Daimler Armoured Car

This is a Mk II variant of the Daimler Armoured Car, seen in the new hall at The Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset. A development from the Dingo armoured car, the design dates from 1939. Armed mainly with a 2-pounder gun and a .303 machine-gun, 2,694 were built by Daimler in Coventry, in Mk I, Mk I CS (armed with a 76mm cannon) and Mk II variants. In WWII, they saw service in North Africa, Europe and the Far East. They served with the British Army from 1941 to 1964, and also with the Australians, Canadians, Indians, Israelis, Malaysians, New Zealanders and Sri Lankans.



The Daimler Armoured Car was a British armoured car of the Second World War.



Daimler Mk I armoured car.



History



The Daimler Armoured Car was a development of the Daimler Scout car known as the "Dingo", a small armoured vehicle for scouting and liaison roles. A larger version fitted with the turret of the Tetrarch Light Tank became the Daimler Armoured Car. Like the scout car, it incorporated some of the most advanced design concepts of the time and is considered one of the best British AFVs of the Second World War. The prototypes had been produced in 1939, but problems with the transmission caused by the weight of the vehicle delayed service entry until mid-1941. 2,694 armoured cars were built by Daimler.



Daimler Mk I armoured car.



The Daimler had full independent suspension and four wheel drive. Epicyclic gearing in the wheel hubs enabled a very low ratio in bottom gear - it was credited with managing 1:2 inclines. The rugged nature combined with reliability made it ideal for reconnaissance and escort work.





Combat history



The Daimler saw action in North Africa with the 11th Hussars and the Derbyshire Yeomanry. It was also used in Europe and a few vehicles in the South-East Asia theatre. To improve the gun performance, some Daimlers in the European Theatre had their 2 pounders fitted with the Littlejohn adaptor which worked on the squeezebore principle.





Daimlers were used by the territorial units of the British Army until 1960s, outlasting their planned replacement, the Coventry Armoured Car.





Variants



Daimler Mk I Armoured Car, 11th of March 1942.



Mark I.



Mark I CS - close support version with 76 mm gun.



Daimler Armoured Car Mk II.



Mark II - improved turret, modified gun mount, better radiator, driver escape hatch.



A turretless regimental command version, known as SOD (Sawn-Off Daimler).





Operators



Australia

Belgium

Canada

India

Israel

Malaysia

New Zealand

Sri Lanka

United Kingdom





Wars



World War 2

Vietnam War

1948 Arab–Israeli War

Indo-Pakistani War

Sri Lankan civil war





Daimler Armoured Car



Type Armoured car

Place of origin United Kingdom

Production history 2,694 built

Manufacturer Daimler





Specifications



Weight 7.6 t

Length 4 m

Width 2.46 m

Height 2.26 m

Crew 3

Armor 7-16 mm

Primary

armament 2 pounder QF

Secondary

armament 1 x 7.92 mm Besa coaxial MG,

1 x 7.7 mm Bren AA MG

Engine Daimler 27 4.1 litre 6-cylinder petrol

95 hp (71 kW)

Power/weight 12.5 hp/tonne

Suspension 4x4 wheel, coil spring

Operational

range 320 km

Speed 80 km/h