Standard Beaverette

Last updated
Standard Car 4x2
IWM-H-10928-Ballykinlar-19410619.jpg
Beaverettes of 53rd Reconnaissance Regiment on manoeuvres in Northern Ireland, 1941
Type Improvised Armoured Car
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Production history
Manufacturer Standard Motor Company
Specifications
MassMk I: 2 tonnes (2.2 short tons; 2.0 long tons)
Mk III: 2.6 tonnes (2.9 short tons; 2.6 long tons)
LengthMk I: 4.11 m (13 ft 6 in)
Mk III: 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in)
WidthMk I: 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Mk III: 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
HeightMk I: 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in)
Mk III: 2.16 m (7 ft 1 in)
Crew3

Armour Mk III: up to 9 mm (0.35 in)
Mk IV: up to 12 mm (0.47 in)
Main
armament
0.303 (7.7 mm) Bren MG or twin Vickers machine gun
EngineStandard 4-cylinder petrol engine
46 hp (34 kW)
Power/weight17-23 hp/tonne
Suspension4x2 wheel, leaf spring
Operational
range
Mk III: 300 km (190 mi)
Maximum speed Mk III: 38 km/h (24 mph)

Standard Car 4x2, or Car Armoured Light Standard, better known as the Beaverette, was a British improvised armoured car produced during the Second World War.

Contents

History

The first version of the vehicle was built in 1940 by Standard Motor Company at the instigation of Lord Beaverbrook, then Minister of Aircraft Production (hence the name Beaverette). It was based on commercial car chassis, on which a simple riveted armoured hull was mounted. The 11mm of steel was backed by 3 inch thick oak planks. [1] The hull was open at the top and at the rear. The armament consisted of a Bren light machine gun, which could be fired through a slot in the casemate armour. Subsequent versions received all-around protection and a machine gun turret - an enclosed one with a Bren MG or an open-topped one with twin Vickers machine guns. Some vehicles also carried Boys anti-tank rifles. Some also had a No. 11 or No. 19 radio set. Production was stopped in 1942. About 2,800 units were delivered.

Describing the vehicle in 1941, a correspondent for The Light Car magazine reported "touching the 60-mark [60 mph (97 km/h)]" while following one along a road. Restricted vision meant the Beaverette driver had to rely on an observer to relay information about other road traffic and also to consider situations well in advance, for example, when making a turn, the driver had to base his steering on "observations made something like ten yards [30.00 ft (9.14 m)] back". [2]

The Beaverette was extensively used by the Home Guard (United Kingdom), British Army and RAF Regiment for home defence service and training. The vehicle is said to have suffered from excessive weight and to have been hard to handle.

Beaverette Mk II light reconnaissance cars manned by members of the Home Guard in the Highlands of Scotland, 14 February 1941. IWM-H-7331-Beaverette-Scotland-19410214.jpg
Beaverette Mk II light reconnaissance cars manned by members of the Home Guard in the Highlands of Scotland, 14 February 1941.

Variants

Survivors

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References

The Beaverette Mk III at the Imperial War Museum Duxford Standard Beaverette - Duxford.jpg
The Beaverette Mk III at the Imperial War Museum Duxford
Citations
  1. 1 2 Livesey, Jack (2007). Armoured Fighting Vehicles of Would Wars I and II. Southwater. p. 36. ISBN   978-1-84476-370-2.
  2. Taylor, Ashley (November 1941). "Battle Motoring". The Light Car. London: Temple Press Ltd. 57 (1450): 416.
  3. Oliver, Kingsley. The RAF Regiment at War 1942-1946. Pen & Sword.
  4. Richard Stowers - Waikato Troopers, Richard Stowers 2008, ISBN   978-0-473-13146-3
  5. "Cobbaton Combat Collection". Cobbaton Combat Collection. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
Bibliography