New Vanguard 159 - Staghound Armored Car 1942-62

STAGHOUND ARMORED CAR 1942-62

STEVEN J Z A L O G A

ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR S T E V E N J Z A L O G A received his BA in history from Union College and his MA from Columbia University. He has worked as an analyst in the aerospace industry for over two decades, covering missile systems and the international arms trade, and has served with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think-tank. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and military history, with an accent on the US Army in World War II as well as Russia and the former Soviet Union.

P E T E R B U L L graduated from art college in 1979 and has worked as a freelance illustrator for over 25 years. He has created both traditional and digital art for publishers worldwide, and also runs the Peter Bull Art Studio, based in Kent, UK, which he founded in 1975.

NEW VANGUARD • 159

STAGHOUND ARMORED CAR 1942-62

STEVEN J

ZALOGA

I L L U S T R A T E D BY P E T E R

BULL

First published in Great Britain in 2009 by Osprey Publishing, Midland House, West Way, Botley, Oxford, 0X2 OPH, UK 443 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016, USA E-mail: [email protected] © 2009 Osprey Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Inquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978 1 84603 392 6 Page layout by: Melissa Orrom Swan, Oxford Index by Sandra Shotter Typeset in Sabon and Myriad Pro Originated by PDQ Digital Media Solutions Printed in China through Worldprint Ltd 09 10 11 12 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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EDITOR'S NOTE For ease of comparison between types, imperial measurements are used almost exclusively throughout this book. The following data will help in converting the imperial measurements to metric: 1 mile = 1.6km 11b = 0.45kg 1 yd = 0.9m 1ft = 0.3m 1 in = 2.54cm/25.4mm 1 gal = 4.5 liters 1 ton (US) = 0.9 tonnes

AUTHOR'S NOTE The author would especially like to thank Peter Brown for his help with British archival material and Lee Ness for his help on post-war Staghound export data. The photos used come from a variety of sources including NARA (US National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD); NAC (National Archives Canada, Ottawa); IWM (Imperial War Museum, London); MHI (US Army Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks, PA); Patton Museum (Ft. Knox, KY); IGPO (Israeli Government Press Office, Tel Aviv).

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT • Origins • Trackless Tank • T h e C h e v r o l e t T17E1 VARIANTS • S t a g h o u n d Anti-Aircraft (T17E2) • H o w i t z e r S t a g h o u n d (T17E3) • Specialized Staghounds S T A G H O U N D S IN

SERVICE

• The Staghound enters combat • T h e S t a g h o u n d in N o r t h - W e s t E u r o p e • Post-war s e r v i c e BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER INDEX

READING

STAGHOUND ARMORED CAR 1942-62 INTRODUCTION T h e S t a g h o u n d m e d i u m a r m o r e d c a r w a s a rarity a m o n g W o r l d W a r II US a r m o r e d vehicles. It w a s o n e o f the only A m e r i c a n designs t h a t was m a n u f a c t u r e d exclusively for o t h e r armies and never used by the US Army. T h e C h e v r o l e t T 1 7 E 1 w a s originally based on a j o i n t US A r m o r e d F o r c e and British r e q u i r e m e n t . By the time the T 1 7 E 1 w a s ready for production, the US A r m y h a d ruthlessly restricted its a r m o r e d c a r a c q u i s i t i o n to a single type, the M 8 light a r m o r e d car. As a result, the Chevrolet M 6 medium c a r never entered US service. H o w e v e r , British forces still s a w a need for an a r m o r e d c a r in this class a n d so e n c o u r a g e d serial p r o d u c t i o n o f the

A column of Staghounds from A Squadron, XII Manitoba Dragoons, moves along a railroad bed in the Hochwald area of Germany on March 2, 1945. Tire chains are in use for traction in mud and the Staghounds have the usual Canadian bins added to the side in place of the auxiliary fuel drums. (NAC Jack Smith PA 144144) 4

The last significant armored car developed by the US Army prior to World War II was the archaic T11 developed by the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company in 1934-36. Six of the original T11s and six of the T11 El s were manufactured in 1934-35. Only this single pilot of the final T11E2 was completed, which incorporated a new turret. No serial production was authorized due to weak suspension and poor engine cooling. (NARA)

design, which they called the S t a g h o u n d . T h e entire p r o d u c t i o n run e x c e p t for a handful o f pilot models was supplied t o Britain. By the time the S t a g h o u n d arrived in service in early 1 9 4 4 , battlefield conditions had c h a n g e d . T h e vehicle w a s designed for long-range desert reconnaissance missions, but British and C o m m o n w e a l t h a r m o r e d - c a r regiments were n o w knee-deep in the m u d o f the Italian winter. Although a dependable and robust vehicle, the Staghound was also large and cumbersome on Italy's p o o r mountain roads. T h e Staghound fared better once the Italian campaign turned mobile in the summer of 1 9 4 4 . T h e vehicle was also widely used in N o r t h - W e s t Europe starting in the s u m m e r o f 1 9 4 4 , seeing service primarily in the headquarters of armored-car regiments. Its most extensive use was by C a n a d i a n regiments. T h e S t a g h o u n d w a s durable and dependable enough that it remained in service after W o r l d W a r II. M a n y were cascaded down to N A T O allies such as the N e t h e r l a n d s , Italy and D e n m a r k , while others were exported to the countries in the Middle East. T h e y saw c o m b a t use in several Middle Eastern wars, and remained in Lebanese service well into the 1 9 8 0 s . T h e Staghound continued to p o p up in u n e x p e c t e d places a r o u n d the globe, including C u b a during the revolution o f the 1 9 5 0 s , and in Nicaragua during the civil w a r o f the 1 9 8 0 s .

DEVELOPMENT Origins At the time that the US A r m y f o r m e d the A r m o r e d F o r c e in the s u m m e r o f 1 9 4 0 in r e s p o n s e t o the s h o c k i n g d e f e a t o f F r a n c e , o n e o f the t e c h n i c a l lessons from the campaign was the G e r m a n use o f wheeled a r m o r e d cars f o r r e c o n n a i s s a n c e . At the t i m e , the US A r m y w a s in the p r o c e s s o f a c q u i r i n g the M 3 A 1 s c o u t c a r f o r its m e c h a n i z e d c a v a l r y f o r c e . T h e M 3 A 1 w a s essentially a lightly a r m o r e d t r u c k with n o o v e r h e a d a r m o r e d p r o t e c t i o n . T h e r e w a s s o m e d e b a t e regarding the ideal r e c o n n a i s s a n c e v e h i c l e , w i t h options m o o t e d including light a r m o r e d c a r s , m e d i u m a r m o r e d c a r s a n d light t a n k s . T h e p r e - w a r c a v a l r y h a d used b o t h a r m o r e d c a r s a n d light tanks, the latter called " c o m b a t c a r s " . T h e advantages o f a r m o r e d cars over t a n k s were t h a t the f o r m e r w e r e faster o n r o a d s a n d quieter, w h i c h w a s helpful w h e n scouting. A r m o r e d cars also tended to be m o r e reliable a n d require less m a i n t e n a n c e t h a n t r a c k e d v e h i c l e s . O n the n e g a t i v e side, 5

a r m o r e d cars h a d restricted m o b i l i t y in c r o s s - c o u n t r y travel, especially in adverse e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n d i t i o n s such as in deep m u d or snow. T h i s was an inevitable c o n s e q u e n c e o f having wheeled suspension, since the footprint o f t h e i r tires w a s i n e v i t a b l y m u c h h e a v i e r t h a n the wider and longer f o o t p r i n t o f a t r a c k e d vehicle. Light t a n k s were attractive due to their better m o b i l i t y in all c o n d i t i o n s and the fact t h a t their chassis permitted the use o f b e t t e r a r m o r e d p r o t e c t i o n a n d heavier firepower. O n the o t h e r h a n d , t r a c k e d vehicles w e r e noisy, c o n s u m e d m o r e fuel, and required m o r e daily m a i n t e n a n c e a t t e n t i o n t h a n a r m o r e d c a r s . T o s o m e e x t e n t , the choice was linked to tactics. If the r e c o n n a i s s a n c e doctrine stressed the need to fight for intelligence, a m o r e r o b u s t vehicle such as a light t a n k was better suited to the role. If the tactics placed m o r e stress on stealth and speed, a r m o r e d cars w e r e a better c h o i c e . In 1 9 4 0 - 4 1 , the A r m o r e d F o r c e had n o t m a d e up its m i n d a b o u t tactics o r t e c h n o l o g y - indeed, the debate has continued up to the present day. As a result, the US A r m y in 1 9 4 1 was willing to sponsor the d e v e l o p m e n t o f b o t h a r m o r e d cars and light t a n k s until such time as these t a c t i c a l issues were settled.

The Trackless Tank is seen here during its demonstration for the Armored Force Board on March 19,1941. The performance of this medium armored car was promising enough to initiate the development of medium armored cars for the US Army. (Patton Museum)

Besides the A r m o r e d Force, t w o other c o m b a t arms had some interest in future a r m o r e d r e c o n n a i s s a n c e vehicles. T h e T a n k Destroyer Center had a standing requirement for a fast scout vehicle, since a central element of the new tank-destroyer tactics was to put out a screen of reconnaissance troops in front of the tank-destroyer companies to locate any approaching enemy force. T h e r e was some debate whether such troops should use a light unarmored vehicle such as a J e e p , or a light armored car. T h e rump o f the cavalry force was also in the process o f organizing mechanized cavalry squadrons which w o u l d serve b o t h as o r g a n i c divisional scout troops as well as corps- and army-level scout f o r m a t i o n s . Light t a n k s and a r m o r e d cars were being examined as options for these formations as well. As a result of these related tactical requirements, the O r d n a n c e Department began development work on three categories o f a r m o r e d car in 1 9 4 1 : light, medium, and heavy. These differed primarily in the a m o u n t o f a r m o r protection rather than the level of firepower, as all initially used the 3 7 m m tank gun as their principal weapon.

T o further c o m p l i c a t e m a t t e r s , B r i t i s h m i l i t a r y r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s in the United States w e r e active in e n c o u r a g i n g the d e v e l o p m e n t o f a r m o r e d vehicles by the US O r d n a n c e D e p a r t m e n t t h a t w o u l d suit B r i t i s h a r m y requirements. T h e N o r t h African desert c a m p a i g n was in full swing, and the British purchasing agents were especially interested in a r m o r e d c a r s . T h e inventory o f a r m o r e d c a r s a v a i l a b l e t o the B r i t i s h E i g h t h A r m y in early 1 9 4 1 was motley and far f r o m ideal. M a n y o f these vehicles c o n s i s t e d o f c o m m e r c i a l a u t o m o b i l e or light t r u c k chassis with light a r m o r e d b o d i e s . T h e y were n o t especially d u r a b l e , their a r m a m e n t w a s n o t impressive, a n d they offered only m i n i m a l a r m o r e d p r o t e c t i o n . W h i l e n e w e r types were in the process o f being delivered, there w a s still a desperate need for m o d e r n a r m o r e d c a r s . T h e desert fighting put a p r e m i u m o n a r m o r e d c a r s n o t only for t r a d i t i o n a l s c o u t i n g m i s s i o n s , b u t also f o r a w i d e r a n g e o f m e c h a n i z e d - c a v a l r y missions including f l a n k security a n d raiding. U n d e r these demanding c o n d i t i o n s , range and durability were m a j o r r e q u i r e m e n t s . Trackless T a n k The first effort in medium armored-car design was not initiated by the US Army, but was a private venture offered by industry. T h e Trackless Tank Corporation of N e w York had developed an elaborate wheeled armored vehicle with eight wheels, all with independent suspension and shock absorbers. This suspension arrangement offered significantly better cross-country performance than conventional truck-type arrangements that used conventional full-width axles and leaf-spring suspension. T h e Trackless Tank, as the company's name implied, was envisioned as a wheeled alternative to tracked light tanks such as the existing M 2 A 4 . However, the US Army showed little interest in this concept since wheeled vehicles invariably had poorer mobility in adverse soil conditions than

Reo Motor Company completed two T13 medium armored cars in May 1942, but the design was so troublesome that it was never considered a serious competitor to its Ford or Chevrolet T17 rivals. 7

full-tracked vehicles. Ordnance was also skeptical of the company, as it was new and small, so had no track record and limited resources. However, even though Ordnance rejected the project, the Armored Force was intrigued enough by the idea as a potential reconnaissance vehicle to ask for a demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Ground, M a r y l a n d , in M a r c h 1 9 4 1 . These initial trials were promising enough for the US A r m y to fund the manufacture of two pilot examples for further tests; this was soon followed by an Adjutant-General order for 17 more vehicles, n o w designated M e d i u m Armored Car T 1 3 . After the United States was dragged into World W a r II in D e c e m b e r 1 9 4 1 , a furious effort was made to r a m p up military production. In several cases, a r m o r e d vehicles that were still in development and unproven were hastily ordered into production; a m o n g these was the Trackless Tank, n o w fitted with a R o c k Island Arsenal turret and designated the T 1 3 E 1 . T h e Armored Force w a n t e d a p p r o v a l o f the p r o d u c t i o n o f 1 , 0 0 0 o f these as reconnaissance vehicles for the new armored divisions. Later in the year more sober judgments were m a d e , as it became clear that the Trackless T a n k C o r p o r a t i o n was in no position to manufacture a satisfactory pilot vehicle, never mind mass-produce the design. T h e army began to pressure the corporation into teaming up with an experienced automotive manufacturer, or simply selling the design patents t o the g o v e r n m e n t . Eventually, the large truck manufacturer, R e o M o t o r C o m p a n y , was dragged into the p r o g r a m . T h e T 1 3 E 1 effort proved a total disappointment due the technical immaturity of the design and Reo's inability to redeem the inherent flaws in the design. T h e vehicle's powertrain proved a repeated source o f p r o b l e m s , and in J u n e 1 9 4 2 the Armored Force Board was forced to send b a c k b o t h pilots to the Trackless T a n k C o r p o r a t i o n for substantial redesign. In J u l y 1 9 4 2 development was suspended, and the program ended in acrimony and a Congressional investigation. H o w e v e r , in the s u m m e r o f 1 9 4 1 British a r m y representatives in the United States h a d raised the issue o f medium and heavy armored-car designs suitable for reconnaissance w o r k , based to some extent on field experience

1: STAGHOUND MK 1,1 TROOP, A SQUADRON, CAVALRY REGIMENT,

2ND NEW ZEALAND DIVISION, ITALY, SPRING 1944

Typical of most British and Commonwealth armor in Italy, this Staghound is finished in an overall camouflage pattern of Light Mud with rolling bands of SCC 14 Blue-Black. This Staghound is named "Pukeko", after the New Zealand bird. The squadron marking is a black triangle. The unit marking, usually carried on the left hull front or on the ammunition box on the left-hand fender, consists of the divisional insignia on top and the arm-of-service marking (white "77" over green/blue square) below.

