Lanchester,
Armored Car, Lanchester (Admiralty Turreted Pattern)4:
Use in World War I
The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was supposed to use the armored cars for guarding air bases and retrieving downed airmen.4 However, by 1915 the cars were being formed into squadrons that were members of the Royal Naval Armored Car Division.4
Design
The Lanchester was very similar to the Rolls-Royce armored car, but it has sloping armor over the front of the engine.4
British Army Use
The armored cars were handed over to the British Army in August 1915 and they decided they wanted to standardize on the Rolls-Royce armored car.4 In October 1915 all the Lanchesters were moved to England and in the following year they were organized as the No. 1 Squadron of the Royal Naval Armored Car Division and were shipped to Russia.4 Little is known what operations they participated in.4
After the Brusilov Offensive in mid-1917 the Lanchesters were shipped back to the United Kingdom with 53,000 new miles added to their odometers.4
Lanchester 6x4 Armored Car:
Use in World War II
Saw service with the Selangor & Perak Battalions of the Federated Malay States Volunteer Force (1938-1942) and with the Singapore Volunteer Corps Armored Car Company.
| Lanchester (Admiralty Turreted Pattern)4 | Lanchester 6x4 Armored Car | |
|---|---|---|
| Crew | 44 | 41 |
| Physical Characteristics | ||
| Weight | 4.8 tons4 | 4.8 tons1, 6.26 tons3 4,877 kg1 |
| Length w/gun | 16'4 4.88 m4 |
16'1 4.87 m1, 6.1 m3 |
| Length w/o gun | ||
| Height | 7' 6"4 2.286 m4 |
7' 6"1 2.82 m1,3 |
| Width | 6' 4"4 1.93 m4 |
6' 4"1 1.93 m1, 2.01 m3 |
| Ground clearance | ||
| Ground contact length | ||
| Ground pressure | ||
| Turret ring diameter | ||
| Armament | ||
| Main | 12.7 mm (.5 cal) Vickers MG1 .5" Vickers MG3 |
|
| Secondary | ||
| MG | 7.7 mm (.303 cal) Vickers MG1 .303" Vickers MG3 Optional MG in hull1 |
|
| Side arms | ||
| Quantity | ||
| Main | ||
| Secondary | ||
| MG | ||
| Side arms | ||
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 93 | |
| Hull Front, Upper | 101 | |
| Hull Front, Lower | ||
| Hull Sides, Upper | ||
| Hull Sides, Lower | ||
| Hull Rear | ||
| Hull Top | ||
| Hull Bottom | ||
| Turret Front | ||
| Turret Sides | ||
| Turret Rear | ||
| Turret Top | ||
| Engine (Make / Model) | Lanchester4 | Lanchester1 |
| Cylinders | ||
| Net HP | 604 | 883 |
| Transmission | ||
| Fuel type | Gasoline4 | |
| Octane | ||
| Capacity | ||
| Performance | ||
| Traverse | ||
| Max Speed | 50 mph4 80 kph4 |
45 mph, 50 mph1 75 kph3, 80 kph1 |
| Cross Country | ||
| Road radius | 180 miles4 290 km4 |
180 miles1 290 km1 |
| Turning Radius | ||
| Elevation Limits | ||
| Fording depth | ||
| Trench crossing | ||
| Vertical Obstacle | ||
| Suspension (Type) | ||
| Wheels each side | ||
| Return rollers each side | ||
| Track length | ||
| Tires | ||
| Track width | ||
| Track centers/tread | ||
| Production | Mk I: 183 Mk IA: 43 Mk II: 73 Mk IIA: 63 |
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
- Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles The Complete Guide, Leland Ness, 2002
- Tanks - Over 250 of the World's Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles, Chris Chant, 2004
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