Author Topic: Universal Carrier (All Variations)  (Read 29499 times)

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #50 on: April 27, 2020, 04:01:25 AM »
This one is at The Military Museum (formally called The Museum of the Regiments) in Calgary.

Offline ChernayaAkula

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #51 on: April 27, 2020, 07:24:33 AM »
Something different - would make an interesting diorama:  Royal Irish Fusiliers of the British expeditionary forces come to the aid of French farmers whose horses have been commandeered by the French Army. A Bren Carrier is hitched to a plow to help with the spring tilling of the soil on March 27, 1940.


Literally (if only temporarily) swords to ploughshares! Nice!  :smiley:

Was there ever a civilian version as an agricultural tractor or was one considered?
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Offline Volkodav

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #52 on: April 27, 2020, 10:19:34 AM »


One of the strongest recognition points for identifying an Australian-manufactured LP2 or 2A carrier is the unique shape of the nose of the vehicle - the glacis plate is at a much steeper angle than that seen on British-produced carriers. This carrier is shown in the markings of the Australian 2/9 Infantry Division.


Is the Vickers condenser hose connected to the Carriers cooling systems or was it a difference setup the AIF used in North Africa?

Offline Story

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #53 on: April 28, 2020, 02:14:49 AM »


Was there ever a civilian version as an agricultural tractor or was one considered?

Seems to my memory that most of the extant hulls with drive-trains were former farming / logging vehicles that had their armor lopped off.

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #54 on: June 19, 2021, 03:34:53 AM »
I wonder.  Would a Maxson M45 Quadmount be able to be fitted to the rear of a Universal carrier?
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Offline Frank3k

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #55 on: June 19, 2021, 07:21:25 AM »
The Quad was around 1000kg; the NAZIs put a 1500kg Flak 38 on one, so why not? It's possible that these masses include the gun carrier, which is similar in both... so I think it could take a Maxon. The crew can walk behind or in a second Carrier.

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #56 on: June 19, 2021, 08:18:20 AM »


Was there ever a civilian version as an agricultural tractor or was one considered?


Seems to my memory that most of the extant hulls with drive-trains were former farming / logging vehicles that had their armor lopped off.


Certainly was. An Australia Company Stricklands put out a tractor version using surplus Australian LP Carriers, post WW2.


The Conversion was to cut down all the armour, put on a Rolling hitch and move the driver controls to the rear right. They were only a stop gap as they turned out to be not that suited to farm work.
I did a bit of research on these to put together a build of one in 1/35 using the Tamiya Bren carrier as a basis. which is a story in itself.
Short version is I went to the Warracknabeal Machinery Museum and asked if they had any photos of Stricklands Carriers, the old bloke said. "Sorry no photo's... but we have two of them in the shed !"



This build was done in 2005 and a classic case of "if know then what I know now" sort of thing

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #57 on: June 19, 2021, 09:59:58 AM »
That's a great diorama! The track & suspension was probably to delicate and fiddly for a farm vehicle. I bet your diorama was a common sight.

Offline Volkodav

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #58 on: June 19, 2021, 10:55:32 PM »
I wonder if it would be effective to raise the sides of the Carrier to turn it into a proper APC?


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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #59 on: June 20, 2021, 01:41:02 AM »
I wonder if it would be effective to raise the sides of the Carrier to turn it into a proper APC?

Like the Biafran one at Reply #13?
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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #60 on: June 20, 2021, 01:59:27 AM »
I'm thinking the Quadmount could go on the back of one somewhat similar to the Australian 2-pounder version:

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Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #61 on: June 20, 2021, 07:35:26 AM »
I wonder if it would be effective to raise the sides of the Carrier to turn it into a proper APC?

The move to the Oxford then Cambridge designs, based on the universal carrier principal were the start of the answer to that. The inherit difficulty with the standard Universal carrier is the lack of space for more troops. Additionally the higher the sides, the more clambering and jumping required to embark/disembark if you do not have doors.

As far as I am aware even the word "carrier" is supposed to have "weapons" in front of it, because in essence the design was principally as a weapons carrier. The early versions were earmarked as Machine Gun/Bren and Scout carriers. Each had a distinctive weapons fit and layout. It was the evolution to the Universal Carrier that lead to being used in other roles other than as a weapons carrier, be it Bren or Mortar or towing. Often the other uses were way outside intended uses just reinforces what a sound basic design it was for it's time.