2: STAGHOUND AA, HQ SQUADRON, POLISH CARPATHIAN LANCERS REGIMENT, ITALY, 1944 The Carpathian Lancers Regiment {Putk utanow karpackich) was the reconnaissance unit of the Polish 2nd Corps in Italy and one of the biggest users of the Staghound in that theater. As a result, the unit insignia seen on the left front of the hull consisted of the corps emblem, a white Warsaw mermaid on red square, over the cavalry arm-of-service insignia, a white 3517 on a green/blue rectangle. In this particular case the insignia has been painted as a shield instead of the usual square format. This particular vehicle is named after the town of Obertyn.

3: STAGHOUND MK II, POLISH CARPATHIAN LANCERS REGIMENT, ITALY 1944 British workshops in the Italian theater frequently modified the front fenders of Staghound armored cars by cutting out a rectangular portion and welding an ammunition box into the cavity so as to create more stowage. In the case of this Mk II of 2nd-Lt Potchtopek, the regimental insignia is painted on the left fender ammunition bin. This unit often painted the vehicle name on the glacis plate, but in this case no name is present.

1

RIGHT The Ford T17 Deerhound was the competitor to the Chevrolet T17E1 Staghound for the medium armored car requirement. The types used a common Rock Island Arsenal turret, but were otherwise completely separate designs. The Ford design had more protracted automotive problems than the Chevrolet design, and the 250 that were built as the M5 medium armored car were used without armament in the United States by military police units. (NARA)

BELOW The Ford M5 Deerhound medium armored car had a number of structural differences from the Chevrolet T17E1, including the use of a large hull casting for the bow section instead of plate armor. Here, one of the production vehicles is seen during trials at the Armored Forces Board at Fort Knox. (Patton Museum)

a g a i n s t G e r m a n h e a v y a r m o r e d c a r s such as the S d K f z 2 3 2 . T h e British army's staff dithered over the specific r e q u i r e m e n t s sought, but at that time the US A r m o r e d F o r c e w a s also considering the a d o p t i o n o f such a vehicle f o r the n e w a r m o r e d d i v i s i o n s . O r d n a n c e ' s suspicions a b o u t the t e c h n i c a l limitations o f the T r a c k l e s s T a n k C o r p o r a t i o n e n c o u r a g e d senior officials t o push for a parallel m e d i u m - a r m o r e d - c a r p r o g r a m that could be competitively

This is one of the first two T17E1 pilots built by Chevrolet. At this stage, the design lacked the production stowage such as the stowage bin and auxiliary fuel tanks eventually fitted to the hull side. (NARA)

bid to industry. In J u l y 1 9 4 1 , O r d n a n c e solicited industry offers for the T 1 7 medium armored car and the T 1 8 heavy a r m o r e d car. T h e M a r c h 1 9 4 2 table of organization and equipment for the new US Army armored division envisioned the allotment o f 4 9 a r m o r e d reconnaissance cars to the divisional reconnaissance battalion, but a decision was yet to be made whether this would be a light, medium, or heavy armored car pending their development. The Chevrolet T17E1 Designs for the T 1 7 requirement were offered by t w o firms, so each design received a separate m e d i u m - a r m o r e d - c a r d e s i g n a t i o n . T h e F o r d M o t o r C o m p a n y design was designated the T 1 7 while the design from the Chevrolet Division of General M o t o r s C o r p o r a t i o n received the T 1 7 E 1 designation. Despite sharing a c o m m o n designation, the only physical c o m p o n e n t the designs shared was the turret, developed by the Army's R o c k Island Arsenal. T h e cast turret closely resembled other Ordnance turrets of the time, such as that developed for the M 3 medium t a n k in 1 9 4 0 . However, British input into the requirement as well as changing US tactical doctrine led to several important changes in turret c o n f i g u r a t i o n . T o begin w i t h , the British insisted on having a m i n i m u m o f t w o c r e w m e n in the turret, side-by-side on either side o f the gun. In addition, British practice was t o situate the vehicle r a d i o close t o the commander, so a bustle was added at the turret rear to a c c o m m o d a t e this equipment.

The Chevrolet T17E1 was one of the most sophisticated armored cars of its day. The driver's tasks were eased by the pioneering use of automatic transmission and power-assisted steering, which made it an easy vehicle to drive even in demanding conditions. (MM)

T h e t w o T 1 7 designs offered similar levels o f a r m o r protection, less than an inch on the hull front and an inch on the turret face, to their unloaded weights were similar. T h e F o r d T 1 7 used a 6 x 6 c o n f i g u r a t i o n a n d w a s the heavier design at 2 8 , 6 0 0 1 b unloaded, while the Chevrolet T 1 7 E 1 used a 4 x 4 configuration and weighed 2 7 , 2 0 0 1 b unloaded. T h e original F o r d design was p o w e r e d by t w o Ford 9 0 h p engines, but to improve standardization the 11

In contrast to most previous armored cars, which were built on conventional automobile chassis, the Chevrolet T17E1 used unibody construction with the armor hull serving as the chassis frame. The suspension was conventional, essentially based on reinforced truck axles and leaf springs rather than the independent spring suspension promoted by the Trackless Tank and the later Chevrolet T19 design. (MHI)

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A r m y requested substitution o f the Hercules J X D H O h p engine. T h e latter w a s already in use in the M 3 A 1 scout c a r and in 2Vi-ton t r u c k s , so was preferred over the c o m m e r c i a l F o r d engines. W h i l e Ford was working on the T 1 7 , Chevrolet began w o r k on its T 1 7 E 1 . T h e T 1 7 E 1 p r o g r a m w a s headed by Earl S. M a c P h e r s o n , a British-born engineer working for Chevrolet w h o later became famous for the MacPherson strut so widely used in post-war automotive designs. T h e T 1 7 E 1 was powered by t w o General M o t o r s 9 7 h p truck engines. British liaison officers were able to influence M a c P h e r s o n regarding the features they sought in the design and in the end, the T 1 7 E 1 began to emerge along lines more in tune with British requirements in the desert campaign. Brig G . M a c L e o d R o s s , a British liaison officer in the United States, later recalled in his memoirs: " W e had managed to influence M a c P h e r s o n sufficiently to obtain all the features we had built into the ill-fated [British army] armoured car in 1 9 3 5 " . T h e s e m e d i u m - a r m o r e d - c a r p r o g r a m s b e c a m e caught up in the same p r o d u c t i o n frenzy as the T 1 3 E 1 p r o g r a m . In J a n u a r y 1 9 4 2 , Ford was authorized to manufacture 2 , 2 6 0 T 1 7 a r m o r e d cars even before the first pilot h a d been c o m p l e t e d . T h i s p r o d u c t i o n was assigned to the St Paul plant, and in J u n e 1 9 4 2 a c o n t r a c t option was exercised, increasing production by 1 , 5 0 0 vehicles to 3 , 7 6 0 a r m o r e d cars. T h e first pilot was manufactured in M a r c h 1 9 4 2 . Likewise, the army authorized the production of 2 , 0 0 0 Chevrolet T 1 7 E l s in J a n u a r y 1 9 4 2 . T h e British Purchasing C o m m i s s i o n , especially pleased with the Chevrolet T 1 7 E 1 design, formally requested the manufacture o f 3 0 0 T 1 7 E l s in D e c e m b e r 1 9 4 1 and this order was formally confirmed in M a r c h 1 9 4 2 after the first pilot was completed. T h e design program for the Chevrolet T 1 7 E 1 proceeded faster than that for the F o r d T 1 7 , and an initial pilot was delivered to Aberdeen Proving G r o u n d in M a r c h 1 9 4 2 , followed by a second pilot to the General M o t o r s automotive test track. T h e initial series of tests encountered numerous flaws,

but all seemed c o r r e c t a b l e . T h e design was quite sophisticated, including automatic transmission and a stabilized gun in a power-operated turret. T h e results were satisfactory enough that a further 1 , 5 0 0 T 1 7 E 1 armored cars were added to the Chevrolet production c o n t r a c t in April 1 9 4 2 . T h e main issues uncovered by the tests were associated with the g e a r b o x , differential, and universal joints, and arose due to Chevrolet's decision n o t to use available commercial components but to develop new and more robust parts. In the short term, until the components matured, this caused problems, but in the long term it considerably boosted the design's durability. W h i l e these powertrain issues were being settled, a wooden m o c k - u p was constructed with stowage features heavily influenced by British desert-warfare requirements. Long range was an especially useful feature in operations in the desert, so the design incorporated a pair of auxiliary fuel-tanks on special racks on the hull side that could be dropped before entering c o m b a t to avoid any fire hazard. T h e A r m o r e d F o r c e b e c a m e c o n c e r n e d a b o u t the p e r f o r m a n c e o f these medium a r m o r e d cars in c r o s s - c o u n t r y travel, as their c o n v e n t i o n a l t r u c k axles offered p o o r ride. As a result, yet a n o t h e r medium a r m o r e d car effort, the T 1 9 , was authorized on J a n u a r y 2 9 , 1 9 4 2 . T h i s was a n o t h e r Chevrolet design, but unlike the T 1 7 E 1 a n d like the T 1 3 T r a c k l e s s T a n k it used six independently sprung wheels. In its original f o r m it bore a strong resemblance to the T 1 7 E 1 , except for its 6 x 6 configuration. By the summer o f 1 9 4 2 , the US A r m y had a growing n u m b e r o f armored-car programs under way, including not only the T 1 7 medium armored car effort, but a Ford and Studebaker light armored car, a Yellow Truck and General M o t o r s heavy armored car, and a host o f other experimental designs. T h e frenetic demand for equipment at the beginning o f 1 9 4 2 had led to a confusing excess of development efforts by the A r m o r e d Force, the Cavalry, and Tank Destroyer C o m m a n d . T h e headquarters of Army Ground Forces was

This T17E1 on trials at Aberdeen Proving Ground shows the initial production turret which had pistol ports on either side, and lacked the eventual 2in smoke mortar on the forward right corner of the turret roof. (NARA)

insistent that some standardization be imposed, so in the early autumn a Special A r m o r e d Vehicle B o a r d - better k n o w n as the Palmer Board - was formed, under BrigGen W. B. Palmer of the Armored Force. T h e board's officers first met on O c t o b e r 1 4 , 1 9 4 2 , and proceeded to Aberdeen Proving G r o u n d to examine the numerous types o f armored cars under development. T h e b o a r d h a d n o s y m p a t h y at all for the wide variety o f types under development, and had a strong bias in favor o f a small, c h e a p , light vehicle, on the presumption that the tactical requirement was for reconnaissance and n o t close c o m b a t . T h e P a l m e r B o a r d was f r o m the outset opposed to any a r m o r e d car heavier than 2 0 , 0 0 0 1 b , which immediately ruled out the medium and heavy a r m o r e d cars. Consequently, w h e n the b o a r d released its findings in D e c e m b e r 1 9 4 2 it r e c o m m e n d e d that all the programs be terminated in favor of the Ford T 2 2 3 7 m m gun m o t o r carriage, a vehicle originally designed as a light tank destroyer. This eventually emerged as the M 8 light armored car (see O s p r e y N e w V a n g u a r d 5 3 : M8 Greyhound Light Armored Car). Although there was general acquiescence within the army over this decision, the A r m o r e d F o r c e continued to press for a larger and m o r e capable armored car, with the Chevrolet T 1 9 medium a r m o r e d car being favored. However, the A r m o r e d F o r c e w a s overruled, and the M 8 light a r m o r e d car was s t a n d a r d i z e d . H o w e v e r , the 1 9 4 3 m e c h a n i z e d cavalry s q u a d r o n s used a m i x e d organization based on M 8 light a r m o r e d cars and M 5 A 1 light tanks, n o t exclusively a r m o r e d cars as in British practice.

