List of British military equipment of World War II

Knives and bayonets

Push dagger

BC-41

Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife

Smatchet

Bayonet

Kukri

Rifles

De Lisle Carbine - Specialist issue,129 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.

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* for service in the jungle.

Submachine guns

Lanchester submachine gun - British submachine gun, developed from the German MP28, used by the Royal Navy & Royal Air Force.

Sten - simple design low cost British submachine gun in service from late 1941 to the end of the war.

Thompson - American submachine gun used in large numbers until the Sten gun was introduced.

Sterling/Patchett Machine Carbine Mark 1- British submachine gun first produced in 1944 but only trialled and used in small numbers during war.

Machine guns

Bren light machine gun - Light machine gun for infantry use introduced in 1930s and used throughout the whole of the war.

Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) - Issued to 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.

Vickers "K" machine gun also known as VGO - Fast firing aircraft machine gun, 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 machine gun - Standard medium machine gun of the British Army since 1912.

Browning M1919 - Mounted on many lend-lease vehicles.

Browning M2 - heavy machine gun, mounted on many lend-lease vehicles.

Besa machine gun - in 7.92 mm BESA and 15 mm BESA forms used as armament on British-built tanks and armoured cars only.

Vickers-Berthier - Light machine gun adopted by Indian Army pre-war and used by Indian Commonwealth troops.

Besal - A machine gun that was a good alternative to the Bren gun as it was lighter, simpler, and cheaper to manufacture. The design was by Henry Faulkner of Birmingham Small Arms who also manufactured the larger Besa machine gun.

Handguns

Enfield No.2 Mk.1 Revolver

Webley Revolver - many marks in .38 and .455 calibres

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

Smith & Wesson Model 10

Colt New Service

Colt Official Police.

Grenades

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, Hand, No.74 ST "Sticky Bomb"

No.75 Anti-Tank Hand Grenade "Hawkins Grenade"/"Hawkins Mine"

No.77 White Phosphorus Hand Grenade

Grenade, Hand, No. 82 "Gammon Bomb".

Other

No.II Mk.II Flamethrower "Lifebuoy"

Lewes bomb - Used by the SAS

Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife

Smatchet

Kukri

Infantry anti-tank weapons

Blacker Bombard - spigot mortar firing round. Issued for home defence only

Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys "Boys Anti-Tank Rifle" - Infantry anti-tank weapon (prewar - 1943).

Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank (PIAT) - Infantry anti-tank weapon (1943 until end of war).

Anti-tank guns

Ordnance QF 2-pounder - 40 mm weapon used at start of the war

Ordnance QF 6-pounder - 57 mm weapon that replaced 2-pounder in artillery units

Ordnance QF 17-pounder - 76 mm weapon introduced later in war for artillery units

Guns and howitzers

Ordnance QF 25-pounder Gun-howitzer

BL 5.5-inch Medium Gun

BL 4.5-inch Medium Field Gun

BL 7.2-inch Howitzer Mk.I

BL 8-inch Howitzer - siege gun

BL 60-pounder gun - 5 inch gun from First World War era, replaced by 4.5 inch gun during war

75 mm Pack Howitzer M1 and M8 - US supplied portable howitzer for use in mountainous areas

QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer

Smith Gun - smoothbore weapon for Home Guard use only

Anti-aircraft artillery

20 mm Oerlikon

20 mm Polsten - lower cost development of Oerlikon

40 mm Bofors

QF 3 inch 20 cwt

QF 3.7 inch AA gun

QF 4.5-inch Mark 1 to Mark V

Mortars

2 Inch Mortar

3 Inch Mortar

Blacker Bombard

Northover projector - Home Guard use.

Vehicles

see also List of World War II military vehicles by country, United Kingdom

Light tanks

Light Tank Mk.VI

Light Tank Mk.VII Tetrarch

General Stuart

Locust

Chaffee

Medium tanks

Tank, Medium, Mk.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.

General Grant - Medium Tank M3, purchased from America, to British specification.

General Lee - Medium Tank M3, provided under Lend-Lease from America.

General Sherman - Medium Tank M4, provided under Lend-Lease from America.

Sherman Firefly - Sherman tank, rearmed with a British 17-pdr gun.

Cruiser tanks

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) [Did not see service]

Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VI, Crusader (A15)

Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VII, Cavalier (A24) - Regular tank not used in combat, OP and ARV tank used.

Tank, Cruiser Mk.VIII, Centaur (A27L)

Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VIII, Cromwell (A27M)

Tank, Cruiser, Mk.VIII, Challenger (A30) - 17-pdr gun

Tank, Cruiser, Comet I (A34)

Tank, Cruiser, Centurion I (A41) - Entered service too late to see combat service.

Infantry tanks

Tank, Infantry, Mk.I, Matilda I

Tank, Infantry, Mk.II, Matilda II

Tank, Infantry, Mk.III Valentine

Tank, Infantry, Mk.IV, Churchill

Tank, Infantry, Valiant - prototype only.

Infantry Tank Black Prince - prototype only.

Other tanks

"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

Self-propelled guns

Self Propelled 17-pdr, Valentine, Mk.I, Archer

3in SP. M10 - Gun Motor Carriage M10, provided under Lend-Lease from America.

17pdr SP M10C - M10 rearmed with 17-pdr gun

AEC Mk I Gun Carrier "Deacon"

Carrier, Valentine, 25-pdr gun, Mk.I, Bishop

25-pdr SP, tracked, Sexton

SP 17-pdr, A30 (Avenger) - Order not fulfilled until post-war.

105 mm SP, Priest - 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7, provided under Lend-Lease from America.

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.

Other armoured fighting vehicles

Universal Carrier

Loyd Carrier

Half-track Car M2 - Provided under Lend-Lease by US.

Half-track Car M3 - Provided under Lend-Lease by US.

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 personnel carrier

Utility vehicles

Willys Jeep

"Tilly" - utility versions of civilian cars.

Navy ships and war vessels

List of ships of the Second World War

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

Fire balloons

Operation Outward

"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.