"The Lanchester Armored Car" Topic

"The Lanchester Motor Company Limited produced a four-wheeled armored car for service in World War 1 (1914-1918) and this product was only rivaled in British Army service by a Rolls-Royce model. During the interwar years, Lanchester turned its attention to a new design featuring a six-wheeled arrangement at the behest of the British Army. Armored cars proved their worth on World War 1 battlefields and their value was not lost in the ensuing decade for many automobile manufacturers attempted to sell their designs to various military forces around the world. Such vehicles could reconnoiter forward positions, provide light fire support for advancing infantry, and police colonial strongholds. The Lanchester 6x4 Armored Car was born from this interwar period work and went on to serve the British Army across four distinct marks numbering 39 total cars.

British Army authorities saw the need for an all-modern six-wheeled armored car providing improved cross-country performance through four-wheel drive power when compared to the wartime designs then available. Lanchester was awarded funds to develop a new car in 1927 and this begat a pair of pilot vehicles in the D1E1 and the D1E2 in the year following (the latter with front-and-rear driver positions for quick escapes). Trials soon revealed a weak chassis and inadequate cross-country performance which helped to finalize a production form designated as Mk 1. Eighteen of this mark were commissioned in July of 1928 along with four Mk 1A models to serve as Command Vehicles (CVs) fitting increased communications gear while losing their hull-mounted .303 machine gun. The turret featured a dual-machine gun arrangement mounting a 0.50 heavy and 0.303 medium machine gun arrangement (side-by-side)…"

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Amicalement
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