Minerva Armored Car¹:

Design

By the end of August 1914 armor was added to two Minerva cars at the Cockerill works located in Hoboken.¹ The armor was only 4 mm thick and was added to the engine housing and the sides.¹ A Hotchkiss machine gun mounting was located in a opening in the top left.¹

Early Use in World War I

When the Germans invaded in August 1914 the Belgians started to use mobile vehicles to counter the German numbers.¹

The units were used as motorized calvary that were used for reconnaissance, fire support for infantry, and long missions behind the German lines to disrupt communications.¹ On locations the German infantry would be marching across open country and a single Minerva could disrupt them with the single machine gun.¹

Once the lines solidified around the Yser region and went over to the fixed trench warfare the armored cars weren't used as much.¹

Sent to Russia

A special unit was formed and sent to Russia to fight the Germans on the eastern front.¹ They were sent home in 1918.¹

After World War I

The Minervas were eventually transferred to the Gendarmerie and used up until 1933.¹

Sources:

1. Tanks - Over 250 of the World's Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles, Chris Chant, 2004