T17 (armored car)

Last updated

T17E1 Armored Car
Staghound-latrun-2.jpg
Type Armored car
Place of origin United States
Service history
In service1944–1980s
Used bySee Operators
Wars World War II
1948 Arab-Israeli war
1958 Lebanon crisis
Cuban Revolution
Lebanese Civil War
Rhodesian Bush War
Nicaraguan Revolution
Production history
Designer Chevrolet
ProducedOctober 1942 –April 1944
No. built4,094 (3,844 Staghound, 250 Deerhound)
Specifications (Staghound Mark I)
Mass14 t
Length17 ft 10 in (5.49 m)
Width8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
Height7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)
Crew5
Armor 9 to 44 mm
Main
armament
1 × 37 mm M6
Secondary
armament
2–3 × .30 (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns
Engine2 × GMC 270
2 × 97 hp (72 kW)
Power/weight13.9 hp/tonne
Suspensionwheels, 4 x 4
Operational
range
450 miles (724 km)
Speed55 mph (89 km/h)

The T17 and the T17E1 were two American armored car designs produced during the Second World War. Neither saw service with frontline US forces but the latter was supplied, via the United Kingdom, to British and Commonwealth forces during the war and received the service name Staghound. A number of countries used the Staghound after the war, with some of the vehicles continuing to serve into the 1980s.

United States federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

Armored car (military) lightweight wheeled armored fighting vehicle

A military armoredcar is a lightweight wheeled armored fighting vehicle, historically employed for reconnaissance, internal security, armed escort, and other subordinate battlefield tasks. With the gradual decline of mounted cavalry, armored cars were developed for carrying out duties formerly assigned to horsemen. Following the invention of the tank, the armored car remained popular due to its comparatively simplified maintenance and low production cost. It also found favor with several colonial armies as a cheaper weapon for use in underdeveloped regions. During World War II, most armored cars were engineered for reconnaissance and passive observation, while others were devoted to communications tasks. Some equipped with heavier armament could even substitute for tracked combat vehicles in favorable conditions—such as pursuit or flanking maneuvers during the North African Campaign.

United Kingdom Country in Europe

The United Kingdom, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland but more commonly known as the UK or Britain, is a sovereign country lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state‍—‌the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west, giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland. With an area of 242,500 square kilometres (93,600 sq mi), the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world. It is also the 22nd-most populous country, with an estimated 66.0 million inhabitants in 2017.

Contents

History

In July 1941, the US Army Ordnance issued specifications for a medium armored car alongside a specification for heavy armored car (which resulted in the T18 Boarhound). Ford Motor Company built a six wheels, all driven (6 x 6) prototype which was designated T17 and Chevrolet a four wheels, all driven (4 x 4) model designated T17E1. At the same time, the British Purchasing Commission was also looking for medium and heavy armored cars for use in the war in North Africa. Had the U.S. adopted this, it would have been called the M6.

Ordnance Corps (United States Army)

The United States Army Ordnance Corps, formerly the United States Army Ordnance Department, is a Sustainment branch of the United States Army, headquartered at Fort Lee, Virginia. The broad mission of the Ordnance Corps is to supply Army combat units with weapons and ammunition, including at times their procurement and maintenance. Along with the Quartermaster Corps and Transportation Corps, it forms a critical component of the U.S. Army logistics system.

T18 Boarhound armored car

The T18 Boarhound was an American heavy armoured car produced in small numbers for the British Army during the Second World War.

Ford Motor Company automotive brand manufacturer

Ford Motor Company is a multinational automaker that has its main headquarter in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobiles and commercial vehicles under the Ford brand and most luxury cars under the Lincoln brand. Ford also owns Brazilian SUV manufacturer Troller, an 8% stake in Aston Martin of the United Kingdom and a 32% stake in Jiangling Motors. It also has joint-ventures in China, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Russia. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is controlled by the Ford family; they have minority ownership but the majority of the voting power.

Both the T17 and T17E used the same turret which was designed by Rock Island Arsenal with British requirements driving some of the design features such as putting at least two crew in the turret and placing the radio in the turret so that it was close to the commander. [1]

T17

T17 Deerhound. T17-Deerhound-armored-car-2.jpg
T17 Deerhound.

The T17 was armed with a 37 mm gun in a rotating turret, a coaxial machine gun and a bow machine gun. Power was from two Hercules JXD engines. In the interests of standardization, these replaced Ford's initial 90 hp engines.

Turret fortification feature

In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification. As their military use faded, turrets were used for decorative purposes, as in the Scottish baronial style.

