T18 Boarhound

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T18E2 Armored Car
General characteristics
Crew	5
Length	6.2 m
Width	3.1 m
Height	2.6 m
Weight	26.8 t
Armour and armament
Armour	9.5 to 50.8 mm
Main armament	QF 6 pounder gun
Secondary armament	2 x .30 Browning M1919A4 machine guns
Mobility
Power plant	2 x GMC 6-cyl. 2 x 125 hp / 2 x 92 kW
Suspension	wheels, 8 x 8
Road speed	80 km/h
Power/weight	9.4 hp/tonne
Range	400 km

External images
Photo of the T18[1]

The T18 Boarhound was an American heavy armoured car produced in small numbers for the British Army during the Second World War.

[edit] History

In July 1941 the US Army Ordnance issued specifications for heavy armored car (along with another specification for medium armored car, which resulted in the T17 Armored Car). The prototype was developed in 1942 by the Yellow Coach. It was large eight-by-eight vehicle with four front wheels used for steering. Thick armor brought the weight to 26 tons, about the weight of contemporary medium tanks. Initial armament consisted of a 37 mm gun in a turret with a coaxial .30 inch machine gun and another .30 inch MG in the bow mount. By then it was clear that the anti-tank performance of the 37 mm gun was insufficient and the production version, the T18E2, which was named Boarhound by the British received the QF 6-pounder (57 mm) gun.

The US Army had never shown interest in the vehicle. The British Army placed order for 2,500 units, but high production costs and poor cross-country performance led to cancellation of the order after only 30 were delivered. The T18 was never used in combat.

The only surviving vehicle is displayed in the Bovington Tank Museum, UK.

[edit] Variants

• T18 - original version with 37 mm gun.
• T18E1 - six-wheeled version. Development was canceled.
• T18E2 - version with 6-pounder gun.

[edit] References and external links

• George Forty - World War Two Armoured Fighting Vehicles and Self-Propelled Artillery, Osprey Automotive.
• Panzervince.membres.jexiste.org
• Warwheels.net

American armored fighting vehicles of World War II
Light tanks
M2 Light Tank | M3/M5 Stuart | M22 Locust | M24 Chaffee | Marmon-Herrington CTLS
Medium and heavy tanks
M2 Medium Tank | M3 Lee | M4 Sherman | M26 Pershing
Self-propelled artillery
M7 Priest | M8 Scott | M12 Gun Motor Carriage | M40 GMC M3 Gun Motor Carriage | M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage | M5 Gun Motor Carriage | T34 Calliope
Tank destroyers
M6 Fargo | M10 Wolverine | M18 Hellcat | M36 Jackson
Armored half-tracks
M2 Half Track Car | M3/M5 Half Track Personnel Carrier M4 Mortar Carrier | T30 Half Track
Amphibious vehicles
Landing Vehicle Tracked | DUKW
Armored cars
M8 Greyhound | M3 Scout Car 'White' | M20 Armored Utility Car T17 Deerhound / Staghound | T18 Boarhound
Experimental vehicles
M38 Wolfhound | T1/M6 Heavy Tank | T-28 Tank/T-95 GMC Assault Tank T14 | Heavy Tank T29 | Heavy Tank T30 | Medium Tank T20 | T7 Combat Car T-16 | T-3 Half Track | T27 | T54 Gun Motor Carriage | T40/M9 Tank Destroyer T-19 | 8in Howitzer Motor Carriage T84 | T92 Howitzer Motor Carriage | T55E1 Motor Carriage Light Tank T7/Medium Tank M7 | T88 Gun Motor Carriage
American armored fighting vehicle production during World War II