MILITARY VEHICLES #13.

 

AMERICAN M5 GUN TRATOR.

 

The M5 tank entered service with the British Army in 1943 and was known as the Stuart V1. Some Stuart tanks were converted to reconnaissance and gun towing vehicles by removal of the turret.

 

 

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BRITISH M3A3 GRANT TANK :- `MONTY`S TANK`.

 

This tank was used by Lieutenant General Montgomery during the battle of EL Alamein. To make room for extra communications equipment, the 37mm gun barrel was replaced with a wooden dummy gun barrel.

 

 

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NASH AMBULANCE.

 

A private car converted into a factory ambulance in 1939. Air raid precaution ( ARP ) services were set up in Britain from 1937 in anticipation of the heavy air raids and many casualties which were expected if Germany bombed Britain. First aid parties, posts and the emergency ambulance service formed an important part of the ARP arrangement's. Many private cars and commercial vehicles were converted in 1939 - 1940 for use as emergency ambulances. This ambulance was an American Nash Ambassador car. It`s owner Thomas Bata, had it converted for use at his shoe factory in east Tilbury, Essex in 1939. It remained in use as the factory ambulance until 1976.

 

 

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RAPIER LOW LEVEL AIR DEFENCE GUIDED MISSILE SYSTEM.

 

This British anti - aircraft system was used by the Army and RAF regiments from 1971, Rapiers served in the Falklands war of 1982 and are still in use today. The British Aircraft Corporation began developing the Rapier anti - aircraft, supersonic guided missile system in 1961. The first test firings were made in 1965 and the first units in service were called field standard a ( FSA ). During the 1980s and 1990s the Rapier FSB and then FSC entered service, with improved electronics, fire units and optical and radar trackers. Rapier was originally designed for use in daylight and fair weather. It became a night and day, all weather system with the addition of the Blindfire Radar Tracker. Rapier has been sold to fourteen countries around the world. As well as the Falklands, Rapiers were used by the British and Americans during the Gulf war of 1991 and the Iraq war of 2003. In 2008 the Royal Artillery began taking over responsibility for ground based air defence from the RAF Regiment using Rapier FSC. This FSB1 system was acquired by the Imperial War Museum in 2002.

 

 

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BRITISH EPS SPRINGER.

 

The Springer is an all terrain, multi purpose small transport vehicle. It is designed to carry combat supplies from helicopter landing sites to forward operating bases. Springers are built by Enhanced Protection System for use by the British Army in Afghanistan.

 

 

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THE NEXT THREE ARE NOT MILITARY VEHICLES, BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD INCLUDE THEM HERE.

 

 

 

 

COASTAL MOTOR BOAT CMB 4.

 

Introduced into the Royal Navy during the first world war to attack German Navy bases and coastal shipping. The coastal motor boat (CMB ) was designed to attack in the shallow waters around enemy harbours. It`s high speed and manoeuvrability made it difficult to hit and helped it make a quick getaway. The Royal Navy ( RN ) ordered the first 12 forty foot CMBs from J.I.Thornycroft and Co in 1916, which were delivered only seven months later. They were designed to slip over German minefields and raid enemy bases in occupied Belgium. They were light in weight so could be hoisted on and off the davits of cruisers. Their duties included laying mines, reconnaissance and rescue. Crew - three. Construction - mahogany plank on frame, single step planing, round form hull. Engine - single shaft Green V-12 petrol engine 250bhp. Weapons - 1x18inch torpedo. Max speed - 34.43 knots. Range - 257.5 km. Length - 40 foot. Beam - 8ft-6inches. Displacement - 4 tons.

 

 

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BIBER ( BEAVER ) GERMAN ONE MAN SUBMARINE.

 

Bibers were the smallest submarines in the German Navy during the second world war. The type was designed in 1944 to meet the threat of an allied invasion, and to attack coastal shipping. This vessel Biber No 90 was found sinking 49 miles to the north east of Dover on 29th December 1944. Its crewman, twenty year old Hans Langsdorff, was dead inside. A later post mortem examination revealed he had died from carbon monoxide poisoning, having failed to close the engine exhaust system properly. He was the son of Captain Hans Langsdorff, who committed suicide after the loss of his ship the Graf Spee in 1939. The craft was recovered and examined by the Royal Navy. Bibers were first used operationally on 29 - 30th of August 1944 against ships of the invasion fleet in the bay of the Seine. These attacks were not successful, although 324 Bibers were delivered, they never posed a real threat to the allies. They had several technical flaws and the crews were poorly trained.

 

 

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ROYAL NAVY ONE-INCH ARMOUR PLATE.

 

This armour plate was pierced by a 15 inch shell. Plate of this thickness was used for a variety of purposes on Royal Navy Warships during the inter-war and second world war periods. It was deck armour on some battleships and turret and side armour on cruisers and destroyers. This section is a repair test piece, transferred to the Imperial War Museum in 1973 from HMS Phoenix, the former Royal Navy damage control training school and fire fighting school. The 381mm shell that created the hole was fired from one of the standard types of guns fitted to Royal Navy battleships. It could fire an 1,920lb shell approximately 15 miles. The spikes, actually bolts, seen around the hole are part of the repair. These connect the plate to another drilled plate behind, seen through the damaged hole and were fixed in place by a Cox`s bolt gun. The cavity between the two plates is filled with quick drying concrete. This type of repair was one of many temporary Royal Navy repair methods.

 

 

 

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