Captured Bren‑Carriers deserve historically‑unique modifications

[传说巨神伊迪安]

As we all know, there are currently three Bren carrier APCs in‑game.

One is the British reconnaissance variant, and the other two belong to the Soviet and Japanese factions respectively.
However, the modifications for Soviet and Japanese Bren carriers feel very superficial. They only receive their nation‑specific machine‑guns, with zero visual or functional innovations.
I hate nothing more than just pressing Ctrl‑C and Ctrl‑V.
Germany still does not have a captured Bren carrier. If a future event simply gives Germany a Bren carrier with only MG‑34 / MG‑42 belt‑fed machine‑guns, players will undoubtedly find it uninspiring.
Therefore I propose implementing unique historically‑based modifications for captured Bren carriers of every faction, to give these vehicles distinct characteristics

1. First of all, Germany.
   Bren carriers for other nations are already implemented in‑game. Modifying these existing vehicles will be extremely difficult — what is done cannot be undone. Unless DF funds outsourced remodelling and full APC model rework, these existing vehicles will most likely remain unchanged.
   Three historical modification concepts exist for captured German Bren carriers. Credit to @MERCYFIRE @erichechek-psn for the reference images:
   ① 37 mm anti‑tank gun mounted on the roof, two sub‑variants available.
   
   
   

② An autocannon fitted onto the hull.

③ Anti‑tank‑specialized Bren carrier equipped with the Panzerfaust‑killer setup. It carries Panzerfausts that infantry can pick up, using mechanics similar to those on Pacific maps. These can either be one‑use items or function like the equipment of demolition soldiers.

Improvised tank‑destroyer: captured British Bren Carrier fitted with triple‑mounted Panzerschreck rocket launchers

After the Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck entered German service, troops converted captured Bren carriers into this vehicle. It first saw combat in Normandy, 1944.

The vehicle normally carried 6 Panzerfaust rounds, a triple‑mounted Panzerschreck launcher with its ammunition supply, plus one 7.92 mm MG34 / MG42 general‑purpose machine‑gun.
Surviving physical example of this conversion still exists to this day.
Available references are sufficient for two distinct captured Bren variants for Germany: one for a premium squad and one as an event‑reward squad.

Would you like to see this captured field‑converted variant added to the game? Which captured Bren carrier is your favourite

• 37 mm gun variant
• Autocannon variant
• Panzerschreck variant
• Simple reskin, only swap to MG machine‑gun
• Do not add this vehicle to the game

Well, here is one more rare variant to add as a quick note.
It is a captured French 75 mm gun mounted onto a British Bren‑carrier APC

Would you like to see this APC added to the game

• Yes
• No

2. Japan🇯🇵
   Only one reference drawing is available for Japan’s modified Bren APC. It is unclear whether the gun is 37 mm, 47 mm or 70 mm. DF may freely decide the gun caliber based on this source.
   

Would you like the Japanese captured Bren‑carrier APC to get modifications like this?

• yes
• no

3. Soviet Union：☭ USSR

Replace the hull‑mounted machine‑gun with the compatible DT‑29.
Swap the roof‑mounted gun for a DShK heavy machine‑gun. Historical footage shows its prominent muzzle cooling jacket, which helps distinguish it from the DS‑39.

[Historical footage and model references]
Thanks to @Admiral_Wenli for sharing.

Would you like the Soviet lend‑lease Bren‑carrier APC to receive modifications like this?

• yes, it looks very unique
• no, it would be too OP

The stock Soviet variant only gets two DP‑27 machine‑guns, which feels really superficial.
At least DF gave Japan the TE‑4, the best anti‑aircraft machine‑gun at BR 4.
4. Britain🇬🇧

There is another modified variant for the British Bren carrier: converting the reconnaissance variant into a standard armoured personnel carrier.