The late-production batch of T17E1 s introduced a new turret casting that omitted the two pistol ports on either side and added a 2in smoke mortar on the right front corner of the turret, at the request of the British army. (NARA)

14

Regardless of the Palmer Board's belated recommendations, the industrial process started in early 1 9 4 2 had built up considerable m o m e n t u m . T h e Chevrolet T 1 7 E 1 program had proceeded much more smoothly than the Ford T 1 7 o n e , even though there were some unexpected delays in preparing the production plant for serial m a n u f a c t u r e in the autumn o f 1 9 4 2 due to the shortage o f machine tools. T 1 7 E 1 manufacture started at a slow pace in O c t o b e r 1 9 4 2 and only 1 5 7 examples were finished by the end o f the year. M e a n w h i l e , Ford T 1 7 production was further delayed by lingering problems with the powertrain and only 3 2 examples were completed in 1 9 4 2 . T h e British army did not share the US Army's fixation on standardization and continued to s h o w interest in the medium armored cars. T h e US A r m y Desert Warfare B o a r d was asked to conduct automotive trials on both the T 1 7 and T 1 7 E 1 medium a r m o r e d cars, and these were completed in February 1 9 4 3 . T h e Chevrolet T 1 7 E 1 emerged as the clear winner, with substantially better automotive reliability than the Ford T 1 7 . As a result, the British army requested continued manufacture of the type for its procurement through the Lend-Lease program. T h e average unit cost of the T 1 7 E 1 was $ 3 1 , 4 3 3 ; by way of comparison, the M 8 light armored car cost $ 2 2 , 5 8 7 . Although Britain's selection o f the Chevrolet T 1 7 E 1 led to a termination o f Ford's T 1 7 p r o d u c t i o n c o n t r a c t , the US Army authorized

Ford to complete 2 5 0 vehicles to serve as a stopgap until plants were ready to manufacture the preferred M 8 light a r m o r e d car. T h e s e T 1 7 a r m o r e d cars were initially allotted to International Aid, with the intention to ship them t o Britain; there, they were n i c k n a m e d the " D e e r h o u n d " . However, after the Desert Warfare B o a r d tests, the British a r m y lost interest in the F o r d a r m o r e d car. As a result, the US A r m y w a s stuck with the 2 5 0 vehicles t h a t w e r e completed by the end o f M a y 1 9 4 3 . T h e y were n o t fitted with their intended 3 7 m m main-gun a r m a m e n t and the US A r m y assigned them to military police units in the continental United States for patrol duty. T h e type was sometimes referred to as the M 5 medium a r m o r e d c a r even though this type w a s n o t formally standardized. Likewise, the T 1 7 E 1 w a s sometimes referred to by its intended US designation o f M 6 medium a r m o r e d car, and this designation can be found on production plates and c o n t r a c t d o c u m e n t s .

The heavy counterpart of the T17 medium armored car was the General Motors T18E2 Boarhound heavy armored car. It was substantially larger and more thickly armored than the medium armored cars and armed with a 57mm (6-pdr) gun. All of the 30 built were supplied to Britain, but none saw combat use. (NARA)

T h e T 1 8 heavy armored car also reached serial production, starting in December 1 9 4 2 , but only t w o were manufactured that year. T h e Palmer Board decision meant the contract was terminated, with a total of 3 0 having been completed by M a y 1943. In contrast to the Ford T 1 7 , Britain proved willing to accept the T l 8 under the Lend-Lease program, with the type being designated " B o a r h o u n d " . However, these T 1 8 s were used only for trials and were never put into troop service. They were substantially more expensive than the T 1 7 E 1 , costing $ 6 0 , 8 2 0 each. T h e United States began to ship Staghound armored cars to Britain in 1 9 4 3 , with a total of 2 , 6 2 0 delivered in 1 9 4 3 and the final batch of 2 1 6 in 1 9 4 4 . In keeping with the " - h o u n d " tradition for naming US-supplied 15

The Armored Force was interested in a further evolution of the Chevrolet T17E1, but with independently sprung suspension instead of conventional truck axles with leaf springs. The original T19 pilot, seen here, is strikingly similar to the T17EUNARA)

armored cars, the T 1 7 E 1 was called the " S t a g h o u n d " . By June 1 9 4 3 , a total of 3 9 8 Staghounds were in British hands, with 2 0 4 in the U K , 1 2 0 in the Middle East outside Iraq, 3 8 in Iraq, 2 4 in North Africa, 11 in Australia and one in C a n a d a .

The refined pilot of the Chevrolet T19 was the Armored Force's preferred selection for its new reconnaissance vehicle, but the British selection of the less elaborate T17E1 and the Palmer Board's preference for the lighter M8 armored car doomed the program.

A number o f production changes occurred during the course of Staghound manufacture. T h e m o s t noticeable change was in the turret design. T h e initial p r o d u c t i o n c o n f i g u r a t i o n used the E 5 2 2 1 turret casting w h i c h had small pistol ports on either side o f the turret front. However, this compromised the turret's protective quality without offering much advantage, so the ports were deleted on the i m p r o v e d E 5 2 2 9 turret casting. T h i s turret variant also i n c o r p o r a t e d a 2 i n s m o k e m o r t a r sought by the R o y a l A r m o u r e d C o r p s ( R A C ) . O t h e r small improvements included a D 7 8 2 7 2 . 3 0 c a l machine-gun pintle on the turret and a stowage bin on the hull rear between the mufflers. As S t a g h o u n d s began t o arrive in Britain, the D i r e c t o r o f the R A C set up

a c o m m i t t e e to discuss possible i m p r o v e m e n t s . S o m e o f these, such as

Scale plan of exterior.

additional stowage features, could be i m p l e m e n t e d locally. O t h e r features were sought for safety reasons, such as a c o u n t e r b a l a n c e or spring to prevent turret hatches s l a m m i n g on fingers. W h i l e s o m e o f these i m p r o v e m e n t s were undertaken during m a n u f a c t u r e , other suggestions arrived t o o late to be i n c o r p o r a t e d into the p r o d u c t i o n plan o r w e r e simply n o t a p p r o v e d . E x a m p l e s o f the latter originally requested by R A C but never a d o p t e d included a modified turret seat t o m a k e it easier f o r the c o m m a n d e r t o sit with his head out o f the h a t c h while traveling, and a c u p o l a w i t h 3 6 0 - d e g r e e view. T h e L o g a n s p o r t traverse system w a s n o t as p o p u l a r as the Oilgear design used in other US L e n d - L e a s e vehicles, but this w a s n o t changed, and there were discussions a b o u t improving the gyrostabilizer but no such change t o o k place.

VARIANTS S t a g h o u n d Anti-Aircraft (T17E2) In F e b r u a r y 1 9 4 3 , while S t a g h o u n d p r o d u c t i o n w a s still under way, British officials raised the issue o f an anti-aircraft variant. British a r m o r e d - c a r units in the Western D e s e r t h a d c o m e under f r e q u e n t L u f t w a f f e a t t a c k a n d n o w mobile air-defense capability w a s s o u g h t . T h e o b v i o u s solution w a s t o use the British-designed F r a z i e r - N a s h twin . 5 0 c a l m a c h i n e - g u n turret, w h i c h was already being m a n u f a c t u r e d in the U n i t e d States by the N o r g e Division o f the B o r g - W a r n e r C o r p o r a t i o n , as the N 8 0 t u r r e t f o r B r i t i s h m o t o r t o r p e d o - b o a t s . T h i s h a d t o be a d a p t e d t o an a r m o r e d - v e h i c l e c o n f i g u r a t i o n including a turret r a c e , turret b a s k e t , a n d a r m o r e d turret. T h e turret w a s t o o small to a c c o m m o d a t e the vehicle r a d i o , so this w a s s t o w e d in the hull in place of the b o w machine-gun. T h e T 1 7 E 2 pilot w a s shipped to Aberdeen Proving G r o u n d for firing tests in M a r c h 1 9 4 3 a n d returned t o C h e v r o l e t for m o d i f i c a t i o n and final d e v e l o p m e n t w o r k . I m p r o v e m e n t s i n c l u d e d a General Electric power-booster a m m u n i t i o n feed and an improved gunsight. 17

Scale plan of interior.

18

T h e turret w a s redesigned, using welded c o n s t r u c t i o n and curved plates for a m o r e efficient l a y o u t . T h e c r e w o f the vehicle was reduced f r o m five to t h r e e due t o the limited s p a c e in the t u r r e t . A t o t a l o f 2 , 6 1 0 r o u n d s o f a m m u n i t i o n w e r e s t o w e d . British representatives were happy enough with the design t h a t t h e e x i s t i n g p r o d u c t i o n c o n t r a c t s w e r e m o d i f i e d so that instead o f the 3 , 8 0 0 T 1 7 E 1 a r m o r e d c a r s p l a n n e d under the schedule o f S e p t e m b e r 1 , 1 9 4 2 , a t o t a l o f 1 , 0 0 0 units w o u l d be diverted to the T 1 7 E 2 . T h e first p r o d u c t i o n vehicle w a s c o m p l e t e d in S e p t e m b e r 1 9 4 3 and in D e c e m b e r sent to F o r t K n o x f o r t r o o p tests and to the Antiaircraft Artillery B o a r d at C a m p D a v i s , N o r t h C a r o l i n a , f o r firing t r i a l s . S o m e m o d e s t m o d i f i c a t i o n s w e r e m a d e during the p r o d u c t i o n run based on these tests.

P r o d u c t i o n w a s c o m p l e t e d in April 1 9 4 4 . In the end, however, this proved to be the least successful version o f the Staghound as by the time it arrived in Italy and N o r t h - W e s t E u r o p e in the summer o f 1 9 4 4 , the L u f t w a f f e threat had largely e v a p o r a t e d . H o w i t z e r S t a g h o u n d (T17E3) In the a u t u m n o f 1 9 4 3 , British a r m y officers in W a s h i n g t o n f o r w a r d e d a request to O r d n a n c e for the design o f a fire-support version o f the S t a g h o u n d for dealing with r o a d b l o c k s and other tactical o b s t r u c t i o n s t o o f o r m i d a b l e for the Staghound's small 3 7 m m gun. Since the requirement was for only 1 0 0 vehicles, the project did not w a r r a n t the development or expense of a new turret. O r d n a n c e had already developed a 7 5 m m howitzer turret for the M 5 light tank that had been accepted for service as the M 8 7 5 m m howitzer m o t o r carriage in M a y 1 9 4 2 and w a s already in p r o d u c t i o n . T h i s w a s readily adaptable to the S t a g h o u n d hull, and C h e v r o l e t quickly c o n s t r u c t e d the T 1 7 E 3 pilot in O c t o b e r 1 9 4 3 ; this was sent to the Erie Proving G r o u n d in December 1 9 4 3 . However, British interest in the requirement w a n e d and the project ended by late D e c e m b e r 1 9 4 3 , even t h o u g h it w a s n o t officially cancelled until late 1 9 4 4 . Even though the T 1 7 E 3 project never proceeded beyond the pilot, the requirement still existed. As detailed below, the N e w Zealand Divisional Cavalry Regiment in Italy had developed a field modification by substituting 3in M k I howitzers for the usual 3 7 m m gun. These conversions, undertaken in

The T17E2 represented an effort to develop an anti-aircraft version of the Staghound armored car with a twin .50cal heavy machine-gun turret. Although 1,000 were built, they were the least successful version of the type as there was little need for air defense against the Luftwaffe in the final year of the war. (NARA)

TheT17E2 Staghound AA substituted an armored Norge N80 twin .50cal heavy machine gun turret for the usual 37mm gun turret. In this overhead view, the guns are at full elevation but pointed towards the rear of the vehicle. (NARA) 19

Italy and variously referred to as the " S t a g h o u n d 3 i n " or " S t a g h o u n d I I " . A more elaborate fire-support variant was proposed in Britain in the autumn of 1 9 4 3 using surplus Crusader M k III tank turrets. A new turret ring was adapted t o the Staghound and the Staghound turret basket was modified to fit the Crusader turret, which was re-armed with a more powerful M k V 7 5 m m gun and a co-axial Besa machine-gun. A Staghound III pilot was put together in D e c e m b e r 1 9 4 3 and eventually sent for trials at the Fighting Vehicle Proving US MEDIUM AND HEAVY ARMORED CAR PRODUCTION 1942

M5 (T17)

Oct

M6 (T17E1)

M6 (T17E2)

M7 (T18E2)

28

Nov

8

54

Dec

24

75

2

66

100

1

1943 Jan Feb

68

Mar

124

312

9

Apr

26

275

7

May

2

256

11

Jun

322

Jul

279

Aug

335

Sep

228

Oct

198

12

Nov

147

71

Dec

167

128

1944 Jan

220

Feb

200

Mar

225

Apr

144

Total

250

2,844

1,000

30

STAGHOUND MK III, 11 TROOP, C SQUADRON, 12TH MANITOBA DRAGOONS, II CANADIAN CORPS, GERMANY, 1945

The rebuilt Staghound Mk III was refinished in SCC 15 Olive Drab, a color adopted by the British army in April 1944 to avoid the need to repaint the many US vehicles received via Lend-Lease. The British color was essentially similar to US olive drab. As the corps reconnaissance unit, the arm-of-service insignia is the usual green/blue square with a white band above. The corps insignia is seen on the left side. The squadron insignia is a white circle on black background on the glacis plate and rear turret side; inside is the troop number and vehicle number. A movement marking is chalked on the right fender. The vehicle census number F116572 is painted on the glacis plate under the squadron marking.

