The United States Army

The M1911A1 (Colt)

Length	22 cm
Weight	1 kg (empty) 1.25 kg (loaded)
Calibre	0.45 in (11.43 mm)
Magazine	7 rounds
Muzzle Velocity	260 metres per second

The legendary Colt .45, showing the unique pistol grip safety. It was a fearsome weapon to fire, especially for a conscript unfamiliar with firearms
The Colt 'Forty Five' seemed to personify the US Army - big, loud and powerful. It had been designed to halt the drug fuelled charge of a Moro tribesman during the American involvement in the Philippines. No one doubted its stopping power, but the heavy recoil posed a problem, especially for new recruits.
The Colt was a standard single action weapon, with both a slide and a grip safety, the latter locking the action unless the grip was firmly held. Three magazines were carried, one loaded and two in a twin belt pouch. Issue was widespread, the Colt being carried by many infantrymen who served mortars and machine guns, and by all officers from the rank of Major and above. Company officers, Captains and Lieutenants, were officially issued a Carbine, however many also acquired a Colt.
The Colt was also issued to certain British troops, predominantly airborne and commando units, in preference to the revolver. It earned an enviable reputation for reliability in both world wars, and was not replaced in US service until the 1980s, and there are those who would still choose it over its 9 mm successor.
M3'Grease Gun'

Length	75 cm
Weight	3.7 kg (empty) 4.6 kg (loaded)
Calibre	0.45 in (11.43 mm)
Magazine	30 round box
Muzzle Velocity	280 metres per second
Rate of Fire	400 rpm

The M3 'Grease Gun', nicknamed for its resemblance to the mechanics tool. It could be adapted to fire 9 mm ammunition by replacing barrel, magazine and breech
The US Army began the war with the Thompson submachine gun, but became interested in the design process used to churn out the British Sten in such numbers. This study resulted in the M3 which appeared during 1942.The M3 was greeted with the same enthusiasm as the Sten, and was nicknamed the 'Grease Gun'. It fired the same heavy .45 cal round as the Thompson, but was far easier to produce. The rate of fire was particularly slow, and there was no function to select single shots as in the Sten. There were numerous design flaws which only showed up in combat, and refinements were constantly made culminating in the M3A1 which officially replaced the Thompson in 1944.
Ammunition issue is somewhat difficult to assess for the M3. Most contemporary photographs show men wearing normal rifle belts. I am reliably informed the reason for this was that Infantrymen carried their magazines in the General Purpose ammunition bag, no purpose made webbing being provided as the SMG was an 'irregular' item for them. As a result, they could carry as many available magazines as would cram into the bag. A five pocket magazine pouch was not available until after the war in Europe. A three pocket pouch was used by Ranger and Airborne forces whose issue of the M1 and M3 was more routine. In either case, at least six magazines, total 180 rounds, would seem reasonable.

M1A1 (Thompson)

Length	81 cm
Weight	4.7 kg (empty) 5.4 kg (loaded)
Calibre	0.45 in (11.43 mm)
Magazine	20 or 30 round box
Muzzle Velocity	280 metres per second
Rate of Fire	700 rpm

The M1A1, simplified for mass production but still unable to meet demand, despite its overwhelming popularity. The magazine is the 20 round version

The 'Tommy Gun' provided one of the most enduring symbols of World War Two. It was derived from the M1928 which, thanks to Gangsters and 'G' men, gained worldwide notoriety in the pre-war years.
The original M1928 was slightly longer at 86 cm, and marginally heavier. It was easily recognisable thanks to its pronounced fifty round drum magazine. When war broke out, the British Army recognised the need for submachine guns, and ordered the M1928 from America. When the United States entered the war, they too turned to the Tommy Gun. It soon proved impossible to meet supply without amending the original design, so the weapon was simplified as the M1A1 detailed above. This eliminated the impressive but troublesome 50 round drum in favour of 20 or 30 round magazines.
It is a tribute to the design of the weapon that, even though both armies introduced lighter and simpler weapons to replace the Thompson, it was still to be found in action in allied hands on every front throughout the course of the war.

