AEC Armoured Command Vehicle

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AEC 4x4 ACV
General characteristics
Crew	7-8
Length	6.10 m
Width	2.36 m
Height	2.90 m
Weight	12.2 t
Armour and armament
Armour	10-12 mm
Main armament	1 x .303 inch Bren MG, carried inside
Secondary armament
Mobility
Power plant	AEC 187 6 cyl diesel 95 hp (71 kW)
Suspension	wheel 4x4
Road speed	60 km/h
Power/weight	7.8 hp/tonne
Range	450 km

AEC Armoured Command Vehicle was a series of command vehicles built by the British Associated Equipment Company during the Second World War.

[edit] History

During the World War II the United Kingdom was the only country to develop and widely employ purpose-built armoured command vehicles. Those were essentially armoured buses based on truck chassis.

The most common ACV of the British Army was the AEC 4x4 ACV. The vehicle, based on AEC Matador chassis, entered production in 1941. A total of about 415 units were built. The vehicle was used for the first time in the North African Campaign and remained in service until the end of the war. Big and comfortable, it was nicknamed Dorchester by the troops, after a luxury hotel in London. Three ACVs of this type were captured by the German Afrika Korps. Two of them, named Max and Moritz, were employed by Rommel and his staff throughout the campaign.

In 1944 a larger AEC 6x6 ACV was developed. The vehicle was based on AEC 0857 lorry chassis and was powered by the AEC 198 150 hp engine. The hull welded, from 9 mm rolled steel. The weight of the vehicle reached 17 tons. 151 units were built.

Both vehicles were built in two configurations, called LP (Low Power) and HP (High Power), with different radio equipment.

[edit] References and external links

• George Forty - World War Two Armoured Fighting Vehicles and Self-Propelled Artillery, Osprey Publishing 1996, ISBN 1-85532-582-9.
• I. Moschanskiy - Armored vehicles of the Great Britain 1939-1945 part 2, Modelist-Konstruktor, Bronekollektsiya 1999-02 (И. Мощанский - Бронетанковая техника Великобритании 1939-1945 часть 2, Моделист-Конструктор, Бронеколлекция 1999-02).
• Aec.middx.net
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