Editing Long Range Desert Group (section)

==Equipment==

===Vehicles===
[[File:Vickers armed LRDG trucks8.jpg|thumb|alt=vehicles in convoy, each crewed by three men, in a desert terrain|LRDG Headquarters Section (note markings on "Louise") of Chevrolet 30 cwt. The first two vehicles are armed with [[Vickers gun]]s, and have canvas sand mats rolled up and stored on the front wheel arches.]]
The LRDG vehicles were mainly [[two wheel drive]], chosen because they were lighter and used less fuel than [[four wheel drive]]. They were stripped of all non-essentials, including doors, windscreens and roofs. They were fitted with a bigger [[radiator]], a [[Condenser (heat transfer)|condenser]] system, built up [[leaf spring]]s for the harsh terrain, wide, low pressure desert [[Tire|tyres]], sand mats and channels,{{#tag:ref|The steel channels and canvas sand mats were used to release a vehicle caught in soft terrain. This entailed unloading the vehicle and digging shallow, sloped trenches in which the channels and mats could be placed under the wheels to provide traction.<ref name="Jenlist18"/>|group=nb}} plus map containers and a [[Solar compass|sun compass]] devised by Bagnold.<ref name=db317/> [[Wireless]] trucks had special compartments built into the bodywork to house wireless equipment.<ref name="Jenlist 11">Jenner and List 1999, p.11</ref> Initially the LRDG patrols were equipped with one [[Canadian Military Pattern truck|Canadian Military Pattern]] (CMP) Ford 15 [[Hundredweight|cwt]] F15 truck for the commander, while the rest of the patrol used up to 10 Chevrolet 30 cwt 158.5" wheelbase (WB) trucks (the 'WA' model mentioned in some texts appears to be an 133" wheelbase version of the same vehicle).<ref name="Jenlistbad10-11">Jenner and List 1999, pp.10–11</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/identification/Series/|title=Stovebolt Tech Tip -- Antique Chevy / GMC Truck Restoration Help|website=stovebolt.com|access-date = 19 April 2020}}</ref> From March 1941 the 30 cwt Chevrolets were replaced by the CMP Ford 30 cwt F30, although in some ways this was a retrograde step as the four wheel drive and extra weight compared to the Chevrolets meant they used twice as much fuel, which reduced the range of a patrol.<ref name="Jenlist 11"/>{{#tag:ref|Because the bulk of the load carried by an LRDG truck was petrol, any increase in fuel consumption meant that there was less room for other essential supplies.<ref>Gibson 2009, p. 8</ref> |group=nb}} From March 1942 the Fords were progressively replaced by 200 Canadian Chevrolet 1533 X2 30 cwts, which had been specially ordered for the LRDG.<ref name="Jenlistbad10-11"/>{{#tag:ref|The 1533X2 was essentially a civilian commercial truck converted and equipped for military use; these trucks were identified as Modified Conventional Pattern (MCP) rather than the purpose-built CMPs.<ref>Jenner and List 1999, pp.28–29 and 46</ref>|group=nb}} From July 1942 [[Willys MB|Willys jeeps]] began to be issued for the patrol commander and patrol [[sergeant]].<ref name="db317"/><ref name="Jenlist13"/>

General Order 297 of November 22, 1940 specified that all vehicles in the Middle East were to be painted with a common basic colour of Light Stone, ie the BSC (British Standard Colour) number 61, which is a medium toned yellow with a brown tinge which veterans refer to as desert yellow. To achieve the Caunter camouflage scheme, two contrasting colours may be applied along with this basic colour, these being Silver Grey BSC number 28 a greyish pastel green, and Slate BSC number 34. All three colours were specified in "BSC 381:C 1930 Colours for Ready Mixed Paints".<ref>{{cite web|title=Hiding in plain site|author=Michael Starmer|date=May 2019|website=keymilitary.com|url=https://www.keymilitary.com/article/hiding-plain-sight}}</ref>