Replace the original Bren machine‑gun with either a 100‑belt‑fed Browning or M2 heavy machine‑gun.
Swap the original hull anti‑tank armament for a Lewis gun or Browning machine‑gun. Though no surviving historical photos exist, field improvisations by front‑line soldiers could be every bit as creative as Mekboy builds from Warhammer 40K.

Pictures haven’t been found yet. Would you like the Allies to get new modified Bren‑carrier variants?

• Yes
• No

Hmm, there is another creative option for Britain.
We could add the Canadian Wasp flamethrower‑equipped Universal Carrier, using stats based on the Flamingo flamethrower tank (Panzer II Flamingo).
It would fulfil its role as an APC, while also harassing enemies with its flamethrower

Would you like to see the Wasp flamethrower Bren‑carrier APC added?

• Yes
• No

[传说巨神伊迪安]

Next are additional detail notes for recreating the 37 mm‑gun APC from Germany’s first reference photo.

Next, additional notes for the Panzerfaust Bren carrier.
There is even an original surviving example available for rental within Germany. Rough translation of the German description:

This is a Bren Universal Carrier built in 1941, classified as a vintage vehicle of historic‑D class. This British armoured vehicle has a dark yellow‑green exterior and beige interior, with light‑to‑moderate signs of wear. It is located in North Rhine‑Westphalia and is fully operational.

This vehicle is an excellent choice if you wish to rent an armoured vehicle in North Rhine‑Westphalia (e.g. Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, Bochum, Wuppertal, Bielefeld, Bonn, Münster, Mönchengladbach). It can be driven by the renter.

Price: 900 EUR per day.

[warfare_master]

I think it’d just be best for the british carrier to use a 100 rnd drum in it’s bren

[传说巨神伊迪安]

That makes sense. We could just take the 100‑round drum‑fed Browning machine‑gun from within the game and mount it on top.

Alternatively, British tanks already use large drum‑fed machine‑guns similar to the DT‑29. We could simply take the existing model from War Thunder and port it over.

[传说巨神伊迪安]

However, if we really fit a gun onto the Universal Carrier, the worst‑case scenario might be many players taking this APC far to the rear and sniping from long range. It is hard to tell how that would play out.

[erichechek-psn]

You tagged me but forgot to put my pic

This one is a UC but with a captured french 75mm

[传说巨神伊迪安]

Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention this.
Was this gun taken from captured French artillery pieces and mounted on the vehicle?
This one feels even more powerful.
Too bad this reference image got left out of the poll.

[King-E-73]

The Bren definitely needs to be added for Germany because unlike the S oviets and Japan, they actually captured a significant number of Allied ones when taking France, enough that they were put into service for Germany.
Now I support a MG34 variant, the others could pose problems in game.

[传说巨神伊迪安]

To be honest, I think that would be the worst‑case outcome. The vehicle would lack any distinct character.
It would be a waste of a platform with great modification potential.

That said, if Germany gets the 37‑mm‑gun carrier, then Soviet and Japanese counterparts should also receive proper reworks.
And the Allies ought to get a new Bren‑carrier variant as well.

According to sources, the German 37 mm gun carrier had a crew of five.

[King-E-73]

I can’t see them adding a 37mm on something that fast and small which is easily hidden when Germany already has a APC event halftrack with cannon. An MG for sure…

[Admiral_Wenli]

Love this suggestion, one slight quirp I have with it, the latter two images for the Bren you called the 37mm, are actually using captured french 47mm’s(I mean british 2pdr, brain dumb), (Same bren carrier in both images).

@传说巨神伊迪安

Otherwise very legit, there are countless modifications made that could really make these stand out as unique and not just copy paste.

[传说巨神伊迪安]

So it is also a French 47 mm gun?
Ah, that was an oversight. I should have asked more questions earlier. To be honest, when I thought about it later, I thought this was a captured British 2‑pounder gun.

[Admiral_Wenli]

Your entirely right, its a 2pdr, idk why my brain thought otherwise, tired I guess lmao.