.50 cal armed Universal Carriers

[Gunner]

The Canadians earned a reputation for expert scrounging and the evidence is in the photos on this string.

The LSSR Carrier (all dickied up for the Victory parades is my guess) sports an aircraft version of the .50 with the shorter aircool shrouded barrel. Compare the barrel lengths with the Regina's carriers. The ballistics were different from the HB (heavy barrel) version seen on the Regina's carriers in Italy and the range was significantly shorter. This means the airforce .50s would not likely have firing tables for indirect suppressive fire, one of the primary roles of the support platoons equipped with the .50 HB. Nor could the lighter barrels tolerate sustained firing... they would simply melt if subjected to the abuse of a 1/2 hour fire support plan during an assault. They would be useful for defensive fire and quick suppressive fire for a recce element tho'... too bad we can't get more detail on the role of the LSSR carrier.

I wonder what airforce wreck, depot, plane the LSSR .50 was stolen ... I mean acquired from? The army would not normally have them in inventory.

Must have been a nightmare for the troops to acquire the ammo as well as they weren't scaled for it so a fair bit of horse trading must have gone on.

Cheers! Mike