Universal Carrier (All Variations)

[Jeffry Fontaine]

A spot for discussion of all variations on the Universal Carrier. 

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Found an interesting BeutePanzer based on the Bren Carrier captured by the Germans that was previously operated by the French armed with a 25mm anti-tank gun at this link: Bren Gun Carrier On Steroids

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Reference page links: Wikipedia - Universal Carrier

[Mark Aldrich]

Would really love to see a styrene Lloyd Carrier made!  The Accurate Armour is just so expensive!

[Caveman]

2 pdr


triple panzerschrecks!


this post has a whole host of bren goodness!
http://forum.worldoftanks.eu/index.php?/topic/131358-universal-carrier-mk-i/page__st__20__pid__2988761#entry2988761

list of variants
http://www.jedsite.info/fulltrack-uniform/uniform/universal_series/universal-series.html

[Jeffry Fontaine]

TOW missile or recoiless rifle (120mm BAT or M40 106mm RR) in post war service? 

[GTX_Admin]

That first one is similar to something I have in mind.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Carrier with bulldozer blade for "light" earth moving and small obstacle removal operations.

[raafif]

been dying to build this .... would have been devastating to German infantry in southern England's hedgerows come the invasion ....

[Jeffry Fontaine]

been dying to build this .... would have been devastating to German infantry in southern England's hedgerows come the invasion ....

Might also work very well as an AOP for the FOO.

[deathjester]

Carrier with bulldozer blade for "light" earth moving and small obstacle removal operations.

What, kinda like an airmobile Bulldozer?  Sounds good.  Could one of those carriers have been a slung load under a Belvedere, or caried in any post war RAF transports?

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Carrier with bulldozer blade for "light" earth moving and small obstacle removal operations.

What, kinda like an airmobile Bulldozer?  Sounds good.  Could one of those carriers have been a slung load under a Belvedere, or caried in any post war RAF transports?

Wikipedia provides the following data:
Weight:  3.75t(3402 kg)                       
Length: 144.0" (3.65 m) x Width: 81.0" (2.06 m) x Height: 62.0" (1.57 m)

Anything with a load capacity of 8000 pounds/4 tons should be able to sling load it and any aircraft with internal dimensions sufficient to handle something that was 144.0" long by 81.0" wide by 62.0" in height should work. 

[Volkodav]

I have often wondered how big a gun you could fit in a Hezter or Stug type superstructure based on a universal carrier, would a 57mm be possible?  The other thought is a front engined, covered APC variant with a rear ramp.

[Rickshaw]

Carrier with bulldozer blade for "light" earth moving and small obstacle removal operations.

What, kinda like an airmobile Bulldozer?  Sounds good.  Could one of those carriers have been a slung load under a Belvedere, or caried in any post war RAF transports?

Alecto dozer would have been more useful, I suspect.

[Rickshaw]

I have often wondered how big a gun you could fit in a Hezter or Stug type superstructure based on a universal carrier, would a 57mm be possible?  The other thought is a front engined, covered APC variant with a rear ramp.

You might want to look at the Universal Carrier's big brother, the T16 for that.



The Carrier, Mortar, 3in, Aus.pattern, with its engine moved forward and a turntable on the rear for the mortar it carried was a very useful modification to the basic Universal Carrier concept but unfortunately wasn't built in any large numbers.




Now, a T16 carrier, with its engine moved forward like the Mortar Carrier and with a crew compartment in the rear, would have been a very useful vehicle IMHO.   With a taller hull, with some overhead protection and a rear door/ramp, it would have made a passable APC although the inability of all the carriers to carry much armour would have prevented it being very useful.

[raafif]

 

[raafif]

 

the Russians built their own Gaz half-tracks using captured & copied German maulitier "Bren" track-work too.

[raafif]

trench-jumping Bren-carrier ...... before & after shots 

Canadian trial to increase load-carrying.

Malay improv.

[elmayerle]

Okay, the rocket-Bren clearly didn't work.  However, it suggests that one modified to carry and launch heavy assault rockets (say, the same size as those lifting rocket motors) might work for assault purposes.

[kitnut617]

This one is at The Military Museum in Calgary

[apophenia]

Now, a T16 carrier, with its engine moved forward like the Mortar Carrier and with a crew compartment in the rear, would have been a very useful vehicle IMHO.   With a taller hull, with some overhead protection and a rear door/ramp, it would have made a passable APC although the inability of all the carriers to carry much armour would have prevented it being very useful.

Interesting to see the Carrier, Mortar, 3in, Aus.pattern. Seemingly more useful than the Cdn and British dismount  mortar carriers. A shame that they weren't built in greater numbers -- was that because MetGas was too busy building standard Carriers?

Another candidate for your front-engined idea is the the Windsor Carrier, a Canadian Ford equivalent to the US-built T16 but with a lengthened hull (and corresponding increase in the gap between roadwheel pairs).

The 1944 Oxford Mk.I (Carrier, Tracked, CT20) and postwar Cambridge (Carrier, Tracked, FV401) had front sprockets.  Anyone know where their engines were placed?

[Rickshaw]

Rear.  Passengers dismounted over the side.  This picture of a model of an Oxford shows it, Cambridge was I believe the same.

[GTX_Admin]

The Lloydgun one is interesting.  What gun size?

[Rickshaw]

The Lloydgun one is interesting.  What gun size?

IIRC 6 Pdr.  What was most interesting about it I think, is that the Lloyd carrier was unarmoured.

[GTX_Admin]

I looked it up:  90mm gun

[Volkodav]

I looked it up:  90mm gun

Interesting, so assuming you could fit an appropriate engine an angled, armoured superstructure and a 77mm HV gun would not have been out of the question, sort of a mini Hezter or E10.

[GTX_Admin]

Hmmm...I like your thinking.  77mm tank hunter.