The Rifle Model 1903 (Springfield)

Length	110 cm
Weight	3.9 kg
Calibre	0.30 in
Magazine	5 rounds
Muzzle Velocity	850 metres per second

The M1903 Springfield

The M1903A4 sniper rifle, note the removal of the foresight rendered obsolete by the telescopic fitting
Officially, the M1903 was rendered obsolete with the adoption of the M1 Garand. However, such was the need for rifles as the US Army expanded that the Springfield still had a valuable part to play in World War Two.
Its most important arena early on was the Pacific, as it was used to equip the burgeoning Marine Corps who came second in line behind the Army for receipt of the M1. Within the Army itself, it was retained in two very different roles. Firstly, pending the development of a suitable grenade launcher for the M1 Garand, it was retained at the rate of one per Rifle Squad for antitank grenade use, while from 1943 onwards it became the weapon of the sniper, fitted with a Weaver telescopic sight as the M1903A4. It could also be found in the hands of certain rear echelon troops in place of the M1 Carbine.
The standard rifleman's belt had ten pockets, each holding a pair of five round clips for a total of one hundred rounds.

The M1 Rifle (Garand)

Length	110 cm
Weight	4.4 kg
Calibre	0.30 in (7.62 mm)
Magazine	8 round clip
Muzzle Velocity	850 metres per second
Rate of Fire	Semi automatic only

The M1 rifle, the most reliable self loader of the era
With the adoption of the M1 back in 1932, the US Army became the first in the world to deploy a self loading rifle. They were perfectly placed to manufacture millions of the type by the time war came, giving their soldiers and later Marines a terrific advantage in the field.
The M1 had several curious, and not all entirely welcome features. To load, the bolt was drawn back and locked. The weapon was fed by an 8 round clip which was pushed whole into the rifle. The bolt was then released to chamber the first round. When the first round was fired, the gas operated piston cleared and reloaded the chamber as described above. When the last round was fired, the bolt locked open to the rear and the redundant clip was ejected. A new clip was inserted, the bolt released, and the weapon was ready again. What caused some concern was that there was no way to recharge the clip if there were just a few rounds left in; the weapon had to be emptied before it could be reloaded. The eye-catching ejection of the spent clip could also compromise attempts at firing from concealment, though surely loosing off eight rounds may also have hindered matters.
But these were minor flaws in most circumstances. The volume of fire produced by the average soldier was staggering. And ironically, that was perhaps the greatest failing of the Garand. While Britain and Germany sought out new machine guns for their rifle squads, America looked at the Garand and thought they did not need such things. Yet as impressive as the M1 was, it took a great many to match the fire of a single German MG34/42, As a basic load, each soldier was issued ten clips, one carried in each of thepouches of the standard rifle belt. Latterly, bandoliers containing six clips wereissued, allowing for anywhere between 80 and 128 rounds to be carried by the average soldier.
The M1 Carbine

Length	90 cm
Weight	2.3 kg (empty) 2.6 kg (loaded)
Calibre	0.30 in (7.62 mm)
Magazine	15 round box
Muzzle Velocity	580 metres per second
Rate of Fire	Semi automatic only

The M1 Carbine managed to achieve a popularity unsurpassed in American use, despite its dubious ballistic performance
The M1 Carbine is one of those peculiar weapons which does not quite fit into any existing category. The US Army quickly recognised that it would not be possible to arm all its men with the Garand for sometime as production geared up. Men in rear echelon roles were not first in line for the new rifle, but still needed something to defend themselves with. The original M1903 bolt action rifle and Thompson sub machine gun were both too heavy to haul around along with mortar ammunition or the like, so a new weapon was sought. The result was the M1 Carbine.
The carbine fired a much smaller and lighter round than the Garand, though of the same 0.30 in calibre. The smaller round allowed a much lighter weapon which was fed from a detachable box magazine which held 15 rounds. A larger 30 round box was introduced towards the end of the war. The carbine replaced the pistol as the official armament of many ranks of officers and became almost standard among men serving heavy weapons such as mortars or artillery pieces.
Several modifications appeared; the M1A1 with a folding stock for Airborne troops and the M2 which introduced fully automatic fire and the larger capacity magazine. This latter item only arrived towards the end of 1944 and had a rate of fire of 750 rounds per minute. The M1A1 folded down to 65 cm, but was slightly heavier at 2.8 kg.
The main criticism of the M1 concerned its ammunition, which was often found wanting to stop a determined man in battle. It was neither a close range saturation weapon, like the sub machine gun, and was too underpowered to equal a rifle. It was highly popular, but was not further developed after the war.