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #62 on: June 20, 2021, 07:48:26 AM »
I'm thinking the Quadmount could go on the back of one somewhat similar to the Australian 2-pounder version:

How is that crewed? For the Quad mount, you'd need one guy in the Comfy Chair, one guy to drive and two guys to reload - plus one commander... which is fine, but where would you fit the big boxes of .50 cal ammo?
« Last Edit: June 20, 2021, 09:59:56 AM by Frank3k »

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #63 on: June 20, 2021, 08:49:28 AM »
I'm thinking the Quadmount could go on the back of one somewhat similar to the Australian 2-pounder version:


There is a 1/35 kit out there, albeit resin from IMA
http://www.imaco.com.hk/cgi-bin/prod.pl/id/IMA04035

Image from the IMA Site of a  customer build.

Maxon mount might work and look quite mean. Ammo is a concern as pointed out. It is a voracious beast. Paniers on the back maybe.
Overloading a carrier is quite normal, plenty of images show that ;)

Offline Rickshaw

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #64 on: June 20, 2021, 04:42:34 PM »
A T16 carrier would be better, with better mobility.

Offline M.A.D

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #65 on: June 21, 2021, 10:39:00 AM »
I'm thinking the Quadmount could go on the back of one somewhat similar to the Australian 2-pounder version:




That would make one hell of an infantry suppression vehicle, let alone a useful light SPAAG GTX 🤔

I can picture the Australian Army utilising such a light and low silhouette in the Korean War....A diorama with such a vehicle dug in at Kapyong would be cool.


MAD
« Last Edit: June 21, 2021, 11:32:09 AM by M.A.D »

Offline Story

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #66 on: June 21, 2021, 05:45:34 PM »
Vickers Mk VI Light Tank
Somewhere I've got stashed a resin kit along with the TAMIYA BREN carrier as a Horstman suspension donor.

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #67 on: June 22, 2021, 01:28:03 AM »
A T16 carrier would be better, with better mobility.

Maybe but I'm not sure if any kits are available.
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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #68 on: June 22, 2021, 01:55:08 AM »
Armoured roof:




« Last Edit: June 22, 2021, 02:38:08 AM by GTX_Admin »
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Offline Frank3k

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #69 on: June 22, 2021, 02:28:49 AM »
Looks like a tight fit. How do you get out of there in a hurry if there's an impromptu BBQ in the rear?

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #70 on: June 22, 2021, 11:26:12 AM »
You can do amazing things when you've enough adrenaline pumping through your veins. ;)
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Offline Story

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #71 on: June 23, 2021, 04:33:43 AM »
Armoured roof:

This a *Dad's Army* home defense contraption?  If so, I could see a Good Idea Fairy suggesting that roof was an ideal mounting point for a direct fire rocket rack.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RP-3

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_Battery

Looks like a tight fit. How do you get out of there in a hurry if there's an impromptu BBQ in the rear?

Pooping your pants serves as an excellent lubricant for passing through tight quarters,

or so I've heard.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2021, 04:38:18 AM by Story »

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #72 on: June 23, 2021, 04:52:22 AM »
Pooping your pants serves as an excellent lubricant for passing through tight quarters,

or so I've heard.

I just noticed that they have a Boys anti-tank rifle... so they're planning to go up against a tank? Some pooping/sphincter tightening coming up!

Offline Rickshaw

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #73 on: June 23, 2021, 07:58:49 PM »
It was developed post-Dunkirk.  It looked like a "good idea" at the time but wasn't deployed widely.

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Universal Carrier (All Variations)
« Reply #74 on: June 23, 2021, 11:00:46 PM »
Pooping your pants serves as an excellent lubricant for passing through tight quarters,

or so I've heard.

I just noticed that they have a Boys anti-tank rifle... so they're planning to go up against a tank? Some pooping/sphincter tightening coming up!

Actually, against an early war Pz.Kpfw. I, Pz.Kpfw. II & Pz.Kpfw. III tanks, a Boys anti-tank rifle would have been quite effective when used by a steady soldier, as the Soviets proved with the PTRD-41 (although the .55 Boys round was somewhat anaemic compared to the 14.5x144 Soviet round, which was also useful against Pz.Kpfw. IV & Pz.Kpfw. V tanks).
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."