecessors, but was otherwise almost identical. Together with the Mk VIB it formed the mainstay of the British armoured units in France and North Africa at the outbreak of the war. Principal service: 1939–42. Numbers manufactured: about 1,600 Mk VIs built in total. A variant was produced for the Indian Army with slight differences.
Cost: 68pts (Inexperienced), 85pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 15mm Besa light automatic cannon and co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Vickers Light Tank Mk VIC
In many ways this was a highly influential vehicle and was produced in many variants for the export market by Vickers during the 1930s. The Soviet T-26 is closely based on it, as is the Polish Czolg Lekki 7TP. These and other versions and derivatives saw active service across Europe, but none with the British Army. A few tanks were commandeered by HM Government when their prospective owners were overrun by the Wehrmacht at the start of the war, and these were used for training purposes. Principal service: 1939–40. Numbers manufactured: Vickers produced only a few hundred and of these only a tiny handful ended up in British service. On the other hand, the Soviets made more than 12,000 of their variant, the T-26.
Cost: 56pts (Inexperienced), 70pts (Regular)
Weapons: 2 turrets arranged with 1 MMG covering the front, rear and left arcs, 1 MMG covering the front, rear and right arcs
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Options:
• Replace both turrets with a single larger turret-mounting a 47mm light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG for +35pts
A rare vehicle, but one used in both D-Day and the crossing of the Rhine. It also saw action in the Madagascar campaign against the Vichy French. Consigned to the airborne forces after the abandonment of light tanks in armoured divisions, the Hamilcar glider was built especially to carry one. The Tetrarch would not have survived long in a normal battle, but for airborne troops who carried little more than small arms it was a massive improvement in firepower. A number of Tetrarchs in airborne units were modified to either a close support version or were fitted with Littlejohn adaptors. Principal service: 1942–44. Numbers manufactured: 177.
Cost: 105pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 2-pdr light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Options:
• May replace the anti-tank gun with a 3-inch light howitzer at no points cost
• May add a Littlejohn adaptor to the 2-pdr for +15pts
Tetrarch light tank
The first of the cruisers was produced by Vickers-Armstrong in the economic downturn of the mid 1930s, and consequently included a number of cost-saving features. Whilst several of these were to make it less effective in combat, the engineering of the basic design was sound and the running gear was used almost unmodified on the later Valentines. A9s fought in France and in North Africa. Principal service: 1939–41. Numbers manufactured: 125.
Cost: 100pts (Inexperienced), 125pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 2-pdr light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG. 2 forward-facing auxiliary turrets each with one MMG. Each auxiliary turret covers one side arc and the front arc
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Options:
• May replace the anti-tank gun with a 3.7-inch light howitzer at no points cost (making the vehicle a Mk ICS)
The A10 was essentially an A9 with additional armour to make it an infantry tank and the much-disliked auxiliary MMG turrets removed to compensate for the additional weight. Early trials made it apparent that it was not suitable for the infantry tank role and so it was redesignated a heavy cruiser and became the Cruiser tank Mk II. Principal service: 1939–41. Numbers manufactured: about 200 including 30 Mk IICS.
Cost: 100pts (Inexperienced), 125pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 2-pdr light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May add a forward-facing hull-mounted MMG for +10pts (making the vehicle a Mk IIA)
• May replace the anti-tank gun with a 3.7-inch light howitzer and a forward-facing hull-mounted MMG for +10pts (making the vehicle a Mk IICS)
This was the first of the cruisers to have Christie suspension and it formed the basis of further development of the cruiser line. The Mk I and II cruisers had been stopgap designs whilst the A13 was perfected, and the A13 itself was more of a testbed and proof of concept than a final design for mass production. Despite this, a small number saw action in France, Greece and North Africa. It was very lightly protected with armour only 15mm thick to keep weight down, and we therefore rate it the same as an armoured car with a Damage Value of 7+. It was soon realised that a more heavily armoured tank was needed resulting in the MkII. Principal service: 1940–41. Numbers manufactured: 65
Cost: 84pts (Inexperienced), 105pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 2-pdr light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
The cruiser Mk IV was essentially an uparmoured version of a Mk III in much the same way as a Mk II was a better armoured Mk I. This additional ‘spaced’ turret armour is what gives this tank its distinctive silhouette and makes it easy to distinguish from early models. It was the first of the cruisers to be produced in quantity and formed the basis of several armoured divisions in France and North Africa. Sources disagree as to whether a CS version was actually built or merely proposed, but I have included it here if you wish to use it. Principal service: 1940–41. Numbers manufactured: 655.
Cost: 100pts (Inexperienced), 125pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 2-pdr light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
The Covenanter is one of the most successful tanks never to be used in action. It was produced in large numbers (for the British), but by the time it was ready for service it had been overtaken by events. In the end, the Covenanter was used solely as a training vehicle. There were several variants of Covenanters, including a small number of CS tanks with 3-inch howitzers, armoured recovery vehicles and even a handful of bridgelayers (which may have actually seen action with the Australians in Burma). Principal service: 1940–43 (training vehicle only). Numbers manufactured: 1,771.
Cost: 100pts (Inexperienced), 125pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 2-pdr light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May replace the anti-tank gun with a 3-inch light howitzer at no points cost (making the vehicle a Mk VCS)
The Crusader looks like an enlarged Cruiser Mk IV with an extra road wheel on each side. Internally it shares a number of components with the earlier Christie suspension cruisers, and it uses an identical turret to the Covenanter. All this was essential, as it was needed immediately to offset British losses. Despite many teething troubles caused by this haste, the Crusader ended up being one of the most popular and important British tanks of the desert war. Principal service: 1941–43. Numbers manufactured: more than 5,000 Crusaders all told.
Cost: 108pts (Inexperienced), 135pts (Regular), 162pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 2-pdr light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG. 1 auxiliary turret with a single MMG covering the forward arc
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May replace the anti-tank gun with a 3-inch light howitzer at no points cost (making the vehicle a Crusader Mk ICS)
The Mk II was a slightly uparmoured Mk I Crusader with the auxiliary turret removed. Principal service: 1941–43. Numbers manufactured: more than 5,000 Crusaders all told.
Cost: 100pts (Inexperienced), 125pts (Regular), 150pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 2-pdr light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May replace the anti-tank gun with a 3-inch light howitzer at no points cost (making the vehicle a Crusader Mk IICS)
With the Crusader’s speed already able to outstrip most opponents, the main thing that was needed was a better gun. The Mk III Crusader was built around the QF 6-pdr, and most of the changes were made to support this change in armament. The crew was reduced by one to allow for additional ammunition to be carried, and the turret was lengthened and raised to accommodate the larger weapon. Other changes resulted from combat experience with earlier models and included details such as new hatch designs and additional periscopes. The Crusader III was the mainstay of the British forces in the desert until the arrival of the Sherman. Principal service: 1942–43. Numbers manufactured: more than 5,000 Crusaders all told.
Cost: 116pts (Inexperienced), 145pts (Regular), 174pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 6-pdr medium anti-tank gun with coaxial MMG
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
The introduction of the Cromwell marked the point at which the British cruiser tanks finally came of age. The new tank married a superb Meteor engine with good armour and a new 75mm dual purpose main gun. This resulted in a tank whose armour and weapon was the equivalent to the medium tanks like the American Sherman or the German Panzer IV, but which was significantly faster. In its duties as a main battle tank the speed was useful, but not essential as caution dictates that tanks in combat seldom move at their top rate. However, Cromwells were increasingly used in a reconnaissance role during the last year of the war, whenever there was a break in the German line, as there often was. This gave a great deal more firepower and resilience to the point units of the British forces, allowing them to engage enemy units rather than having to withdraw and wait for the main force to arrive. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: c.4,000.
Cost: 164pts (Inexperienced), 205pts (Regular), 246pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 75mm medium anti-tank gun with coaxial MMG and 1 hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Options:
• May replace 75mm gun with a 6-pdr medium AT gun to make Cromwell Mk I at no extra cost
• May replace 75mm gun with a 95mm medium howitzer gun to make CS version at no extra cost
Special Rules:
• HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits an HE shell causes D6 hits (75mm gun tanks)
Commandos and a Centaur CS tank looking for trouble...
The Centaur was superficially very similar to the Cromwell differing only in its mechanical details. The few Centaurs that saw action were specialised variants, mainly the close support version here, deployed with the Royal Marines on D-Day. Principal service: 1944. Numbers manufactured: 80.
Cost: 156pts (Inexperienced), 195pts (Regular), 234pts (Veteran).
