"David Fletcher takes a look at the Second World War Universal Carrier, a light tracked armoured vehicle and the most produced armoured fighting vehicle of WW2."
Fletcher mentions limited use by the Americans in the Pacific. I wonder if it was US Army up in New Guinea.
It was actually in the Philippines: Universal Carrier - Wikipedia Bren Gun Carriers from Provisional Tank Group (Luzon campaig - Axis History Forum
Great info. Thanks. I wonder if the Japanese were able to use any after the withdraw to Corregidor. I just 'assumed' it would be some place where the Americans were side by side with British and Aussies.
In Tunisia and at Anzio these ubiquitous vehicles were used for Artillery Forward Observation. The Signaller sat taking cover in the Carrier using his radio to contact the Command Post whilst in contact with the Observing Officer on a field telephone from his vantage point. "There was one occasion when after the battles and adventures of the first three days, I returned from my first under fire back to the troop position for a night’s sleep. I had not closed my eyes for the whole of the previous three days of tremendous activity and I was seeing double when I could keep my eyes open to see at all. I just lay down and slept the moment I left the Toc Truck (Carrier). However three hours later I was roused with considerable difficulty and told I had to go out immediately as F.O.O. on another attack. The rendezvous was way out near no man’s land and in the dark it was going to be a tricky job finding it without running into the enemy. I got the Toc Crew together and we rattled away in the dark, all of us feeling I think, completely scared. We found the rendezvous and was told the attack we were supporting was a do or die suicide raid to drive a wedge into the Jerry positions, by capturing a hill known as 168 in a dawn attack. That of course made us even more dry in the mouth! I assume that Toc was an abbreviation for Tracked Observation Carrier.
Fletcher also mentioned how the mufflers got squashed and knocked off. Here's the Ford Flathead without mufflers EDIT: I just realized that despite being the most widely produced engine in America, the Ford flathead V8 wasn't used in any American military vehicles that I know of. In addition to the Universal Carrier it was used in the F8 CMP. Weird.
Why were 6 pounders pulled by Loyd carriers rather than universal carriers, as I gather was the case?
Toc was the letter “T” in the phonetic alphabet. The Royal Artillery has a unique system of Tactical (Tac) Signs. This site British Artillery in World War 2 has some excellent information. Field and RHA Regiments 1939 lists “T” as a "Battery H.Q. carrier-scout: An officer, 2 sigs. (wireless) and wireless set to be transferred to this when required". Richard
This was before the NATO phonetic alphabet When D=Dog not Delta or T= Tango Please correct me if I am mis reading the table on the link which is 1940 and appears to show Gun Group consisting of three troops. This would be correct for that time. Having 24 Guns per Regt. Two Batteries of twelve in three troops of four. This changed in 1941 when a Regiment still consisted of 24 Guns but in three Batteries with eight guns and two troops of four guns further split into two sections of two this made manoeuvre much more flexible.
