AEC Armoured Car
||This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (January 2013)|
|AEC Armoured Car|
AEC Mk
AEC Armoured Car
||This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (January 2013)|
|AEC Armoured Car|
AEC Mk III Armoured Car
|Place of origin||Great Britain|
|Weight||Mk I: 11 tonnes (12 short tons; 11 long tons)
Mk II, III: 12.7 t (14.0 short tons; 12.5 long tons)
|Length||5.18 m (17 ft 0 in)|
|Width||2.74 m (9 ft 0 in)|
|Height||2.54 m (8 ft 4 in)|
|Crew||Mk I: 3
Mk II, III: 4
|Armor||16–65 mm (0.63–2.56 in)|
|Mk I: QF 2 pounder
Mk II: QF 6 pounder
Mk III: 75 mm
|1 x Besa machine gun, 1 x Bren light machine gun.|
|Engine||Mk I: AEC 195 diesel
Mk II, III: AEC 197 diesel
105-158 hp (78-118 kW)
|Power/weight||Mk I: 9.5 hp/tonne
Mk II, III: 12.4 hp/tonne
|400 km (250 mi)|
|Speed||58–65 km/h (36–40 mph)|
AEC of Southall, Middlesex, was a manufacturer of truck and bus chassis and its Matador artillery tractor was used for towing medium field and heavy anti-aircraft guns. The armoured car based on the Matador chassis was developed initially as a private venture and shown to officials in 1941 during Horse Guards Parade in London, where it made a favourable impression on Churchill. 629 units were produced in 1942-1943.
AEC tried to build an armoured car with firepower and protection comparable to those of contemporary tanks. The first version carried a Valentine Mk II turret with 2 pounder gun. Subsequent versions received more powerful armament - a 6 pounder or a 75 mm gun. The vehicle also carried two machine guns, smoke grenades discharger and No. 19 radio set.
The Mk I was first used in combat in the North African Campaign late in 1942, where a few vehicles were reportedly fitted with a Crusader tank turret mounting a 6 pounder gun. The Mk II / Mk III took part in the fighting in Europe with British and British Indian Army units, often together with the Staghound.
- Mk I - original version with turret from a Valentine tank. 129 units built.
- Mk II - heavier turret with a 6 pounder gun, redesigned front hull, 158 hp diesel engine.
- Mk III Close Support Armoured Car - Mk II with 6 pounder replaced by a 75 mm gun.
- AA - a version mounting Crusader AA turret with twin Oerlikon cannon capable of high elevation to engage enemy aircraft. Did not enter production due to Allied air superiority in Northern Europe.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to AEC Armoured Car.|
- George Forty - World War Two Armoured Fighting Vehicles and Self-Propelled Artillery, Osprey Publishing 1996, ISBN 1-85532-582-9.
- I. Moschanskiy - Armored vehicles of the Great Britain 1939-1945 part 2, Modelist-Konstruktor, Bronekollektsiya 1999-02 (И. Мощанский - Бронетанковая техника Великобритании 1939-1945 часть 2, Моделист-Конструктор, Бронеколлекция 1999-02).
- Britain's Associated Equipment Company (AEC) Armored Cars at wwiivehicles.com