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 95mm medium howitzer with coaxial MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
The Challenger was based on the Cromwell and is broadly similar in appearance but had a wider and longer body with an extra set of road wheels. It was designed to mount a 17-pdr gun in an overlarge turret and to provide extra anti-tank capability to Cromwell units. It was not considered a great success, and the Sherman Firefly soon took the same role. Because so much room was taken up by the gun’s ammunition the hull machine gun was removed. By the time production vehicles were available it was March 1944, when it was realised no deep-wading equipment had been designed for it and deployment was delayed again. The Sherman Firefly was already available and so these were initially used instead, serving both Sherman and Cromwell equipped units. For the latter, this mixture of types gave the stores staff a headache as they had to supply parts for two completely different vehicles. Challengers were later issued to Cromwell-equipped regiments as they became available. Challengers were normally deployed at a ratio of one per troop of normal gun tanks. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: about 200.
Cost: 244pts (Inexperienced), 305pts (Regular), 366pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 17-pdr super-heavy anti-tank gun with coaxial MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
The final British cruiser tank to see combat in World War II was the Comet. This was in many ways an up-rated Cromwell, retaining its low silhouette and improving on both armour and armament. It had more than 4 inches of frontal armour – the same as the much heavier American Pershing tank. The top speed of the earlier Cromwell had been widely praised, though it caused a number of problems in practice, including suspension failures and thrown tracks during high speed turns. To prevent these problems the Comet’s top speed was governed to 32mph, though it was still faster than many of its contemporaries. The Comet’s gun was a new weapon derived from the 17-pdr and it was the same calibre (76.2mm), it was officially known as the 77mm high velocity (HV) to avoid confusion between the two types. Comets were issued to front line units in December 1944 and fought in Germany after the Rhine crossing. Principal service: 1945. Numbers manufactured: 1,200 (though few of these reached the front line before the war ended).
Cost: 355pts (Regular), 426pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 77mm super-heavy anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Special Rules:
• The Comet’s heavy frontal armour has a rating of +1 giving it the same frontal value as a heavy tank (10+)
The little Matilda was the first of the infantry tank concepts to see production and combat. It was heavily armoured by contemporary standards and very difficult for the Germans to destroy, being largely impervious to artillery and invulnerable to most anti-tank weapons. However, a top cross-country speed of only 4mph meant that events often overtook Matildas, leaving them unsupported and surrounded by enemy. The tank was only armed with a single Vickers heavy machine gun. The Matilda was a mobile machine gun post that could accompany the infantry as they advanced under fire, but the realities of modern war meant it was too slow and too under-gunned to have any real impact. Matildas saw combat in France where about a hundred were lost in combat or abandoned by the retreating armies. The remaining few were relegated to training duties. Principal service: 1940. Numbers manufactured: 140.
Cost: 96pts (Inexperienced), 120pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted HMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Special Rules:
• Slow
The shortcomings of the Matilda I had been anticipated to a degree even before it was tried in combat, and another project had been started. The Matilda II shared nothing with the Matilda I, being designed entirely independently, though to a similar brief. It was slightly faster, even better armoured and carried a 2-pdr as a main armament in addition to a machine gun. The battle for France saw Matilda IIs fighting alongside Matilda Is, often in mixed units. The most famous battle was at Arras, where Matildas caused problems for the Germans, whose 37mm and 50mm anti-tank guns were simply too small in calibre to penetrate the Matilda’s armour. None of the Matildas that fought in France could be evacuated, but unlike the Matilda I, their production was continued and they fought with distinction in the desert and then, as they became increasingly obsolete compared to the later German vehicles, many were sent to the Far East where the opposing Japanese tanks were much lighter. It was the only British tank to remain in active service for the entire war. After Dunkirk, with the withdrawal from frontline use of the Matilda I, the Matilda II was simply known as the Matilda. Principal service: 1940–45. Numbers manufactured: about 3,000.
Cost: 124pts (Inexperienced), 155pts (Regular), 186pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 2-pdr light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Options:
• May replace the anti-tank gun with a 3-inch light howitzer at no points cost (making the vehicle a Mk IICS)
Special Rules:
• Slow
Matilda I
These were both flamethrower tanks developed by the Australians for use in the Far East. The Frog was the first version, which used gas pressure to project the flame. Unfortunately this required a 20-second pause between shots while the pressure built up again. The Murray was indistinguishable from the Frog, except for the way the flamethrower worked. In the Murray this used a cordite charge to launch the flaming fuel and so overcame the need to wait for the gas pressure to build up again. Both types were used by the Australians in combat. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: around 50.
Cost: 124pts (Inexperienced), 155pts (Regular), 186pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted flamethrower with co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Special Rules:
• Slow
• Internal, volatile fuel tanks make each tank a potential fireball. Flame-throwing vehicles are more likely to be destroyed by damage, as explained on page 51 of the rulebook
The Valentine was produced too late to fight in France, instead being used to rebuild the depleted forces that had survived the disastrous retreat. At the time it was one of the few tanks available and so stood in for cruisers when they were needed. In reality it was an infantry tank, built along similar lines to the Matilda II with heavy armour and a 2-pdr gun. More than a quarter of all British tanks produced in World War II were Valentines. Many were built in Canada and supplied directly to the Soviets. Valentines served in the desert where they were well liked, but were no longer used as gun tanks in front line British units by the time of the Normandy invasion. They remained in use until the end of the war, notably in the Far East (especially with Commonwealth forces) and in specialised roles elsewhere. Principal service: 1941–43. Numbers manufactured: more than 8,000 of all types, including Canadian production.
Cost: 124pts (Inexperienced), 155pts (Regular), 186pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 2-pdr light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Special Rules:
• Slow
Matilda II in BEF configuration
It was quickly realised that the 2-pdr was too small a gun, and so a replacement was found in the form of the QF 6-pdr. This larger weapon required a redesign of the turret, necessitating the loss of the third turret crewman as well as the co-axial machine gun. Crews generally regarded this as an entirely reasonable exchange. Principal service: 1942–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 8,000 of all types, including Canadian production.
Cost: 136pts (Inexperienced), 170pts (Regular), 204pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 6-pdr medium anti-tank gun
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Options:
• May add a co-axial MMG in the turret for +5pts (making the vehicle a Valentine Mk X)
Special Rules:
• Slow
The final type of Valentine was essentially a Mk X with a new main gun: the 75mm anti-tank gun as also fitted to the Cromwell. Principal service: 1943–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 8,000 of all types, including Canadian production.
Cost: 148pts (Inexperienced), 185pts (Regular), 222pts (Veteran).
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 75mm medium anti-tank gun with coaxial MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Special Rules:
• Slow
• HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits an HE shell causes D6 hits (75mm gun tanks)
The Churchill was developed as a modification to a pre-war design, using the lessons of the battles in Poland and France to inform likely requirements. It retained the low speed and heavy armour of the infantry tank doctrine as well as the unfortunate catalogue of early problems, caused as usual by the haste with which it was produced. Churchills were first used in battle in the disastrous Dieppe raid where a number were captured by the Germans. This poor showing (though generally agreed not to be the tank’s fault) turned opinion against them and the series was only saved from cancellation by a series of impressive performances in North Africa. These were partly due to the great manoeuvrability of the Churchill and partly to its heavy armour. It proved especially useful in the mountainous terrain of Tunisia where the Churchill showed itself to be an excellent support tank, able to traverse country that opposing tanks could not. Churchills served with distinction in Italy and Normandy as well as North Africa, and would have served in the Far East if the war had lasted longer. As the Japanese surrendered, the Australian army was taking delivery of Churchills, having determined in trials that they were the best available tank for jungle warfare. Throughout the series, many Churchills were retrofitted to later standards. In this way, some of the very early vehicles soldiered on to the end of the war. There were many marks and variants of Churchills, and the chassis was used as the basis of many of the most common engineering vehicles. These variants are described below. Principal service: 1941–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 7,000 of all types.
Cost: 212pts (Inexperienced), 265pts (Regular), 318pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 6-pdr medium anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG (Churchill Mk III or IV)
Damage Value: 10+ (Heavy Tank)
Options:
• May replace the 6-pdr with a 2-pdr light anti-tank gun and the hull-mounted MMG with a forward-facing 3-inch light howitzer for +20pts (making the vehicle a Churchill Mk I)
• May replace the 6-pdr with a 2-pdr light anti-tank gun for -20pts (making the vehicle a Churchill Mk II)
• May replace the 6-pdr with a 3-inch light howitzer and the hull-mounted MMG with a forward-facing 2-pdr light anti-tank gun at +20pts (making the vehicle a Churchill Mk IICS)
• May replace the 6-pdr with a 95mm light howitzer at no points cost (making the vehicle a Churchill Mk V)
• May replace the 6-pdr with a 75mm medium anti-tank gun at +10pts (making the vehicle a Churchill Mk VI)
Special Rules:
• Slow
• Mk VI only: HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits an HE shell causes D6 hits (75mm gun tanks)
Churchill Mk VII
These marks were the pinnacle of the Churchill design. Later numbered marks were used to denote earlier vehicles being brought up to mark VII or VIII standard. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 7,000 of all types.
