- Yes.
- No.
- In a future Dutch/BeNeLux techtree.
- In the French BeNeLux sub-tree
- Other (Please explain in the comments).
- I said “No” in the first question.
Hello everyone, today I’ve got a real weird one for you all!
This is the Dutch Universal Carrier armed with a 37 mm M3A1!
The only photo we have of this field modification
Source: [Een Bren-carrier met snelvuurkanon] | Nationaal Archief
History
Spoiler
Following the end of World War Two, the Netherlands was in dire need of Militairy Equipment. In the mainland of the Netherlands there were lots of Militairy dumps, containing surplus Cars, Halftracks and Tanks.
But this was not the case in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). Now there was no kind of enemy tank force to speak of in the Dutch East Indies, but there was still a demand for some kind of mechanized force. That is why shortly after the end of WW2, the Dutch ordered 1.200 Ford Universal Carrier from Canada to be used in the Dutch East Indies.
These carriers were perfectly suited for the environment, and the simple open construction of the Universal Carrier also meant that it could be very easily adapted for any role required.
The crew of this Universal Carrier I’m suggesting here got their hands on a 37 mm M3A1. The mount used was a standard Army Mount. This gun was mounted on top of the carrier, the gunshield and wheels that would have been there on the Army Mount were removed. Another cool detail we see is the addition of a gun cradle on the front of the Carrier. It can be seen on the photo shown above.
It being a standard Army Mount does mean that it’s got very limited firing archs. The gun would only be able to shoot towards the front, and not the sides.
The Universal Carriers would remain in the Dutch East Indies, and were a big part of the Indonesian National Revolution. A number of them would also be captured by the Indonesians and used for the years to come.
An army 37 M3A1 mount in Soerabaja, Nederlands-Indië
Source: [Een Bren-carrier met snelvuurkanon] | Nationaal Archief
Specifications
Spoiler
Mass: 4.01 tons
Crew: 5Powerplant: Ford England GAU370 Petrol engine
Engine horsepower: 85 hp
Max speed: 50 km/hArmament:
- 1 x 1 37 mm M3A1 gun
Ingame
Spoiler
I think this vehicle would be really funny and derpy to play ingame. At Rank I this Universal Carrier would be a fun little tank destroyer to play.
The firerate on this gun should be very fast due to all the space the crews have around the gun. The lack of a gunshield does mean that they will die very quickly tho, but it’s a trade of I’m willing to accept.
The BeNeLux has been added to France, so this is now the only option where Dutch vehicles will go to. At the moment (13-1-2026) there is no proper BeNeLux ground vehicle line, so this little Universal Carrier could be a nice start of a BeNeLux line if you ask me.
That would be all for today, see you next time!
Sources
Spoiler
Main source:
- “Wiel en Rups, Voertuigen van de landmacht 1945-2015” book by Sander Ruys
- Pantser.net.
Extra sources:
