Lanchester 6x4 Armoured Car
Encyclopedia
Lanchester Armoured Car was a British
armoured car produced in limited numbers in late 1920s and early 1930s. The vehicle remained in service with the Territorial Army and colonial units until early 1940s and saw action in the Battle of Malaya
. It is often referred to as Lanchester 6x4 to distinguish it from an earlier four-wheeled design
.
was awarded a contract for a six-wheeled armoured car. By March 1928 two prototypes, D1E1 and D1E2, were built, with different armament and turret shape. D1E2 had additional driving controls at the rear of the vehicle. Following the trials, which revealed that the chassis wasn't strong enough for a relatively heavy vehicle and not rigid enough for cross-country ride, 22 vehicles with improved chassis and other changes were ordered, designated Mk I and Mk IA (command version). Until 1932 orders were placed for 15 more cars, two of them instructional (D1E3, D1E4), the rest were designated Mk II and Mk IIA (command version).
The Lanchester had a purpose-built six-by-four chassis. The armoured body was similar in shape to that of the Rolls-Royce Armoured Car
, its front part was occupied by the engine and the rest by the fighting compartment. The rear part of the vehicle, behind the armoured body, was used for storage of equipment. Above the fighting compartment a two-man turret was mounted, with .5 inch (12.7 mm) and .303 inch (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns in a dual mount. The turret had a cupola which could rotate independently. An additional .303 Vickers was located in front of the fighting compartment. In command versions, the hull machine gun was replaced by a No. 9 radio with a whip type antenna, and the machine gunner acted as a wireless operator.
Lanchesters had good cross-country performance and were considered reliable and easy to maintain, but too big, heavy and slow for reconnaissance missions for which they were originally developed.
In January 1929 the first Lanchesters (along with Rolls-Royce Armoured Cars) were received by the 11th Hussars
regiment. Because of slow rate of delivery, it took until 1934 to fully equip the unit. In November the regiment was relocated to Egypt
to relieve the 12th Royal Lancers
, which returned to Britain and took over the cars. In January-February 1935 a provisional D squadron of the 12th Lancers with eight armoured cars served as a peacekeeping force in the Saar region
. On 31 December B and C squadrons were sent again to Egypt with 29 armoured cars as a response to the Italian invasion of Abyssinia and strengthening garrisons in Libya
. They were used in patrolling the western frontier. By the end of the year the squadrons were returned to Britain, where the regiment was re-equipped with Morris armoured cars.
By 1939, most Lanchesters (13 Mk I, 1 Mk IA, 5 Mk II, 3 Mk IIA) were sent to the Far East
and assigned to the Selangor
and Perak
battalions of Federated Malay States
Volunteer Force, the Singapore Volunteer Corps
, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force
and the 2nd battalion of Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders in Malaya
. Some of these took part in the Malayan Campaign
(December 1941 - 15 February 1942) against Japan
.
About 10 Lanchesters were given to the Territorial Army; the 23rd London Armoured Car Company and 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry
. In 1940 one was converted for use by Cabinet ministers and other VIPs. In 1941 two were given to the 1st Belgian
Armoured Cars squadron.
The only surviving vehicle is Mk II on display at the Bovington Tank Museum
.
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 produced in limited numbers in late 1920s and early 1930s. The vehicle remained in service with the Territorial Army and colonial units until early 1940s and saw action in the Battle of Malaya
Battle of Malaya
The Malayan Campaign was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 31 January 1942 during the Second World War. The campaign was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army...
. It is often referred to as Lanchester 6x4 to distinguish it from an earlier four-wheeled design
Lanchester 4x2 Armoured Car
The Lanchester Armoured Car was a British armoured car produced during the First World War. It is not to be confused with an interwar period six-wheeled design.-History:...
.