Cost: 348pts (Inexperienced), 435pts (Regular), 522pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 75mm medium anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG (Churchill Mk VII)
Damage Value: 11+ (Super-heavy Tank)
Options:
• May replace the 75mm gun with a 95mm light howitzer for -30pts (making the vehicle a Churchill Mk VIII)
Special Rules:
• Slow
• Mk VII only: HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits an HE shell causes D6 hits (75mm gun tanks)
After the Dieppe raid it was obvious that new equipment was needed to breach beach defences and other fortifications. The Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) was designed to fill that need. Essentially the AVRE was a Mk III or IV Churchill with a new main gun and a host of attachments for various engineering tasks welded on. These attachments allowed the AVRE to lay tracks across soft going, to bridge small gaps, clear mines and so on. However, in the course of a normal Bolt Action battle, the most important change is the main armament. The AVRE is armed with a 290mm Petard mortar which fires an 18kg round, specially designed to level fortifications. The ‘flying dustbin’ of explosives moves slow enough for it to be seen, but the effect is devastating. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: c.700.
Cost: 290pts (Regular), 348pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted heavy howitzer with co-axial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 10+ (Heavy Tank)
Special Rules:
• Slow
• The Petard mortar cannot fire at long range
Churchill AVRE
Many British tanks had been modified to carry flamethrowers, and some had been used in action. The Crocodile was probably the most successful of these variants, using the already heavily armoured Churchill VII as a starting point, and adding an armoured trailer to carry the fuel. This arrangement was far safer than most flame throwing vehicles as the fuel supply could quickly be jettisoned if hit. It also meant that the Crocodile could always revert to its normal duties as a gun tank as it retained its original turret armament. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: about 800, but all late model Churchill VIIs were designed so that they could be field fitted to this purpose as required.
Cost: 485pts (Regular), 582pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 75mm medium anti-tank gun with coaxial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted flamethrower
Damage Value: 11+ (Super-heavy Tank)
Special Rules:
• Slow
• HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits an HE shell causes D6 hits (75mm gun tanks)
• Jettison fuel trailer. The normal bonus for trying to damage flame-throwing vehicles on page 51 of the rules does not apply to the Churchill Crocodile
Churchill Crocodile
American vehicles formed a major component of British armoured units during the mid- and late war. Many units were equipped entirely with Shermans, for example, though, as always, the British insisted on detail modifications to fit their combat doctrine. This varied from major alterations in the build of vehicles at the factory, as happened with the Grant/Lee series, to simply removing the .50 calibre HMG from its pintle mount on the Sherman or changing the position of the radio. Another significant difference is the fact that the British crew disliked the unreliable, and often dangerous, gyro-stabilised aiming systems and most often kept them switched off.
In addition to the physical alterations of American vehicles, the British renamed most of them. Whilst the American system of giving every type of equipment a number was simple in theory, it became confusing in practice as each series started at 1. This means that there was an M3 light tank, an M3 medium tank, an M3 knife, howitzer, anti-tank gun and so on. The British decided to name the American tanks after famous American Civil War generals, and many of these names were subsequently adopted by the American troops.
Not all foreign vehicles in British and Commonwealth usage were built by the Americans. The Canadians converted some of their heavy industry to produce armoured vehicles, and whilst they were not as numerous as the US contribution, they did see active service and so they are included here too. The Kangaroo deserves a particular mention as it was used so extensively at the end of the war.
Note, however, that this is a book about the British forces, and although foreign vehicles were undeniably important, there is not room here to describe their history in detail. I have, therefore, focused on game values for American vehicles and limited the descriptions to important notes on British usage or those Commonwealth vehicles that would not otherwise be described elsewhere. Full details of the American vehicles can be found in the US Army supplement for Bolt Action.
The Stuart, or Honey as it was also known, was supplied to British and Commonwealth forces in large numbers and served on most fronts, from the deserts of North Africa to the jungles of the Far East. It was well liked by its crews (hence the name ‘Honey’). They were generally used in reconnaissance roles. The steady progression of improvements changed the official British nomenclature from Stuart I to Stuart II, III and so on, but not the name by which the troops knew it. All types of M3/M5 light tank were referred to as Stuarts.
M3 STUART I & STUART II
Principal service: 1940–42. Numbers manufactured: 5,811.
Cost: 100pts (Inexperienced), 125pts (Regular), 150pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted light anti-tank gun with coaxial MMG and 2 forward-facing, hull-mounted MMGs
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May be a Stuart Recce for -25pts
Special Rules:
• Vulnerable: Because of the riveted construction, all shots to the side and rear of the vehicle get an additional +1 penetration modifier (i.e. in total, +2 for side hits and +3 for rear hits)
• Recce, Open-topped: If option is chosen.
M3A1 STUART III & STUART IV
Principal service: 1942–45. Numbers manufactured: 4,621.
Cost: 92pts (Inexperienced), 115pts (Regular), 138pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted light anti-tank gun with coaxial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May be a Stuart Recce for -25pts
Special Rules:
• Vulnerable: Because of the riveted construction, all shots to the side and rear of the vehicle get an additional +1 penetration modifier (i.e. in total, +2 for side hits and +3 for rear hits)
• Recce, Open-topped: If option is chosen
M3A3 STUART V
Principal service: 1943–45. Numbers manufactured: 3,427.
Cost: 108pts (Inexperienced), 135pts (Regular), 162pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted light anti-tank gun with coaxial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May be a Stuart Recce for -25pts
Special Rules:
• Recce, Open-topped: If option is chosen
SPECIAL RULE: STUART RECCE
One modification made good use of by British, Commonwealth and Polish units was the Stuart Recce. This was a normal Stuart with the turret removed to reduce its height and weight, and so increase speed. This allowed recce units to approach more easily and to make a quicker getaway if needed, all at the expense of a gun that was of limited use in reconnaissance anyway.
You may turn any version of Stuart into a Stuart Recce, reducing its cost by 25pts. This replaces the turret (and so its main gun and coaxial MMG) with a pintle-mounted HMG with a 360-degree arc of fire, and confers the Recce and Open-topped special rules to the vehicle.
M5A1 STUART VI
Principal service: 1943–45. Numbers manufactured: 6,810 (M5A1).
Cost: 124pts (Inexperienced), 155pts (Regular), 186pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted light anti-tank gun with coaxial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May be a Stuart Recce for -25pts
Special Rules:
• Reinforced armour: parts of the tank’s front armour were comparable to that of medium tanks. Against all shots hitting the front of the vehicle it counts its damage value as 9+
• Recce, Open-topped: If option is chosen
The Lee was the original version of this tank, with the Grant being modified specifically to suit the British requirements. Production rates meant that the British ended up receiving both versions.
M3 GRANT I & LEE I
Principal service: 1941–43. Numbers manufactured: 6,258.
Cost: 168pts (Inexperienced), 210pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 hull-mounted medium anti-tank gun covering the front and right arcs, 1 turret-mounted light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Options:
• May add a cupola (turret) mounted MMG for +10pts (making it a Lee I)
Special Rules:
• HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits, an HE shell causes D6 hits (75mm gun tanks)
• Easily catches fire: If a roll on the vehicle damage table results in the vehicle catching fire add D3 pin markers rather than just 1 before taking a morale test
• Vulnerable: Because of the riveted construction, all shots to the side and rear of the vehicle get an additional +1 penetration modifier (i.e. in total, +2 for side hits and +3 for rear hits)
M3A1 LEE II
Principal service: 1942–43. Numbers manufactured: 300.
Cost: 192pts (Inexperienced), 240pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 hull-mounted medium anti-tank gun covering the front and right arcs, 1 turret-mounted light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and 1 cupola turret-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Special Rules:
• HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits, an HE shell causes D6 hits (75mm gun tanks)
• Easily catches fire: If a roll on the vehicle damage table results in the vehicle catching fire add D3 pin markers rather than just 1 before taking a morale test
M3A3 LEE IV
Principal service: 1942–43. Numbers manufactured: 322.
Cost: 200pts (Inexperienced), 250pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 hull-mounted medium anti-tank gun covering the front and right arcs, 1 turret-mounted light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and 1 cupola turret-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Special Rules:
• HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits, an HE shell causes D6 hits (75mm gun tanks)
M3A5 GRANT II
Actually had the Lee turret, despite the name. Principal service: 1942–43. Numbers manufactured: 591.
