Portee

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An Australian Army 2 pounder portee during an exercise in 1942
An Australian Army 2 pounder portee during an exercise in 1942

A portee is a truck that carries a gun on its bed that has three characteristics:

  • the gun is not permanently affixed to the vehicle
  • the gun can be quickly unloaded
  • the gun can be fired from the truck.

While the term portee can be used to denote any truck carrying a gun on its bed, it is most often used to describe the portees used by the British/Commonwealth forces in the North African Campaign of World War II.


Contents

[edit] Variants

[edit] 2 pounder (40mm) anti-tank gun portee

A 2 pounder anti-tank gun mounted on a Morris 15 cwt truck or a Bedford QLT 3-ton lorry.

[edit] 6 pounder (57mm) anti-tank gun portee

A 6 pounder anti-tank gun mounted on a Bedford QLT 3-ton lorry.

[edit] 20 mm anti-aircraft portee

A 20 mm anti-aircraft gun mounted on a Morris 15 cwt truck.

[edit] Notable Actions

[edit] Sidi Rezegh

On 21 November 1941 at Sidi Rezegh, Libya Second Lieutenant Gunn destroyed 2 German tanks while fighting from a burning 2 pounder portee. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his valour in this action.

[edit] See also