Production history and description
On 19 July 1927 Lanchester Motor CompanyLanchester Motor Company
The Lanchester Motor Company Limited was a car manufacturer based until 1930 at Armourer Mills, Montgomery Street, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, England. It operated from 1895 to 1955....
was awarded a contract for a six-wheeled armoured car. By March 1928 two prototypes, D1E1 and D1E2, were built, with different armament and turret shape. D1E2 had additional driving controls at the rear of the vehicle. Following the trials, which revealed that the chassis wasn't strong enough for a relatively heavy vehicle and not rigid enough for cross-country ride, 22 vehicles with improved chassis and other changes were ordered, designated Mk I and Mk IA (command version). Until 1932 orders were placed for 15 more cars, two of them instructional (D1E3, D1E4), the rest were designated Mk II and Mk IIA (command version).
The Lanchester had a purpose-built six-by-four chassis. The armoured body was similar in shape to that of the Rolls-Royce Armoured Car
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:...
, its front part was occupied by the engine and the rest by the fighting compartment. The rear part of the vehicle, behind the armoured body, was used for storage of equipment. Above the fighting compartment a two-man turret was mounted, with .5 inch (12.7 mm) and .303 inch (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns in a dual mount. The turret had a cupola which could rotate independently. An additional .303 Vickers was located in front of the fighting compartment. In command versions, the hull machine gun was replaced by a No. 9 radio with a whip type antenna, and the machine gunner acted as a wireless operator.
Lanchesters had good cross-country performance and were considered reliable and easy to maintain, but too big, heavy and slow for reconnaissance missions for which they were originally developed.
Deployment history
11th 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...
regiment. Because of slow rate of delivery, it took until 1934 to fully equip the unit. In November the regiment was relocated to 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...
to relieve the 12th Royal Lancers
12th Royal Lancers
The 12th Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. In 1960, it was amalgamated with 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, to form 9th/12th Royal Lancers .-History:...
, which returned to Britain and took over the cars. In January-February 1935 a provisional D squadron of the 12th Lancers with eight armoured cars served as a peacekeeping force in the Saar region
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
. On 31 December B and C squadrons were sent again to Egypt with 29 armoured cars as a response to the Italian invasion of Abyssinia and strengthening garrisons in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. They were used in patrolling the western frontier. By the end of the year the squadrons were returned to Britain, where the regiment was re-equipped with Morris armoured cars.
By 1939, most Lanchesters (13 Mk I, 1 Mk IA, 5 Mk II, 3 Mk IIA) were sent to 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,...
and assigned to the Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
and Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
battalions of Federated Malay States
Federated Malay States
The Federated Malay States was a federation of four protected states in the Malay Peninsula—Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang—established by the British government in 1895, which lasted until 1946, when they, together with the Straits Settlements and the Unfederated Malay...
Volunteer Force, the Singapore Volunteer Corps
Singapore Volunteer Corps
The Singapore Volunteer Corps was a militia unit established in 1854 as the Singapore Volunteer Rifle Corps. The Corps underwent several reorganisations and was known by various names through its history...
, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force
Straits Settlements Volunteer Force
The Straits Settlements Volunteer Force was a military reserve force in the Straits Settlements, while they were under British rule. While the majority of the personnel were from Singapore, some lived in other parts of the Settlements, including Penang, Province Wellesley, Malacca and...
and the 2nd battalion of Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders in Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
. Some of these took part in the Malayan Campaign
Battle of Malaya
The Malayan Campaign was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 31 January 1942 during the Second World War. The campaign was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army...
(December 1941 - 15 February 1942) against Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
About 10 Lanchesters were given to the Territorial Army; the 23rd London Armoured Car Company and 1st 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...
. In 1940 one was converted for use by Cabinet ministers and other VIPs. In 1941 two were given to the 1st Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Armoured Cars squadron.
The only surviving vehicle is Mk II on display at the Bovington Tank Museum
Bovington Tank Museum
The Tank Museum is a collection of armoured fighting vehicles in the United Kingdom that traces the history of the tank. With almost 300 vehicles on exhibition from 26 countries it is the second-largest collection of tanks and armoured fighting vehicles in the world.The Musée des Blindés in France...
.
Variants
- Mk I (18 built) - dual rear tires.
- Mk IA (4 built) - command version.
- Mk II (7 built) - single tires, turret cupola with sloped sides.
- Mk IIA (6 built) - command version.