Machine gun fully automatic mounted or portable firearm

A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm designed to fire rifle cartridges in rapid succession from an ammunition belt or magazine for the purpose of suppressive fire. Not all fully automatic firearms are machine guns. Submachine guns, rifles, assault rifles, battle rifles, shotguns, pistols or cannons may be capable of fully automatic fire, but are not designed for sustained fire. As a class of military rapid-fire guns, machine guns are fully automatic weapons designed to be used as support weapons and generally used when attached to a mount- or fired from the ground on a bipod or tripod. Many machine guns also use belt feeding and open bolt operation, features not normally found on rifles.

The British gave the name Deerhound to the T17. Production started in October 1942. The US military eventually decided to adopt the lighter M8 Greyhound vehicle instead; as an interim measure T17 production continued until M8 production could be started. These were to be supplied as "International Aid" but US Army tests in early 1943 showed the T17 was lacking compared to the T17E and so Britain turned them down. The 250 units produced were disarmed and given to the United States Army Military Police Corps for use in the States. [2]

M8 Greyhound armored car

The M8 Light Armored Car is a 6×6 armored car produced by the Ford Motor Company during World War II. It was used by the United States 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 remained in service with some countries.

T17E1

The British allocated the name Staghound to the T17E series. British liaison officers had had contact with Macpherson, the Chevrolet engineer in charge of the project and felt they had influenced him sufficiently to produce something that met all their requirements. Accordingly, in December the British Purchasing Commission "formally requested" production of 300 vehicles; the US Army authorized production of 2,000 in January 1942. The British order was confirmed in March 1942 when the pilot T17E was delivered to the Aberdeen Proving Ground. Testing showed flaws but these were expected to be correctable and a further 1,500 were contracted for. [3] Production started in October 1942. The US Army convened a board to examine the state of the multitude of armored car projects and recommended in December 1942 the cancellation of the larger designs and standardization on a smaller vehicle. This lighter vehicle would appear as the M8 Greyhound vehicle. However the British applied for T17E1 production to be continued for the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease. 3,844 Staghounds were produced in total.

Aberdeen Proving Ground United States Army facility in Aberdeen, Maryland, USA

Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) is a United States Army facility located adjacent to Aberdeen, Maryland. Part of the facility is a census-designated place (CDP), which had a population of 3,116 at the 2000 census, and 2,093 at the 2010 census.

The Staghound was an innovative design that incorporated some advanced features. It had two rear-facing 6-cylinder engines with automatic transmissions (with 4 forward and 1 reverse gears) feeding through a transfer case to drive both axles. Either two- or four-wheel drive could be selected. Either engine could be shut down while in motion and taken out of the drive train. Additionally, a power steering pump was incorporated that could be switched on or off manually from the driver's instrument panel depending on steering conditions. Steering and suspension components were directly attached to the hull as the structure was rigid enough to dispense with the need for a separate chassis.

Operational service

The Staghound entered service too late for use in the North African Campaign where its combination of armor, range and main armament would have been an advantage in a light forces reconnaissance role.[ citation needed ] As a result, it first saw operational service in Italy, where many units found its large physical size too restrictive in the narrow roads, and streets of Europe. It saw most service at squadron and regimental headquarter level; [4] an armoured car regiment having three Staghounds with the Regimental HQ and three with each HQ of the four squadrons in the regiment. [5] Conditions for the Staghound improved when the Italian campaign became more mobile in the middle of 1944, and the Staghound was also used in north-west Europe campaign. [6]

After the war, the Staghounds were distributed among smaller NATO countries in Europe and to the Middle East. [6] For instance, Staghounds were used during Lebanese civil war by Christian militias [7] . The last new Staghound variant to be offered for export was probably a Swiss model retrofitted with several modern armament packages, including 30mm and 47mm anti-tank guns. It was marketed unsuccessfully to Syria. [8]

Operators

Staghound of the Free Belgian "Brigade Piron" unit. Staghound 9-08-2008 14-57-30.JPG
Staghound of the Free Belgian "Brigade Piron" unit.
Staghound of the Rhodesian Armoured Corps. T17E1 Staghound (9688624466).jpg
Staghound of the Rhodesian Armoured Corps.