ABOVE TheT17E3 combined the turret from the M8 75mm howitzer motor carriage with the T17E1 hull to provide a fire support version. However, it never entered production beyond this pilot. (NARA)

Establishment at F a r n b o r o u g h . However, the trial results were not entirely satisfactory. To begin with, the Crusader turret accommodated only t w o crew instead of the three in the normal Staghound turret, so the commander had to double as the loader. This created a tactical disadvantage since the commander, distracted by these duties, could not observe the fall of shot when the gun fired to provide any necessary corrections. T h e tests dragged on until J a n u a r y 1 9 , 1 9 4 5 , and the requirement was trimmed from the original 1 0 0 vehicles down to 5 0 . In the end, only 3 2 vehicles were converted by war's end and the first three were sent to the Canadian X I I M a n i t o b a Dragoons in Germany. T h e Canadians concluded that the Staghound III was " p r o b a b l y the best all-round 7 5 m m armoured car available" but the type's significance proved to be negligible due to its late arrival. Specialized Staghounds A variety o f requirements were established for specialist Staghound variants, primarily oriented t o w a r d s c o m m a n d issues. A c o m m a n d version that was m o o t e d w o u l d have had the gun removed and m a p and filing desks added inside the turret. Although t w o o f these were nominally authorized under war establishment for each a r m o r e d - c a r regiment, few if any of these conversions were f o r m a l l y u n d e r t a k e n . Instead, m a n y c o m m a n d e r s used n o r m a l S t a g h o u n d s fitted with a second radio in the hull. However, some senior c o m m a n d e r s preferred m o r e spacious alternatives. O n e conversion in N o r t h - W e s t Europe was the Staghound Charger, sometimes carried out using surplus S t a g h o u n d A A c a r s . T h e s e h a d the turrets removed and a plastic windshield fitted at the f r o n t o f the opening. T h i s gave the regimental c o m m a n d e r m o r e r o o m and better visibility. A second authorized c o m m a n d type w a s designated " S t a g h o u n d c o n t r o l " , with four assigned to each a r m o r e d - c a r regiment. T h e s e headquarters vehicles had a second N o 19 radio US MEDIUM AND HEAVY ARMORED CAR CONTRACTS AND REGISTRATION NUMBERS

OPPOSITE The Canadian army operated Staghound Rear-Link, a headquarters version that had the gun removed in order to accommodate a larger CR-299 radio set to communicate between regiment and corps headquarters. This example was serving with XII Manitoba Dragoons nearZeedam, Netherlands, on April 4,1945. (NAC Ken Bell PA130920) 22

Type

Vehicles

Contractor

Registration numbers

Serial numbers

M5 (T17)

250

Ford

6025150-6025399

2005-2254

M6(T17E1)

1,500

Chevrolet

6022838-6024337

5-1504

M6(T17E2)

M7(T18E2)

1,000

Chevrolet

6030712-6031711

4275-5264

300

Chevrolet

6024838-6025137

5767-6018

44

Chevrolet

6090205-6090248

6065-6108

500

Chevrolet

6024338-6024837

1505-2004

500

Chevrolet

60119997-60120496

6109-6608

30

Yellow

6030412-6030441

3-32

LEFT The eventual solution for up-arming the Staghound was the Mk III, which substituted a surplus Crusader tank turret and 75mm gun. Only 32 of these were converted and a handful were deployed with the Canadian XII Manitoba Dragoons in April 1945. Eight were supplied to the Danish army in the late 1940s and one is seen here, preserved at the army museum in Copenhagen in the 1960s. (Col R.J. Icks)

STAGHOUND MK I CROSS-SECTION

1

Front left mudguard

11 Loader's hatch

2

Added stowage bin from steel

12 Radio aerial

3

Driver's station

14 Armored cover over radiator air intake

4

Driver's controls and instruments

15 Twin GMC engines

5

37mm M6gun

16 Rear stowage bin

6

bow gunner's periscopic sight

17 Exhaust muffler

7

37mm gun mantlet

18 Deep wading trunk's lower stub

8

Bow gunner's seat

19 Ration boxes attached for stowage

9

37mm M6 gun breech and protective shield

20 Commander's seat

ammunition box

10 37mm ammunition stowage

24

13 No 19 radio set

21 Side stowage bin 22 Gunner's seat

TECHNICAL DATA Crew: Five (commander, gunner, loader, driver, bow gunner) Length: 216in Width: 106in Height: 112in Ground clearance: 15in Weight: 27,2201b (30,705lb combat-loaded) Power-to-weight ratio: 12.6hp/ton Armor: 22mm upper bow, 19mm hull side, 25mm turret front, 32mm turret side

Armament: Main: 37mm M6 gun in M24A1 mount (103 rounds); auxiliary: three .30cal machine-guns (co-axial, front hull, turret AA mount; 5,250 rounds) Powerplant: Two GMC 270 6cyl, 97hp (194hp total) Fuel: 62gal internal plus two 38gal external tanks Transmission: Hydramatic 4F 1R Wheels: Four 14.00 x 20 21 -ply combat tires Steering: Hydraulic power-assisted steering on front pair of wheels Radio: British No 19 set Maximum road speed: 55mph Maximum trench clearance: 1.5ft Maximum vertical wall clearance: 21 in

18 25

One of the more awkward contraptions fitted to the Staghound was the Bantu mine-detection system, which used a set of magnetic detectors contained in wooden drums. (IWM MH 14033)

set added along with a stowage b o x on the outside o f the turret; the main gun w a s retained. T h e C a n a d i a n s built their o w n equivalent, the " S t a g h o u n d R e a r - L i n k " . O n this version the 3 7 m m gun was deleted but a long-range C R - 2 9 9 radio and associated antennae were added. As the designation implies, this vehicle served as a c o m m u n i c a t i o n s link between the a r m o r e d - c a r regiment and corps or other headquarters to the rear. T h e r e w a s also s o m e interest in fielding an engineer version o f the S t a g h o u n d to c o u n t e r the t h r e a t o f G e r m a n a n t i - t a n k m i n e s . A prototype w a s constructed in the spring o f 1 9 4 4 using the B a n t u mine detector. This e l a b o r a t e c o n t r a p t i o n c o n t a i n e d detector coils within w o o d e n drums that were pushed in front o f the Staghound. A corresponding device, the A M R C R (anti-mine reconnaissance caster roller), was a mine-rolling system designed t o d e t o n a t e a n t i - t a n k mines sufficiently far in front o f the Staghound t o prevent d a m a g e f r o m the blast. H o w e v e r , b o t h systems proved t o o c u m b e r s o m e for actual field conditions and in neither case did development proceed beyond trials.

STAGHOUNDS IN SERVICE The Staghound enters combat Between the time the Staghound was first ordered in M a r c h 1 9 4 2 and the time it became ready for shipment into c o m b a t in the autumn of 1 9 4 3 , the British army's tactical requirements underwent a substantial change. To begin with, by 1 9 4 3 the a r m y had finally received an acceptable a r m o r e d car for its requirements, the Daimler M k 1 armored car. This was smaller and lighter than the S t a g h o u n d , but armed with a c o m p a r a b l e 2-pdr gun. This vehicle was already deployed with the three corps-level armored-car regiments in the Italian theater, the 1st Household Cavalry (V C o r p s ) , the 1st King's Dragoons (XIII C o r p s ) , and the 1 2 t h Lancers ( X C o r p s ) . T h e Staghounds were first delivered to Egypt in the summer of 1 9 4 3 for re-equipping a variety of units slated for the Italian theater; the majority of these were C o m m o n w e a l t h or Polish units. 26

BRITISH STAGHOUND CONTRACTS AND CENSUS NUMBERS Type

Vehicles

Contract

Census numbers

1,000

SM 1263

F116215-F117214

200

SM 1263

F214038-F214237

600

SM 1263

F215038-F215637

500

SM 1263

F225284-F225783

500

SM1263

F235262-F235761

550

SM 1263

F329860-F330409

500

SM 1212

F235762-F236261

T h e most influential Staghound unit in the theater was the Divisional Cavalry Regiment of the N e w Z e a l a n d 2 n d Division, which was refitting in Italy in A u g u s t - S e p t e m b e r 1 9 4 3 following its participation in the Western Desert campaign, in which it had been equipped with Stuart light tanks. Aside from being one o f the first c o m b a t units equipped with the S t a g h o u n d , the N e w Z e a l a n d unit had a penchant for innovation and vehicle modification that percolated through the other Staghound units in the Mediterranean. T h e regiment was concerned that the flat trajectory and small high-explosive charge of the Staghound's 3 7 m m gun were not ideal to counter the threat posed by German anti-tank guns. T w o of the regiment's lieutenants promoted the idea of substituting a 3in M k I howitzer for the 3 7 m m gun. T h e Staghound turret was sufficiently large and robust to a c c o m m o d a t e the howitzer, and after some careful w o r k the design was demonstrated to the divisional commander. With his approval, the upgrade was demonstrated to General Headquarters, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, which approved it for general use. As a

The New Zealand Divisional Cavalry Regiment introduced a number of innovations on its Staghounds, including substitution of a 3in Mk I howitzer for the usual 37mm gun, and the addition of metal ammunition boxes on the front mudguards to carry tire chains. The Polish Staghound regiments in Italy followed suit, and this 3in Staghound can be identified both by the thicker gun tube and the blanked-off hull machine gun position. (Sikorski Institute) 27

The largest user of the Staghound in Italy eventually became the Polish II Corps, which used the type in most of its divisional reconnaissance regiments. These Staghounds are part of the Polish 15th Poznan Lancer Regiment, the divisional reconnaissance element of the 5th Kresowa Infantry Division in Italy. Their Staghounds typically received names, in this case Bystry ("Speedy") and Dzielny ("Brave"), which were painted on the turret side above the regimental red-and-white swallowtailed lancer pennion. (Sikorski Institute)

28

result, a p r o g r a m w a s initiated in Egypt to re-equip each t r o o p with one 3in Staghound, a type which was later called the " S t a g h o u n d M k I I " . A n o t h e r issue was the performance o f the Staghound in muddy and wintry conditions. T h e obvious solution to these traction problems was tire chains, but to facilitate their use chains had to be located, issued and properly stowed on the Staghounds. An alternative solution hit upon was to cut a rectangular opening in the f r o n t fenders and weld steel 2 5 - p d r a m m u n i t i o n bins there for stowage o f the chains until needed. This feature was adopted throughout the Mediterranean theater, but was later extended to some units in North-West Europe as well. T h e first British S t a g h o u n d a r m o r e d - c a r regiment to deploy to Italy was the 2 7 t h L a n c e r s , w h i c h replaced the 1st H o u s e h o l d Cavalry as V C o r p s ' r e c o n n a i s s a n c e r e g i m e n t starting in O c t o b e r 1 9 4 3 . T h e third Staghound regiment into Italy in the a u t u m n o f 1 9 4 3 was the Polish C a r p a t h i a n Lancers (Pulk ulanow karpackicb, o r P U K ) w h i c h w a s initially the a r m o r e d - c a r regiment o f the Polish II C o r p s . Besides the units based upon the Staghound, o t h e r a r m o r e d - c a r regiments equipped with the smaller D a i m l e r or other a r m o r e d cars were often allotted Staghounds for their headquarters since the latter vehicles' m o r e spacious interior was m o r e satisfactory for staff and in terms o f e x t r a radios. U n f o r t u n a t e l y , the S t a g h o u n d ' s debut in Italy w a s n o t o p p o r t u n e due t o w e a t h e r and geography. T h e type had been designed with the lessons of the desert c a m p a i g n in mind - here, endurance, durability and speed being p a r a m o u n t . O n the Italian m o u n t a i n roads and in Italy's muddy winter fields, the Staghound was t o o large and c u m b e r s o m e . T h e problem was not confined t o the S t a g h o u n d , but m o r e b r o a d l y affected the role o f the a r m o r e d - c a r regiments a n d o t h e r light a r m o r e d r e c o n n a i s s a n c e f o r m a t i o n s . During the

