FineScale Modeler 09 2003

The compact (only 12' long) Bren gun carrier was a forerunner of modern armored personnel carriers. Officially designated the Universal Carrier, its original purpose was to cany infantry safely through small-arms fire. A light Bren machine gun was to be mounted on the vehicle to provide suppressive fire. The Universal Carrier proved too lightly armored for combat. The open fighting compartment left soldiers exposed to snipers and shrapnel from shells exploding overhead. Nevertheless, it was agile and fast for a tracked vehicle (30+ mph) and could negotiate rough terrain with ease. The majority of Universal Carriers never sported a Bren gun, but the name stuck. When France attempted to reassert control over its Indochina colony after World War II, equipment was in short supply. French forces made do with second-hand equipment from the United States and Britain, including many Bren carriers. Most were rearmed with U.S.-made Browning .30-caliber machine guns, as was the case with the subject of Boh Collignon's model.

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