The M1918A2 (Browning Automatic Rifle)

Length	122cm
Weight	8.2 kg (empty), 8.8 kg (loaded)
Calibre	0.30 in (7.62 mm)
Magazine	20 round box
Muzzle Velocity	855 metres per second
Rate of Fire	300 to 350 or 500 to 600 rpm

The BAR was not capable of delivering the same volume of sustained fire as either the Bren or the German GPMG. Nevertheless it remained highly popular among the troops
The first point to note regarding the BAR is that it was not a light machine gun. There was no facility to change the barrel and the magazine capacity was noticeably limited. The BAR had first appeared on the Western Front towards the end of the Great War, wielded as an early 'assault rifle'. It remained in service thereafter and was regarded as little more than a supplement to the M1 rifle.
The BAR was a gas operated weapon which held a chamber in the round between firing. The original M1918 had no bipod, this being added to the A2 version described above. This model also deleted the single fire option in favour of two rates of automatic fire. The absence of a barrel change meant that the danger of overheating could only be tempered by limiting fire.
Ammunition supply is difficult to estimate. A six pouch belt holding twelve magazines was worn by the Automatic Rifleman. In Marine Corps use the assistant rifleman carried a further twelve magazines, which with the loaded box totalled 500 rounds. The US Army equivalent added a third member to the gun team. The gunner most certainly carried thirteen magazines, but how many were added by his assistant and ammunition bearer I do not know. If anyone reading this can enlighten me, please drop me a mail below.

The M1919A4 (Browning Light Machine Gun)

Length	104 cm
Weight	14 kg (gun), 6.4 kg (tripod)
Calibre	0.30 in (7.62 mm)
Feed	250 round belt
Muzzle Velocity	855 metres per second
Rate of Fire	400 to 500 rpm

The M1919A4 was intended to be used at Company level with a large team to support it. Parachute and Ranger units both used it at Squad level in preference to the BAR
The M1919A4 fulfilled the light machine gun role for US forces in the absence of a more appropriate weapon. It is difficult to describe it as a light machine gun, as it was noticeably heavier than other examples and also needed a weighty tripod mount to fire from.
The M1919 used an air cooled barrel, which could be changed so a spare was carried. It operated on the recoil system and chambered a round between firing. In an effort to reduce weight for those troops issued the M1919 in lieu of the BAR (Rangers, Paratroops), a revised M1919A6 was developed. This fitted a bipod in place of the tripod mount, and used a rifle type shoulder stock. It weighed in at 14.7 kg and was longer at 135 cm, but remained otherwise unchanged.
Ammunition was carried in boxes, each packing a single 250 round fabric belt. How many could be carried along with the other equipment needed depended on the size of the team serving the weapon, but at least 1000 rounds would seem reasonable.

M1917A1 (Browning Heavy Machine Gun)

Length (gun)	98 cm
Weight	15 kg (gun) 24 kg (tripod) 4kg (water)
Calibre	0.30 in (7.62 mm)
Feed	250 round belt
Muzzle Velocity	855 metres per second
Rate of Fire	500 to 600 rpm

An M1917A1 team assessing their field of fire. The similarities between the Browning and the Vickers are obvious, both clearly showing their Maxim heritage
The M1917 had made its debut in the closing stages of World War One. It remained in US service and was slightly modified as the M1917A1 described above prior to America joining the war in 1941.
In general appearance it was similar to the Vickers, and was to prove itself equally as reliable in action. It had the same three man crew combination described above, plus the usual assortment of ammunition bearers, spotters and headquarters personnel. In the Infantry it was transported by Jeep, while the Marine Corps lugged theirs on handcarts. It was also mounted on many halftracks in Armored Infantry units while others fitted the M2 HB described in

60 mm Mortar M2

Length	73 cm
Weight	Barrel 5.8 kg, Bipod 7.4 kg, Base 5.8 kg, Total 19 kg
Range	1800 metres
Elevation	+ 40 to + 85 degrees
Traverse	14 degrees
Bomb	Smoke, Explosive, Illuminating
Bomb weight	1.4 kg

An indication of the men needed to keep a weapon like the 60 mm in the field. Note the man second from right bedding the bipod legs in
The 60 mm mortar was one of the more useful light mortars to see service. It was a normal 'drop fired' weapon issued on the scale of one per Rifle Platoon; in Infantry and Marine Companies they were grouped into a single section, while Airborne, Armored and Ranger units deployed them within the individual Platoons. If it had one drawback it was the weight, which normally meant a five or six man Squad was required to carry weapon, mount and ammunition. A cut down model, with no bipod and a spade plate saw some Airborne service. The M19 weighed over 9 kg, but was not as successful as the standard model.

Rocket Launcher, M1A1 (The Bazooka)

Length	139 cm
Weight	6 kg
Calibre	2.36 in (60 mm)
Bomb weight	1.5 kg
Armour Penetration	100 mm

A watchful rifleman carrying his Platoon's Bazooka during the Normandy campaign, illustrating just how unwieldy the weapon was when not in action
The US Army entered World War Two with no serious anti armour weapon for its infantrymen. A few Boys rifles had been procured for evaluation, but their sole claim to fame was that a handful were taken into the Pacific theatre by Marine units as bunker busters. The Army had a hollow charge grenade, but no means of delivering it until a Colonel Skinner suggested his rocket launcher, which no one had at that point considered seriously.
The combination proved an immediate success and within a year of Pearl Harbor the Bazooka was arriving in frontline use. It was a simple weapon comprising a hollow launch tube into which a primed missile was inserted. The rocket was detonated electrically, igniting the propellant which launched the projectile down the tube, causing a notable exhaust signature which meant the weapon was less than discreet. Danger was also to be found at the other end of the tube, as rockets could sometimes continue to burn after firing which required a wire mesh screen to be fitted to the muzzle.
The early model was supplemented by the improved M9 during 1944 and the M9A1 which could be broken into two halves for easier carrying. They were both longer at 155 cm and heavier at 7.1 kg and the firing batteries were replaced by a generator. Smoke and anti personnel rounds were also available. But against tanks the advent of heavy German models reduced effectiveness, and while soft targets could be engaged at up to 300 m, armoured targets were limited to around 100 m, though penetration was improved to around 120 mm. An upgraded 3.5 in weapon did not see service until well after the war had finished. Yet the Bazooka provided the average Rifle Platoon with some hope of defeating a German Panzer and was equally well employed to reduce enemy strongpoints from Europe to the Pacific.

M3A1 Anti Tank Gun

Weight	410 kg
Calibre	37 mm
Traverse	60 degrees
Elevation	-10 to + 15 degrees
Shot weight	0.86 kg
Armour Penetration	53 mm
Muzzle velocity	880 metres per second
Effective range	450 m

US recruits examining the 37 mm M3A1 which was to see only limited Army service, but was retained by the Marine Corps throughout the war
The 37 mm was one of several allied weapons copied from the German Pak35/36 described below. It received its first combat outing in North Africa where the Americans encountered the same frustrations as the British against the Panzer III 'Specials' and the long barrelled Panzer IVs.
To fill the gap the US Army adopted the unusual policy of buying a British weapon - perhaps the first time ever trade went west across the Atlantic. They produced the 6 pdr gun as the 57 mm M1 and it remained in service with their Infantry and Armored Infantry units throughout the war as well. More valuable support came from the 3 in (76 mm) M5 gun deployed by the Tank Destroyer units attached to Infantry Divisions.
But history was kinder to the 37 mm than to the British 2 pdr. The US Marine Corps needed a light, mobile weapon it could deploy in the island campaign they were fighting in the Pacific. The 57 mm was too heavy for the role, so the 37 mm was chosen. It could be, and often was, manhandled across beaches and other shore obstacles.