Western Desert campaign the a r m o r e d cars had played a vital role in probing enemy defenses. T h e y could freely operate on a b r o a d front using their speed and mobility to best effect, since virtually all the terrain was navigable. Along the Sangro f r o n t in Italy in the w i n t e r o f 1 9 4 3 - 4 4 , they w e r e c o n f i n e d to m o u n t a i n r o a d s and p r e d i c t a b l e a p p r o a c h routes w h i c h limited their tactical maneuverability and virtually negated their value in conducting deep reconnaissance for corps and divisions. R e c o n n a i s s a n c e had to be c o n d u c t e d using dismounted troops or aircraft. T h e armored-car regiments' other m a j o r tactical role - exploiting successful a t t a c k s with rapid penetrations deep into enemy territory - became irrelevant once the front line bogged d o w n a r o u n d M o n t e C a s s i n o , since there w e r e n o p e n e t r a t i o n s t o e x p l o i t . N o r did the vehicles have the firepower or a r m o r e d p r o t e c t i o n t o c o n d u c t the type o f close infantry support undertaken by S h e r m a n t a n k s . In February 1 9 4 4 , the Staghound crews o f the N e w Z e a l a n d Divisional Cavalry were temporarily converted into infantry during the fighting along the R a p i d o river near M o n t e Cassino - a state o f affairs they d u b b e d " i n f a n t c a v a l r y " . T h i s w o u l d n o t become p e r m a n e n t until D e c e m b e r 1 9 4 4 , but reflected changing tactics in the Italian theater and the reduced value o f a r m o r e d cars in such w e a t h e r and terrain conditions. T h e number of Staghounds in Italy continued to increase with the arrival of additional Canadian and Polish Staghound units. T h e R o y a l C a n a d i a n Dragoons had been equipped with Daimler armored cars in December 1 9 4 3 but had begun to receive some Staghounds in February 1 9 4 4 . T h e British tended to favor the smaller Daimler, but the Canadians were not at all pleased with it, preferring the Staghound due to its better reliability and automotive durability. T h e Daimler required one to three hours' maintenance per day, but with the Staghound it only t o o k a few minutes to check fuel and lubricant levels. Dissatisfaction with the Daimler became so p r o n o u n c e d that the regimental commander recommended it be entirely replaced with the Staghound. This was duly approved in M a r c h 1 9 4 4 , although the much-prized 3in Staghound did not become available to the Canadians until D e c e m b e r 1 9 4 4 . In the Polish case, the arrival o f m o r e II C o r p s units f r o m training c a m p s in Egypt and Palestine led to the increase in the n u m b e r o f S t a g h o u n d regiments from one to three, with the addition o f t w o divisional a r m o r e d - c a r regiments: the 1 2 t h Podolski Lancers ( 1 2 . Pulk ulanow podolskich) with the 3rd C a r p a t h i a n Infantry Division, and the 1 5 t h P o z n a n L a n c e r s ( 1 5 . Pulk ulanow poznariskich), with the 5 t h K r e s o w a I n f a n t r y Division. H o w e v e r , the increasing numbers of Staghounds did n o t imply increased a r m o r e d - c a r activity. In the Polish case, in M a y 1 9 4 4 all three cavalry regiments were c o m m i t t e d to fighting at M o n t e C a s s i n o in a d i s m o u n t e d role. F o l l o w i n g the capture o f M o n t e C a s s i n o , the Polish S t a g h o u n d units u n d e r w e n t a substantial r e o r g a n i z a t i o n , with the C a r p a t h i a n L a n c e r s switching t o Sherman t a n k s , the 1 2 t h Podolski L a n c e r s t a k i n g their place as the c o r p s reconnaissance regiment, and the newly arrived 7 t h Lublin Lancers (7. Pulk ulanow lubelskich) and 2 5 t h W i e l k o p o l s k i L a n c e r s ( 2 5 . Pulk ulanow wielkopolskich) taking over divisional reconnaissance slots. By the s u m m e r of 1 9 4 4 the Polish II C o r p s h a d ended up with the m o s t S t a g h o u n d s o f any of the various contingents in Italy. T h e Staghound regiments finally had their m o m e n t in the sun w h e n the Italian c a m p a i g n regained its m o m e n t u m in the s u m m e r o f 1 9 4 4 , during the advance on R o m e . T h e battlefield b e c a m e fluid enough for a r m o r e d - c a r regiments to play a role in pursuing retreating G e r m a n forces. By September

1 9 4 4 , Staghound strength in Italy had reached m o r e than 6 0 0 armored cars. H o w e v e r , by the a u t u m n o f 1 9 4 4 Italy had b e c o m e a b a c k w a t e r and was starved o f resources w h i c h were directed to N o r t h - W e s t E u r o p e instead. Some units which had been reorganized with Staghounds were sent elsewhere. T h e Italian f r o n t b e c a m e bogged d o w n again in the winter o f 1 9 4 4 - 4 5 , with p r e d i c t a b l e results for a r m o r e d - c a r o p e r a t i o n s . F o r e x a m p l e , in late N o v e m b e r 1 9 4 4 the N e w Z e a l a n d Divisional C a v a l r y was once again d i s m o u n t e d and used as infantry to reinforce the rest o f the division. T h e S t a g h o u n d s q u a d r o n s s a w a n o t h e r flurry o f activity in the spring o f 1 9 4 5 w h e n the f r o n t b e c a m e m o b i l e again and Allied f o r m a t i o n s headed north t o w a r d s the Alps. A significant n u m b e r o f Staghounds were deployed to the Middle East in 1 9 4 3 - 4 5 , including training units in Egypt. A number of units were deployed on garrison duty in Palestine, and the Indian 3 1 s t A r m o u r e d Division in Iran employed Staghounds in the 1 3 t h Lancers and later the 3rd Hussars. STAGHOUND STRENGTH IN ITALY, 1943-45 15 Army

Staghound Mk 1

Staghound Mk II

Staghound AA

Total

2 Oct 43

55

23 Sep 44

476

64

91

631

30 Dec 44

291

4

5

300

25 Jun45

660

67

78

805

T h e S t a g h o u n d in N o r t h - W e s t E u r o p e In 1 9 4 4 , the w a r establishment for a British a r m o r e d - c a r regiment nominally included 4 5 D a i m l e r cars in four s q u a d r o n s , a headquarters squadron with 1 4 S t a g h o u n d s including t w o c o m m a n d and four c o n t r o l c a r s , and up to five S t a g h o u n d A A c a r s . H o w e v e r , n o t all o f these specialized types were available on D - D a y , and in the s u m m e r o f 1 9 4 4 actual Staghound strength in the r e g i m e n t s w a s o f t e n less. T h e S t a g h o u n d was p o p u l a r for its rugged durability, but a c c l a i m w a s far f r o m universal. A c c o r d i n g t o the 1 1 t h H u s s a r s ' r e g i m e n t a l history, t r o o p s " f o u n d it unwieldy and it never earned their a f f e c t i o n " . T h e main e x c e p t i o n to the organization scheme detailed above was the C a n a d i a n army, w h i c h c o n t i n u e d to s h o w a preference for the Staghound over the Daimler. D u r i n g 1 9 4 3 , the C a n a d i a n army's A r m o u r e d C a r S u b c o m m i t t e e h a d studied the various British and A m e r i c a n a r m o r e d cars that were likely to be available including the Staghound, the D a i m l e r and the M 8 G r e y h o u n d . O n S e p t e m b e r 2 5 , 1 9 4 3 , a f o r m a l decision was made in favor o f the S t a g h o u n d for the a r m o r e d - c a r regiments, but for the lighter D a i m l e r for the r e c o n n a i s s a n c e regiments within infantry divisions, since there was an established policy limiting divisional bridging to Class 9 (nine t o n s ) , which excluded the heavier S t a g h o u n d . T h e II C a n a d i a n C o r p s ' a r m o r e d - c a r r e g i m e n t was the X I I M a n i t o b a D r a g o o n s ( 1 8 t h A r m o u r e d C a r R e g i m e n t ) , w h i c h h a d been re-equipped w i t h the S t a g h o u n d s t a r t i n g in the s u m m e r o f 1 9 4 3 . T h e S t a g h o u n d w a s very p o p u l a r with the unit due t o its a u t o m o t i v e reliability. As with the N e w Z e a l a n d units in Italy, the M a n i t o b a D r a g o o n s liked t o tinker w i t h their v e h i c l e s . O n e i n n o v a t i o n a d o p t e d in N o r m a n d y w a s adding

fittings on the hull side f o r carrying a pair o f 1 2 f t sections o f N o 9 t r a c k bridge to assist in h a n d l i n g c r a t e r s , s m a l l w a t e r w a y s , d a m a g e d b r i d g e s , t r e n c h e s , a n d o t h e r o b s t a c l e s . T h e s e w e r e usually d e p l o y e d at the r a t i o o f one set per s q u a d r o n H Q . T h e initial fighting in N o r m a n d y through early August was very frustrating for the regiment as there was little f r e e d o m o f a c t i o n in the constricted bridgehead until the breakout started on August 8 , 1 9 4 4 . As a result, the unit was frequently employed in a dismounted role. It was during the August breakout beyond Falaise that the X I I M a n i t o b a D r a g o o n s was finally able to operate in a classic cavalry role - exploiting the Allied b r e a k t h r o u g h , conducting deep reconnaissance and raids, disrupting the G e r m a n retreat and

A XII Manitoba Dragoon Staghound crosses the Seine River near Elbeuf on August 28, 1944. The Manitoba Dragoons formed the Canadian corps' reconnaissance regiment and served as flank security during the advance to Falaise and beyond in August 1944. (NAC Harold Aikman PA-144143)

The Staghound of Tpr F. C Seabourne of D Squadron, XII Manitoba Dragoons, in Blankenberge, Belgium, on September 11,1944. By this time some of the squadrons had found some shrimp net which they draped around the turret for attaching camouflage. Although the Staghound was a large vehicle, the turret basket limited the amount of space available inside the hull, so much of the crew's stowage was attached outside - as seen here. (NAC Ken Bell PA-140862) 31

Children play on a Manitoba Dragoons Staghound in Blankenberge, Belgium, on September 11,1944. This view shows some of the unique details of the Canadian Staghounds. The container at the lower rear of the hull is the stub from the deep-wading trunks used when the regiment landed in Normandy. A frame with mesh has been welded in place of the auxiliary fuel tanks on the hull side to help accommodate crew stowage. Ration boxes have been fitted to the mudguards as another way of increasing exterior stowage. The muffler has a metal contraption fitted to it which was developed in the Italian theater as an improvised method for heating water for cooking and preparing tea. (NAC Ken Bell PA-144147)

providing flank security to the corps. T h e regiment served in a flank security role on the e a s t e r n m o s t flank o f the 2 1 s t A r m y G r o u p advance during O p e r a t i o n Tractable - the advance on Falaise on August 1 4 - 1 6 . D u r i n g the fighting f o r the Falaise G a p the regiment w a s sent to m a k e c o n t a c t w i t h the Polish 1st A r m o u r e d D i v i s i o n , in an isolated spearhead n e a r T r u n . R e p o r t s o f G e r m a n t r a f f i c fleeing o u t o f the p o c k e t near S t - L a m b e r t - s u r - D i v e s led t h e r e g i m e n t a l c o m m a n d e r , L t C o l J a m e s A. R o b e r t s , t o send t w o S t a g h o u n d s q u a d r o n s to b l o c k the exit on August 2 0 . L t W o o d w a r d M c K e o u g h ' s t r o o p w a s the first t o arrive a n d described the ensuing firefight as " s h o o t i n g fish in a b a r r e l " . T h e t r o o p s destroyed t h r e e h a l f - t r a c k s , t w o t a n k s , a n d several t r u c k s a n d d a m a g e d t w o m o r e t a n k s . T h e t r o o p e x p e n d e d all its 3 7 m m a m m u n i t i o n , before the remainder o f B a n d C S q u a d r o n s arrived a n d j o i n e d in the one-sided a t t a c k . T h e unit's w a r diary r e m a r k e d : " T h i s p a r t i c u l a r incident is a j o b that a r m o u r e d car t r o o p s s o m e t i m e s get. T h e y put their h e a r t and soul into it as it is a reward f o r the long a n d c a u t i o u s p a t r o l s they m a y be called on to do w h e n firing

