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Royal Marines Commandos Demonstrating the Carl Gustav Recoilless Rifle
These photographs show two Royal Marines from 45 Commando demonstrating the new 84mm Carl Gustav anti-tank weapon. The photos were taken in August 1963 during a War Office demonstration for senior officers of the Middle East Command.
The demonstration took place at Little Aden, a peninsula in the port city of Aden, then a British protectorate. The 84mm Carl Gustav eventually replaced the American 3.5 inch rocket launcher which had been adopted to replace the PIAT in British Service in the late 1940s.
These photos show the M2′s optic on the left side of the barrel, the rifling inside the barrel (in the first photograph) and the blast after firing which can be seen to kick up a great deal of sand in the second photograph.
Carl Gustav M2 Recoilless Rifle (source)
The first photograph shows Marine Chris Pow, of Plymouth, preparing to fire the new anti-tank gun while the second shows Marine Eric Pearson, of Salford, Manchester, just after he’s fired the M2 Carl Gustav. The Swedish anti-tank weapon fired a fin-stabilised 84mm (or 3.3 inch) high explosive anti-tank round among other types of ammunition. The Carl Gustav, or ‘Charlie G’ remained in service with the British army into the late 1980s when it was superseded by the LAW and Javelin systems. The new and improved M4 may be considered for adoption again.
Sources:
Images: 1 2
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Royal Navy on Joint Warrior: "This is What I Joined For"
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Royal Navy Reports on Exercise Joint Warrior 19-1
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More than 8,000 military personnel from 13 nations, nearly 40 ships and submarines – including two NATO task groups – and 60 aircraft,…
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Royal Marines on Ex SABER STRIKE
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Over a fortnight in the woods and clearings at Adazi Training Area, 25 miles east of the…
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New Role for 42 Commando
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Consequently, the organisation of 42 Commando is now different to that of 40 and 45 Commandos.
Although the naming of the companies remains unchanged (J Company, K Company, L Company, M Company, including Command and Logistics Elements), 42 Commando is now focussed on small team activity, meaning a traditional…
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Ryan Shaw
“45 commando buddies”
(http://www.eliteukforces.info/royal-marines/45-commando/)