British army small arms manual

Search icon An illustration of a magnifying glass. User icon An illustration of a person's head and chest. Sign up Log in.

Web icon An illustration of a computer application window Wayback Machine Texts icon An illustration of an open book. Books Video icon An illustration of two cells of a film strip. Video Audio icon An illustration of an audio speaker. Audio Software icon An illustration of a 3. Software Images icon An illustration of two photographs. Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses. We have the object to educate and inform people about how the Vickers machine gun was used and its influence on military history.

Please support us at www. Media Type Media Type. Year Year. Collection Collection. Creator Creator. Language Language. Jan 10, by War Office. The last version of the British manual issued during the Second World War, this simplified the revolver drills to just three lessons: cleaning, ready position, loading and unloading; firing by sense of direction; firing from cover, using the sights etc..

There were also strength and quickening exercises. Topics: small arms, weapons, training, second world war, world war two, infantry, army, revolver, pistol, Jan 10, by Australian Military Forces. This Australian version of the British manual includes Australian photographs but it is not apparent any of the drills vary.

Topics: british, australia, army, weapons, small arms, training, infantry, pistol, revolver, enfield, webley. This update to the manual included revolver firing by sense of direction instead of the single and double service shooting section. Topics: British Army, world war two, second world war, pistol, revolver, training, infantry, small arms. While the. Topics: weapons, training, second world war, world war two, pistol, revolver, webley, training, infantry, An amendment sheet for the manual on the.

Topics: small arms training, world war two, second world war, small arms, infantry, cavalry, training, In the s, the. This is the manual that was first issued covering safety precautions and cleaning, drawing, returning, loading and unloading, holding and trigger pressing, firing single action, using sights, service shooting with single and double action, as well as mounted practice to the cavalry and Mounted Military Policy.

Topics: second world war, world war two, pistol, revolver, pistol, training, small arms, weapons, infantry, Dec 27, by Canadian Army. Incorporating the previous supplement, this pamphlet also includes the later Mark 6 range-finder details. The lessons from this pamphlet have been used in our recreation videos of the training for the range-taker. A full Canadian reprint of the British Army manual for Topics: vickers, machine gun, medium machine gun, mmg, mg, mortar, infantry, british army, world war two, Dec 27, by War Office.

This supplement was a training aid for the range-taker. It provides information needed to make a known error on the range-finder. Topics: vickers, machine gun, mortar, medium machine gun, mmg, mg, british army, infantry, world war two, Dec 27, by Australian Military Forces. As with many other small arms training manuals, they were adapted for the Imperial armies around the World.

This example is from Australia and includes changes to the location of the Small Arms School which was in Randwick, south of Sydney. There is also an additional paragraph on obtaining known ranges, to be done only by officers. The time limit for the annual test and the marking and classification are also different. Topics: vickers, machine gun, medium machine gun, mmg, mg, infantry, world war two, second world war, The range-finder was a piece of equipment that stayed in service for the full life of the Vickers machine gun and can be seen in the equipment lists and tables throughout its time.

This is the first of the Small Arms Training manual series and supersedes the Handbooks that were used. It covers the basic mechanics as well as the mathematics required and the tactical fieldcraft and use for the range-taker.

Topics: vickers, machine gun, medium machine gun, range-finder, range-taker, barr and stroud, army, british Dec 20, by War Office. The 3-inch mortar often served as the only indirect fire weapon of the infantry battalion during the Second World War. In the parachute , airlanding , Chindit , commando and motor battalions it was part of the support company alongside the Vickers MG and both would complement each other, often working together closely.

When the Vickers was returned to the infantry battalions from , they served alongside the mortars closely.

This manual details the drills and training, as well as some Topics: world war two, second world war, british army, mortar, small arms, bomb, infantry, infantry Dec 20, by Canadian Army. Topics: world war two, second world war, british army, canadian army, canada, infantry, mortar, bomb, Topics: infantry battalion, infantry, british army, second world war, world war two, small arms training, Dec 12, by War Office.

Amending the version , this document includes information on the bombs and how they were painted, as well as drills to carry out in the event of a misfire. Topics: infantry, training, platoon, british army, world war two, second world war.

The 2-inch mortar was a fundamental part of the infantry platoon's arsenal during the Second World War and for many years after, until replaced by the 51mm mortar that saw service into the 21st century.

This pamphlet provides the mechanical and tactical information for the platoon use. It was used to lay smoke and with some high-explosive rounds for target destruction. Topics: infantry, training, world war two, second world war, mortar, platoon. Dec 6, by War Office. Topics: british army, vickers, small arms training, mg, mmg, machine gun, medium machine gun, indirect Dec 6, by Canadian Army.

As the Second World war developed, the fire control tactics and use of the Vickers machine gun differed from those at the beginning of the War. This captures the changes up to , including the use of the Universal Carrier and the wider use of the dial sight and later versions of the fire control equipment. This is a direct Canadian reprint from the British Army manual. Topics: second world war, world war two, infantry, training, vickers, mg, mmg, machine gun, medium machine Topics: vickers, machine gun, medium machine gun, mg, mmg, world war two, second world war, indirect fire, Dec 6, by British Indian Army.

