The Experimental PIAT Carrier

[@TheArmourersBench]

Thanks for watching guys, here's the accompanying article for this video - armourersbench.com/2020/11/29/experimental-piat-universal-carrier/

[@Peter-lm3ic]

As a National Serviceman in an British infantry battalion in BAOR in 1950 we were trained in the PIAT and it always had to be cocked before first firing. This was always carried out lying down on one's side using your feet and hands, It was no big deal nor was firing it, like all weapons you have to hold it correctly. It was known to be a useful weapon in strreet fighting and slit trenchges as it had no blowback. It was superseded by the Energa rifle anti tank grenade launcher issued one per person carried on your waist belt.

[@TheArmourersBench]

Thanks for this Peter, that's exactly in line with all of my research I did when writing my book on the PIAT. Provided you know how to use it and its capabilities then it was a decent weapon. Would love to hear more of your thoughts on it as a National Serviceman. If you'd like to discuss further please do drop me an email - [e-mail] thanks for watching and commenting! - Matt

[@brucermarino]

Thank you. The imagination of troops in the field is wonderful.

[@matthayward7889]

With such a short range and no fragmentation to speak of, I’m not surprised the testing didn’t go anywhere. That said, it looks awesome, and if you managed to conceal the multi-PIAT in ambush, any armoured vehicle in the beaten zone is going to have a very bad day indeed. Another great video!

[@TheArmourersBench]

What they really wanted was a mobile Land Mattress! They got it eventually when they mounted some on Shermans I believe! Thanks for watching Matt!

[@matthayward7889]

@@TheArmourersBench didn’t they also mount some 60lb RPs on a Sherman too? That must have been a blast (pun intended)

[@TheArmourersBench]

They might have, that sounds familiar, definitely would have rocked the tank haha

[@dermotrooney9584]

Was the Calliope the inspiration for this? Mattress (and I think NBW) also had low fragmentation but allegedly high suppressive effect. This would have been very handy against typical coy objective, probably more so if firing staggered.

[@hughbeastodonnell3733]

@@TheArmourersBench yes, Tulips was the code name for the things. The squadron fitters ended up bolting them in pairs to get better flight stability and improve the earth shattering kaboom. There are a few other sites out there with details, but the book Armoured Guardsman by Robert Boscawen tells the story of how they came to be. Were always intended to be anti-ambush weapons. Take that Jerry ! :-)

[@RMMilitaryHistory]

Bring up the Universal Carrier!

[@demos113]

Poor mans Hedgehog Projector. ;-)

[@TheArmourersBench]

Exactly!

[@alannguyen2221]

Now the PIAT mount is an amazing and awesome concept, but I also can’t help be in absolute awe at L/Sgt Yeats for charging TWO pillboxes with a Bren gun (8:17)

[@twotone3070]

I logged in to just remark on this act.

[@korbetthein3072]

I didn't notice that part of the report until you pointed it out! What a stone cold badass!

[@DraigBlackCat]

It's very interesting that in your talk on the Vickers MG and its use for indirect fire you mentioned that the Pepper Pot scheme for harassing indirect fire was found to work best with irregular salvo timings whereas here the PIATs were all set off together

[@TheArmourersBench]

Indeed yes, however I don't think the PIATs would ever have been part of a pepper pot plan, their range is just too short. The carrier might have been useful for saturating a strong point within 400 yards but the PIATs had a tenth of the Vickers' range.

[@Stray03]

Interesting video. Looks like the bars are connected, so you can only fire both rows at the same time. interesting to see the piats with the 3 hole sight, and without the modification of the hole for the monopod being slotted to allow for left right tilt adjustment of the piat on rough terrain.

[@TheArmourersBench]

Yes! The fact they're all 3 aperture sights is interesting.

[@HandGrenadeDivision]

Worth noting by the date the photos were taken (mid December 1944 according to LAC) that II Canadian Corps had been out of action for over a month, holding the line in the Nijmegen Salient. Idle hands are the devil's plaything, as they say. This was obviously not the intended purpose of the PIAT but in action the infantry found that it could be used effectively as an ad hoc mortar, and the HEAT rounds apparently were good at penetrating roofs of small buildings or bunkers. So my guess is this vehicle could be used to lay a barrage of PIAT bombs against such a target. With access to fast, accurate and heavy artillery support, the need for something like this was probably low. Infantry battalion commanders could also rely on their own platoons of 3-inch mortars and 6-pounder anti-tank guns for local fire support.

[@JohnyG29]

PIAT was designed with a secondary indirect mortar role in mind. They had sights for that.

[@rb239rtr]

The Canadian Army junior officers did after action reports, these officers noted that the PIAT was, overall, their most effective weapon. It was mostly used as indirect fire, and it was available to company and platoon size units. So, this experiment was an extension of that thought.