Cost: 184pts (Inexperienced), 230pts (Regular), 276pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 hull-mounted medium anti-tank gun covering the front and right arcs, 1 turret-mounted light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and 1 cupola turret-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Special Rules:
• HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits, an HE shell causes D6 hits (75mm gun tanks)
• Vulnerable: Because of the riveted construction, all shots to the side and rear of the vehicle get an additional +1 penetration modifier (i.e. in total, +2 for side hits and +3 for rear hits)
The British Army used a different vehicle naming system from the Americans, and the M4 series was no exception. The main versions of Shermans were distinguished by different Marks of Roman numerals with the M4 being a Mark I, the M4A1 being a Mark II, the M4A2 a Mark III, and so on. If the main armament was not a 75mm gun then a letter was added to explain what it had been replaced by. ‘A’ tanks carried 76mm guns, ‘B’ tanks had a 105mm, and the ‘C’ versions 17-pdr QFs. The most common version of the Firefly was therefore referred to as a Sherman VC – an M4A4 with a 17-pdr.
SHERMAN I (75MM)
Principal service: 1942–44. Numbers manufactured: 6,748.
Cost: 148pts (Inexperienced), 185pts (Regular), 222pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted medium anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Special Rules:
• Easily catches fire: If a roll on the vehicle damage table results in the vehicle catching fire add D3 pin markers rather than just 1 before taking a morale test
• HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits, an HE shell causes D6 hits
• Thin sides: In the initial version, the side hull was very easily penetrated. All shots to the side of the vehicle get an additional +1 penetration modifier (i.e. +2 in total)
SHERMAN II, III & V (75MM)
Principal service: 1942–45. Numbers manufactured: 6,281 M4A1, 8,053 M4A2, 3,071 M4A3, and 7,499 M4A4.
Cost: 156pts (Inexperienced), 195pts (Regular), 234pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted medium anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Options:
• May cancel the ‘Easily catches fire’ rule for +10pts (M4A4)
Special Rules:
• Easily catches fire: If a roll on the vehicle damage table results in the vehicle catching fire add D3 pin markers rather than just 1 before taking a morale test
• HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits, an HE shell causes D6 hits
SHERMAN IIA & IIIA (76MM)
Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: 3,396 M4A1, 1,615 M4A2, and 1,445 M4A3.
Cost: 188pts (Inexperienced), 235pts (Regular), 282pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted heavy antitank gun with co-axial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
SHERMAN IB (105MM HOWITZER)
Principal service: 1943–45. Numbers manufactured: 800 (1943), 841 with HVSS (1944–45).
Cost: 140pts (Inexperienced), 175pts (Regular), 210pts (Veteran
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted medium howitzer gun with co-axial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Options:
• May cancel the ‘Thin sides’ rule for +10pts (M4A3)
Special Rules:
• Easily catches fire: If a roll on the vehicle damage table results in the vehicle catching fire add D3 pin markers rather than just 1 before taking a morale test
• Thin sides: In the initial version, the side hull was very easily penetrated. All shots to the side of the vehicle get an additional +1 penetration modifier (i.e. +2 in total)
SHERMAN VB (105MM HOWITZER)
Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: 500 M4A3, and 2,539 with 105mm and HVSS.
Cost: 156pts (Inexperienced), 195pts (Regular), 234pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted medium howitzer gun with co-axial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
SHERMAN IC, IC HYBRID & VC FIREFLY
As the letter C was used to denote the rearming of a Sherman with a 17-pdr, the tanks were often known as Charlie tanks in the field, after the radio sign for that letter. By D-Day there were enough to issue one per troop, and as supplies increased so was the ratio, so that by the end of 1944 two Fireflies per troop was common. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 2,000.
Cost: 236pts (Inexperienced), 295pts (Regular), 354pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 17-pdr super-heavy anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Options:
• May cancel the ‘Easily catches fire’ rule for +10pts (Firefly Vc)
Special Rules:
• Easily catches fire: If a roll on the vehicle damage table results in the vehicle catching fire add D3 pin markers rather than just 1 before taking a morale test
Sherman Firefly Vc
This was designed and built by the Americans, partly to a British requirement. However, by the time they were ready, they were obsolete. They replaced the Tetrarch, though neither type was very popular and few were used in combat. Half a dozen Locusts were used in Operation Varsity in 1945. Principal service: 1945. Numbers manufactured: 250 supplied to Britain.
Cost: 92pts (Inexperienced), 115pts (Regular), 138pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Options:
• May be given the Recce special rule for +10pts
Special Rules:
• Recce: If option is chosen
This excellent light tank was only delivered to British front line units during the final months of the war. Principal service: 1945. Numbers manufactured: 4,415.
Cost: 120pts (Inexperienced), 150pts (Regular), 195pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted medium anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May be given the Recce special rule for +10pts
Special Rules:
• HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits, an HE shell causes D6 hits (75mm gun tanks)
• Vulnerable: Because of its light armour, all shots to the side and rear of the vehicle get an additional +1 penetration modifier (i.e. in total, +2 for side hits and +3 for rear hits)
• Recce: If option is chosen
From the first the British found it necessary to mount anti-tank guns onto mobile platforms, starting with the humble 2-pdr portee (2-pdr anti-tank gun mounted on the back of a truck). Later developments included the Archer, a conversion of the Valentine tank, and Achilles – a re-armed US built M10 with a 17-pdr gun. With either open superstructures or large open turrets, these tank destroyers were able to mount larger calibre and more effective weapons than similarly sized tanks. The downside was that they were more vulnerable to enemy fire, relying upon their mobility to escape rather than their armour.
A portee is a flat-bed truck with an anti-tank gun mounted onto and designed to be fired from the back of the truck en portee. Guns were not permanently fixed into place, and could be unloaded for conventional use, but in terms of our game this would have occurred well before the action start, so portees are treated as armed vehicles rather than transports. They are a kind of improvised rapidly moving anti-tank weapon, and in that spirit just about any kind of truck could be modified in this way. Portees were a feature of warfare in the Western Desert where 2-pdr anti-tank guns were initially fixed to Morris 15cwt trucks. Later on Portees were built as dedicated vehicles carrying 6-pdrs and often featuring guns shields to protect the crew.
2-PDR PORTEE
The 2-pdr anti-tank gun of 40mm calibre was the standard British anti-tank gun of the early war and a relatively potent weapon in its day. It was light enough to be mounted onto a Morris 15cwt truck, and was also fitted to Chevrolet WA and WB trucks as used by the Long Range Desert Group, and CMP 30cwt trucks built by Chevrolet and Ford. Principal service: 1940–43. Numbers manufactured: Unknown.
Cost: 52pts (Inexperienced), 65pts (Regular), 78pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 light anti-tank gun on open platform with 360-degree arc of fire
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Options:
• May add up to one additional pintle-mounted MMG (covering the rear arc) for +15pts
6-PDR PORTEE
The heavier 6-pdr portee was built on Bedford or Austin 3-ton trucks specially kitted out for the purpose. The wheeled 6-pdr carriage was loaded onto a ramp and mounted with the barrel facing over the cabin. Principal service: 1942–43. Numbers manufactured: Unknown.
Cost: 68pts (Inexperienced), 85pts (Regular), 102pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 medium forward-facing anti-tank gun on open platform
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Options:
• May add up to one additional pintle-mounted MMG (covering the rear arc) for +15pts.
DEACON
The Deacon was an attempt to create a heavy portee based on an armoured AEC Matador truck with the portee itself enclosed by an armoured shield and mounted onto an open turret. They were used only during the fighting in North Africa and were reckoned unsuitable for service in Europe. Principal service: 1942–43. Numbers manufactured: 175.
Cost: 92pts (Inexperienced), 115pts (Regular), 138pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 medium anti-tank gun in open turret with 360-degree arc of fire
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Carrier)
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
As the war wore on, efforts were increasingly made to mobilise the devastating power of the 17-pdr anti-tank gun. The Valentine chassis was not able to take a sufficiently large turret to house the weapon, but many of the increasingly obsolescent tanks were available to convert and so an unusual solution was found. By mounting the gun in a fixed superstructure and pointing the barrel to the rear, the overhang of the long weapon was reduced and the height of the vehicle was kept to a minimum – ideal for ambushes. Although this was unlike anything else in the British Army, it proved surprisingly effective. The driver could remain in position whilst the gun was fired, ready to move to a new firing position before the dust raised by the first shot had settled. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: 665.
