The Vickers Universal Carrier, or Bren Gun Carrier, was the most widely manufactured armoured vehicle of WWII, around 113,000 being built in Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Production started in 1934 and ceased in 1960. They were used as gun tractors, weapon carriers (Bren guns, Vickers heavy MGs, Mortors), and infantry fighting vehicles (including a flamethrower and two pounder antitank gun versions).
They were used by British and Commonwelath armies and by the Red Army. The Germans also
used a bunch captured at Dunkirk, valuing the carriers' flexibility and reliability. They mounted a 37mm anti-tank gun on some and also triple tube panzerschreck launchers, producing the world's first anti-tank missile vehicle.
This model is a Tamiya 1:48 with Warlord Games metal crew figures. It is painted as a vehicle of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry, the regiment in which my father fought at Anzio.
Incidentally, I fitted Warlord figures to bring the crew into style with my Warlord infantry. It is interesting to compare a Tamiya 1:48 figure with a Warlord 28mm (nominally 1:56).
Great work on the carrier, very impressive!!
ReplyDeleteVery nice model, lovely paintjob.
ReplyDeleteThat looks great, particularly like all the little details of stowage and equipment.
ReplyDeleteDear Ray
ReplyDeleteThanks
John
Dear Lurker
ReplyDeleteThanks, the Tamiya models are not cheap but thay are nice.
J
Dear Ethics,
ReplyDeleteTamiya equip their models well but I have added other bits from Warlord sprues to convey a unit theme.
John
Nice, what do you have of these in 1/72?
ReplyDeleteVery nice modell! I've always loved these. It's looks very british. I wonder why it wasn't used by the american forces.
ReplyDeleteCracking stuff!
ReplyDeleteDear Al
ReplyDeleteNo 1/72 yet but I intend to make some up for my Red Army.
J
Dear Iggy
ReplyDeleteAmerica has always been reluctant to use foreign weapons. Notably, in WWII the US Army refused to use British siege tanks at D-Day, which saved a lot of lives in the British & Canadian armies. The Dieppe disaster had revealed the need for specialised armoured vehicles.
John
Dear Paul
ReplyDeleteThanks,
J
Dear John,
ReplyDeleteI know that the "yanks" as you call them had issues, i read the amazing book of John Keegan about the WWII. I recall most of them belived the way to win the war was simply "not to loose it."
Dear John
ReplyDeleteI wondered about using Tamiya 1/48 with Warlord crew. Looks great (& well painted too!)
Many thanks for the post
Just wondered (if you can remember - did the Tamiya kit include a Boy's AT rifle option?
ReplyDelete