===Weapons===
[[File:Boforswb.jpg|thumb|left|alt=four wheeled truck mounting a large artillery piece at the rear and a Lewis gun at the front. The three-man crew can also be seen|A Chevrolet WB with a [[Bofors 37 mm]] [[anti-tank gun]] mounted at the rear]]
The patrol vehicles were initially armed with 11 [[Lewis gun|Lewis machine guns]], four [[Boys anti-tank rifle]]s and a [[Bofors 37 mm]] [[anti-tank gun]] distributed amongst their vehicles.<ref name=db317/> By December 1940, the vehicle armaments had been improved and 'T' Patrol, for example, had five .303 [[Vickers machine guns|Vickers Medium Mk. I]] machine guns, five Lewis guns, four Boys anti-tank guns and the Bofors 37&nbsp;mm.<ref>Gross, O'Carroll and Chiarvetto 2002, pp.20–22</ref> Another Vickers gun used was the heavy [[Vickers .50 machine gun]], which would be mounted at the rear of the vehicle.<ref>O'Carroll 2000, p.64</ref> All of the unit's vehicles were armed with at least one gun; each vehicle was fitted with six to eight gun mountings, but normally only two or three of them would be in use.<ref>Molinari 2007, p.83</ref>
[[File:A member of a Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) patrol poses with a Vickers 'K' Gas-operated machine gun on a Chevrolet 30-cwt truck, May 1942. E12410.jpg|thumb|upright|A member of a Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) patrol poses with a [[Vickers K]] machine gun on a Chevrolet 30-cwt truck, May 1942.]]

Supplementing their army-supplied weapons, the LRDG was equipped with surplus [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) aircraft guns, which were acquired for their high [[rate of fire]]. The most widely used of these was the [[Vickers K machine gun]], which was sometimes used mounted in pairs.<ref>O'Carroll 2000, p.67</ref> From mid-1941 the LRDG acquired [[Browning M1919|.303 Browning Mk II's]] from RAF stocks, also mounted in pairs, with a combined rate of fire of 2,400 rounds per minute.<ref>O'Carroll 2000, pp.65–66</ref> When new vehicles were issued in March 1942, several were converted to carry captured dual-purpose 20&nbsp;mm [[Breda Model 35]]s, which replaced the Bofors 37&nbsp;mm, and each half-patrol was equipped with one Breda "Gun truck".<ref>O'Carroll 2000, p.65</ref> In September 1942 the [[M2 Browning machine gun#Aircraft guns|.50 Browning AN/M2]] heavy machine gun began to replace both calibres of the Vickers machine guns and the Boys anti-tank rifle.<ref>O'Carroll 2000, p.66</ref>

The men of the LRDG carried the standard [[List of World War II weapons of the United Kingdom#Small Arms|British Second World War small arms]], the [[Lee–Enfield#Short Magazine Lee–Enfield Mk III|Lee–Enfield No.1 Mk III*]] being the primary rifle.<ref name="Gib9">Gibson 2009, p.9</ref>{{#tag:ref|Although some references refer to the [[Lee–Enfield#Rifle No. 4|No. 4 Mk I rifle]], it was not introduced into service until the spring of 1942<ref>Walter 2006, p.254</ref> and was rarely, if ever, used by the LRDG in the desert.<ref name="Gib9"/>|group=nb}} Other small arms carried were [[Thompson submachine gun]]s and .38 [[Enfield revolver|Enfield]], [[Webley & Scott]] or .45 [[Colt 1911A1]] pistols.<ref>O'Carroll 2000, p.72</ref> Several types of [[hand grenade]] were used: the [[Mills bomb]], the [[No. 68 AT Grenade|No. 68 Anti-tank]] and the [[No. 69 grenade|No. 69]]. Each truck was outfitted with a Lee–Enfield EY rifle attachment with a discharger cup able to fire the No. 36M Mills [[rifle grenade]].<ref>O'Carroll 2000, p.68</ref> The LRDG also laid [[land mine]]s, the most common being the [[Mk 2 mine]]. Other explosives included the [[Lewes bomb]]s, a custom made weapon using [[Plastic explosive|Nobel 808]]  used to destroy aircraft and other targets,<ref>O'Carroll 2000, pp.70–71</ref> and [[sticky bombs]] used to destroy enemy vehicles.<ref>Kiras, James D., ''Special Operations and Strategy: From World War II to the War on Terrorism'', Routledge (2006) p. 179. {{ISBN|978-0415459495}}</ref>

Captured German and Italian small arms were utilised including the [[Beretta M 1934]], [[Luger P08 pistol|Luger P08]] and [[Walther P38]] pistols. The German [[MP40]] [[submachine gun]] and [[MG34]], [[MG42]] along with Italian [[Breda M37]] and [[Breda M38]] machine guns were all used.<ref name=mol82>Molinari 2007, p.82</ref>

===Communications===
[[File:V wireless.jpg|alt=man smoking wearing radio headphones between two very closely parked vehicles|thumb|upright|Radio operator, Corporal Arthur George Biddle RCS, of 'R1' Patrol using the No 11 Wireless set mounted on a 30 cwt Chevrolet 1533 X2. The rod aerial is just above his head. The four wooden support poles for the Windom dipole antenna are carried on brackets on the wooden 'greedy boards'. The canvas sand mat can be seen rolled up on the right hand vehicle.{{#tag:ref|The 'greedy boards' were used to extend the load height of the Godfredson 4B1 Steel ammunition body used on Chevrolet 1533X2s; the steel tubes used to secure the boards doubled as weapons mounts (see photo of "T10").<ref>Jenner and List 1999, pp.28–29</ref> |group=nb}}]]

