List of British military equipment of World War II

The following is a list of British military equipment of World War II which includes artillery, vehicles and vessels. World War II was a global war that was under way by 1939 and ended in 1945. On 1 September 1939, Germany, which aimed to dominate Europa, attacked the Poland. This conflict led to declaration of war by Great Britain.

Knives and bayonets

 * BC-41
 * Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife

Pistols (manual and semi-automatic)

 * Enfield No.2 Mk.1 Revolver
 * Webley Revolver - many marks in .38 and .455 inch calibre
 * Browning FN-Inglis "Pistol No.II Mk.I*"
 * Colt M1911A1
 * Webley No.I Mk.I - (automatic pistol in .455 inch). Issued to the Royal Navy
 * Welrod - silenced pistol for irregular forces such as SOE and supply to resistance groups
 * Smith & Wesson Model 10
 * Colt New Service
 * Colt Official Police

Automatic pistols and submachine guns

 * Lanchester - British submachine gun, developed from the German MP28, used by the Royal Navy & Royal Air Force.
 * Sten - British submachine gun from late 1941/early 1942, to the end of the war.
 * Thompson - American submachine gun used in large numbers until the Sten gun was introduced.
 * Sterling-Patchett- British submachine gun trialled in small numbers in combat from 1944
 * BSA Welgun - prototype only, did not see service

Rifles

 * De Lisle Carbine - Specialist issue, very low number made
 * Enfield Pattern 14 (P14) - Used as a marksman weapon until the No.IV Mk.I(T) was introduced, also issued in large number to the LDV.
 * M1917 Enfield - Issued to LDV.
 * Martini-Enfield - Used as a reserve arm by Commonwealth troops from India, New Zealand, etc.
 * Lee Enfield No.1 Mk.III* - Lee Enfield rifle in service at the beginning of the war, supplemented and replaced by the No.4 Mk.I by mid-war.
 * Swift training rifle
 * Lee Enfield No.4 Mk.1 + No.4 Mk.I(T) - Lee Enfield rifle that replaced the No.I Mk.III* in larger numbers mid-war.
 * Lee Enfield No.5 Mk.I Jungle Carbine - Introduced in 1944 to replace the longer No.1 Mk.III*, and No.4 Mk.I rifles for when in use in the jungles of the Far East.
 * M1 Garand - American rifle, used in small quantities by special units.
 * M1 & M1A1 Carbine - American rifle, used in small quantities by special units.

Grenades and grenade launchers

 * Grenade, Hand or Rifle, No.36M Mk.I "Mills Bomb"
 * "Grenade, Rifle No.68 /AT" HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) Rifle Grenade
 * No.69 Mk.I Bakelite Concussion Hand Grenade
 * No.76, Special Incendiary Phosphorus Hand Grenade
 * No.73 Anti-Tank Hand Grenade "Thermos Grenade"
 * Grenade,, No.74 ST "Sticky Bomb"
 * Hawkins grenade (No.75 Anti-Tank Hand Grenade)
 * No.77 White Phosphorus Hand Grenade
 * Grenade, Hand, No. 82 "Gammon Bomb"
 * Para 9
 * 45 defender
 * Lewes bomb - Used by the SAS
 * Satchel charge
 * Molotov cocktail

Flamethrowers

 * Flamethrower, Portable, No 2 "Lifebuoy"
 * Wasp
 * Lagonda flamethrower
 * Flame fougasse

Infantry and dual-purpose machine guns

 * Bren light machine gun - Light gun through the whole of the war.
 * Besal -cancelled alternative to Bren light machine gun
 * Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) - Issued to British Home Guard
 * Lewis Gun - In service with some infantry at outbreak of war in small numbers, issued to British Home Guard for the rest of the war.
 * Vicker Gas Operated (VGO) "Vickers K" - Aircraft machinegun, used in specialist roles on Long Range Desert Group and Special Air Service vehicles in North Africa, as well as a short-lived infantry machine gun with the Commandos.
 * Vickers Medium Machine Gun - Standard medium machine gun of the British Army since 1912.
 * Vickers-Berthier - Indian Commonwealth troops.

