PILLBOX STUDY GROUP TYPE 28 PILLBOX

BRITISH TYPE 28 PILLBOX

TYPE 28A @ LYDIARD, West of SWINDON

Photograph by ERIC BURKE, Swindon, Wiltshire

KEY FACTS

OFFICIAL DESIGNATION: FW3/28 & FW3/28A

SHAPE: RECTANGULAR

SHELL-PROOF DESIGNED TO HOUSE 2PDR ANTI-TANK OR 6PDR HOTCHKISS GUN

FW3/28

The smallest Type 28 was a single-chamber design built to shell-proof standards.

External walls are 3 feet 6 inches (1.1m) thick whilst the roof is 12 inches (30.5cm).

Externally the pillbox measures 20 feet by 19 feet (6.1m by 5.8m) and internally the chamber measures 13 feet by 12 feet (4m by 3.6m).

At the FRONT of the pillbox is the LOW and WIDE 2pdr gun EMBRASURE.

With the 2pdr gun in position the shield of the gun would have covered most of the embrasure, which measures 2 feet 6 inches (0.76m by 2m) internally, stepping out to 3 feet 2 inches by 11 feet 6 inches (0.96m by 3.5m) on the outside.

MAXIMUM TRAVERSE of the gun is limited to 60 Degrees.

Generally, the pillboxes are positioned to allow the gun to fire along fixed lines, such as enfilading fire across an anti-tank ditch or a bridge. In these positions the limited traverse of the gun creates no real disadvantage and the small size of the embrasure provides greater protection for the gun and its crew.

Access for the 2 pdr gun is through a 6 feet (1.8m) wide door in the rear wall. No attempt was made to block this large opening with steel doors and it can only be assumed that the entrance would be sandbagged during action. The large entrance does allow the 2pdr gun to maintain its mobility, allowing rapid deployment or withdral of the gun.

In front of the gun embrasure, in the floor of the chamber, are three recesses for the trail legs of the gun. The gun would have been wheeled into the pillbox, its wheels removed and the trail legs unfolded and located into the floor recesses.

Usually, in each side wall there is an infantry embrasure to provide some limited protection from enemy infantry. However, the lack of all-round small arms fire means that the pillbox would be very vulnerable to enemy infantry attack. the lack of forward-firing infantry embrasures also means that it would not be possible to support the 2pdr gun with small arms fire.

FW3/28A

To overcome the problem of the limited number of infantry embrasures the FW3/28 pillbox design was modified to produce the FW3/28A.

The modification consisted of a second chamber being added to the anti-tank gun chamber of the TYPE 28. This second chamber was an infantry chamber with upto three infantry embrasures firing to the front, rear and side.

Internally, the infantry chamber measures 6 feet by 12 feet (1.8m by 3.6m) and is separated from the other chamber by a 12 inch (30.5cm) thick wall. The infantry chamber would be built either to the left or right of the main chamber depending on the local tactical situation.

the addition of the second chamber means that the external measurements have grown to 27 feet by 19 feet (8.2m by 5.8m).

With an armament of one 2pdr gun anf four infantry positions this pillbox would be able to engage enemy armoured vehicles and enemy infantry.

Reproduced from an article `TYPE 28s ALONG THE GHQ LINE` by COLIN ALEXANDER

featured in `LOOPHOLES` Journal of the PSG.

SEE Colin Alexanders fantastic book `IRONSIDES LINE` detailing the GHQ LINE