Dingo (scout car)
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Dingo Scout Cars halt during a parade in Sydney in December 1942. |
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| Dingo Scout Car | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 2 (Commander, Driver) |
| Length | 4.6 m |
| Width | 2.1 m |
| Height | 1.9 m |
| Weight | 4.5 tonnes |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | Front 30 mm, sides and rear 10 mm |
| Main armament | 0.303 (7.7 mm) Bren LMG |
| Secondary armament | |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | Ford V8 85 or 95 hp (63.5 or 71 kW) |
| Suspension | wheel 4x4, leaf spring |
| Road speed | 90 km/h |
| Power/weight | 19 or 21 hp/tonne |
| Range | km |
The Dingo Scout Car was a light armoured car built in Australia during Second World War. They were produced by the Ford motor company during 1942.
[edit] History
Australia was unprepared for WWII and possessed little in the way of armoured vehicles, and being unable to purchase them from their traditional supplier, the United Kingdom whose industrial output was dedicated to more immediate needs in Europe, it was forced to try to develop and build them itself, and armoured cars and scout cars were no exception.
The Dingo was based on a commercial Ford 30-cwt 134.5 inch wheelbase chassis shortened to 110 inches, fitted with a Marmon-Herrington all wheel drive kit to give the vehicle 4 wheel drive. It was powered by either an 85 hp or 95 hp Ford V8 engine. Onto this was fitted an armoured body manufactured from ABP-3 (Australian Bullet Proof plate type 3) by Victorian Railways. Serial production began in early 1942.
The Dingo was equipped with a Bren light machine gun and Mk19 wireless. The vehicle's weight restricted its off road mobility and the front axle could be bent when travelling over rough terrain. A lighter version with only 10 mm of armour and an open top was proposed at the end of 1942 but not proceeded with as armoured cars could now be imported from overseas. All 245 vehicles produced were disposed of in 1945.
Surviving Dingos can be seen at the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) tank museum at Puckapunyal Victoria, at the Australian War Memorial, and at the Melbourne Tank Museum in Narre Warren. There are also several vehicles in private ownership.
[edit] References
- Michael K. Cecil - Australian Military Equipment Profiles vol. 3, Australian Scout and Armoured Cars 1933 to 1945, 1993 Australian Military Equipment Profiles, ISBN 0-646-14611-4.
[edit] External links
| 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 |