Vehicle and aircraft machine guns

 * Browning M1919 - Mounted on many lend-lease vehicles.
 * Browning M2 - Mounted on many lend-lease vehicles.
 * Machine Gun, 7.92 mm BESA - British versions of the Czech ZB53 (Model 37) machine gun used as tank and armoured car armament only.
 * Besa 15mm - similar adaption og ZB vz.60 heavy machine-gun as vehicle armament.
 * Vickers .50 machine gun, Marks II, IV and V - Mounted on some tanks until superseded by the 15mm BESA
 * Vickers S 40mm ground-attack autocannon

Infantry mortars

 * 2 Inch Mortar
 * 3 Inch Mortar
 * Ordnance ML 4.2 inch Mortar
 * Northover projector - incendiary, used by Home Guard

Heavy mortars & rocket launchers

 * Hedgehog (weapon) for anti-submarine warfare

Domestically produced

 * RP-3 -3-inch rockets used for air-to-ground and some ground to ground use
 * Mattress (rocket) (3-inch rocket
 * Vickers-Armstrong dual barrel howitzer 25.4/70mm, M1930
 * OQF 3-pounder gun
 * QF 6-pounder 6 cwt Hotchkiss - used only on armoured trains
 * Ordnance QF 13-pounder (obsolete by WWII)
 * QF 2.95-inch Mountain Gun - also exported to US
 * Ordnance QF 75 mm - 75 mm tank gun based on 6-pdr that used US 75mm ammunition
 * Ordnance QF 3-inch howitzer - gun used on support tanks at start of war
 * Ordnance QF 95 mm howitzer - gun used on support tanks later in war
 * Ordnance QF 18-pounder (majority lost to Germans in France and never replaced as obsolete)
 * Ordnance QF 25-pounder Gun-howitzer
 * QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer - used for mountain and urban warfare
 * BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VII - used on merchant ships
 * BL 4 inch Mk IX naval gun - used on Flower-class corvettes
 * QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun - main naval dual-purpose gun
 * QF 4.5-inch howitzer - nearly obsolete at start of WWII
 * BL 60-pounder gun - 5-inch heavy field gun
 * BL 4.5-inch Medium Field Gun - replaced 60-pdr in service
 * BL 6-inch Gun Mk XIX
 * BL 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer
 * BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun
 * BL 7.2-inch Howitzer - heavy field howitzers

Imported

 * M116 howitzer (M1 pack howitzer)
 * 75 mm Gun M2/M3/M6
 * 155 mm Long Tom
 * 240 mm howitzer M1

Fortress and siege guns

 * QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun - for coastal defense
 * QF 6 pounder 10 cwt gun - for navy and coastal defense
 * BL 5.5 inch Mark I naval gun - for navy and coastal defense
 * BL 6-inch Mk VII naval gun - for coastal defense
 * BL 7.5 inch Mk VI naval gun - for coastal defense
 * BL 8 inch Howitzer Mk 6 - 8
 * BL 7.2-inch howitzer
 * BL 8 inch Mk VIII naval gun - for coastal defense
 * BL 9.2-inch howitzer
 * BL 12-inch howitzer
 * BL 9.2 inch gun Mk IX–X - purpose-built for coastal defense
 * BL 9.2-inch Railway Gun
 * BL 13.5-inch Mk V naval gun - mounted as railway gun
 * BL 14 inch Mk VII naval gun - 2 re-built for coastal defense
 * BL 15 inch Mk I naval gun - 8 re-built for coastal defense
 * BL 16 inch Mk I naval gun - 4 guns produced during WWII but never used
 * BL 18 inch Mk I naval gun - 1 gun was lined-down to 16 inches and used for weapons tests during WWII
 * BL 18 inch railway howitzer - never used in action

Anti-tank guns

 * 25 mm Hotchkiss anti-tank gun - used in France until defeat in 1940
 * Smith Gun - Home Guard use only
 * Vickers-Armstrong dual barrel 44/60mm, M1936
 * Ordnance QF 2 pounder
 * Littlejohn adaptor
 * Ordnance QF 6 pounder
 * Ordnance QF 17 pounder
 * Ordnance QF 32-pounder - prototype only

Anti-tank weapons (besides ant-tank guns)

 * Boys anti-tank rifle Infantry anti-tank weapon (prewar - 1943).
 * Blacker Bombard - spigot mortar
 * Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank (PIAT) - Infantry anti-tank weapon (1943 until end of war)