In the LRP, most of the radio operators were New Zealanders, but the LRDG radio operators were all from the [[Royal Corps of Signals]]. These men were skilled in communications and were able to maintain and repair their equipment without any outside help. On only three occasions did a broken radio prevent a patrol communicating with its headquarters.<ref name="O'Carroll, 2000, p 55">O'Carroll 2000, p.55</ref> All LRDG patrols included one vehicle equipped with a [[Wireless Set No. 11]] and a non-military [[Philips]] model 635 receiver. The No. 11 Set had been designed for use in tanks, and had [[transmitter]] and [[Receiver (radio)|receiver]] circuits;<ref name=no11set>{{cite web|access-date=24 May 2010 |publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)]] |title=Wireless Set No 11 |url=http://www2.armynet.mod.uk/museums/royalsignals/wirelesssetno11.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829221533/http://www2.armynet.mod.uk/museums/royalsignals/wirelesssetno11.htm |archive-date=29 August 2009 }}</ref> the Royal Signals expected to use the No. 11 set to transmit and receive between {{convert|3|mi}} and {{convert|20|mi}} with the use of {{convert|6|ft|adj=on}} or {{convert|9|ft|adj=on}} [[Antenna (radio)|antennas]].<ref name=no11set/>
The LRDG used [[Morse code]] for all transmissions, and were able to transmit over great distances using either a [[dipole antenna]] system attached to a {{convert|6.3|ft}} [[rod antenna]] mounted on the truck, which was adequate up to {{convert|500|mi}},<ref name = "O'Carroll, 2000, p 55"/> or for greater distances, a Windom dipole system slung between two {{convert|17|ft}} tall poles.<ref name = "O'Carroll, 2000, p 55"/> The disadvantage of using the Windom system was that it took time to erect and work out the correct antenna length, so it could only be used in a relatively safe area.<ref>Molinari 2007, p.79</ref> To power the No. 11 set extra batteries had to be carried by the radio vehicles.<ref name = "O'Carroll, 2000, p 55"/>
The Philips receiver was used to monitor [[Greenwich Mean Time]] (GMT) time checks, which was vital for desert [[navigation]].<ref name="Jenlist18">Jenner and List 1999, p.18</ref>{{#tag:ref|On occasion the Philips was used to listen to [[BBC]] radio or music like the song [[Lili Marleen]].<ref name="Jenlist18"/>|group=nb}}

While on the move the lead vehicles of the patrol commanders and sergeants flew a small flag. Because the LRP was organised on divisional cavalry lines the leaders carried green flags for 'A' (HQ) Troop, black for 'B' Troop, yellow for 'C' Troop and red for 'D'.<ref name="O'Carroll50">O'Carroll 2000, p.50</ref> When the LRDG was organised into 11 vehicle patrols this was simplified to a green flag displaying the patrol letter in white; the later half-patrols used a plain green flag on occasion. When it became necessary to change course from an intended route, or in the event of enemy action, patrol movements were controlled by a simple [[Flag semaphore|semaphore flag]] system using blue and white signal flags,{{#tag:ref|Some typical signals were 'Enemy in sight': a flag waved vertically, and 'Disperse': two horizontal flags waved up and down.<ref name="O'Carroll50"/>|group=nb}} or hand signals, depending on how widely dispersed the trucks were.<ref name="O'Carroll50"/>

===Navigation===
All trucks of the LRDG were equipped with the Bagnold sun compass and some trucks were also equipped with a P8 Tank [[magnetic compass|Compass]].<ref name="Kenshaw255">Kennedy Shaw 1943, p.255</ref> Each patrol had a navigator who always rode in the second truck in the formation. He was equipped with a [[theodolite]] and [[Ephemeris|astronomical position tables]] with which to plot [[Celestial navigation|star sightings]], and maps.<ref>Kennedy Shaw 1943, pp.254–256</ref> Watches were used and adjusted each evening using the [[Greenwich Time Signal|GMT time check]].<ref name="Kenshaw255"/> One major problem faced early on by the LRDG was a lack of accurate maps for Libya in particular. Patrols had to do their own surveys and make their own maps of each route they took. In July 1941 the Survey Section was formed to carry out this task.<ref>Kennedy Shaw 1943, pp.257–258</ref>