The Great Halftrack Debate 428!

[Digger]

Hobbes,

For all you need to know on the Bren/Universal Carrier and variants

Check out

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-armo...arrier.htm

The Picture of the T-16 Carrier with the .50 cal is nice

To quote some of the text

"The first Machine Gun Carrier introduced into British service was produced by Vickers in 1936 and became the prototype for the Machine Gun and Bren Carriers. Designated the Carrier, Machine Gun, No.1, Mk I, it carried a crew of three, dispensing with the idea of carrying an independent machine gun team and replacing it with the idea that the vehicle and crew were the machine gun team, able to operate with or independent from the vehicle"

This indicates that the original design of the vehicle intended for the machine gun whether it be a .303 Vickers or Bren to be used by the crew either mounted or dismounted. I expect that crews received training in either role and would have carried the standard tripod mount to use away from the vehicle

In the CS Context it is the designers choice I reckon. Same with jeeps carrying scout platoons or MG jeeps..whatever floats your boat.

As for the definition of the combat effectiveness of the vehicle..I think the following account gives a good indication

An example of its limitations are best summed-up in the following account: On 23rd November 1942, General Clowes at Milne Bay, New Guinea ordered a small number of Bren Gun Carriers to Cape Endaiadere as direct support to American troops operating in this area. It was made clear to the Americans that the Carriers were too lightly armoured and the crews too exposed for them to be used as tanks. In addition, they lacked any overhead protection from sniper fire, shell splinters and were extremely vulnerable to flank attacks. Thus they were forced to work with infantry support.

The aftermath of an attack at Cape Endaiadere on 5th December, resulted in vehicle crews being roughly handled and resulted in the abandonment of five vehicles. The supporting American infantry found they could not advance any further and the attack was called off. Sadly, it proved yet again, the futility of attempting to use inappropriate vehicles as tanks'.

Matt ~Digger