STAGHOUND AA, 1 ST BELGIAN INDEPENDENT ARMOURED BRIGADE GROUP, BELGIUM, SEPTEMBER 1944

The Belgians served with Montgomery's 21 st Army Group, so markings practices followed the British pattern. The vehicle is finished in overall olive drab. The unit insignia is on the left fender while the arm-of-service square is on the right. The yellow/black bridging circle is on the center of the glacis plate, with the census number below in white. A white Allied star is carried on either side of the turret while the standard Allied air-identification star is painted on the engine deck. 32

their guns is only permissible f o r their p r o t e c t i o n . " T h e n e x t day, the same t r o o p h a d its first e n c o u n t e r w i t h a G e r m a n 8 x 8 a r m o r e d car, p r o b a b l y a S d K f z 2 3 4 . T h e l a t t e r w a s q u i c k l y k n o c k e d o u t by Sgt D . L. Yonge's S t a g h o u n d . T h e unit w a r diary r e c o r d e d : " T h i s is a n o t h e r d r e a m for t h e a r m o u r e d c a r t r o o p s , t o m e e t their e q u a l a n d s h o w w h o is better. T h e n a t u r a l o u t c o m e w a s t h a t S e r g e a n t Y o n g e r e p o r t e d k n o c k i n g out a n d b r e w i n g o n e 8 - w h e e l e d a r m o u r e d c a r . " Sgt Y o n g e received the C r o i x - d e - G u e r r e f o r his role in r e c o n n o i t e r i n g the F a l a i s e G a p the day b e f o r e , k n o c k i n g out several G e r m a n a r m o r e d vehicles in the process. T h e m o s t f a m o u s i n c i d e n t involving the C a n a d i a n S t a g h o u n d s in F r a n c e o c c u r r e d on August 3 0 , 1 9 4 4 , during the race beyond the Seine. T h e S t a g h o u n d o f Sgt R o s s J . Bell f r o m C S q u a d r o n was on patrol when t r o o p c o m m a n d e r L t W. Laird's vehicle up a h e a d w a s k n o c k e d out by a P a n z e r f a u s t a n t i - t a n k r o c k e t . Sgt Bell's S t a g h o u n d was trapped in close c o u n t r y and could n o t turn a r o u n d , so Sgt Bell ordered his driver to proceed at full speed d o w n the sunken c o u n t r y r o a d . Careening d o w n the road at 6 0 m p h , the S t a g h o u n d overran a G e r m a n infantry unit o f some 6 0 soldiers with three a n t i - t a n k guns. O n the a p p r o a c h e s to the village o f Bierville, a G e r m a n t a n k b l o c k e d the Staghound's way. T h e unit w a r diary r e m a r k e d : " T h e y politely m a d e r o o m for each other to pass. N o fire was e x c h a n g e d . " Beyond the village, the Staghound encountered a G e r m a n artillery battery on the m o v e on the R o u e n - N e u f c h a t e l r o a d , and shot up the c o l u m n , killing or w o u n d i n g 7 0 - 8 0 horses and 2 0 0 - 3 0 0 t r o o p s . T h e Staghound crew was n o w deep behind G e r m a n lines and out o f a m m u n i t i o n , and it t o o k a day to w o r k its w a y b a c k to Allied lines with the help o f local French Resistance units. Sgt Bell received the M i l i t a r y M e d a l for his e x p l o i t s . If the August fighting demonstrated the potential o f armored cars during m o b i l e o p e r a t i o n s , it also highlighted the costs. T h e X I I M a n i t o b a D r a g o o n s suffered a third o f its entire wartime casualties during a few weeks of fighting. T h e main cause o f vehicle casualties was entrenched G e r m a n anti-tank guns. T h e Staghound's thin a r m o r could n o t withstand such w e a p o n s , but at least the vehicle's construction did serve to reduce crew losses. T h e guns frequently hit the running gear w h i c h m a d e up a large fraction o f the hull exterior, and

"Hercules", the command Staghound of LtCol H. A. Smith of the 2nd Household Cavalry, triumphantly moves through Brussels in September 1944, following the liberation of the city. This was the armored-car regiment of VIII Corps and operated Daimler 2-pdr armoured cars as well as a small number of Staghounds in command functions. A second command radio has been fitted in the hull and the antenna can be seen fitted to the periscope mount above the bow machine-gunner's station. (IWM BU 482A) 34

these hits tended to b l o w off wheels and suspension rather than penetrate the hull itself. During the advance beyond the Seine, the Staghounds spearheaded the race up along the coast, probing the D u n k i r k defenses and later leading the C a n a d i a n c o l u m n s into O s t e n d . B y the first w e e k o f S e p t e m b e r the regiment had advanced some 4 0 0 miles. T h e remaining m o n t h s o f 1 9 4 4 s a w the regiment engaged in static w a r f a r e , holding the B r u g e s - Z e e b r u g g e canal for most o f O c t o b e r and then shifting into the Netherlands along the M a a s and Waal rivers f r o m N o v e m b e r to February. During this period, the regiment began a series o f experiments to improve the firepower o f its S t a g h o u n d s . T h e m o s t critical need was for m o r e high-explosive firepower, given the puny high-explosive round of the 3 7 m m gun and the delay in receiving enough 3in or 7 5 m m Staghounds. T h e regiment attempted to acquire some surplus M 7 1 0 5 m m H M C self-propelled howitzers, but these were not part o f w a r establishment and the request w a s turned down. T h e regiment was also aware of attempts to m o u n t aircraft rockets o n Sherman t a n k turrets, n i c k n a m e d " T u l i p s " , and decided to try the same approach on the S t a g h o u n d . S o m e launch rails and r o c k e t s were o b t a i n e d from an R C A F Typhoon squadron and m o u n t e d on a Staghound turret with two launchers on either side. Test firings were conducted on N o v e m b e r 2 6 , followed by a demonstration to senior officers on D e c e m b e r 2 . T h e rockets were not especially accurate at long range, and at short range the fuze often failed to detonate the warhead. First C a n a d i a n A r m y r e c o m m e n d e d further study, but cancelled a February 1 9 4 5 plan to convert enough to issue to serving

The command Staghound of MajGen G. L Verny, commander of the 7th Armoured Division, enters Ghent, Belgium, during the liberation of the city in September 1944. Like many command Staghounds, this vehicle has additional radios with two added mounts fitted to the two front hull periscope openings. (IWM BU 769)

35

No 1 Canadian Base Workshop in Britain was assigned to fit 5in Land Mattress artillery rockets to the Staghound turret. The technicians added two four-round cells to either side of the turret. (NAC PA-166387)

units. Instead, C a n a d i a n M i l i t a r y H e a d q u a r t e r s sponsored an effort in Britain by N o 1 C a n a d i a n Base W o r k s h o p to adapt the L a n d M a t t r e s s artillery rockets t o the S t a g h o u n d turret. T h i s placed four r o c k e t s in b o x launchers on either side o f the t u r r e t . T h e m a i n p r o b l e m w i t h this a r r a n g e m e n t w a s t h a t the b a c k b l a s t f r o m the r o c k e t s w a s so severe t h a t it damaged the rear mudguards. A n o t h e r C a n a d i a n e x p e r i m e n t w a s t o m o u n t f o u r 2 0 m m a u t o m a t i c anti-

1: AUTOBLINDO STAGHOUND, REPARTICELERE

3, ITALIAN STATE POLICE,

TURIN, 1955 The Italian State Police {Polizia diStato) received about 60 Staghound armored cars when the latter were retired from the Italian army, and these were issued to mobile and fast units {reparti mobili and reparti celere, respectively). Since the 37mm gun was hardly appropriate for the task, the armored cars were provided with a new mount for twin machine guns in the turret. They were painted in a distinctive maroon police color for visibility. The markings were quite elaborate, including the Italian national police eagle emblem in yellow on the glacis plate with the police license plate painted below, a unit insignia (3 Celere) on the right fender, and a vehicle number on the turret. The unit insignia on the hull side mimicked the army style, consisting of a pale blue rectangle (2nd Company) with two white stripes (2nd Platoon); this was repeated in simplified form on the left fender, with only the two stripes. 2: STAGHOUND MK 1,1 ST AUSTRALIAN ARMOURED CAR SQUADRON, BRITISH COMMONWEALTH OCCUPATION FORCE, J A P A N , 1946 The Australian contingent of the BCOF included an armored-car squadron raised at Punkapunyal in 1946, which included 18 Staghounds. These were in the usual finish of dark khaki green and one of the few local adaptations was the addition of a stowage bin at the rear of the turret based on the Sentinel tank type. Markings were quite simple consisting of an arm-of-service square adjacent to the marking of the Australian BCOF which was based on the insignia of the 34th Infantry Brigade, which formed the core of the force; the BCOF insignia mainly consisted of a sunburst patterned on the Australian Commonwealth Forces cap-badge over a boomerang. The Australian army retained the US registration number, though repainted locally on the glacis, and there is a yellow/black bridging circle on the right fender. 36

(JO

The Staghound Rocket Launcher was tested in Britain in 1945. The backblast proved a bit too much for the rear mudguards and so the configuration was never deployed. (NAC PA-166384).

38

aircraft c a n n o n in an improvised open turret in place o f the usual turret. T h i s was demonstrated to senior officers in the Netherlands on December 2 , 1 9 4 4 , but the scheme was turned down as by n o w there was little need for an air-defense vehicle in view of Allied air superiority, and the open turret reduced the value o f the vehicle in reconnaissance missions. A f t e r f r u s t r a t i n g m o n t h s o f static w a r f a r e , in late F e b r u a r y 1 9 4 5 the X I I M a n i t o b a D r a g o o n s w a s again assigned as c o r p s r e c o n n a i s s a n c e for the a d v a n c e o f II C a n a d i a n C o r p s in its o p e r a t i o n s into G e r m a n y across the R h i n e . T h e r e g i m e n t h a d a h a r d slog in the m u d o f the forested H o c h w a l d , w h i c h severely restricted mobility. In early April, I C a n a d i a n C o r p s shifted f r o m Italy t o N o r t h - W e s t E u r o p e , bringing with it the S t a g h o u n d s o f the R o y a l C a n a d i a n D r a g o o n s a n d e x p a n d i n g t h e C a n a d i a n c o n t i n g e n t in M o n t g o m e r y ' s 2 1 s t A r m y G r o u p t o a full a r m y w i t h t w o c o r p s - the First C a n a d i a n Army. By war's end the X I I M a n i t o b a D r a g o o n s had a b o u t half its S t a g h o u n d s lost o r d a m a g e d , w i t h 2 1 w r i t t e n o f f a n d eight d a m a g e d but put b a c k i n t o a c t i o n . As m e n t i o n e d earlier, three o f the S t a g h o u n d Ills with 7 5 m m guns belatedly arrived in April 1 9 4 5 , in t i m e for the final fighting in G e r m a n y . By the end o f the c a m p a i g n in Europe the t w o C a n a d i a n regiments constituted almost half of the Staghound c o m b a t strength in 2 1 s t Army Group; the remaining Staghounds were scattered among British armored-car regiments and sundry c o m m a n d and headquarters t r o o p s . Staghounds also served in small numbers in the Polish 1st Armoured Division and the Belgian Brigade Piron. T h e S t a g h o u n d was the second m o s t c o m m o n a r m o r e d car with M o n t g o m e r y ' s forces, with around 2 5 0 in service at war's end compared to a b o u t 3 5 0 Daimler 2-pdr armored cars. O n e of the more obscure Staghound

operators was the Royal Navy's 3 0 Assault Unit - a multi-service unit promoted by the creator of " J a m e s B o n d " , Ian Fleming, w h o served in naval intelligence during the war. This unit deployed field teams with specially equipped Jeeps, tasked with conducting deep-reconnaissance missions to collect technical intelligence. To reinforce these teams and provide fire support, a small number of Staghound and H u m b e r armored cars were used. T h e C a n a d i a n s ' e m p l o y m e n t o f the S t a g h o u n d in N o r t h - W e s t E u r o p e highlighted the t a c t i c a l l i m i t a t i o n s o f a r m o r e d c a r r e g i m e n t s a g a i n s t a determined o p p o n e n t in c o n s t r i c t e d t e r r a i n . W h i l e such r e g i m e n t s c o u l d prove enormously useful in a cavalry role, exploiting a b r e a k o u t as occurred in the Falaise fighting in August 1 9 4 4 , in the m o r e typical c l o s e - c o m b a t c o n d i t i o n s the limited a r m o r e d p r o t e c t i o n p r o v i d e d by a r m o r e d c a r s significantly restricted their utility c o m p a r e d t o b e t t e r - a r m o r e d t a n k s . T h i s shortcoming w a s n o t peculiar to the S t a g h o u n d regiments, but w a s suffered by o t h e r a r m o r e d - c a r r e g i m e n t s in E u r o p e as w e l l . A l t h o u g h designed with desert w a r f a r e in m i n d , the S t a g h o u n d s a w nearly all its e m p l o y m e n t in c o n t i n e n t a l E u r o p e , w h e r e b a t t l e f i e l d c i r c u m s t a n c e s did n o t p e r m i t the type o f m o b i l i t y envisioned for such a vehicle. Post-war service Staghounds were extensively used in the years i m m e d i a t e l y after the w a r for o c c u p a t i o n a n d p o l i c e duties. O n the o n e h a n d , they w e r e big a n d imposing enough to intimidate c r o w d s . O n the o t h e r h a n d , they were easy to m a i n t a i n , light enough f o r m o s t bridges a n d r o a d s , a n d did n o t tear up roads like t a n k s did. After re-equipping with Staghounds in Italy, the British 4 t h Reconnaissance Regiment was dispatched to Greece in J a n u a r y 1 9 4 5 ; the 2 3 r d A r m o u r e d

A Staghound column of 10 Troop, B Squadron, XII Manitoba Dragoons, supporting II Canadian Corps in the Hochwald near Sonsbeck, Germany, in March 1945, preceded by a Universal Carrier. (NAC Jack Smith PA 144149)

A column of heavily stowed British Staghounds passes a column of German prisoners in Gudow, Germany, on May 2, 1945. (IWM BU 5035)

Brigade was also deployed to Greece with Staghounds, where they saw some action in the ensuing civil war. T h e 1st King's D r a g o o n Guards in Egypt was re-equipped with Staghounds in the final months of World W a r II, then was sent to perform peacekeeping duties in the French protectorates of Lebanon and Syria. A number of Staghounds served in Palestine during the troubles there in 1 9 4 6 - 4 8 . O n e o f the m o r e r e m o t e destinations for the S t a g h o u n d was J a p a n , by w a y o f A u s t r a l i a . T h e A u s t r a l i a n a r m y began acquiring Staghounds in August 1 9 4 3 , receiving a total o f 2 7 9 by 1 9 4 4 . T h e y saw no c o m b a t service during the w a r in A u s t r a l i a n service, but in 1 9 4 6 the 1st A r m o u r e d C a r S q u a d r o n was dispatched to J a p a n t o serve with the British C o m m o n w e a l t h O c c u p a t i o n F o r c e . T h e S t a g h o u n d proved a bit big for the n a r r o w Japanese r o a d s , a n d the s q u a d r o n r e t u r n e d to Australia in D e c e m b e r 1 9 4 8 . T h e A u s t r a l i a n S t a g h o u n d s w e r e largely retired f r o m service in the 1 9 5 0 s , although 3 6 remained in inventory as late as 1 9 7 0 .

