Daimler Armoured Car
Encyclopedia : D : DA : DAI : Daimler Armoured Car
 Daimler Armoured Car Mk 2 | |
| Daimler Armoured Car | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 3 |
| Length | 4 m |
| Width | 2.46 m |
| Height | 2.26 m |
| Weight | 7.6 t |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | 7-16 mm |
| Main armament | 2 pounder QF |
| Secondary armament | 1 x 7.92 mm Besa coaxial MG, 1 x 7.7 mm Bren AA MG |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | Daimler 27 4.1 litre 6-cylinder petrol 95 hp (71 kW) |
| Suspension | 4x4 wheel, coil spring |
| Road speed | 80 km/h |
| Power/weight | 12.5 hp/tonne |
| Range | 320 km |
The Daimler Armoured Car was a British armoured car of the Second World War.
History
The Daimler Armoured Car was a development of the Daimler Scout car known as the "Dingo", a small partially-armoured vehicle for scouting and liaison roles. A larger version fitted with the turret of the Tetrarch Light Tank became the Daimler Armoured Car. 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 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.
Combat history
Daimler saw action for the in North Africa with the 11th Hussars. It was also used in Europe and a few vehicles in the South-East Asia. 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.
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).
External links
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