Light anti-aircraft guns

 * Holman Projector
 * Gun, Machine, Vickers, .5-inch, Mk. III in quadruple mounts - obsolete by WWII
 * 20 mm Oerlikon
 * 20 mm Polsten
 * Hispano-Suiza HS.404 - imported
 * Vickers 25.4x189mm AA gun - only for export, twin mounts
 * 40 mm Bofors
 * QF 2-pounder naval gun (pom-pom)
 * Ordnance QF 3-pounder Vickers dual-purpose gun - obsolete at start of WWII

Heavy anti-aircraft guns

 * Unrotated Projectile (2-inch rocket artillery)
 * Z Battery
 * QF 13-pounder 6 cwt AA gun (few guns may have survived in colonies until WWII)
 * QF 12-pounder 12 cwt AA gun (used as naval dual-purpose gun on small ships during WWII)
 * 75mm Vickers antiaircraft gun model 1936/39 - export only
 * QF 3 inch 20 cwt
 * Vickers Model 1931 - export only
 * QF 3.7 inch AA gun
 * QF 4 inch Mk XIX naval gun - dual-purpose naval gun for small warships
 * QF 4.5-inch Mark 1 to Mark V
 * QF 5.25 inch gun Mk 2 - naval, anti-aircraft and coastal defense roles

Tankettes

 * Carden Loyd tankette (Mk 1 -Mk 6)
 * Light Tank Mk I to Mk V
 * Light Tank Mk VI

Tanks

 * Vickers L1E3 - light amphibious tank trialled but not used
 * Vickers 6-Ton (Vickers Mark E), Type A and Type B
 * Light Tank Mk.VII Tetrarch
 * Light Tank Mk VIII (Harry Hopkins tank)
 * Vickers Medium Mark II - Used in small scale in the early battles in North Africa, from then; dug into ground with turret protruding for defence, in North Africa, & Great Britain.
 * Medium Mark III - only 3 built
 * Tank, Cruiser, Mk.I (A9)
 * Tank, Cruiser, Mk.II (A10)
 * Tank, Cruiser, Mk.III (A13)
 * Tank, Cruiser, Mk.IV (A13 Mk.II)
 * Tank, Cruiser, Mk.V, Covenanter (A13 Mk.III)
 * Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VI, Crusader (A15)
 * Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VII, Cavalier (A24) - gun tank used for training only, OP and ARV tank used.
 * Tank, Cruiser Mk.VIII, Centaur (A27L)
 * Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VIII, Cromwell (A27M)
 * Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VIII, Challenger (A30)
 * Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34)
 * Tank, Cruiser, Centurion I (A41) - Entered service too late to see combat service.
 * Tank, Infantry, Mk.I, Matilda I (A11)
 * Tank, Infantry, Mk.II, Matilda II (A12)
 * Tank, Infantry, Mk.III Valentine
 * Tank, Infantry, Mk.IV, Churchill (A22)
 * Tank, Infantry, Valiant (A38) - prototype only.
 * Infantry Tank Black Prince (A43) - prototype only.
 * "Tank, Heavy Assault, A33 (Excelsior)" - prototype only
 * Tortoise heavy assault tank - prototype only
 * Tank, Heavy TOG 1 - prototype only
 * Tank, Heavy TOG 2 - prototype only

Imported tanks

 * M3 Lee (Lee/Grant) - Medium Tank M3, provided by Lend-Lease from America.
 * M3 Stuart
 * M4 Sherman - Medium Tank M4, provided by Lend-Lease from America.
 * Sherman Firefly - Sherman tank, rearmed with a British 17pdr gun.
 * M22 Locust
 * M24 Chaffee

Exported tanks

 * Vickers A4E11 (also Vickers A4E12 and T-37 tank) - exported to China, Dutch and USSR

Tank-based

 * Self Propelled 17pdr, Valentine, Mk.I, Archer
 * Carrier, Valentine, 25pdr gun, Mk.I, Bishop
 * 3in SP. Wolverine - Gun Motor Carriage M10, provided under Lend-Lease from America.
 * 17pdr SP. Achilles - rearmed with 17 pdr gun
 * 25pdr SP, tracked, Sexton
 * SP 17pdr, A30 (Avenger) - Order not fulfilled until post-war.
 * 105 mm SP, Priest - 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7, provided under Lend-Lease from America.
 * Alecto (SPG) - 2 prototypes

Other

 * AEC Mk I Gun Carrier "Deacon"


 * M3(T12) 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage - Provided under Lend-Lease from America. In British service designated "75 mm SP, Autocar".
 * T48 57 mm Gun Motor Carriage - 680 provided by Lend-Lease from America. Many had gun removed to convert them back to Armoured Personnel Carriers.
 * Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M14 - Provided by Lend-Lease from America. Many had guns removed to convert them back to Armoured Personnel Carriers.

