Daimler Armoured Car
Encyclopedia
The Daimler Armoured Car was a British
armoured car of the Second World War.
"Scout car", a small armoured vehicle for scouting and liaison roles. It was another Birmingham Small Arms design. A larger version designed upon the same layout as the Dingo fitted with the turret similar to that of the Mark VII Light Tank
and a more powerful engine. Like the scout car, it incorporated some of the most advanced design concepts of the time and is considered one of the best British AFVs of the Second World War. The 95 hp engine was at the rear linked through a fluid flywheel to a preselector gearbox
and then by propshafts to each wheel. Four wheel steering similar to early models of the Scout car was considered but not implemented following experience with the Dingo.
The prototypes had been produced in 1939, but problems with the transmission caused by the weight of the vehicle delayed service entry until mid-1941. 2,694 armoured cars were built by Daimler.
The Daimler had full independent suspension and four wheel drive. Epicyclic gearing
in the wheel hubs enabled a very low ratio in bottom gear - it was credited with managing 1:2 inclines. The rugged nature combined with reliability made it ideal for reconnaissance and escort work.
and the Derbyshire Yeomanry
. It was also used in Europe
and a few vehicles in the South-East Asia theatre
.
To improve the gun performance, some Daimlers in the European Theatre had their 2 pounders fitted with the Littlejohn adaptor
which worked on the squeezebore principle.
Daimlers were used by the territorial units of the British Army until 1960s, outlasting their planned replacement, the Coventry Armoured Car
.
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...
armoured car of the Second World War.
History
The Daimler Armoured Car was a parallel development to the Daimler DingoDaimler Dingo
-external links :*** has a Daimler Dingo in its exposition.* wwiivehicles.com**...
"Scout car", a small armoured vehicle for scouting and liaison roles. It was another Birmingham Small Arms design. A larger version designed upon the same layout as the Dingo fitted with the turret similar to that of the Mark VII Light Tank
Tetrarch tank
The Light Tank Mk VII , also known as the Tetrarch, was a British light tank produced by Vickers-Armstrong in the late 1930s and deployed during World War II. The Tetrarch was originally designed as the latest in the line of light tanks built by the company for the British Army...
and a more powerful engine. Like the scout car, it incorporated some of the most advanced design concepts of the time and is considered one of the best British AFVs of the Second World War. The 95 hp engine was at the rear linked through a fluid flywheel to a preselector gearbox
Preselector gearbox
A preselector or self-changing gearbox is a type of manual gearbox used on a variety of vehicles, most commonly in the 1930s...
and then by propshafts to each wheel. Four wheel steering similar to early models of the Scout car was considered but not implemented following experience with the Dingo.
The prototypes had been produced in 1939, but problems with the transmission caused by the weight of the vehicle delayed service entry until mid-1941. 2,694 armoured cars were built by Daimler.
The Daimler had full independent suspension and four wheel drive. Epicyclic gearing
Epicyclic gearing
Epicyclic gearing or planetary gearing is a gear system consisting of one or more outer gears, or planet gears, revolving about a central, or sun gear. Typically, the planet gears are mounted on a movable arm or carrier which itself may rotate relative to the sun gear...
in the wheel hubs enabled a very low ratio in bottom gear - it was credited with managing 1:2 inclines. The rugged nature combined with reliability made it ideal for reconnaissance and escort work.
Combat history
The Daimler saw action in North Africa with the 11th Hussars11th Hussars
The 11th Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.-History:The regiment was founded in 1715 as Colonel Philip Honeywood's Regiment of Dragoons and was known by the name of its Colonel until 1751 when it became the 11th Regiment of Dragoons...
and the Derbyshire Yeomanry
Derbyshire Yeomanry
The Derbyshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, which served as a cavalry regiment and dismounted infantry regiment in the First World War and provided two reconnaissance regiments in the Second World War, before being amalgamated into The Leicestershire...
. It was also used in Europe
European Theatre of World War II
The European Theatre of World War II was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945...
and a few vehicles in the South-East Asia theatre
South-East Asian theatre of World War II
The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in Burma , Ceylon, India, Thailand, Indochina, Malaya and Singapore. Conflict in the theatre began when the Empire of Japan invaded Thailand and Malaya from bases located in Indochina on December 8,...
.
To improve the gun performance, some Daimlers in the European Theatre had their 2 pounders fitted with the Littlejohn adaptor
Littlejohn adaptor
The Littlejohn adaptor was a device that could be added to the British QF 2 pounder anti-tank gun. It was used to extend the service life of the 2-pounder during the Second World War by converting it to squeeze bore operation...
which worked on the squeezebore principle.
Daimlers were used by the territorial units of the British Army until 1960s, outlasting their planned replacement, the Coventry Armoured Car
Coventry armoured car
The Coventry armoured car was a British four wheel drive armoured fighting vehicle developed at the end of World War II as a potential replacement for the lighter Humber and Daimler armoured cars.-Development:...
.
Conflicts
- World War IIWorld War IIWorld 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...
- Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
- 1948 Arab–Israeli War
- Indo-Pakistani War
- Sri Lankan civil warSri Lankan civil warThe Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
Variants
- Mark I.
- Mark I CS - close support version with 76 mm gun.
- Mark II - improved turret, modified gun mount, better radiator, driver escape hatch.
- A turretless regimental command version, known as SOD ("Sawn-Off Daimler").