USA V UK,

[jarndice]

I am sure most of us have noticed that American First line fighting vehicles, Ships, Aircraft, Armour etc are almost always known by the Role letter and its number whereas British First line fighting vehicles are invariably given a name from the prototype onwards.
Most American fighting vehicles that are named with the exception of ships and submarines if they do receive a name it is an adjunct often given long after its initial entry (ie A10 "Warthog" named nearly 5 years after adoption into the USAF ) into service or when a foreign purchaser names it (Mustang, Buffalo etc) and it is then adopted by the US armed forces,
The American Armed Forces do nothing to make things easy because when a fighting vehicle is used by different arms such as the US Marine Corp or the US Navy they give it different names,
This is most noticeable in Military Helicopters,
Is there a reason why the Brits name everything from the off and the Americans don't ?
Every American Armoured Fighting Vehicle that entered service into the American Army carried a Letter and number then the British bought the particular vehicle and named it Lee/Grant, Sherman etc the name would then retrospectively be adopted by he US Army,
Of course there are exceptions but it is a puzzle for which I would like an answer.

[HERMAN BIX]

High Mobility Multi Purposed Wheeled Vehicle.............all of a sudden you can purchase a "Hummer"

Its not the Americans .......its just some odd need for some folks to find a way to call a something -something I reckon.
Sherman
Stuart
Pershing
Patton
Walker (bulldog)
Grease-gun
Garand
Thompson
Colt
Smith & Wesson
Winchester
Remington
Ivor Johnson
K-pot
K-Bar

etc etc etc.............all happily well named !

[Jarlath]

Garand
Thompson
Colt
Smith & Wesson
Winchester
Remington
Ivor Johnson

Garand - M1 Garand - designed by John C. Garand in 1928

Thompson - Thompson SMG "Tommy Gun" - designed by John T. Thompson around 1917

Colt - Colt Paterson - designed by Samuel Colt circa 1836 (Then many firearms where known as "Colts" over the next several decades. Peacemaker, 1911, etc...)

S&W - Co-Founded by Horace Smith & Daniel B. Wesson (S&W Company founded in 1852, sold to Winchester in 1855. New S&W Revolver company in 1856) One of the few interesting stories that do not follow self-naming from the designers. Smith & Wesson Model 1 revolver designed by Dan Wesson in 1857.

Winchester - Winchester 1866 Lever Action Rifle - designed by Nelson King. Company owned by Oliver Winchester whom purchased Volcanic Arms (S&W) in 1855, renamed New Haven Arms in 1857 then Winchester Repeating Arms in 1866.

Remington - Home built Flintlock rifle designed and manufactured by Eliphalet Remington. Shot at a match in 1816 with his rifle and came in 2nd place and received many requests for copies of his rifle. E. Remington & Sons was founded that day.

Iver Johnson - Unbranded revolvers designed and manufactured by Iver Johnson circa 1871 - Johnson Bye & Company founded in 1871 by Iver Johnson and Martin Bye. Rebranded Iver Johnson & Company in 1883. Iver died 1895. First truly named revolvers was the Safety Automatic produced 1894, designed by O.F. Mossberg.


I love firearm facts

[jarndice]

I fear I have been misunderstood (The story of my life) I was not referring to the makers such as Vickers, Birmingham Small Arms. North American Aviation, Colt, Remington, Garand. etc.
I was referring to the naming of a Tank by the British which usually begins with "C" ie Cromwell, Centurion etc, The Landing Craft Tracked was known in the service of the US Marine Corp and the US Navy as the LVT4 But when the British placed it in service they called it the "Buffalo,
And in the dark days of early 1940 the British Air Purchasing Commission was scouring American Aircraft Manufacturers for anything that could fly with a gun attached,
In April 1940 they approached North American Aviation to make Curtis Hawk 87A-1 for the RAF,
NAA countered the proposal with one of their own,J H Kindelberger the President of NAA Contracted with the Commission to draw, build and fly a NEW Design Fighter in 120 days powered by the Alison V-1710-10-39 liquid cooled 12 cylinder Vee engine and so was born the NA-73X in 117 days
With the US Governments proviso that two of this type would be sold to the USAAC a contract for 320 for the RAF was agreed to.
The two airframe's sold to the US Army Air Corps were given the designation XP-51,
The first prototype was retained by NAA the second went to the UK and was officially named the Mustang 1,
After the USAAC had evaluated the two XP-51s they ordered it into service initially naming it "Apache" but as the RAF had at that time ordered into service over 600 they Americans decided to adopt the Mustang name,
The story of the Packard Merlin is for another day.
My point being that the British name their Tanks and Aircraft the Americans number them and then they belatedly name them if at all and to make matters more confusing the USAAC/USAF named their aircraft with a different name to the same type that was in service with the USN and so on with the other US military services who had the same type in service at the same time as any of the others.
The American Army name their Helicopters after the different indigenous tribes such as Choctaw, Iroquois, Mojave, Chickasaw. but the other services do not use the US Army's name for a particular model even though they have the same type.

[General Jumbo01]

I think l understand what you are saying, but l'm a little unclear what you are asking. If your question is why does this happen, l've had a long think and, having thought, l haven't a clue!

It's got to be a cultural thing though. Which doesn't help you at all!

[Estnische]

The Mae West?

[EAO]

Interesting question, never thought about it before. Now that I have, I have no idea what so ever!

Respectfully,
Eric.