Coventry armoured car
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| Coventry Armoured Car | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | Mk I: 4, Mk II: 3 |
| Length | 4.71 m |
| Width | 2.64 m |
| Height | 2.35 m |
| Weight | 10.35 t |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | up to 14 mm |
| Main armament | Mk I: 2 pounder QF Mk II: 75 mm QF |
| Secondary armament | 1 Besa MG (coaxial) |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | Hercules RXLD 6-cyl. petrol 175 hp (130 kW) |
| Suspension | Wheel 4x4 |
| Road speed | 68 km/h |
| Power/weight | 16.9 hp/tonne |
| Range | 400 km |
 External images |
|
|---|---|
| Photo during the French Indochina War[1] Photo of the armoured car[2] |
The Coventry armoured car was a British four wheel drive (4X4) armoured fighting vehicle developed at the end of World War II as a potential replacement for the lighter Humber and Daimler series of armoured cars.
The Coventry was an advanced design and featured a similar layout to the more compact Daimler, but with a more conventional suspension and drive system. It included duplicate driving controls to allow rapid disengagement in combat. There were two production versions. The Mk 1 employed a three man turret with a 2pdr gun and a 7.92 mm coaxial Besa machine gun. The Mk 2 version had a 75 mm gun, with the turret crew reduced to two men.
Deliveries of the Coventry Mk 1, from the Humber assembly line, began in June 1944 and 63 vehicles had been produced by the end of the year. Output concluded with a further 220 vehicles in 1945. The Coventry was deployed by the British Army, but they arrived too late for wartime service. Some of these units were sold to France and later saw action against the Viet Minh in French Indochina.
[edit] References and external links
- Leland Ness (2002) Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles: The Complete Guide, Harper Collins, London and New York, ISBN 0-00-711228-9
- (French) Photo gallery at chars-francais.net
| British and Commonwealth armoured cars of World War II |
|---|
| Scout Cars |
| Daimler Dingo | Dingo Scout Car (Australia) | Humber Scout Car Lynx Scout Car (Canada) | S1 Scout Car (Australia) |
| Light Reconnaissance Cars |
| Humber LRC | Morris LRC | Otter LRC (Canada) |
| Armoured Cars |
| AEC Armoured Car | Coventry Armoured Car | Daimler Armoured Car Fox Armoured Car (Canada) | Guy Armoured Car | Humber Armoured Car Lanchester Armoured Car | Marmon-Herrington Armoured Car (South Africa) Morris CS9 | Rhino Heavy Armoured Car (Australia) | Rolls-Royce Armoured Car Rover Light Armoured Car (Australia) | Standard Beaverette |
| Armoured Trucks |
| Bedford OXA | C15TA Armoured Truck (Canada) |
| Wheeled Carriers |
| Armoured Carrier Wheeled Indian Pattern (India) |
| Armoured Command Vehicles |
| AEC ACV | Guy Lizard ACV |
| Tanks and other large armoured vehicles |
| Unarmoured vehicles |
| British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II |
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