Cost: 265pts (Inexperienced), 295pts (Regular), 325pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 rear-facing 17-pdr super-heavy anti-tank gun in fixed superstructure and one crew carried LMG with 360-degree arc of fire
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
• The crew can either fire the main gun or the LMG, but not both
This was an American (T48) M3 half-track with a 57mm antitank field gun fixed on the back. This gun was essentially an American copy of the British 6-pdr, and so both training and ammunition was interchangeable. Principal service: 1943–44. Numbers manufactured: around 60 supplied to Britain.
Cost: 92pts (Inexperienced), 115pts (Regular), 138pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 hull-mounted front-facing medium anti-tank gun
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Carrier)
Options:
• May add up to one additional pintle-mounted MMG (covering the rear arc) for +15pts
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
This was an American (T12) M3 half-track with a M1897 field gun fixed on the back. Its principle intention was as an anti-tank vehicle to support infantry units, and in this guise it worked surprisingly well. The origins of the gun in the famous ‘French 75’ of pre-World War I vintage meant that it also had a very useful HE round, and this coupled with the manoeuverability of the chassis made it a generally useful support vehicle. Principal service: 1943–44. Numbers manufactured: around 150 supplied to Britain.
Cost: 96pts (Inexperienced), 120pts (Regular), 144pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 hull-mounted front-facing medium anti-tank gun
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Carrier)
Options:
• May add up to one additional pintle-mounted MMG (covering the rear arc) for +15pts
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
• HE: Instead of causing D2 HE hits, an HE shell causes D6 hits
The British used the M10 tank destroyer, which they called the Wolverine in its original format as well as the modified form known as the Achilles. Principal service: 1942–45. Numbers manufactured: 6,032.
Cost: 140pts (Inexperienced), 175pts (Regular), 210pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted heavy anti-tank gun.
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May add a pintle-mounted HMG for +25pts
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
This was simply an American M10 tank destroyer, with a 17-pdr instead of the normal 3 inch gun. Principal service: 1942–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 1,000 converted from M10 Wolverines.
Cost: 204pts (Inexperienced), 255pts (Regular), 306pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted super-heavy anti-tank gun
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May add a pintle-mounted HMG for +25pts
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
The Universal Carrier was adapted to many roles, one of the more straightforward being the addition of a Vickers MMG turning it into a mobile firing platform for a machine gun. Although the Machine Gun Carrier is not strictly speaking ‘artillery’ we’re included it in this category as its role most closely approximates to that of a support weapon rather than, say, an armoured car or tank. This entry includes the earlier Carden Loyd Tankette Machine Gun Carrier and Loyd Machine Gun Carrier.
Cost: 56pts (Inexperienced), 70pts (Regular), 84pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing Vickers MMG firing to the front arc
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Carrier)
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
• Turn on the spot: The universal carrier can turn on the spot enabling it to execute a full speed run rate ‘reverse’ finishing the move facing in direction of travel
This version of the fully-tracked Universal Carrier was equipped to carry a 3-inch mortar, its ammunition and crew. The mortar could be fired either from the carrier itself, or be dismounted and emplaced while the carrier retired to replenish the ammunition supply. This entry includes the earlier Carden Loyd Tankette Mortar Carrier and Loyd Mortar Carrier.
Cost: 64pts (Inexperienced), 80pts (Regular), 96pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 3-inch medium mortar with a 360-degree arc of fire
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Carrier)
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
• Turn on the spot: The universal carrier can turn on the spot enabling it to execute a full speed run rate ‘reverse’ finishing the move facing in direction of travel
The desert war showed that there was an urgent need for artillery that was as mobile as the armoured units. Nothing was immediately available, and so the Bishop was rushed through to meet this requirement. It simply replaced a normal Valentine turret with a far larger superstructure containing a 25-pdr howitzer. As soon as they were ready, they were deployed in the desert, and the problems became obvious. The Bishops were slow, huge targets and the fixed superstructure restricted the arc of fire of the gun as well as its range. They were never popular. As soon as American Priests (and then the Sexton) became available, the Bishops were withdrawn. Principal service: 1942–43. Numbers manufactured: about 100.
Cost: 120pts (Inexperienced), 150pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing 25-pdr light howitzer
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Options:
• May add AT rounds for the main gun for +10 pts. These allow the light howitzer to be alternatively fired as a light anti-tank gun – declare which round is chambered if the vehicle is put on Ambush
Special Rules:
• Slow
This was the American-built M7 Howitzer Motor Carriage that replaced the Bishop. In British service it became known as the Priest. It was built on a Grant/Lee or Sherman body, with a more lightly armoured open superstructure in which was carried a 105mm howitzer. Principal service: 1942 on M3, 1944–45 on M4. Numbers manufactured: 2,028 on the M3, 953 on the M4.
Cost: 128pts (Inexperienced), 160pts (Regular), 192pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing casement-mounted medium howitzer and one pintle-mounted HMG with a 360-degree arc of fire
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
The Sexton was a British version of an M7 Priest, based on the chassis of either the Canadian Ram (Sexton I) or Grizzly (Sexton II) tanks, and mounting a 25-pdr instead of the Priest’s 105mm howitzer. Principal service: 1943–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 2,000.
Cost: 96pts (Inexperienced), 120pts (Regular), 144pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing casement-mounted light howitzer and one crew carried LMG with 360–degree arc of fire
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May add AT rounds for the main gun for +10 pts. These allow the light howitzer to be alternatively fired as a light anti-tank gun – declare which round is chambered if the vehicle is put on Ambush
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
• The Crew can either shoot the Sexton’s main gun or the LMG but not both.
A great variety of vehicles were converted to carry antiaircraft guns, from simple trucks and armoured carriers to the Crusader tank and even the Staghound armoured car.
The Morris Commercial C9/B as it was officially known was a very successful combination, marrying a popular 30cwt truck and gun to produce what was to become the standard mobile anti-aircraft platform in the British Light Anti-Aircraft Regiments. C9/Bs were widely used in Europe from the Italian campaign onwards, and also deployed to the Far East where they were used in Burma. The Canadians also built a number of CMP variants that mounted the Bofors gun, generally known as the Bofors CMP. Principal service: 1943–45. Numbers manufactured: 1,680.
Cost: 48pts (Inexperienced), 60pts (Regular), 72pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 heavy automatic cannon with a 360-degree arc of fire
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Special Rules:
• Flak
The Canadians produced a number of AA trucks mounting Polsten cannons on CMP bodies of different types. These light autocannons were often mounted in multiples. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: Unknown.
Cost: 36pts (Inexperienced), 45pts (Regular), 54pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 light automatic cannon with a 360-degree arc of fire
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Options:
• May add a second, third or fourth light autocannon to the mount at a cost of + 30pts per gun
Special Rules:
• Flak
Anti-aircraft variants of the Crusader were produced in limited quantities specifically for the D-Day landings and were organised into special troops. As the fighting progressed, it became clear that the Luftwaffe posed very little threat and the AA troops were disbanded before the breakout. The two versions were differently armed: one with a single 40mm Bofors and the other with double 20mm Polsten cannon. Principal service: 1944. Numbers manufactured: more than 5,000 Crusaders all told.
Cost: 88pts (Inexperienced), 110pts (Regular), 132pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 heavy autocannon in open turret (AA Mk I)
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• May replace the 40mm heavy autocannon with two paired 20mm light autocannons in enclosed turret for +25pts (making it a Crusader AA Mk II)
Special Rules:
• Flak
• Open-topped (40mm version only)
This was the same as a Mark I with a new open turret containing twin .50-calibre HMGs. They were generally attached to HQ units for air defence. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 750.
Cost: 104pts (Inexperienced), 130pts (Regular), 156pts (Veteran).
Weapons: 2 turret-mounted paired HMGs plus a forward-facing hull-mounted MMG.
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Special Rules:
• Recce
• Open-topped
• Flak (turret-mounted HMGs only)
The British Army had a long history of fielding armoured cars, and tended to use them to equip units with a history of dash and élan. Many of these units were cavalry regiments, and the speed and boldness with which reconnaissance duties are best carried out suited them well.
As well as tradition, the British Army had practical reasons for liking armoured cars. They had an Empire to patrol, and many far-flung corners needed a well-armed police force to maintain order. Armed brigands and outright revolts were far from uncommon, and armoured cars or well-protected scout vehicles suited these situations perfectly. Tanks would have been seen as too heavy-handed and soft-skinned vehicles simply did not survive. Of course, the fact that armoured cars were a lot cheaper than tanks and could be supplied by many existing companies also helped make them popular.
In addition to armoured vehicles we have included a number of armed trucks and jeeps in this category as they were primarily combat vehicles in the configurations listed. Availability in quantity is specific to appropriate selectors.
