Extemporised armoured vehicles

[raf]

the british adapted some cars into armoured vehicles.

did they ever convert any farm vehicles like a tractor in preperation for sealion or d,day

i can imagine this being fairly effective..just been watching the A team need i say more.

cheers

[von Poop]

To start off I can offer you the 'Bison' Mobile pillbox, a concrete body mounted onto a Thorneycroft Truck chassis, there's one at the tank Museum that I believe was restored/recreated from a body found in Lincolnshire, I always found it a little 'A-teamish' myself. And designed by (if I remember correctly) the Owner of the concrete works....


Picture from: http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/GreatBritain/GB-bison1-StevenGuy.jpg

[raf]

GOT THIS FOR YOU

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?im...l%3Den%26lr%3D

[kfz]

Originally Posted by raf

the british adapted some cars into armoured vehicles.

did they ever convert any farm vehicles like a tractor in preperation for sealion or d,day

i can imagine this being fairly effective..just been watching the A team need i say more.

cheers

why do you say that, i think most civvy equipment pressed into military service isnt that good.

As the link below shows a lot of the tractive effort for Allies needs was supplied by proper purpose designed equipment, often based upon standard chassis, there being no need to convert civilian gear.

Kev

[kfz]

Originally Posted by Von Poop

To start off I can offer you the 'Bison' Mobile pillbox, a concrete body mounted onto a Thorneycroft Truck chassis, there's one at the tank Museum that I believe was restored/recreated from a body found in Lincolnshire, I always found it a little 'A-teamish' myself. And designed by (if I remember correctly) the Owner of the concrete works....


Picture from: http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/G...-StevenGuy.jpg

any you wondser why the back tyres are flat/burst? Who thought of this?

edit: probably the same person who put the metal plate over the radiator.....

[von Poop]

Originally Posted by kfz

any you wondser why the back tyres are flat/burst? Who thought of this?

Mr Mathews.
MD of...... 'Concrete Ltd'...
I hadn't noticed the flat tyres, nice.
There is a version by AEC mounted on a London Bus chassis, looks even more bizarre but I can't find a web-picture, Wheels and Tracks magazine puts them in a category of their own.

"AFV's the 'F' of which is of dubious significance."

I like 'em because they really evoke the sense of panic and urgency felt at the 'imminent' invasion. Any nation that invested time and effort in that truly felt that things were hanging by a thread.

[Owen]

Wasn't the Beaverette a bit of a lash up?
From herehttp://www.wwiivehicles.com/unitedki...eaverette.html
It states

Mk I: Armored in front and sides. Rear was 3" oak.

Armoured Car, Reconnaissance, Beaverette MkII
photo fromhttp://www.warlinks.com/equipment/ve.../armoured.html


Fromhttp://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/G...rVehicles.html

Ironsides, Beaverettes Armored Car

These vehicles were powered by a 12hp motor. The chassis was fitted with a boiler-plate box, lined in front and back with 2 inches of Oak planking as protection against small arms fire. They were armed with a bren gun firing through a slot in the front. Some were fitted with a No. 11 wireless set. They were used for Airfield defence and Recon training. About 1395 vehicles were built. The 9th Royal Tank Regiment and the 12th Lancers were equipped with these vehicles in June 1940 in the UK. There was a Mark 3 version of this vehicle with a closed super structure and a small turret.

[Owen]

found this here
http://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/G...rVehicles.html

Armadillo Mark 1, Mark 2

1940 was a time of crisis for the UK and nearly every sort of vehicle with military value was pressed into service. The Armadillo and was conceived and build at short notice in 1940 and the Mark 1s were on a variety of impressed civilian vehicles. The box, on the Mark 1, on the truck bed was wood planking 54 inches high and 62 x 48 inches around the sides. The planking was 7/8 inches think and in two layers with a 6 inch gap between them. The gap was then filled with shingle, this was found to be proof against small arms fire.

Also from that site.

Bison 2's chassis is unknown, but it is also of steel reinforced concrete. These vehicles were most likely constructed at Concrete Limited's Stourton works in Staffordshire.

Lorry 30cwt Anti-Tank

It's Anti-tank part came as it was armed with a Boyes Anti Tank rifle - which shows just how desperate Britain's plight was in 1940. I agree with Steven Guy, author of the website Thunder and Steel, that this was not the sort of weapon I would have wanted to face a German Panzer in.

[von Poop]

Originally Posted by Owen D

Wasn't the Beaverette a bit of a lash up?

In the mk.1's case (above) as you say, a bit of a lashup.
The 'Standard' (mkIV) however, Is, as this picture illustrates, one sexy bit of kit. Bet that'd put the wind up a Pz.IV oh yes!... or maybe not. Viewed from the other side it has a large hatch that looks just right for selling chips from.
(2800 of all types made, many later cut down as handy little armoured runabouts.)

from: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pi...eaverette1.jpg

EDit: was typing as the above was posted, great pics!

[Owen]

from herehttp://mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/G...-StevenGuy.jpg
Good view of chip flaps?