The Laffly S20 TL (French: TL - tracteur, chassis long) was a 6x6 truck developed by French vehicle manufacturer Laffly in 1935. It was built to serve as a troop carrier for the dragoon regiment of Cavalry's Light Mechanised Division (DLM). The first 140 units were delivered to the DLM in 1937.[2]
The anti-tank crew would typically use a 25mm Hotchkiss SA-L 34 L/72 anti-tank gun. The gun proved too fragile for towing, but could be mounted on the truck in a forward or backward position, with the windshield needing to be lowered when the gun was facing forward. Around 40 special S20s were produced with a split windshield to allow for the driver to keep his windshield up while the other section was lowered for the gun to protrude out the front. These 40 units would be delivered during the period of the Phoney War.[3]
Assassination of Mahmud Shevket Pasha
The Laffly S20 is notably the vehicle that Ottoman Grand Vizier Mahmud Shevket Pasha was riding in when he was assassinated. As Shevket's car stopped in Beyazit Square for roadside repairs, at least five gunmen fired ten shots from another vehice, killing him. The car, Shevket's uniform, and other relics of the event are on display at the Istanbul Military Museum.[4]
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