Thread: Netherlands OOB
View Single Post
  #14  
Old 03-15-2018, 05:08 AM
StainlessSteelCynic's Avatar
StainlessSteelCynic StainlessSteelCynic is offline
Registered Registrant
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 2,375
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Dark View Post
Since you committed yourself to 7.62mm, naturally they were in .303. Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons has a copy of 1943 manual No. 802, titled "Ontwerp-Voorschrift voor den Lichten Mitrailleur van 7,7mm (Bren model I)."

Edit: I suppose they could have been re-barreled after the war, but I haven't seen records regarding that.
Of course!
But seriously, thanks for the information. As mentioned, I was initially going to assume they were 7.62mm but I couldn't recall any images or general information that mentioned Dutch forces using the Bren (at least not after the 1950s anyway). So it was definitely better to ask!

Quote:
Originally Posted by mpipes View Post
From what I understand, most Brens in the world were updated in the late 1950s and 60s to the L4 7.62mm cartridge.
That generally holds true for nations that were/still are members of the British Commonwealth e.g. South Africa, Australia. But in non-Commonwealth nations, there doesn't seem to have been the drive to rechamber the Bren to 7.62mm (probably because they didn't see a particular need)

In the case of British forces, the Bren was kept on for two particular reasons: -
1. AAMG on some armoured vehicles e.g. Saracen APC
2. it was preferred by the Royal Marines over belt-fed MGs for artic warfare
In Australia, the Bren was rechambered to 7.62mm and allocated to second-line forces so it was a rare item in the Army inventory. It certainly wasn't part of the infantry or armoured forces equipment schedules, the only time I saw one in the hands of a front-line unit it had been borrowed from a transport unit to supplement the firepower at an OP.
Reply With Quote