A few examples of this iconic British armoured car of World War I were still in service when World War II began. They were used against the Italians in the opening desert campaigns, and with the Indian army in the Far East. The original design was produced in 1914, and had been revised in 1920 and again in 1924. As none had been built recently, this meant that the vehicles were older than their crews. Though in some ways better than nothing, they were clearly outclassed by more modern designs and were quickly removed from front line duty. Principal service: 1939–41. Numbers manufactured: about 75 still in service at the outbreak of war.
Cost: 56pts (Inexperienced), 70pts (Regular), 84pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Options:
• Replace the single MMG with a new open topped turret containing a Boys anti tank rifle and a Bren LMG for +10pts. This was a field modification applied to many of the Rolls Royce armoured cars in the western desert
Special Rules:
• Recce
• Open-topped (if armament changed)
This large armoured car was designed and built in the late 1920s and so was due for retirement when the war broke out. By this time most of them had been deployed to the Far East, though a handful remained in Africa. It was a reliable and popular vehicle with good performance on both roads and cross-country. Its only real drawbacks were its large size and outdated design. Principal service: 1939–41. Numbers manufactured: fewer than 50.
Cost: 64pts (Inexperienced), 80pts (Regular), 96pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 2 paired, turret-mounted MMGs
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Special Rules:
• Recce
This South African armoured car series was widely used in the desert war both by British and Commonwealth units. There were a number of different marks as well as various field modifications and interim upgrades. As with most vehicles in the desert, there was a degree of individualisation not common in other theatres. For simplicity, we have divided the types by their main armament as this has most effect on the tabletop. Principal service: 1940–45. Numbers manufactured: about 5,000 of all marks.
Cost: 64pts (Inexperienced), 80pts (Regular), 96pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 2 paired, turret-mounted MMGs (Marks I–III)
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Options:
• Replace both MMGs with a QF 2-pdr light anti-tank gun for +30pts (making the vehicle a Mark IV)
Special Rules:
• Recce
The Humber armoured car was based on the unsuccessful Guy AC, a tiny handful of which were sent to France and subsequently lost. Despite the various faults of the Guy design, the initial versions of the Humber copied them almost exactly in the interests of getting something built to defend against the expected invasion. The Mark II rectified most of the faults in the armour layout, and the Mark IV upgraded the main armament. This was the most common version, and was widely used in both Europe and the Far East. The Canadian-built Fox armour car was also based on the same design, but mounted a heavy machine gun as the main armament. Principal service: 1941–45. Numbers manufactured: about 2,500 of all marks.
Cost: 76pts (Inexperienced), 95pts (Regular), 114pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 15mm Besa light autocannon with coaxial MMG (Mark II)
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Options:
• Replace 15mm Besa with a 37mm light anti-tank gun to make Mk IV for +20pts
• Options: replace 15mm Besa with HMG to make Canadian Fox for –10pts
Special Rules:
• Recce
The Daimler armoured car came from the same design works as the successful Daimler Dingo and was based on a similar layout, albeit somewhat enlarged. The turret was that of the Tetrarch, and saw much more combat on the armoured car than it ever would on that tank. The Daimler, and its near twin, the Humber armoured car, arrived in time to do sterling service in the desert where their speed and reliability enabled them to do their reconnaissance work whilst avoiding far more dangerous enemies. Principal service: 1941–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 2,500.
Cost: 92pts (Inexperienced), 115pts (Regular), 138pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted 2-pdr light anti-tank gun with coaxial MMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Special Rules:
• Recce
These lightly armoured vehicles were primarily used by the Recce sections of Infantry regiments in European theatres, though they had begun their war service in Tunisia, at the tail end of the North African campaign. Probably the most unusual part of the Humber’s story is that a few modified examples were used as armoured transport by members of the Royal Family and prominent politicians. Principal service: 1941–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 3,500.
Cost: 68pts (Inexperienced), 85pts (Regular), 102pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing anti-tank rifle and turret-mounted LMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Special Rules:
• Recce
Produced by Morris, based on one of their existing lorry chassis, this had an unusual layout with all three crew sitting side-by-side. This gave the vehicle its distinctive side profile. Principal service: 1940–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 2,000.
Cost: 64pts (Inexperienced), 80pts (Regular), 96pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing anti-tank rifle and turret-mounted LMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Special Rules:
• Recce
• Open-topped
The Morris CS9 mounted a Boys anti-tank rifle and Bren LMG in its open turret, or a Vickers machine gun. They fought during the Battle of France and in North Africa.
Cost: 64pts (Inexperienced), 80pts (Regular), 96pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret mounted anti-tank rifle and co-axial LMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Options:
• Replace Boys AT rifle and LMG with Vickers MMG for -10pts
Special Rules:
• Recce
• Open-topped
Humber MkII armoured car
The Otter was a Canadian-built version of the reconnaissance car type, based on GMC parts rather than Humber or Morris lorries. It was broadly similar in appearance to those two types, and was intended to supplement them in the field as production quantities never matched demand. The difference in original components led to a heavier vehicle and marginally poorer performance, though not enough to warrant a change in rules for the tabletop. More than 1,000 were built, but many were retained by the Canadians for training and domestic use. Principal service: 1942–45. Numbers manufactured: about 1,000.
Cost: 68pts (Inexperienced), 85pts (Regular), 102pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing anti-tank rifle and turret-mounted LMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Special Rules:
• Recce
The Dingo was a compact scout car, popular for its speed, low silhouette and unusually heavy armour for such a small vehicle (we have given it the same armour value as a light tank to reflect this). They were used throughout and after the war in every theatre. As befitted its role, Dingos carried no more weaponry than a Bren gun, relying instead on their small size and speed to keep them out of danger. Principal service: 1939–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 6,500.
Cost: 64pts (Inexperienced), 80pts (Regular), 96pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing LMG
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Special Rules:
• Recce
• Open-topped
The British Army was very happy with the Daimler Dingo scout car, but the rate of production could never keep pace with demand. The Humber Scout Car was ordered to supplement the Dingo and in practice was mostly used by the armoured divisions. The Humber was just as heavily protected as the Dingo, adding an armoured roof at the sacrifice of thinning the floor plates and making it more vulnerable to mines. Principal service: 1942–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 4,000.
Cost: 72pts (Inexperienced), 90pts (Regular), 108pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 pintle-mounted LMG with a 360-degree arc of fire
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Special Rules:
• Recce
The AEC armoured car combined levels of protection normally found on a tank with a conventional armoured car design. The difference in marks is a change in turrets to repeatedly upgun the vehicle. Initially the turret was simply taken intact from a Valentine, and some reports suggest that Crusader turrets were used as field modifications in the desert. Principal service: 1942–45. Numbers manufactured: about 600 of all types.
Cost: 108pts (Inexperienced), 135pts (Regular), 162pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted light anti-tank gun with coaxial MMG
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Options:
• Replace the light anti tank gun with a 6-pdr medium anti tank gun at +20pts (making the vehicle a Mark II)
• Replace the anti tank gun with 75mm medium anti tank gun at +30pts (making the vehicle a Mark III)
Special Rules:
• Recce
• HE (if 75mm tank gun fitted): instead of causing D3 HE hits an HE shell causes D6 hits
The Beaverette was a hastily designed stopgap measure that was intended to provide vehicles for the defence in the event of a German invasion. Instigated by Lord Beaverbrook in 1940, it was simply an oak and steel armoured shell on top of an existing car chassis. The resulting strain of this additional weight on the automotive elements made it clumsy and difficult to handle and it was never popular. The Beaverette never saw combat, being relegated to home defence and training duties. It was produced in a number of variations, the Mark I being the most common. Principal service: 1940–42. Numbers manufactured: more than 2,500.
Cost: 40pts (Inexperienced), 50pts (Regular)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing LMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
The Staghound was a very large and heavily armoured vehicle of conventional armoured car layout – just bigger! It was an American design given the designation T17 E1 or M6 medium armoured car, though US forces never used it themselves. The British, on the other hand, were happy to have them, as were other Commonwealth countries such as the Australians, Indians, Canadians and New Zealanders. Staghounds were deployed in Europe from the Italian campaign until the end of the war. In practice they were simply too big for certain duties, having trouble squeezing down the narrow lanes of Europe’s many medieval villages. Their heavy armour more than made up for this shortcoming as it provided the Recce units with a much more survivable vehicle, which often did not require them to ask for help from outside units. Principal service: 1943–45. Numbers manufactured: more than 2,600.
Cost: 116pts (Inexperienced), 145pts (Regular), 174pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted light anti-tank gun with coaxial MMG plus 1 forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Special Rules:
• Recce
Humber Scout Car
AEC Armoured Car
The Armoured Carrier Wheeled India Pattern (ACV-IP) otherwise known as the India Pattern Armoured Car was manufactured in India and used by the Indian Army in the Far East, Africa and Italy. It was used as an armoured car and recce vehicle and as transport, and this entry covers its use as an armoured car. For transport version see Bren Carrier entry.
