Armored car - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

A military armored (or armoured) car is a wheeled armored

Vehicle armour

Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, missiles, or shells, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire. Such vehicles include tanks, aircraft, and ships....

vehicle, lighter than other armored fighting vehicle

Armoured fighting vehicle

An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked....

s, primarily being armored and/or armed for self-defense of the occupants. Other multi-axled wheeled military vehicles can be quite large, and actually be superior to some smaller tracked vehicles in terms of armor and armament.

History

The armed car was invented by Royal Page Davidson

Royal Page Davidson

Royal Page Davidson was an American educator and inventor.- Early life :Davidson was born in Somerville, New Jersey on October 9, 1870. His early basic education was in a country public school.- Mid life :...

at Northwestern Military and Naval Academy

Northwestern Military and Naval Academy

Northwestern Military Academy was a high school in Linn, Wisconsin which was founded by Harlan Page Davidson. Originally located in Highland Park, Illinois, the school was relocated to the town of Linn, Wisconsin on the south shore of Geneva Lake near the city of Lake Geneva in 1915 and was...

in 1898 with the Davidson-Duryea gun carriage

Davidson-Duryea gun carriage

The Davidson-Duryea gun carriage was a 3 and 4 wheeled armed armored vehicle manufactured in 1898 and 1899 for military use.- Development history :...

and the later Davidson Automobile Battery armored car.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, a number of military armored vehicles were manufactured by adding armor and weapons to existing vehicles. The first fully armored one was the "Motor War Car

Motor War Car

Simms' Motor War Car was the first armoured car ever built.It was designed by F.R. Simms and a single prototype was ordered in April 1899 It was built by Vickers, Sons & Maxim of Barrow on a special Coventry-built Daimler chassis with a German-built Daimler motor.Because of difficulties, including...

" designed by Vickers

Vickers

Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...

in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

in 1902. The Italians used armored cars during the Italo-Turkish War

Italo-Turkish War

The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy from September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.As a result of this conflict, Italy was awarded the Ottoman provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and...

. A great variety of armored cars appeared on both sides during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

and these were used in various ways.

World War I

Generally, the armored cars were used by more or less independent car commanders. However, sometimes they were used in larger units up to squadron size. The cars were primarily armed with light machine guns. But larger units usually employed a few cars with heavier guns. As air power became a factor, armored cars offered a mobile platform for anti-aircraft guns.

In 1914, the Belgians fielded some early examples of armored cars during the Race to the Sea
Race to the Sea
The Race to the Sea is a name given to the period early in the First World War when the two sides were still engaged in mobile warfare on the Western Front. With the German advance stalled at the First Battle of the Marne, the opponents continually attempted to outflank each other through...

. The British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

Royal Naval Air Service

The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...

dispatched aircraft to Dunkirk to defend the UK from Zeppelins. The officers cars followed them and these began to be used to rescue downed reconnaissance pilots in the battle areas. They mounted machine guns on them and as these excursions became increasingly dangerous, they improvised boiler plate armoring on the vehicles provided by a local shipbuilder. In London Murray Sueter

Murray Sueter

Sir Murray Fraser Sueter, CB, MP was a Royal Naval officer who was noted as a pioneer of naval aviation and later became a Member of Parliament .-Naval career:...

ordered "fighting cars" based on Rolls-Royce, Talbot and Wolseley chassis. By the time Rolls-Royce armored cars

Rolls-Royce Armoured Car

The Rolls-Royce armoured car was a British armoured car developed in 1914 and used in World War I and in the early part of World War II.-Production history:...

arrived in December 1914, the mobile period on the Western Front was already over.

World War II

The British RAF in the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

was equipped with Rolls Royce armored cars

Rolls-Royce Armoured Car

The Rolls-Royce armoured car was a British armoured car developed in 1914 and used in World War I and in the early part of World War II.-Production history:...

and Morris tenders. Some of these vehicles were among the last of a consignment of ex-Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

armored cars that had been serving in the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

since 1915. In September 1940 a section of the No. 2 Squadron RAF Regiment Company was detached to General Wavell’s ground

Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell

Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, PC was a British field marshal and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during the Second World War. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army...

forces during the first offensive against the Italians in Egypt. It is said that these armored cars became ‘the eyes and ears of Wavell’. During the actions in the October of that year the Company was employed on convoy escort tasks, airfield defense, fighting reconnaissance patrols and screening operations.
During the Anglo-Iraqi War

Anglo-Iraqi War

The Anglo-Iraqi War was the name of the British campaign against the rebel government of Rashid Ali in the Kingdom of Iraq during the Second World War. The war lasted from 2 May to 31 May 1941. The campaign resulted in the re-occupation of Iraq by British armed forces and the return to power of the...

, some of the units located in the British Mandate of Palestine were sent to Iraq and drove Fordson armored cars. "Fordson" armored cars were Rolls Royce armored cars which received new chassis from a Fordson truck in Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

.