STAGHOUND STRENGTH IN NORTH-WEST EUROPE, 1944-45 Staghound Mkl

Staghound Mkll(3in)

Staghound Mk III (75mm)

Staghound AA

Staghound Command

Total

9

186

30 Dec 44

163

14

27 Jan 45

280

146

426

5 May 45

409

5

27

143

584

30Jun45

393

11

75

348

827

40

The Netherlands army recycled its Staghounds after they were retired by stripping the hulls and turrets and embedding them in concrete bunkers for airbase defense. As can be seen, the usual gun mantlet was replaced with a fixed armored machine-gun embrasure. These were usually buried up to the bunker roof but this exposed example is on display at the Marshall Museum in Overloon. (Author)

T h e British army gradually retired the Staghound f r o m service in the late 1 9 4 0 s . A small n u m b e r were c a s c a d e d d o w n t o allied armies in E u r o p e . D e n m a r k ended up with eight o f the rare Staghound III 7 5 m m a r m o r e d cars in 1 9 4 6 , but these were retired in 1 9 5 3 . T h e Netherlands received 1 0 8 S t a g h o u n d a r m o r e d c a r s , which remained in service for significantly longer. After being retired f r o m n o r m a l service in the 1 9 5 0 s and 1 9 6 0 s , these Staghounds were recycled for airfield defense. T h e hulls and turrets were stripped and a m a c h i n e - g u n substituted for the 3 7 m m gun. T h e hulls were then buried in r e i n f o r c e d c o n c r e t e t o c r e a t e pillboxes to defend the perimeters o f key airbases. Greece inherited a small n u m b e r o f S t a g h o u n d s f r o m British units that had served there in the 1 9 4 0 s . P r o b a b l y the largest single n e w S t a g h o u n d o p e r a t o r w a s Italy, w h i c h received m o r e t h a n 1 0 0 S t a g h o u n d s s t a r t i n g in 1 9 4 5 , during t h e r e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f the I t a l i a n a r m y a n d the C a r a b i n i e r i . W h e n S o m a l i a b e c a m e a U n i t e d N a t i o n s trust t e r r i t o r y u n d e r I t a l i a n a d m i n i s t r a t i o n in 1 9 5 0 , the Italian army dispatched a n u m b e r o f a r m o r e d - c a r units for p a t r o l duty with the Security C o r p s . S t a g h o u n d s served w i t h the Squadrone di Cavalleria Blindata della Somalia t h r o u g h the m i d - 1 9 5 0 s . W h e n t h e Staghounds were finally w i t h d r a w n f r o m a r m y use, a b o u t 6 0 w e r e t u r n e d over to the Italian Polizia di Stato (State Police) f o r use in special m o b i l e units a n d specialized t a s k s such as a i r p o r t security. M o s t o f the p o l i c e Staghounds were rebuilt for this f u n c t i o n by r e m o v i n g their 3 7 m m gun and substituting a Breda M o d 3 5 m a c h i n e - g u n in the turret. T h e s e served with the Italian police t h r o u g h the early 1 9 7 0 s . Switzerland p u r c h a s e d 6 4 S t a g h o u n d s f r o m Britain in the 1 9 5 0 s . S o m e o f t h o s e in Swiss a r m y service w e r e r e - a r m e d w i t h 2 0 m m g u n s . Five o f these S t a g h o u n d s w e r e t u r n e d over t o the l o c a l K + W o r d n a n c e f i r m to e x a m i n e m o r e e x t e n s i v e r e a r m a m e n t p a c k a g e s i n c l u d i n g 4 7 m m and 9 0 m m gun upgrades, but these p r o j e c t s did n o t p r o c e e d b e y o n d trials. Besides S t a g h o u n d transfers t o E u r o p e a n allies, during the late 1 9 4 0 s and early 1 9 5 0 s Britain e x p o r t e d surplus S t a g h o u n d s t o the M i d d l e E a s t . 41

Italy used the Staghound in the 1950s in the army's cavalry units as well as in Carabinieri mobile units. (NARA)

T h i s included supplies to Egypt ( 5 0 ) , Syria ( 5 2 ) , Sudan, Saudi A r a b i a , and T r a n s j o r d a n . T h e S t a g h o u n d III h a d n o t proved a particularly g o o d solution t o the f i r e p o w e r p r o b l e m , a n d a f t e r W o r l d W a r II a n o t h e r alternative version w a s c o n s t r u c t e d in a bid t o m a k e the S t a g h o u n d m o r e attractive in the e x p o r t m a r k e t . T u r r e t s f r o m the A E C M k III a r m o r e d c a r were substituted f o r the n o r m a l S t a g h o u n d turret; 1 6 were built for L e b a n o n in 1 9 5 5 . A t o t a l o f 5 6 S t a g h o u n d s o f various types served with the Lebanese army, but w e r e later used by the p o l i c e . T h e availability o f demilitarized S t a g h o u n d s for the e x p o r t m a r k e t led to s o m e other odd a r m a m e n t choices; f o r e x a m p l e , s o m e S t a g h o u n d s sold to L e b a n o n and Syria were a r m e d with surplus 2 - p d r s . T h e L e b a n e s e S t a g h o u n d s eventually fell into the hands of militias during the civil w a r s in the 1 9 8 0 s a n d r e m a i n e d in service until recently. S u d a n a c q u i r e d a f e w S t a g h o u n d s w i t h an even m o r e unusual c o n v e r s i o n , consisting o f a an A E C M k III turret modified to a c c o m m o d a t e the M 3 4 gun m o u n t a n d 7 5 m m gun f r o m the S h e r m a n t a n k . T h e r e were a n u m b e r o f o t h e r a t t e m p t s t o m o d i f y the a r m a m e n t . Israel attempted to acquire armored cars after the 1 9 4 8 war, and the Staghound was the preferred type for the planned reconnaissance battalions. Some demilitarized Staghounds were located in Britain and attempts were made to purchase 5 0 , but there were a variety of political obstacles to this purchase. After relations with the U K improved, Israel was offered 1 1 2 demilitarized Staghounds without guns or radios. These were delivered between December 1 9 5 1 and early 1 9 5 3 . T h e main problem was locating suitable 3 7 m m guns, of which there were only nine as late as 1 9 5 5 . A batch of 1 0 0 such guns was finally purchased later in 1 9 5 5 , but at the same time Israel had begun to acquire the French A M X - 1 3 light tank for its reconnaissance units. T h e A M X - 1 3 had better firepower than the Staghound and only required a three-man crew. As a result, the requirement for 1 0 8 Staghounds for the 1 8 1 s t , 1 8 2 n d and 1 8 3 r d Reconnaissance Battalions was dropped to only 3 6 Staghounds. At the time of the October 1 9 5 6 war, about 15 Staghounds were operational with the 181st and 1 8 2 n d Reconnaissance Battalions, but since these were attached to the Northern and Central Military Districts they did not take part in the Sinai fighting. 42

T h e subsequent fate o f the erstwhile Israeli S t a g h o u n d s w a s r a t h e r curious. N o longer needing these vehicles, the Israeli g o v e r n m e n t offered them on the i n t e r n a t i o n a l m a r k e t via an A m e r i c a n a r m s dealer n a m e d Irving D a v i d s o n . In 1 9 5 7 , Israel a p p r o v e d the sale o f 6 8 o f these to Anastasio Somoza's regime in N i c a r a g u a because S o m o z a had been willing to sell Israel rifles during the e m b a r g o in 1 9 4 8 . T h e r e was a certain a m o u n t of skullduggery involved in the deal. D a v i d s o n also h a d c o n t a c t s with Fulgencio Batista's regime in C u b a , w h i c h w a s then deeply e m b r o i l e d in civil war but hamstrung by an American arms e m b a r g o . Davidson engineered a deal between S o m o z a and Batista to divert 2 8 o f the new Staghounds t o Cuba in February 1 9 5 8 . It is worth noting that C u b a found some other rather odd sources o f a r m o r e d vehicles at the t i m e , including a handful o f G e r m a n PzKpfw I V tanks sold by Spain to C z e c h o s l o v a k i a , rebuilt and sold to Syria in the early 1 9 5 0 s , and resold again to H a v a n a . In the event, the Staghounds t o o k a very active role in the fighting b e t w e e n Batista's a r m y a n d Fidel Castro's rebel forces, as the C u b a n army's S h e r m a n tanks were in p o o r repair while the Staghounds had been recently reconditioned and were dependable. T h e y were popularly d u b b e d las tanquetas - " t h e little t a n k s " . S o m e fell into Castro's hands and served for a time after the w a r in the C u b a n Revolutionary Armed F o r c e s .

Israel purchased more than 100 Staghounds from Britain in 1951, but delays in obtaining sufficient 37mm guns delayed their introduction into service until 1954. These, the first Staghounds in Israeli service, are paraded in Tel Aviv in May 1954. They served in two reconnaissance battalions at the time of the 1956 war, but did not see combat use in the Sinai. (IGPO)

43

The Swiss army used the Staghound in the 1950s and some were re-armed with the 4.7cm Panzerabwehrkanone 41, as seen on this example preserved at the Thun tank base in the 1980s. (Author)

T h e r e m a i n i n g N i c a r a g u a n S t a g h o u n d s served in the country's N a t i o n a l G u a r d for m a n y years, primarily with the l o Batallon Blindado. W h e n 3 7 m m a m m u n i t i o n b e c a m e scarce in the late 1 9 6 0 s , some Nicaraguan S t a g h o u n d s w e r e m o d i f i e d by r e m o v i n g the turrets and substituting a pintle-mounted . 5 0 c a l heavy m a c h i n e - g u n . T h e Staghounds were extensively used in the ensuing civil w a r with the Sandinistas, and a b o u t 2 0 were still o p e r a t i o n a l w h e n S o m o z a fled the c o u n t r y in 1 9 7 9 . T h e y remained in Sandinista service during the ensuing w a r with the U S - b a c k e d C o n t r a rebels in the 1 9 8 0 s , although they were gradually replaced by Soviet-built armored e q u i p m e n t starting in 1 9 8 1 . S t a g h o u n d s also served in small n u m b e r s in H o n d u r a s starting in 1 9 5 1 ; these m a y have originated in the handful of vehicles left in the US for testing.

1: STAGHOUND ARMORED CAR, CUBAN ARMY, 1959 The Cuban army received some Staghounds from the US under the Military Assistance Program, and supplemented them with ex-Egyptian/ex-Israeli Staghounds in the mid-1950s after US aid was cut off. About 30 were still in service with the army in the late 1950s during fighting with Castro's rebel forces. This particular example was captured by the rebels in 1959. It is marked with the usual national insignia on the turret and glacis plate, as well as the army serial number on the hull side.