The British Army

The Sten Mark II (Machine Carbine)

Length	76 cm
Weight	3 kg (empty), 3.7 kg (loaded)
Calibre	9 mm
Magazine	32 round box
Muzzle Velocity	365 metres per second
Rate of Fire	550 rpm

The Sten Mk II, showing the simplicity of its design and manufacture

The term universally applied to describe the Sten is crude. It is an apt description, as the weapon was a particularly basic item. It was designed to be as fast and simple to produce as possible. The original Mark I was slightly longer (90 cm) and heavier (3.25 kg) than its successor. 1941 saw dark days for Britain, and further savings were called for, resulting in the Mark II. The Mark III simplified the design even further.
The Sten was not a popular replacement for the Thompson in British and Commonwealth service. It was notably lighter and more accurate, but lacked its robustness and stopping power. The Sten was quickly nicknamed the 'Tin Tommy Gun'. By 1944 the Mark V appeared, reintroducing wooden furniture and even a fore pistol grip, and was chiefly issued to Airborne troops.
The basic ammunition issue was five magazines for a total of 160 rounds, one magazine loaded and four carried in one of the webbing pouches. A purpose made carrier was available for parachute troops, which held seven magazines.

Browning 1935 'Grande Puissance' (High Power)

Length	20 cm
Weight	1.01 kg (loaded) ? (empty)
Calibre	9 mm
Magazine	13 rounds
Muzzle Velocity	350 metres per second

The Browning, used by both Allied and Axis forces
The Browning Automatic has the dubious distinction of having been used by both the British and German armies during World War Two, as well as a host of Commonwealth and other allied nations.
The Browning was produced in Belgium pre-war, and following the Occupation was kept in manufacture for German use. For the Allies, production was set up in Canada, and continued apace throughout the war. The Browning was a typical single action semi automatic, whose two selling points were reliability and its large 13 round magazine.
In British use it was issued to Airborne and Commando units, gradually replacing the Colt. The German appetite for the Browning was tempered by the knowledge the Belgian workers forced to manufacture it for them took great pleasure in sabotaging as many examples as possible on the production lines.
In British service, three magazines were carried in the same fashion as described above for the Colt.

The British Army
Enfield Number 2, Mark I

Length	26 cm
Weight	0.77 kg
Calibre	0.38 in (9.65 mm)
Cylinder	6 rounds
Muzzle Velocity	180 metres per second

The Enfield Number 2, lacking the hammer piece of normal revolvers. The weapon was derived from the long series of Webley revolvers
The British Army retained its faith in the revolver throughout the war, despite introducing the semi automatic Browning for certain specialist units. The Enfield was officially the standard sidearm, but as the Army increased in size the Webley was obtained to make good the shortfall.
The Enfield deleted the hammer comb, so could only be fired by applying full pressure on the trigger. This amendment was made for those men serving in armoured vehicles where the cramped conditions meant the hammer was constantly being snagged or struck.

Webley Mark 4

Length	27 cm
Weight	0.77 kg
Calibre	0.38 in (9.65 mm)
Cylinder	6 rounds
Muzzle Velocity	180 metres per second

Webley were somewhat bemused when their Mark 4 was rejected for British service pre-war. Demand during 1939 to 1945 though ensured it was destined for major use
.
The Webley was a standard design, with a double action trigger. The hammer could be pulled back to the cocked position where it would lock, requiring only a light pressure on the trigger to release it.
It was a traditional safety precaution with revolvers to carry the weapon with the hammer on an empty chamber. This meant if a sudden blow forced the hammer forward there was no chance of a shot being fired. Standard issue was 12 rounds, carried in a small belt pouch, which could be increased to 18 (less one as above) if the weapon were carried loaded. At the outset of the war the revolver was widely distributed to tank crews, despatch riders, RMPs and a host of others. Every officer carried one also. The Sten gradually replaced it in many areas, but tank crews could only find space for one Sten so wore their holsters as well.