The American M8 Light Armored Car

M8 Greyhound

The M8 Light Armored Car was a 6x6 armored car produced by the Ford Motor Company during World War II. It was used by the U.S. and British troops in Europe and the Far East until the end of the war. The vehicle was widely exported and as of 2006 still remains in service with some third world...

was a 6x6 armored car produced by the Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

during the Second World War

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

intended initially as a fast wheeled tank destroyer

Tank destroyer

A tank destroyer is a type of armored fighting vehicle armed with a gun or missile launcher, and is designed specifically to engage enemy armored vehicles...

. Its design style and excellent cross-country performance earned it the nickname of 'Greyhound'. However, the small 37 mm gun would not be effective against the front armor of German tanks so as an armored car, designated M8 Light Armored Car, it was used for reconnaissance instead. Its small 37 mm gun and light armor was seen as a flaw, but was produced in such a large volume and, coupled with its off-road capability, that this shortcoming was largely overlooked. The M8 Greyhound was a supportive element to the advancing American and British armored columns. It was used by the U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

and British

United Kingdom

troops in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

and the Far East

Far East

The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

until the end of the war.

Military use

A military armored car is a type of armored fighting vehicle

Armoured fighting vehicle

An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked....

having wheel

Wheel

A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...

s (from four to ten large, off-road wheels) instead of tracks

Caterpillar track

Continuous tracks or caterpillar tracks are a system of vehicle propulsion in which modular metal plates linked into a continuous band are driven by two or more wheels...

, and usually light armor

Vehicle armour

. Armored cars are typically less expensive and have better speed and range than tracked military vehicles. Most are not intended for heavy fighting; their normal use is for reconnaissance

Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

, command, control, and communications, or for use against lightly armed insurgents or rioters. Only some are intended to enter close combat, often accompanying convoys to protect soft-skinned vehicles.

Light armored cars, such as the British Ferret

Ferret armoured car

The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret Scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company, Daimler...

are armed with just a machine gun. Heavier vehicles are armed with autocannon

Autocannon

An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...

or a small tank gun. The heaviest armored cars, such as the German, World War II era SdKfz 234

SdKfz 234

The SdKfz 234 was an eight-wheeled armoured car used by the German Army in the Second World War. It broadly resembles the SdKfz 231 .-Design:...

or the modern, US M1128 Mobile Gun System, mount the same guns that arm medium tanks.

Armored cars are popular for peacekeeping or internal security duties. Their appearance is less confrontational and threatening than tanks, and their size and maneuverability is more compatible with tight urban spaces designed for wheeled vehicles. They can also be much more easily air-deployed in cargo planes.

Many modern forces now have their dedicated armored car designs, to exploit the advantages noted above. Examples would be the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle

M1117 Armored Security Vehicle

The M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicle, or ASV, is an internal security vehicle manufactured by Cadillac Gage of Textron for use by the U.S. Army's Military Police Corps...

of the USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

or Alvis Saladin

Alvis Saladin

The Saladin is a six-wheeled armoured car built by Alvis, and fitted with a 76mm gun.Used extensively by the British Army, it replaced the AEC Armoured Car that had been in service since World War II.-History:...

of the post-World War II era in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

.

Alternatively, civilian vehicles may be modified into improvised armored cars in ad-hoc fashion. Many militias and irregular forces adapt civilian vehicles into AFVs (armored fighting vehicles) and troop carriers, and in some regional conflicts these "technicals"

Technical (fighting vehicle)

A technical is a type of improvised fighting vehicle, typically a civilian or military non-combat vehicle, modified to provide an offensive capability similar to a military gun truck...

are the only combat vehicles present. On occasion, even the soldiers of national militaries are forced to adapt their civilian-type vehicles

Gun truck

A military gun truck is an improvised fighting vehicle used by units of regular armies or other official government armed forces, based on a conventional cargo truck, that is able to carry a large weight of weapons and armor...

for combat use, often using improvised armor

Improvised vehicle armour

Improvised vehicle armour is vehicle armour added in the field that was not originally part of the design or centrally planned.Improvised vehicle armour has appeared on the battlefield for as long as there have been armoured vehicles in existence. In World War II, U.S. tank crews welded spare...

and scrounged weapons.

In 2008 during the Africa Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (AAD), Paramount Group

Paramount Group

The Paramount Group is a group of internationally based companies offering programs and manufacturing products with a focus on defense, internal security and correctional services. The Executive Chairman of the Group is Ivor Ichikowitz, a South African industrialist of Lithuanian...

unveiled the Mavarick

Maverick (Internal Security Vehicle)

The Maverick is an internal security vehicle that was designed and developed by the Paramount Group in South Africa.It was launched in 2008 during the Africa Aerospace and Defence Exhibition , which took place at the Ysterplaat Air Force Base in Cape Town, South Africa.-Vehicle specifics:The...

, a security vehicle that is capable of reaching 120km/h. The Maverick has a turning radius of 16.5 meters, which makes it very agile and manoeuvrable and therefore suitable for operations in both urban and rural areas.

External links

WWI armored cars

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

World War I

World War II

Military use

See also

External links