Cost: 48pts (inexperienced), 60pts (Regular), 72pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing hull-mounted LMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Carrier)
Options:
• Add a pintle-mounted LMG for +10pts
• Replace forward-facing LMG with Boys anti-tank rifle for +10pts
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
• Recce
The Greyhound was the British name for the M8 6-wheeled American armoured car. It had a good off-road performance, but suffered from thin floor armour making it vulnerable to mines. Crews often lined the bottom of the fighting compartment with sandbags, baulks of timber or anything else they could find that might improve their survivability. Principal service: 1943–45. Numbers manufactured: 11,000.
Cost: 88pts (Inexperienced), 110pts (Regular), 132pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 light anti-tank gun and coaxial MMG in an open turret
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Options:
• May add an additional pintle-mounted HMG with a 360-degree arc of fire for +25pts
Special Rules:
• Recce
• Open-topped
The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was an unconventional unit that operated deep behind enemy lines, gathering information, disrupting supply lines and raiding enemy bases. They used a variety of vehicles, most famously the 30 cwt Chevrolet, all of which were festooned with weaponry of all types. This included captured Breda 20mm AA cannons, and Swedish built 37mm Bofors anti-tank guns, which were mounted facing over the back. Although not ‘armoured’ in any way these vehicles are so well armed we’ve included them in the Armoured Car section as they are primarily combat vehicles rather than transports. Note that the options given here are representational of the many variations of weapons used by the LRDG. We do not suggest that this was the only type of vehicle or armament used. In reality most were unique. With a little research an interested reader would be able to find photographs to form the basis of a modelling project in which every vehicle could be personalised. The types of raid executed by the LRDG suit the scale of Bolt Action battles very well.
Cost: 45pts (Regular), 54pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing MMG plus 1 rear-facing MMG
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Options:
• May have a pintle-mounted MMG for +5pts
• May upgrade the pintle-mounted MMG to a HMG for +10pts
• May upgrade the rear-facing MMG to 20mm light autocannon for +20pts
• May upgrade the rear-facing MMG to 37mm light anti-tank gun for +40pts
Special Rules:
• Recce
The SAS were quick to see the potential for a rugged vehicle such as the Jeep, and in their usual manner added as many guns as it could possibly carry. As with the LRDG vehicles these are primarily mobile combat weapons rather than transportation, so we have included them in the Armoured Car category.
Cost: 48pts (Inexperienced), 60pts (Regular), 72pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing HMG, 1 forward-facing LMG and 2 rear-facing LMGs
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Options:
• May replace any LMGs with Vickers K guns counting as MMGs for +5pts each
Special Rules:
• Recce
British Airborne Recce Jeep
In addition to normal Jeeps, the airborne forces at Arnhem were supplied with special Recce Jeeps, fitted with single or twin Vickers machine guns.
Cost: 28pts (Inexperienced), 35pts (Regular), 42pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing Vickers MMG
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Options:
• May upgrade to twin forward-facing MMGs for +10pts
Special Rules:
• Recce
Universal Carriers were fast and highly-mobile vehicles that were often used in a recce role. When used in this way they carry an appropriate crew and lose the ability to transport troops or act as tows. This same entry also covers the very similar Loyd Carriers and pre-war Carden-Loyd Scout Carriers that saw action during the Battle of France.
Cost: 48pts (inexperienced), 60pts (Regular), 72pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing hull-mounted LMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Carrier)
Options:
• Add a pintle-mounted LMG for +10pts
• Replace forward-facing LMG with Boys Anti-tank Rifle for +10pts
Special Rules:
• Open-Topped
• Recce
• Turn on the spot: The universal carrier can turn on the spot enabling it to execute a full speed run rate ‘reverse’, finishing the move facing in the direction of travel
The build-up to World War II saw the beginnings of the mechanisation of the British Army. Even though battles would still largely be fought by individual soldiers on foot, transportation to and from the battlefield, and the vast amount of logistical support needed to maintain the armies in the field, would increasingly be done by motor vehicles. From the beginning of the war were a mixture of repainted civilian vehicles, civilian-derived military variants, and an increasing number of bespoke military vehicles. Canada alone produced huge numbers of trucks from its Chevrolet and Ford factories, both of which built the CMP – Canadian Military Pattern – vehicles.
More properly called the Universal Carrier, this was a fully tracked weapons and personnel carrier and one of the most distinctive and useful transports used by any side during the war. This entry is also used for all the similar Loyd carriers and for the pre-war designed Carden-Loyd Tankette tow. The wheeled India Pattern Armoured Carrier can also be fielded with the same details minus the ‘Turn on the Spot’ special rule. It was also used as an artillery tractor for the 6-pdr gun.
Cost: 48pts (Inexperienced), 60pts (Regular), 72pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 forward-facing hull-mounted LMG
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Carrier)
Transport: 5 men
Tow: Light or medium anti-tank gun
Options:
• Add a pintle-mounted LMG for +10pts
• Replace forward-facing LMG with Boys Anti-tank Rifle for +10pts
• Remove Transport capacity to make Carden-Loyd tow for -10pts
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
• Turn on the spot: The universal carrier can turn on the spot enabling it to execute a full speed run rate ‘reverse’, finishing the move facing in the direction of travel. May not use if towing
Bren Carriers
British light armoured reconnaissance section, by Peter Dennis © Osprey Publishing Ltd. Taken from Elite 156: World War II Combat Reconnaissance Tactics.
British trucks were military adaptations of civilian vehicles made by manufacturers such as Bedford, Austin, Morris and Leyland. Canadian Chevrolet and produced huge numbers of trucks that served throughout the world; including the CMP (Canadian Military Pattern) trucks. Military trucks came in a variety of sizes of which the 3-ton was the most common. These served as general-purpose cargo trucks, troop transports, artillery tows, and in a variety of special roles. The stats given here are representative of all medium sized or 3-ton trucks such as the Bedford OY and the more advanced four-wheel drive Bedford QL that succeeded it. Trucks were sometimes armed with a pintle-mounted machinegun -primarily for antiaircraft defence, and we include the option here. Strictly speaking, the term ‘truck’ was only used to describe smaller 1½-ton vehicles, whilst those of 3-ton capacity and greater were ‘lorries’; however, the distinction in largely lost these days and ‘trucks’ is commonly used to describe all such military vehicles. Of special note is the lengthened troop transport version of the Bedford QLT which could carry twenty nine men and their kit – it was popularly known as the ‘Drooper’. CMP also produced similar long wheelbase trucks, although these were more commonly used to carry supplies.
Cost: 31pts (Inexperienced), 39pts (Regular), 47pts (Veteran)
Weapons: none
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Transport: 12 men (up to 29 if the Bedford QLT option is taken)
Tow: Light howitzer, light or medium anti-tank gun, light or heavy anti-aircraft gun
Options:
• May have a pintle-mounted MMG with 360-degree arc of fire for +15pts
• May upgrade the MMG to a HMG for +10pts
• May upgrade to long chassis Bedford QLT carrying 29 men for +34pts
At the start of the war the standard British military truck was of 30cwt (1½ ton) capacity. These were in the process of being superseded by heavier 60cwt machines (3 tons) when the war broke out. Trucks of this capacity continued to be produced and were adapted to a variety of specialised purposes as well as being used as carriers and tows. These are often identical in appearance to the heavier three-tonners, with a shorter wheelbase and reduced load area. Examples include the Bedford OX, Chevrolet C30 CMP, and so on.
Cost: 28pts (Inexperienced), 35pts (Regular), 42pts (Veteran)
Weapons: none
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Transport: 10 men
Tow: Light howitzer, light or medium anti-tank gun, light or heavy anti-aircraft gun
Options:
• May have a pintle-mounted MMG with 360-degree arc of fire for +15pts
• May upgrade the MMG to a HMG for +10pts
These smaller trucks are the equivalent size to a US ¾-ton vehicle and they perform the same kind of roles as weapons carriers and general-purpose utility vehicles. The Morris CS8 and its replacement the C4 are typical of the kind. As the war progressed their role was taken by larger trucks, but there was always a need for small trucks as radio vehicles, bowsers, petrol tankers, engineering vehicles and so forth.
