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Armoured cars' strategic task (scouting and first contact) made them the optimum
for mechanizing the Cavalry forces. Every nation, after World War I, aimed its R&D
efforts at achieving this target. The United Kingdom, having both experience ... and a vast Empire, used armoured cars in its territories overseas. The French used them in their Division L�g�re M�canique and the Germans in their Leichte Division which, as a matter of fact, were motorized cavalry units. In Italy and in the United States, light tanks were assigned to scouting missions; in Russia as well as in Japan the problem was actually disregarded. |
| Since the very first days of World War II armoured cars, including the rejuvenated and armour and firepower enhanced WW I Veterans, saw action in many fronts. The British Rolls Royce, the Italian Lancia, and the French White, instead of rusting in deposits and museums, had their moments of glory on the Libyan desert, as well as on the French frontline, and the Abyssinian ambas |
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The war requirements imposed significant changes in armoured cars designing and manufacturing. They passed, in fact, from small and light reconnaissance vehicles to heavily armoured cars, with their 75 mm guns, capable of engaging tanks and then, thanks to their higher speed, retreating whenever they wanted.
The British Army, after the first defeats suffered in the war early weeks, was obliged to make recourse to other Commonwealth countries, like South Africa and Canada, and to the United States for supplying its armoured cars squadrons.
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The British industries were capable of fulfilling the Army needs only after two or three years since the war ignition.
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The French had a few armoured cars which, however, were captured and used
by the Germans when the French army left the war stage. The Germans had their own excellent armoured cars, basically of two types : a scout car, equipped with light armament and communication devices, and a heavier model, for more demanding tasks. The "big" vehicles (Schwerer Panzerspahwagen - Sdkfz ) were used as fighting vehicles, as well as self-propelled howitzers or command units |
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The most significant Italian armoured car was the Ansaldo S.P.A., characterized by an excellent driving trim on every kind of terrain(*) but penalized by a poor firepower.
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The Americans, as already said, preferred light tanks for performing cavalry functions. They developed and produced, however, very good armoured cars mainly for fulfilling the British Army needs. Amongst the best are the following
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Acknowledgment
All the color images (by G.Canestrari) and information have been selected from the "I
Corazzati" book by B.Benvenuti, edited by A.Mondadori - 1976). They are property of
the authors
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Last update : July 15, 1998
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