Tag Archives: Boys anti tank rifle

Going heavy, Landing Party style

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With the mention of HMS Duke of York yesterday in the post about USS Ranger, these images of the Royal Marine detachment in June 1943 came to mind.

A most excellent photo essay in the IWM Collection by Lt J.A. Hampton, shows the RMs kitted up for landing party operations “in Northern waters” with small arms including Lanchester Mk. I 9mm burp guns, newly-issued Lee–Enfield No. 4 Mk I rifles in .303, Bren LMGs, No. 36 Mills Bombs, and at least one beautiful .55 bore Boys anti-tank rifle in all its 35-pound/5-foot joy.

Enjoy.

Just going out for a walk with the Boys

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Here we see men of the BEF’s Royal Irish Fusiliers on the march at Gavrelle, near Arras, 17 October 1939, 80 years ago today. The two men in the foreground are carrying a Boys anti-tank rifle Mk I.

(Photo: IWM)

Chambered in Kynoch & RG .55-caliber Boys, the beefy panzer zapper weighed 35 pounds and was effective when it was designed in 1937 as it could penetrate 23.2mm of armor 100 yards and 18.8mm out to 500 yards, capable of taking on early German tanks (e.g. the Panzer III Ausf. A through C generations only carried 15mm of armor all around).

However, as the war wound on, it became increasingly relegated to other anti-material uses as early RPGs took over the tank-busting role.