This meant that there were specific lessons for the platoon-level fire control that differed to the 'normal' machine gun battalion structure. This version includes a amendment and is in Roman Urdu.

Topics: British India, British Indian Army, vickers, mg, mmg, machine gun, medium machine gun, indirect Topics: small arms training, vickers, machine gun, medium machine gun, mg, mmg, indirect fire, sustained A direct Canadian re-print of the British Army version of the manual, covering all aspect of fire control for the Vickers MG.

Topics: vickers, machine gun, medium machine gun, mg, mmg, indirect fire, sustained fire, world war two, The first instructors of the Machine Gun School established in France in were two Quarter-master-serjeant-instructors of the School of Musketry and the commanding officer was an ex-officer instructor of the School. Although not commisionned officers of the Small Arms School Corps or the School of Musketry, officers who held staff positions relating to musketry wore distinguishing gorget patches in green cloth as well as a green band on their cap.

As of March Army Order 92 , the posts included:. These existed in the infantry battalions as well as at the School. This supplement to the anti-aircraft pamphlet includes the principles of anti-aircraft defence, not just how to use the small arms to fire at aircraft but where to expect them from, how to set up defensive positions and also the training theory behind aircraft recognition.

The full mid-war revision of the anti-aircraft pamphlet includes all of the previous topics but updated to account for the latest aircraft and practices. This manual accompanied the standard anti-aircraft sight used across all of the small arms when mounted on anti-aircraft tripods of other equipment. The sight was specifically designed to provide standard distances and measurements using the graticules. It simplified anti-aircraft training and use.

A supplement to the series of manuals to allow for the units that had not been issued with the dial sights yet, and still used the clinometer and bar foresight for indirect fire work with the Vickers. The first of the revised Small Arms Training series for the Vickers machine gun that was issued immediately prior to the Second World War. This covers the mechanical subjects, such as disassembly, stoppages, mechanism and cleaning. It also has the training plan for the full series.

A reprint with Amendment No. An amended version of the Vickers machine gun manual that incorporates the amendments up to These includes a minor word change in the characteristics section and nothing otherwise immediately obvious. The British Indian Army variant of the Vickers machine gun mechanical subjects manual. There is a slight different in the spare parts carried as well.

The dial sight is not included but the clinometer and bar foresight are. This is a direct translation of the mechanical subjects manual for the British Indian Army ; however, it is printed in phonetic Urdu for British Indian Army officers who were English-speaking to use with Urdu-speaking troops.

This appears to a direct reprint with a few minor changes in layout from the January edition. This Supplement is written very differently to the British edition. The supplement is written as amendments to the regular training to allow for the lack of dial sights across the Australian forces at this point. It also uses the Angle of Sight Instrument rather than the Director.

It also includes training on the different slide rule in use. This appears identical to the British print; however, it incorporates minor amendments issued in May , February and an Australian Army Order from November This is an updated version of the mechanical subjects for the Vickers machine gun with the British Army.

It includes photographic plates of the dial sight and other equipment, rather than line drawings. The bulk of this manual remained unchanged throughout the Second World War. The Canadian reprint of the British Army manual is the same as the edition.

The Australian version of the British Army Vickers MG manual that incorporates updates to , including the additional information on clinometer and bar foresight for those units not equipped with the dial sight.

This variation includes information on some of the older accessories that were still in use with the Australian Military Forces, such as the Angle of Sight Instrument. Low-resolution PDF download: 5. This is the first training manual of drills for the Vickers machine gun in the Second World War. It includes the use of the cwt truck and the organisation and running of a machine gun platoon in the machine gun battalion.

The chapters are elementary gun drill, tests of elementary gun drill and instruments, signals, advanced machine gun handling, vehicles, visual training, section drill — direct fire, platoon drill — indirect, section drill — night firing, observation of fire and ranging, headquarters training and field duties.

It also includes appendices on the spotlight apparatus and packsaddlery. This Australian variation of the British Army manual on the Vickers shows the difference in mechanisation between the two countries, with them still using the limbered wagon and packsaddlery as the main transport for some units and their machine guns. There is little difference in the section-level training between this manual and the British Army issue; however, this does not cover platoon level drills other than headquarters training, demonstrating how the Vickers was being used on a smaller, and less technical scale, by the British Indian Army.

Low-resolution PDF download: 7. Replacing the manual, this edition includes photographs instead of line drawings as well as changing the field duties chapter to cover battle drill. It also has an appendix on the changes in drills when units are issued with clinometers and bar foresights rather than dial sights.

This is a direct reprint of the British Army manual but the photographs are replaced with those of Canadian troops. The New Zealand forces had these still in use in sufficient numbers to warrant the inclusion. An amazing supplement that details the use of the twin Vickers machine gun mounting for anti-aircraft use. It includes great photos of them mounted on the cwt truck , as well as the changes in drills for when they were fitted.

As above. Army field manuals and Land Operations manuals are arranged in volume or part order. Doctrinal publications, Standing Operating Procedures and other publications are in chronological order.