[@StacheMan26]

This actually reminds me of something made by the Germans called the (Mittler Schutzenpanzerwagen S307(f) mit) Reihenwerfer, made from 16 captured French 81mm mortars and mounted in two rows (with adjustable elevation and full 360 traverse, even) on a captured French halftrack. They actually saw some action in the Normandy fighting. It's not inconceivable that this multiple mortar might have inspired someone in the 16th field company, or it could just be a case of minds thinking alike. No way to know for sure, but sticking a whole bunch of mortars, spigot or otherwise, together for a quick saturation salvo is just inherently awesome regardless.

[@dermotrooney9584]

👍

[@dermotrooney9584]

👍

[@TheArmourersBench]

Definitely inherently awesome. That's an interesting point, it may well have been an inspiration, I hadn't heard of that myself. No mention of inspirations in the documents sadly. Tha ks for watching!

[@jessealexander2695]

Fascinating stuff, thanks!

[@TheArmourersBench]

Thanks Jesse!

[@M.M.83-U]

Very informative video.

[@TheArmourersBench]

Thank you!

[@M80Ball]

All PIAT all the time!

[@TheArmourersBench]

Hahah, welcome. To PIAT Radio! The next video won't be PIAT related but I have much more in the pipeline.

[@victuff9765]

I wonder if this was also considered as a weapon against static armour. The top hull and turret armour was quite thin compared to the glacis and side armour?

[@dermotrooney9584]

Like Javelin!

[@victuff9765]

@@dermotrooney9584 more like the Swedish STRIX system that was fired by a mortar... there was another system that was launched from a mortar and deployed a parachute to 'dwell' in the air... it had a 'spill' built into the chute that spun the round to 'scan' the ground with an infra red detector. When it acquired a target it released the chute, fired a booster rocket and impacted the top of the vehicle! Fiendishly clever... I forget the name of it though?

[@TheArmourersBench]

No mention of it, only justification mentioned is 'harassing' in response to Nebelwerfers - which seems a big stretch! It seems to me like they could have used it as an ambush weapon, sat in wait. Or knocked a house down from 400 yards away!

[@dermotrooney9584]

@@victuff9765 Thanks. There was a lot of talk about mortar-launched top attack 20yrs ago but I don't remember if it ever paid off. Now trying to calculate the hit probability of 15 PIATs on a Stug... reckon it'll take me a while.

[@dermotrooney9584]

Beautiful. Thanks for finding and sharing this. Questions to follow by email. 👍

[@TheArmourersBench]

Thanks Dermot, will happily try to answer them! Thanks for watching.

[@spudhead5614]

How do you get copies of companies war diaries? Trying to look for the 1st field company attached to the 1st Canadian divisions war diary

[@TheArmourersBench]

I always put my sources in the accompanying blog for each video. Got links to the Canadian national archives where you can hopefully find the docs you're after! armourersbench.com/2020/11/29/experimental-piat-universal-carrier/.

[@WWIIUK]

it seems like it would have been a nightmare to reload if the PIAT did nor re-cock automatically.

[@TheArmourersBench]

Definitely, I would imagine pretty impossible job without undoing bolts but it had the benefit of the system providing a firm base against which the action could work giving it the best possible chance of recocking. Thanks for watching!

[@WWIIUK]

@@TheArmourersBench your are very welcome it is an interesting invention thank you for shearing the information .

[@johnchristopherrobert1839]

Feeding the algorithm. Another great episode! 👍

[@TheArmourersBench]

Thanks John, really appreciate it.

[@LukeBunyip]

Additional snack for said algorithm.

[@TheArmourersBench]

@@LukeBunyip thank you Luke, it helps!

[@dermotrooney9584]

Onemorebite

[@matthewfish6113]

I'm more the happy to throw it a few photons to digest. Keep up the excellent work.

[@rat_king-]

Only in the Empire did we document our mad shit.

[@tvgerbil1984]

Shermans mounted with 60 x 4.5 inch rockets were supplied to various US amored divisons in Europe. It would be far easier just to borrow them from the Americans than making these PIAT universal carriers. The 4.5 inch rocket had superior range and far heavier warhead than the PIAT.

[@TheArmourersBench]

Absolutely. Idle hands make interesting creations. This was never going to have the impact of 4.5in rockets but an interesting project none the less. Thanks for watching.

[@Treblaine]

This doesn't seem to be playing to the strengths of the PIAT, the potentially quicker reload time, able to shoot from a prone concealed position, and lack of smoke/flash. However, sticking a load of rockets in a battery would have been great, as each is recoilless even 14 firing wouldn't tip anything over just create more backblast. It wouldn't matter so much if a load of smoke was created if you fired all the shots at once.

[@TheArmourersBench]

Exactly, this is a pretty deadend idea especially when they had Land Mattress - which was a load of rockets in a battery! A Canadian Katushya of sourts. BUT this is a local, divisional level effort and you have to hand it to them for thinking about it!

[@haroldellis9721]

I want one.

[@TheArmourersBench]

Me too!

[@adventurehawksancientharmony]

I used to own one

[@simongee8928]

Launching a salvo 300 yards from the potenial enemy doesn't seem very encouraging; well within small arms range. 😮

[@jamestrebillcock4718]

I launched a salvo of piats at the like button for you

[@TheArmourersBench]

Hahah thanks James!

[@xadrikxaulxu]

Rah.