Cost: 25pts (Inexperienced), 31pts (Regular), 37pts (Veteran)
Weapons: none
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Transport: 8 men
Tow: Light howitzer, light or medium anti-tank gun, light or heavy anti-aircraft gun
Bedford OY 3-ton truck
Rather than list all of the various small vans, light and heavy utility vehicles and civilian cars, all such small vehicles can be conveniently represented with the stats shown here. This includes the small 8cwt and 5cwt military vehicles, as well as staff cars such as the Humber, and a number of different small cars and trucks known as Tillys. The Tilly is a type of vehicle but a term used to describe any small utility vehicle. They are essentially military versions of civilian cars, and were produced by Austin, Morris, Hillman and Standard. Some were supplied with a small flatbed and a canvas tilt. Most vehicles of this size would be used in specialised roles such as radio cars.
Cost: 17pts (Inexperienced), 21pts (Regular), 25pts (Veteran)
Weapons: none
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Transport: 3 men
As war approached, the army looked to replace its ageing artillery tractors with a new design. This was to be a compact four-wheel-drive vehicle that included an integral winch, and was to ideally be based on a proven model. Morris won the competition with a vehicle based on its tried and tested C8 lorry. The Quad, as it is generally known, has become an iconic British vehicle from the period, as much due to its characteristic shape as its production run of more than 10,000 vehicles. Quads were developed throughout the war and variants were built by other companies including the CMP FAT (Field Artillery Tractor). Quads were mainly used to tow 17-and 25-pdr guns and their associated ammo limbers. Note that 17-pdr ammo was so big that it didn’t fit in the limber, but they were still used as they gave the combination of tow plus gun better handling characteristics.
Cost: 15pts (Regular), 18pts (Veteran)
Weapons: none
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Tow: Any anti-tank gun or anti-aircraft gun, light or medium howitzer
The US-built Willys Jeep came in a wide variety of guises, easily adapting to fit specialised uses such as airborne deployment or long range patrol. They were used to tow light guns, carry wounded to aid stations, and ferry both generals and privates on their myriad duties. Two thirds of a million were produced, and they were supplied to almost every Allied nation.
Cost: 17pts (Inexperienced), 21pts (Regular), 25pts (Veteran)
Weapons: none
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Transport: 3 men
Tow: Light anti-tank gun
Options:
• May have a pintle-mounted MMG with 360-degree arc of fire for +15pts, losing all transport capacity
• May upgrade the MMG to an HMG for +10pts
The M5 half track was the export version of the American M3. It was a large and rugged vehicle and had plenty of room for a British section because it was designed to carry the larger American squad. In game terms the M3 and M5 are identical. Visually, the main distinguishing features are the rounded corners of the troop compartment and the simpler design of the front wheelguards in the M5. Principal service: 1943–44. Numbers manufactured: 12,499.
Cost: 79pts (Inexperienced), 99pts (Regular), 119pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 pintle-mounted HMG with a 360-degree arc of fire
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Carrier)
Transport: 12 men
Tow: any anti-tank gun or anti-aircraft gun; light or medium howitzer
Options:
• May add up to two additional pintle-mounted MMGs (one covering the left arc, one covering the right arc) for +15pts each
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
The American-built M3 was much larger than the many British-designed scout cars and had a great deal more carrying capacity. In fact it was a multi-role vehicle that could be readily adapted to serve as tranport, tow or light combat vehicle. We therefore treat it as transport rather than an armoured car. Principle service: 1940–44. Number manufactured: 21,000.
Cost: 69pts (Inexperienced), 86pts (Regular), 103pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 pintle-mounted HMG covering the forward arc
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Car)
Transport: 8 men
Tow: Light or medium anti-tank gun, light howitzer, light anti-aircraft gun
Options:
• May add up to two additional pintle-mounted MMGs one covering the right and rear arcs and one covering the left and rear arcs for +15pts each
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
The Kangaroo is a conversion of a tank or self-propelled gun to serve as a fully armoured troop carrier. The practice of field-modifying armoured vehicles in this way to serve as troop carriers began after D-Day with the Canadian army. The idea soon spread across the British forces. The first examples were ‘defrocked’ Priests – M7 Howitzer Motor Carriages with the 105mm gun removed). The majority were Ram Kangaroos, Canadian Ram tanks with their turrets removed. These Canadian-built tanks were based upon the US M3 and were never used as gun tanks, being employed exclusively for training. However, the hull served as the basis for several specialised vehicles. From the breakout from Normandy until the end of the war, Kangaroos became increasingly common on the battlefield, allowing the British Tommy to make the approach to an assault at least safely behind armour. Note that although the M4 hull is a medium tank, we have reduced the armour value for all Kangaroos to 8+ to take account of the lack of armoured turret.
PRIEST KANGAROO
The first Kangaroos were converted from M7 Priest self-propelled guns by the simple expedient of removing the guns and stowage. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: 102.
Cost: 70pts (Inexperienced), 87pts (Regular), 104pts (Veteran)
Weapons: none
Damage Value: 8+ (Light Tank)
Transport: Up to 11 men
Tow: Light, medium or heavy anti-tank gun, light or medium howitzer, light or heavy anti-aircraft gun.
Options:
• May add forward-facing MMG for +10pts
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
RAM KANGAROO
The majority of Kargaroos were converted from obsolete Canadian Ram tanks. The same stats given here will cover Kargaroos converted from Sherman tanks. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: 500.
Cost: 102pts (Inexperienced), 127pts (Regular), 152pts (Veteran)
Weapons: none
Damage Value: 9+ (Medium Tank)
Transport: Up to 11 men
Tow: Light, medium or heavy anti-tank gun, light or medium howitzer, light or heavy anti-aircraft gun
Options:
• May add forward-facing MMG for +10pts
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
The AEC Matador was used to tow medium artillery, such as the 4.5 and 5.5-inch field guns, and the 3.7-inch aircraft gun.
Cost: 15pts (Regular), 18pts (Veteran)
Weapons: none
Damage: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Tow: Any anti-tank gun or anti-aircraft gun, light or medium howitzer
The Scammel was used to pull the heavy 7.2-inch howitzer it was a huge, powerful vehicle that was also used as a heavy breakdown truck.
Cost: 15pts (Regular), 18pts (Veteran)
Weapons: none
Damage: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Tow: Any anti-tank gun, anti-aircraft gun or howitzer
The Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) series was a very useful addition to the British Army, especially towards the end of the war when it was confronted with numerous rivers to cross and low-lying fields that had been flooded by the Germans as part of their defences. The series underwent many detail changes and subvariants, and it was still being developed at the end of the war. Many of the more elaborate variants were never used in combat, and the basic troop-carrying version was always by far the most common. Used extensively in the Scheldt Estuary and during the Rhine crossing. Also used in Italy for crossing the Po River. Principal service: 1944–45. Numbers manufactured: 510 (including all variants).
Cost: 98pts (Inexperienced), 123pts (Regular), 148pts (Veteran)
Weapons: two pintle-mounted MMGs with a 360-degree arc of fire
Damage Value: 7+ (Armoured Carrier)
Transport: Up to 24 men
Options:
• May add a pintle-mounted 20 mm Polsten light autocannon with a
• 360-degree arc of fire for +35pts
Special Rules:
• Open-topped
• Amphibious
The Terrapin was an amphibious 8-wheeled truck similar in concept to the better known US DUKW. It was used towards the end of the war during the battles for Antwerp and the Battle of the Scheldt.
Cost: 35pts (Inexperienced), 44pts (Regular), 53pts (Veteran)
Weapons: none
Damage Value: 6+ (Soft-skin)
Transport: 12 men
Tow: light or medium anti-tank gun; light or medium howitzer; light anti-aircraft gun
Special Rules:
• Amphibious
PINTLE-MOUNTED MACHINE GUNS
Many American designed tanks were supplied with a pintle-mounted machine gun, situated on the turret behind the hatch. The original intent of fitting pintle-mounted machine guns was to serve as antiaircraft weaponry. Of course, some were used against enemy infantry, and they were particularly useful for crews of light vehicles such as armoured cars, half-tracks and so on. In tanks, things were different, especially after D-Day.
With the Luftwaffe largely neutralised, and the majority of what remained in the west being used almost entirely against the bomber streams that pounded their industries, there was little need for an anti-aircraft weapon on tanks. This was particularly true when it had been sited behind the commander’s cupola as was usually the case. This was ideal for firing upwards as you could hunker down and stay within the protective confines of the turret while you fired, but it was hopeless when engaging ground targets. To get a good shot you had to expose most of your body to enemy fire or, in some cases, actually get out of the turret altogether and stand on the engine deck – hardly something you’d want to do in the middle of a firefight!
Although gamers would always vote to add more guns to any vehicle, they don’t have to clean or resupply them, and the practical drawbacks of the pintle mounts saw the vast majority of them removed from British main line tanks altogether. Certainly, by the time of the breakout from Normandy, it was rare to see a British tank with one. Late war British-designed vehicles never carried them.