Variants

The original T17E1 prototype. T17E1-armored-car-haugh-1.JPG
The original T17E1 prototype.
T17E2 Staghound AA. T17E2-armored-car-haugh-1.JPG
T17E2 Staghound AA.
T17E3. T17E3-armored-car-haugh-1.JPG
T17E3.
Staghound Mk I
The T17E1 was armed with a 37 mm M6 gun, a coaxial .30 cal Browning 1919A4 machine gun and a 2-inch smoke mortar in a rotating turret. In the hull was mounted a .30 cal Browning 1919A4 machine gun. [15] Some T17E1 had an additional .30 Browning 1919A4 cal machine gun for anti-aircraft defense.
The turret had power traverse and featured a turret basket (which limited the amount of internal crew storage). The 37 mm gun was gyroscopically stabilized.
This variant had a crew of 5, commander, loader, gunner, driver, and hull machine gunner.
This variant saw combat with the British, Free Polish, Canadian, New Zealand, Indian, and Belgian armies in Italy, Greece and Northwest Europe. After WWII, it saw further action in Cuba, Nicaragua, Lebanon and Rhodesia. [16] [17]
Staghound Mk II
This was a field conversion that had a 3 inch howitzer Mk 1 for close support mounted in place of the 37 mm gun in the turret. The bow machine gun was removed. It is not known how many were converted. These were issued to the Armoured Car HQ section.
Staghound Mk III
Had a turret taken from an Ordnance QF 6 pounder gun armed Crusader tank and 7.92 mm Besa machine gun. Some of these were then re-fitted with the AEC Mk III turret with Ordnance QF 75 mm gun. [18] There was no bow machine gun. These had reached the front line by 1945, where it was supplied to heavy troops of armored car regiments. The total number ordered was around 100–300. After WWII, this version saw usage with Denmark and combat in Lebanon. [11]
Staghound Command
The turret was removed and extra wireless equipment was installed.
The T17E2 was an T17E1 fitted with a Frazer-Nash-designed turret mounting two 0.5 inch M2 Browning heavy machine guns. The turrets were built in the US for British Motor Torpedo Boats. Redesign of the turret and mounting was carried out. 2,610 rounds were carried. The turret was open-topped and had an electric-hydraulic traverse system with a maximum slew rate of 55 degrees a second. [19] It had a reduced crew of 3: commander/gunner, loader and driver. [19]
1,000 units were produced between October 1943 and April 1944, when production stopped.
T17E1 fitted with the turret of 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8, carrying the 75mm M2/M3 howitzer. This was trialled in December 1943, but never reached production. [19]
Swiss variant of the Staghound Mk I. The 37 mm gun was replaced with a Swiss 47 mm Pak 41 gun.
Radpanzer Staghound "mit Versuchswaffen" (with trial gun)
A Swiss prototype for up gunning the Staghound Mk I. The bow machine gun was replaced with a Swiss one and the main 37 mm was replaced with a Hispano-Suiza HS.820 automatic cannon.

See also

Notes

    1. ↑ Zaloga 2009, p. 11.
    2. ↑ Zaloga 2009, p. 15.
    3. ↑ Zaloga 2009, p. 12.
    4. ↑ Taylor 2007, p. 34.
    5. ↑ B.T. White AFV Profile No 21, Armoured Cars Profile Publishing
    6. 1 2 Zaloga 2009, p. 5.
    7. 1 2 Paul A. Jureidini; R.D. McLaurin; James M. Price (June 1979). Military operations in selected Lebanese built-up areas, 1975-1978 (PDF). Technical Memorandum 11-79. Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland: U.S. Army human engineering laboratory.
    8. ↑ Martin Haudenschild. "Die Beschaffung der Staghound T17 – ein teurer Schnellschuss" (PDF). Bulletin Info (in German). Vol. 13 no. 3. Verein Schweizer Armeemuseum. pp. 3–10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 December 2015.
    9. ↑ Zaloga 2009, p. 43.
    10. ↑ Zaloga 2009, p. 42-43.
    11. 1 2 3 4 Zaloga 2009, p. 42.
    12. ↑ Zaloga 2009, p. 44-45.
    13. ↑ Touchard 2016, p. 65.
    14. ↑ Sean Gervasi (August 1977). "What arms embargo?" (PDF). Southern Africa. Vol. X no. 6. pp. 2–6.
    15. ↑ Taylor 2007, p. 29.
    16. ↑ Zaloga 2009, p. 42-45.
    17. ↑ Locke & Cooke 1995, p. 100.
    18. ↑ John Milsom; John Sandars; Gerald Scarborough (1976). Crusader. Classic Armoured Fighting Vehicles No. 1: Their History and How to Model Them. Airfix Products Ltd. p. 21. ISBN   9780850591941.
    19. 1 2 3 Taylor 2007, p. 28.

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