British Motor Rifle in Italy

MOTOR BATTALION:
Mid 1943 to End of War:

The Motor Platoon was built around three 8-man
sections, each with its own truck or halftrack.
Italy turned out to be less friendly to the type of
maneuver warfare the Motor Rifle troops
specialized at and they often fought as additional
line infantry.
PLATOON HEADQUARTERS
Lieutenant, Senior Leader, with Thompson
Sergeant, Senior Leader, with Thompson
8th Army Motor AT TEAM
Platoon) PIAT. No crew, 2 men may be drawn from
(v1 Mar 2016)
rifle sections.
MORTAR TEAM
2” Mortar, 2 crew
The Motor Battalions were a fast-moving and
well-armed force. Mounted in trucks or Lend-
Lease M5 halftracks as well as Universal
SECTIONS ONE TO THREE
Carriers they could move swiftly to where
Corporal, Junior Leader, with Thompson
they were needed.
These highly mobile troops saw plenty of LMG TEAM RIFLE TEAM
action in North Africa, so like other 8th Army Bren Gun Four riflemen
troops are rated as “experienced”. Three crew
PLATOON FORCE RATING:

Experienced Regular +0
Command Dice: 5
EXPERIENCED REGULARS
8th Army had seen plenty of fighting by the

time it reached Italy. The years in the desert
fighting some of the Axis’ best troops had
honed their fieldcraft.
When firing at Experienced troops, reroll

any 6’s on the shooting dice. On a 4+ the hit
still counts, otherwise it is a miss.
In close combat Experienced Regulars add

one dice for troop quality to their pool, but
otherwise count as regulars. th
8 Army had plenty of American equipment. The new M5
half tracks gave the Motor Battalions better off-road
mobility than their old 15cwt trucks. They were armoured,
but doctrine was for the troops to dismount before going
into action.
MOTOR RIFLE ITALY SUPPORT LIST
LIST ONE LIST FOUR
Sticky Bomb Forward Observer Team with 3 ” mortar
Medical Orderly battery off‐table.
Engineer Mine Clearance Team, 3 men
Motor Rifle Section with JL
Engineer Wire Cutting Team, 3 men
Engineer Section with Junior Leader
Engineer Demolition Team, 3 men
40mm Bofors, 5 crew plus JL
Minefield
Vickers MG, 5 crew plus JL
Barbed Wire
Stuart Recce
Adjutant
Universal Carrier with 50cal HMG, no crew
Jeep, no crew
Staghound Mk I
Entrenchments for one Team
6-pounder AT gun, 5 crew plus JL.
LIST TWO LIST FIVE
Roadblock
M5 Stuart light tank
PIAT Team, 2 men
2” mortar Team, 3 men Recce section (2 carriers w/ Bren, 2” or PIAT)
M5 Halftrack, no crew Staghound Mk II
Universal Carrier, no crew LIST Six
Pre‐Game Barrage Nil
LIST THREE LIST SEVEN
Engineer Flamethrower Team, 3 men M4A2 Sherman
Sniper Team Churchill Mk IV “NA75”
Daimler Dingo M10 Wolverine (3” gun)
Universal Carrier with 3-man Bren, 2” or PIAT M7 Priest
team and JL 17-pounder AT gun, 5 crew plus JL
NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
FIVE ROUNDS RAPID!

The British soldier is taught to love his rifle and the mantra that delivery of fast, accurate fire is the key to
success.
When a Leader is attached to a rifle Team and uses two or more Command Initiatives to activate that
Team, he may add that many D6 to the Team’s firing dice to reflect his controlling their rapid fire.
CONCENTRATED FIRE
The Bren gun was a reliable and popular weapon, but in truth it was too accurate to be an ideal light
support weapon. As a result the British used its accuracy to good effect by concentrating their fire on a
specific target and, effectively, sniping with the light machine gun.
When a Leader is attached to a Bren Team and uses two Command Initiatives, the Team may focus their
fire against one enemy Team, even when other Teams are present within 4” of the target.
Most of the support options on the list will be On a roll of 1 or 2, the shrapnel from the round
self‐explanatory and their qualities covered by has hit the mortar Team, they must roll for the
the National Arsenal Table. Hit Effect on Table 6.
STICKY BOMBS SINGLE UNIVERSAL CARRIER

Details of the Sticky Bomb, along with several This has a crew of three men armed with a Bren
other Polish hand-held weapons which may gun or a 30cal MG, or Boys ATR and a Junior
be used instead if preferred, are shown on Leader.
Table Seven, Hand-Held Anti-Tank Weapons.
It may be used once by any Section on the
UNIVERSAL CARRIER 50CAL
table when commanded by the Senior Leader
Bren guns were actually not popular armament
commanding the platoon who is, we assume,
for Universal carriers in the division, and belt-fed
carrying it with him up to that point.
guns were often substituted. Most were taken
How the charge works is detailed in Section from knocked out Shermans, and included some
9.3.4, Tank Hunters. of the heavier 50cal Browning M2HB guns.
The gun must be manned by the passengers and
cannot be dismounted from the carrier.
2” MORTAR TEAM
The 2” mortar has only three rounds of High
Explosive ammunition, the rest being all
smoke rounds. It has no theoretical minimum
range, but at under 12” the crew would
normally use their rifles for reasons of their
own safety. However, if using a 2” mortar to
fire on a target under 12” roll a D6 for each hit
achieved. On a roll of 3 to 6, the shrapnel
from the round has hit the target Unit, the
enemy will dice for the Hit Effect as normal.
ARSENAL TABLE
The Arsenal Table below covers a range of support options.
ARSENAL TABLE
TANKS
VEHICLE ARMOUR A.P. H.E SPEED NOTES
M4A2 Sherman 7 7 6. Average Hull MG, Coax MG, Pintle MG,
Fast turret, Ronson.
Churchill MkIV “NA75” 8 7 6 Slow Hull MG, Coax MG, Heavy
Armour
RECCE VEHICLES
Daimler Dingo / Ford Lynx 2 MG Only Wheeled Small, low profile, open topped
MG Hull MG, pintle MG, low profile,
Stuart Recce 4 MG Only Fast
open turret
Stuart Light Tank 4 5 3 Fast Hull MG, Pintle MG

Staghound 3 5 3 Wheeled Hull MG, Coax MG
Staghound Mk II 3 3 6 Wheeled Coax MG
TRANSPORTS
Universal Carrier 2 MG Only Fast Hull MG, small, low profile, open
topped.
Hull MG, small, low profile, open

Universal Carrier 50cal 2 2 10 Fast topped.
TANK DESTROYERS AND FIRE SUPPORT VEHICLES

M10 Wolverine 4 10 5 Average Coax MG, Open turret.
M7 Priest 4 5 9 Average Pintle MG, open topped.
GUNS
AP HE
40mm Bofors 5 6
6-pounder 7 4
17-pounder 12 5

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MOTOR BATTALION:

Mid 1943 to End of War:

PLATOON FORCE RATING:

8th Army had seen plenty of fighting by the

When firing at Experienced troops, reroll

In close combat Experienced Regulars add

FIVE ROUNDS RAPID!

STICKY BOMBS SINGLE UNIVERSAL CARRIER

Stuart Light Tank 4 5 3 Fast Hull MG, Pintle MG

Hull MG, small, low profile, open

TANK DESTROYERS AND FIRE SUPPORT VEHICLES

M7 Priest 4 5 9 Average Pintle MG, open topped.

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