most likely the only built example of the FK231(f) self-propelled gun on the chassis of an ex-British Universal Carrier; source: Flickr.com, published with the permission of the original contributor, edited

Yet another entirely marginal curiosity, yet another pure improvisation, yet another fighting vehicle about which almost nothing is known — and what little can be said is gleaned solely from available photographs... in this case, from a single surviving photograph. This is the self-propelled gun 7.5 cm FK231(f), built on the chassis of an ex-British Universal Carrier. Who built it, when, and in how many examples — none of that can be read from the photo.

The British chassis

The Germans captured a sizeable number of these British carriers in France in 1940 — and later some more in North Africa — and pressed them into service under the designation Gepanzerter MG-Träger Bren 731 (e). It was a light vehicle powered by a Ford V-8 petrol engine producing 85 horsepower, with coil-spring suspended road wheels and thin armour ranging from 7 to 10 mm. The 3.2-tonne machine could reach a top road speed of around 48 km/h. Being of British origin, the driver sat on the right-hand side, while the gunner was positioned to his left and could fire a machine gun through an aperture in the frontal armour ahead of him.

The French weapon

The Germans mounted another captured weapon onto the captured carrier — the ex-French FK231(f) of 75 mm calibre. This gun had originally been developed by the French firm Schneider between 1891 and 1896 (yes, it was genuinely a weapon designed before the First World War). The French army adopted it under the designation Canon de 75 modèle 1897. The Polish army also purchased a significant number from France. The Canon de 75 modèle 1897 saw intensive combat use during the First World War, but its service life was far from over — by 1939, the Polish army still had more than 1,300 of these guns in service, while the French army had as many as 4,500 of them that same year. Following the capitulation of both countries, the Germans thus found themselves in possession of several thousand of these weapons.

On the Universal Carrier chassis, the French gun was mounted on the left side of the vehicle, with the barrel positioned directly above what had been the original machine gunner's station. Surprisingly, the fighting compartment was not left open — it was enclosed by tall sides made of what appear to be fairly thin sheet metal panels. The photograph also suggests the compartment had a fixed roof. The exact crew size of the resulting vehicle is unknown, but it must have been at least three men: a driver, a loader, and a gunner/commander. Whether the vehicle ever saw action is not known, nor indeed whether it was genuinely combat-capable at all — a gun of that calibre must have placed considerable strain on such a light chassis.

ARTICLE
CONTENTS:

THE BRITISH CHASSIS

THE FRENCH WEAPON