The British Army
The Rifle Number 4 (Short Magazine Lee Enfield)

Length	113 cm
Weight	4.1 kg
Calibre	0.303 in (7.7 mm)
Magazine	10 rounds
Muzzle Velocity	740 metres per second

The Rifle No 4

The Rifle No 5, lower of the two, distinguished by the flash hider and shoulder pad
The Number 4 was the penultimate model in the Lee Enfield series which had first appeared back in 1896. The reliability and accuracy of the weapon were already legendary, and its service in the hands of British and a host of Commonwealth troops during the Second World War confirmed its reputation.
At the outbreak of war, the standard rifle remained the Mark III Short Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE) of Great War vintage, which was slightly lighter at 3.7 kg, but the same length as the Number 4. While the Number 4 was far easier to produce, there were no pronounced differences between the two models, excepting the simplified sights of the latter.
As a basic load, each man armed with the rifle carried fifty rounds of ammunition in ten chargers of five rounds each. They were carried in one of the two webbing pouches worn by each rifleman. By 1944 the load had doubled to one hundred rounds, but the additional ammunition was earmarked for the Section Bren Gun. Bandoliers, each containing five pockets (10 rounds per pocket) were also used.
Somewhat late in the day, the British Army decided it needed a shorter weapon, particularly for the campaign in the Far East. This was accomplished by sawing the Number 4 down to 100 cm, adding a flash hider, and reducing the weight to 3.25 kg. The result was named, imaginatively, the Rifle Number 5. It appeared in 1944, and was not a happy invention, losing the accuracy of the earlier models, and increasing the recoil effect dramatically. It did not see use outside of the Far East theatre.

The Bren Gun

Length	116 cm
Weight	9 kg (empty) 10.2 kg (loaded)
Calibre	0.303 in (7.7 mm)
Magazine	30 round box
Muzzle Velocity	745 metres per second
Rate of Fire	500 rpm

The Bren light machine gun, the base of fire for the British Infantry throughout World War Two
The Lewis gun had been in British service for some twenty years before a replacement was found just before the outbreak of World War Two.
The Bren was a gas operated weapon which held the bolt group to the rear between firing. It came with a second barrel which could be quickly changed and a host of spares. It soon became the basis of the Rifle Section, the first line of defence against air attack and also the armament of the Universal Carrier and several models of Scout Car. It proved itself utterly reliable in all climes and conditions, the only modifications being to simplify production with the Mark 2 and to shorten the barrel in the Mark 3.
Ammunition wise, each Bren was provided with twenty five magazines, one with the gun and the rest carried in two boxes holding a dozen each. In the Rifle Section the boxes were not taken into action. Instead, each of the six men in the Rifle Group carried two magazines, and each of the three men in the Gun Group carried four. Two magazines could be held in a single webbing pouch. It was quickly found that the only real flaw concerned the magazines, which if loaded to capacity would jam. The maximum load was therefore reduced to twenty eight rounds each, 700 rounds for a full complement of magazines. This was rounded up to 1000 rounds with loose ammunition, carried by its vehicle, or distributed as an extra fifty rounds for each man in the Rifle Group.