2: STAGHOUND/AEC MK III, AL-MOURABITOUN MILITIA, LEBANON, 1975 The Lebanese Ministry of Interior obtained Staghounds after World War II which had been re-equipped with AEC Mk III turrets. A number of these were taken over by the Al-Mourabitoun militia during the civil war in the mid-1970s. The original light grey color of the Ministry of Interior was overpainted in a sand tan color and the militia name painted on the turret side and glacis plate. This militia, a Sunni force with an Arab Nasserite/leftist orientation and led by Ibrahim Quleilat, sided with Yassir Arafat's Palestinian Liberation Organization until wiped out by Walid Jumblatt's Druze militia during the civil war. 44

1

Batista's Cuban army acquired 28 Staghounds indirectly from Israel and used these tanquetas against Castro's insurgent forces. Here, one has fallen into rebel hands. (Patton Museum)

46

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING T h e r e are s h o r t histories o f the Staghound's development in the t w o unpublished US O r d n a n c e Department histories of armored-car development, and m o s t o f this i n f o r m a t i o n is included in the excellent Hunnicutt survey. Chevrolet also prepared a short history, which can be found in the O r d n a n c e records at the US N a t i o n a l Archives and R e c o r d s Administration ( N A R A II). O r d n a n c e also prepared a very extensive report on the Trackless Tank/T13 controversy for the M e a d C o m m i t t e e o f the US Senate, which can be found in the O r d n a n c e files at N A R A ; this has some bearing on the Staghound and also includes s o m e intriguing details on the Palmer C o m m i s s i o n . Lucy's a c c o u n t o f the Staghound in C a n a d i a n service is short but excellent, but sadly there is no c o m p a r a b l e volume on the British side o f the story. P l o w m a n and T h o m a s ' s b o o k on N e w Z e a l a n d a r m o r in W o r l d W a r II provides a lot of detail on the S t a g h o u n d . T h e Polish perspective is provided in Magnuski's excellent survey. T h e r e are t w o g o o d histories of Staghound regiments - on the X I I M a n i t o b a D r a g o o n s a n d the N e w Z e a l a n d Divisional Cavalry.

U N P U B L I S H E D REPORTS Daniel Chase, Design, Development, Engineering and Production Cars 1940-1944 (Ordnance Department, 1944) John Lane, Trackless Tank (Ordnance Department, 1945) Edmund Littell, Armored Car T17E1 (Chevrolet, 1945)

of

Armored

BOOKS Dingwall, Don, Canadian Armour in the Italian Campaign 1943-45 (Canadian Tracks, 1999) Hughes, David, et al., The British Armies in World War Two: An Organizational History. Vol. 4 (Nafziger Collection, 2 0 0 2 ) Hunnicutt, Richard, Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles (Presidio, 2002) Koch, Tomasz, et al., Samochod pancerny T17E1 Staghound (Rossagraph, 2 0 0 7 ) Koran, E, et al., Staghound Tl 7E: In Detail Special No. 9 (Wings & Wheels Publications, 2008) Loughnan, R. J . M., Divisional Cavalry (New Zealand War History Branch, 1963) Lucy, Roger, The Staghound in Canadian Service (Service Publications, 2 0 0 7 ) Magnuski, Janusz, Wozy bojowe polskich sit zbrojnych 1940-1946 (Lampart, 1998) Plowman, Jeffrey and Thomas, M., 2nd New Zealand Divisional Cavalry Regiment in the Mediterranean (Kiwi Armour, 2 0 0 2 ) Tascona, Bruce, X// Manitoba Dragoons: A Tribute (Manitoba Dragoons, 1991)

A Staghound armored car of theTransjordanian Frontier Force passing in review in the late 1940s. The armored car uses a triangle tactical sign, as was British practice, and a vehicle name "Farida" is painted on the glacis. (IWM E31872) 47

INDEX Figures in bold refer to illustrations. Plate captions locators in brackets. 3in M k 1 howitzers 2 7 , 2 7 - 2 8 , 2 9 37mm tank guns 6, 2 7 .50 cal heavy machine-guns 4 4 A M X - 1 3 light tanks 4 2 armor protection 1 1 , 3 4 Australian Army 4 0 , E2 (36, 37) auxiliary fuel tanks 1 1 , 13, 3 2 Bantu mine-detection system 2 6 , 2 6 Batista, Fulgencio 4 3 , 4 6 Belgian Army 3 8 , D (32, 33) Bell, Sgt Ross J . 3 4 Besa machine-guns 2 0 Borg-Warner Corporation 17 British Army 23rd Armoured Brigade 3 9 - 4 0 1st Household Cavalry 2 6 2nd Household Cavalry 3 4 11th Hussars 3 0 1st King's Dragoons 2 6 , 4 0 12th Lancers 2 6 27th Lancers 2 8 4th Reconnaissance Regiment 3 9 British Purchasing Commission 12 camouflage A l (8, 9 ) , B (20, 2 1 ) , D (32, 33) Canadian Army Royal Canadian Dragoons 2 9 , 38 XII Manitoba Dragoons 2 2 , 2 2 , 2 3 , 3 0 - 3 9 , 3 1 , 3 2 , 39, B (20,21) Castro, Fidel 4 3 , 4 6 "combat c a r s " 5 Crusader M k III tank turrets 2 0 - 2 2 , 2 3 Cuba 4 3 , 4 6 , F 1 ( 4 4 , 4 5 ) D-Day(1944) 30 Daimler M k l armored car 2 6 , 2 9 , 3 0 , 3 4 Danish Army 2 3 , 4 1 Davidson, Irving 4 3 Egypt 3 0 , 4 0 , 4 2 engines 1 1 - 1 2 Ford M 5 Deerhound armored cars 10, 15, 19 Ford T 1 7 Deerhound armored cars 10, 1 1 - 1 2 , 14-15 Four Wheel Drive Auto Company 5 Frazier-Nash twin .50cal machine-gun turrets 17-18 fuel tanks, auxiliary 1 1 , 13, 3 2 General Motors 97hp engines 12 Greece 3 9 - 4 0 , 4 1 Hercules J X D HOhp engines 12 Honduras 4 4 Howitzer Staghound ( T 1 7 E 3 ) 1 9 - 2 2 , 2 2 Indian Army 3 0 insignia Australian Armoured Car Squadron E2 (36, 37) Belgian Independent Armoured Brigade Group D (32, 33) Canadian XII Manitoba Dragoons B (20, 21) Cuban Army F l (44, 45) Italian State Police E l (36, 37)

48

New Zealand Cavalry A l (8, 9) Polish Carpathian Lancers A2 (8, 9), A3 (8, 9) International Aid 15 Iran 3 0 Israel 4 2 - 4 3 , 4 3 Italy 2 8 - 3 0 , 4 1 , 4 2 , E l (36, 3 7 ) , Japan 4 0 Laird, Lt W. 3 4 Land Mattress artillery rockets 36 Lebanon 4 0 , F2 (44, 45) Lend-Lease program 1 4 , 1 5 M 2 A 4 light tanks 7 M 3 medium tanks 11 M 3 A 1 scout cars 5, 12 M 5 armored cars 10, 1 5 , 19 M 5 A 1 light tanks 14 M 8 light armored cars 14, 16, 19 MacPherson, Earl S. 12 markings 14 Al-Mourabitoun Militia, Lebanon F2 (44, 4 5 ) Australian Armoured Car Squadron E2 (36, 37) Belgian Independent Armoured Brigade Group D (32, 33) Canadian XII Manitoba Dragoons B (20, 21) Italian State Police E l (36, 37) New Zealand Cavalry A l (8, 9) McKeough, Lt Woodward 32 Mediterranean Expeditionary Force 28 Middle East, the Staghound in 3 0 , 4 0 , 4 2 , 4 2 - 4 3 , 4 7 , F2 (44, 4 5 ) M k I howitzers 19 M k V 75mm guns 2 0 Monte Cassino 2 9 Netherlands Army 4 1 , 4 1 New Zealand Divisional Cavalry 19, 2 7 , 2 7 , 29,30, Al (8,9), Nicaragua 4 3 - 4 4 Normandy, France 3 1 - 3 4 North African Desert campaign 7 North-West Europe, the Staghound in 3 0 - 3 9 Operation Tractable (1944) 3 2 - 3 4 Ordnance Department (US) 6, 7, 8, 1 0 - 1 1 , 19 Palestine 3 0 Palmer Board 14, 15, 16 Polish Staghound regiments 2 7 , 38 Polish Carpathian Lancers 2 8 , 2 9 , A2 (8, 9 ) , A3 (8, 9 ) , Reo Motor Company 7, 8 Roberts, LtCol James A. 32 Rock Island Arsenal turrets 8, 10, 11 rocket launchers 3 5 - 3 8 , 3 6 , 38 Ross, Brig G. MacLeod 12 Royal Canadian Dragoons 2 9 , 38 Royal Navy (RN) 3 8 - 3 9 Saudi Arabia 4 2 SdKfz armored cars 10, 3 4 Sherman tanks 2 9 , 3 5 , 4 3 Smith, LtCol H. A. 3 4 smoke mortars 16 Somoza, Anastasio 4 3 Staghound, the

armor protection 1 1 , 34 automatic transmission 1 1 , 1 3 auxiliary fuel tanks 1 1 , 13, 32 camouflage A l (8, 9), B (20, 2 1 ) , D (32, 33) engines 1 1 - 1 2 markings 14, A (8, 9), B (20, 2 1 ) , D (32, 3 3 ) , E (36, 37) origins of 5 - 1 1 post-war service 3 8 - 4 4 power-assisted steering 11 smoke mortars 16 specialized Staghounds 22, 26 stowage features 1 1 , 13, 16, 2 8 , 3 1 , 32, E2 (36, 37) suspension 12 T 1 7 E 1 armored cars 1 1 , 1 1 - 1 7 , 12, 13, 14, 15, A (8, 9), B (20, 2 1 ) , C ( 2 4 - 2 5 ) , D ( 3 2 , 3 3 ) , E ( 3 6 , 3 7 ) , F (44, 45) T 1 7 E 2 Staghound Anti-Aircraft 1 7 - 1 9 , 19 T 1 7 E 3 Howitzer Staghound 1 9 - 2 2 , 2 2 tire chains 4 , 2 7 , 2 8 turrets 8, 10, 1 1 , 13, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 2 0 - 2 2 , 23, 42 weapons 6, 2 0 , 2 7 , 2 7 - 2 8 , 2 9 , 4 4 in WWII 2 6 - 3 9 , 27, 2 8 , 3 1 , 32, 34, 3 5 , 39, 4 0 steering, power-assisted 11 stowage features 1 1 , 13, 16, 2 8 , 3 1 , 32, E2 (36, 37) Stuart light tanks 2 7 Sudan 42 suspension 12 Switzerland 4 1 , 4 4 Syria 4 0 , 4 2 T i l armored cars 5 T 1 3 armored cars 6, 7, 7 - 1 1 , 12, 13 T 1 7 armored cars Chevrolet T 1 7 E 1 armored cars 1 1 , 1 1 - 1 7 , 1 2 , 1 3 , 1 4 , 1 5 , 3 1 , 3 2 , 3 4 , 3 9 , A (8, 9), B (20, 2 1 ) , D (32, 3 3 ) , E (36, 3 7 ) , F ( 4 4 , 45) Ford T 1 7 Deerhound armored cars 10, 1 1 - 1 2 , 14-15 T 1 7 E 2 Staghound Anti-Aircraft 1 7 - 1 9 , 19 T 1 7 E 3 Howitzer Staghound 1 9 - 2 2 , 2 2 T 1 8 armored cars 1 1 , 15, 15 T 1 9 armored cars 12, 13, 14, 16 tire chains 4 , 2 7 , 28 Trackless Tanks 6, 7, 7 - 1 1 , 12, 13 Transjordan 4 2 , 4 7 transmission, automatic 1 1 , 13 turrets 8, 10, 1 1 , 13, 13, 14, 16, 1 7 - 1 8 , 20-22, 23, 42 US Armored Force 6, 8, 10, 1 0 - 1 1 , 13, 16 US Army Desert Warfare Board 14, 14, 15 Verny, MajGen G. L. 35 weapons 3in M k 1 howitzers 2 7 , 2 7 - 2 8 , 2 9 37mm tank guns 6, 27 .50 cal heavy machine-guns 4 4 Besa machine-guns 2 0 M k I howitzers 19 M k V 75mm guns 2 0 Western Desert campaign 27, 2 9 WWII, the Staghound in 2 6 - 3 9 , 27, 2 8 , 3 1 , 32, 34, 35, 39, 40 Yonge, Sgt D. L. 3 4

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The design, development, operation and history of the machinery of warfare through the ages

STAGHOUND ARMORED CAR 1 9 4 2 - 6 2 The S t a g h o u n d w a s a u n i q u e World War II armored vehicle - designed a n d manufactured in the US, but intended solely for the British army. From its c o m b a t d e b u t in Italy in 1943 t h r o u g h to the e n d of the war, it performed particularly valuable service in a reconnaissance role, where its s p e e d a n d armor ensured that it w a s able to extricate itself from trouble as required without additional support. This book examines the d e v e l o p m e n t of this category of armored cars and offers a detailed analysis of the extensive c o m b a t use of the S t a g h o u n d in service with the Allies, as well as its post-war deployments.

Full color artwork

lustrations

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Cutout artwork

US $17.95 UK £9.99 C A N $19.95 ISBN

OSPREY PUBLISHING

978-1-84603-392-6