Give ´em a taste of the birch!

No, not an instruction to thrash difficult teenagers, or even an endorsement of an S&M lifestyle. The post title actually refers to the fella immediately below. 

The Birch Gun was the first practical British self propelled gun, built at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich in 1925.

Despite proving itself a practical proposition the Birch Gun was never highly regarded by the British High Command, apparently not for any particular defect or lack of capability but an entrenched belief that such an innovation was unprecedented and so at best unwelcome and at worst an expensive and unnecessary indulgence.

Named after General Sir Noel Birch who was Master General of Ordnance at the time, the Birch gun comprised a Vickers Medium MKII tank chassis originally fitted with a QF 18pdr (83.8 mm) gun. This remained the armament in all the models, although the latest version, usually called the Mk III, had limited elevation. Birch Guns were used in the Experimental Mechanized Force manoeuvres of 1928 but by 1931 they had been removed from service and political pressure was applied to prevent any plans to complete the third version of this weapon.

It would be a decade before the British Army returned to the concept of tracked artillery, in the middle years of a war for national survival where speed and mobility on the battlefield were not optional and eleven years before it would once again be equipped with a similarly effective weapon.

And here are a few more weird and wonderful 1920´s war machines that’ll be appearing in my upcoming games. All models are Pendraken 10mm.

MKV Hermaphrodite. Still the classic WW1 tank shape but longer lower and wider. Armed with MG’s on one side and a 6pdr on the other (in case it encountered other tanks). The British governments constant penny pinching meant this beast soldiered on until the late 20´s. Cramped, uncomfortable, and due to inadequate ventilation more likely to incapacitate the crew through carbon monoxide poisoning than enemy action.

Gun Carrier Mark I. The gun carrier was designed to transport a 6 inch howitzer or a 60 pounder gun forward soon after an attack to support infantry in advanced positions. The carriers moved guns and equipment but were used for the rest of the war mainly for carrying equipment and supplies through areas under fire, where porters in the open would have suffered many casualties. The 6-inch howitzer could be fired while mounted, making the Gun Carrier Mark I the first modern self propelled gun, a weapon capable of independent action and having tactical mobility on the battlefield.

Generic late 20´s lorry. Transport for non government forces. The nasty mould lines didn’t really become apparent until after painting so I tried to cover them with the signage. Hopefully they’ll not be too obvious at gaming distance.

Vickers Médium MKII. Designed to replace the MKV (back up the page) it was first produced in 1925. Production stopped in 1934 but it wasn’t fully phased out of service until 1939. The Mark II was equipped with a 47mm 3 pdr gun and four machine guns. Top speed was 13mph and the armour (when it wasn’t forming perfect shot traps) was so thin you’d have been better off going to war in a baked bean tin.

 Thorneycroft 4 ton trucks. Transport for the Government forces.

Told you there’d be another one along in a minute. Couldn’t resist adding a bit of colour to the collection.  These vehicles have been requisitioned by the workers militia.

Another Thorneycroft truck but this time with a 13pdr AA gun mounted on the back. I suspect this would make a pretty potent anti tank gun despite its lack of armour.

I still have a couple of armoured cars a steam powered road roller and some nice buildings to make before I can get gaming with this lot…but I’m nearly there.

Toodleooh.