Armoured cars

 * AEC Armoured Car
 * Alvis-Straussler AC3, 12 "Alvis-Straussler Type A" produced for Aden garrison, "AC3D" exported to Dutch and Portugal
 * Armadillo armoured fighting vehicle, extemporized armoured vehicle based on a truck chassis
 * Bison concrete armoured lorry, a series of extemporized armoured vehicles based on truck chassis
 * Bedford OXA, armoured car based on a truck chassis
 * Daimler Armoured Car
 * Daimler Dingo, similar "Lynx scout car" produced in Canada
 * Humber Scout Car
 * Humber Light Reconnaissance Car
 * Guy Armoured Car/Humber Armoured Car (most widely used WWII armoured car of Great Britain)
 * Coventry armoured car
 * Lanchester 6x4 Armoured Car
 * Morris Light Reconnaissance Car
 * Peerless Armoured Car - First World War era armoured car
 * Rolls-Royce Armoured Car
 * Standard Beaverette

Export only

 * Alvis-Straussler AC2 (produced in Hungary as 39M Csaba)
 * Vickers-Morris M1931 (6 made for export to Siam)
 * Crossley IGA1 (450 in Indian service since 1930s)

Import only

 * Half-track Car M2 - Provided under Lend-Lease by US.
 * Half-track Car M3 - Provided under Lend-Lease by US.
 * M3 Scout Car (White scout car) - provided under Lend-Lease by US.
 * Otter Light Reconnaissance Car - ""Car, Light Reconnaissance, Canadian GM Mark I", based on layout of Humber Light Reconnaisance Car

Armoured carriers

 * "Kangaroo" armoured personnel carriers
 * Universal Carrier, also earlier specialized version "Bren Carrier" and "Scout Carrier"
 * Praying Mantis (prototype only) - elevating machine gun carrier
 * Loyd Carrier - utility carrier
 * Half-track Personnel Carrier M3 - Provided under Lend-Lease by US.
 * Half-track Personnel Carrier M5 - Provided under Lend-Lease by US.
 * 4-ton amphibian, Terrapin - amphibious load and personnel carrier

Engineering and command

 * Guy Lizard - armoured command vehicle)
 * AEC Armoured Command Vehicle
 * Cultivator No. 6 - trench cutter, not used
 * Hobart's Funnies - collective name applied to specialist vehicles of the 79th Armoured Division

Trucks

 * AEC Matador
 * Austin K5
 * Bedford OY
 * Bedford QL trucks series
 * Bedford QLD - most common in QL series, "General Service" (cargo version)
 * Canadian Military Pattern truck - various trucks built by Canadian companies to common specifications
 * Ford Fordor

Passenger cars

 * Humber Super Snipe - militarised as "Car, 4-seater, 4x2"
 * Willys MB - Lend Lease "jeeps"
 * "Tilly" - nickname applied collectively to military versions of cars
 * Ford Fordor - Canadian Ford production, used as "Car, Heavy Utility 4×2 Ford C11" ·

Motorcycles

 * Royal Enfield WD/RE
 * Welbike

Tractors & prime movers

 * Albion CX22S heavy artillery tractor
 * Diamond T tank transporter
 * Scammell Pioneer
 * Scammell Pioneer Semi-trailer
 * Morris C8
 * Morris CDSW

Miscellaneous vehicles

 * Austin K2/Y, ambulance

Ground

 * Chain Home, early warning radar

Aircraft

 * Monica (radar), tail warning radar fitted to bombers
 * H2S (radar), ground scanning radar fitted to bombers

Aerial bombs

 * "Bouncing bombs"
 * Upkeep
 * Highball
 * Gas bombs
 * Smoke bombs
 * Tallboy bomb
 * Grand Slam bomb


 * Blockbuster bombs
 * 4,000 lb HC (High Capacity)
 * 8,000 lb HC
 * 12,000 lb HC