The British Army
The Medium Machine Gun (The Vickers)

Length (gun)	109 cm
Weight	15 kg (gun) 23 kg (tripod) 3kg (water)
Calibre	0.303 in (7.7 mm)
Feed	250 round belt
Muzzle Velocity	745 metres per second
Rate of Fire	500 rpm

An excellent study of the Vickers, displaying the condenser pipe which recycled steam back into water and the belted ammunition. Odd choice of headgear for the 3rd Division gunners
The Vickers first entered British Army service at the end of 1912, and remained in service until the late 1960s. It earned its reputation for reliability during the Great War, typified by an action on the Somme where 10 guns fired just shy of one million rounds during a twelve hour action.
It was quickly found that, if left unattended, the water in the cooling jacket, which vaporized as the barrel grew hotter, would emit a cloud of telltale steam. If this steam were vented into a partially filled water can via a hose, it would turn back to liquid again and could be recycled.
The firing crew consisted of commander, gunner and loader. Transportation was initially by 15 cwt truck, but as shortages eased the Universal Carrier took on the role. This had the added advantage that the gun could be mounted and fired from the vehicle if required. The British Army deployed far fewer heavy machine guns in support of its battalions than the Germans or Americans. During the Western Front campaign, Divisional MG Battalions would join in 'pepper pot' shoots, dousing selected areas of enemy territory prior to infantry assault - very much in the style of the Machine Gun Corps some quarter century earlier.

The British Army
The Boys Anti Tank Rifle

Length	162 cm
Weight	16.3 kg
Calibre	0.55 in (13.97 mm)
Magazine	5 round box
Muzzle Velocity	990 metres per second
Armour penetration	21 mm

A pre-war shot of the Boys, as indicated by the old style ammunition pouches worn by the men. The Boys was largely abandoned by the troops in the field by 1942

The Projector, Infantry, Anti-tank (PIAT)

Length	99 cm
Weight	14.5 kg
Bomb weight	1.4 kg
Armour Penetration	100 mm

The PIAT in position, a three tube ammunition container and spare bomb at the ready in the foreground
The Boys Anti Tank Rifle was one of those weapons designed to meet an urgent frontline requirement and in true British fashion took three years to arrive. It was named after Captain Boys (often misspelled as Boyes), but he unfortunately died before the outbreak of war, which given the performance of his contribution may have been ironically fortuitous.
The Boys was a typical weapon of its type, firing a high velocity, large calibre rifle round. It was fed by a detachable five round magazine, but remained a bolt action weapon. The first few encounters against the Panzer Waffe painfully demonstrated its premature obsolescence, facing the British Army with what was to become a familiar problem; withdraw the weapon completely or retain it until something else came along? They chose the latter and the Boys was widely distributed to infantry battalions and rear echelon troops, as well as being fitted to armoured cars.
Its replacement was a perfectly unique device. The Projector, the British Army term for a 'launcher', was unlike any other weapon of its class. Rather than using rocket propulsion, the bomb was delivered by means of a spring powered spigot. Quite what persuaded the army this was the way to go is uncertain, but it produced a remarkably flexible weapon and one which was seemingly loathed by any man required to use it.
To cock the weapon, the recoil spring had first to be compressed, requiring something akin to 90 kg of pressure to be applied. This was done by pulling the T shaped butt plate while twisting the weapon anti clockwise. The 'easiest' method of achieving this was by standing on the butt plate and pulling upwards, but this proved highly unattractive during combat and means were found to accomplish the task lying down. The bomb was primed and placed in the trough. The gunner then had to brace, aim and pull the large trigger. The spigot shot forward and entered the hollow tail tube, detonating a small propellant cartridge as it did. The bomb left the trough on a somewhat wobbly trajectory, but the shaped charge warhead did not require too great a velocity to do its work. The gunner's work, however, was not quite done. The intention was to harness the recoil from the propellant cartridge to drive the spigot back against the return spring and lock it ready for a second shot. This was not always the case though, especially if the gunner let the fearsome recoil loosen his grip and the weapon jerked. In this case, the Projector had to be reloaded manually, as described above.
This odd method though bestowed two distinct advantages. The report of the Projector was not much more than a rifle and more importantly there was no tell-tale flame and smoke produced. It also meant that the weapon could be fired in safety from inside a room or bunker, with no need to clear a safety zone behind the gunner for the exhaust discharge. Another trick was the PIAT could be fired at a high angle, as an impromptu mortar, as well as on the horizontal to engage other targets. High explosive and smoke bombs were available in this role, and range was increased to around 350 metres.