Compared to the German MG34 or MG42 used in Panzers, the Besa was arguably more reliable in the harsh desert environment. The MG34 was finely machined and susceptible to jamming if sand entered the action; the Besa was built like a tractor—crude but effective. While it lacked the terrifying sound and slightly higher rate of fire of the MG42, it offered greater durability and ease of maintenance for vehicle crews.
During the early war years, British tanks like the Matilda II and the Valentine were armed with the 2-pounder main gun. The 2-pounder was an excellent anti-tank weapon for its time, but it had no high-explosive (HE) shell capability. This meant these tanks could knock out Panzers, but they were helpless against screening infantry or anti-tank guns without using their machine guns. besa tr6