When it comes to the armored vehicles of the World War II period, most people who are interested in history remember tanks first. These combat vehicles had a huge impact on the course of the war and became one of its material symbols. And even when comparing the power of the land forces of the belligerents in World War II, it is usually mentioned how many thousands of tanks a particular state possessed right after the number of military personnel and the number of divisions.
But in the period between the 1930s and 1940s, there were wheeled armored vehicles, a very numerous and no less diverse than tanks class of combat vehicles. We are talking about armored cars that were designed to perform a wide range of military tasks. As a rule, they were used for reconnaissance and security, and also found application in police and counter-guerrilla formations.
However, despite the appearance and spread of tanks, cheaper and easier-to-operate armored cars continued to appear directly on the battlefields. Engineers even managed to equip some heavy armored cars with guns that were usually mounted on medium tanks. In this review, we offer to compare almost three dozen armored cars used by different armies during World War II.
If the background of the photos prevents you from reading the reference information for the photos, you can hover your mouse over the text. This will darken the text background.
Lancia 1Z, Italy. In production since 1916, 120 cars were built including 110 1ZM. 1ZM is shown in the photo. Weight 3.7 tons, engine 35-40 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 2, crew of 6 people. Armament – three 6.5mm or 8 mm machine guns (in the 1ZM version — two machine guns)
Obrněný avtomobil vz. 23 (OA vz. 23, aka PA-II "Želva», «turtle»), Czechoslovakia. In operation since 1925. 12 vehicles were built. Weight 7.7 tons, engine 70 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 4 people. Armament – four 7.92 mm machine guns (6250 rounds)
Obrněný automobil vzor 27 (OA vz. 27), Czechoslovakia. In operation since 1927, 16 cars were built. Weight 6.6 tons, engine 60 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 5 people. Armament: two 7.92 mm machine guns
Kfz 13, Germany. In operation since 1933, about 150 cars have been built. The weight is 2.1 tons, the engine is 51 hp, the wheel scheme is 4 × 4, the crew is 2 people. Armament – 7.92 mm machine gun (1000 rounds)
Obrněný avtomobil vzor 30 (OA vz.30), Czechoslovakia. In production since 1933, 52 cars have been built. Weight 2.8 tons, engine 32 hp, wheel scheme 6 × 4, crew 3 people. Armament: two 7.92 mm machine guns (3000 rounds)
Steyr ADGZ, Austria/Germany. In operation since 1935, about 50 cars have been built. Weight 12 tons, engine 150 hp, wheel scheme 8 ×8, crew 6 people. Armament: 20 mm (100 rounds) or 45 mm cannon, three 7.92 mm machine guns (1500 rounds)
Sd.Kfz. 221, Germany. In service since 1935. More than 340 vehicles were built. Weight 4 tons, engine 80 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 2 people. Armament: 7.92 mm machine gun, ammunition — 1100 rounds
Pansarbil m/41 (aka Landsverk L-180), Sweden. In operation since 1936, about 40 units were built. It was exported, five cars remained in Sweden. Weight 7.8 tons, engine 160 hp, wheel scheme 6 × 4, crew 4-5 people. Armament – 20-mm automatic or 37-mm cannon, two or three 8-mm machine guns
Panhard AMD-178, France. In operation since 1937, 1143 cars were built in different versions. Weight 8.2 tons, engine 105 hp, wheel scheme 4×4. Armament – 25 mm cannon (150 rounds), 7.5 mm machine gun
Saurer RR-7 (aka SdKfz 254), Austria/Germany. The car was created as an artillery tractor on a wheeled track for the Austrian army, but after the Anschluss it was used in the Wehrmacht as an armored reconnaissance vehicle. About 140 cars were built. Weight 6.4 tons, engine 70 hp, crew 7 people
Pansarbil m/39 Lynx, Sweden. Since 1937, Landsverk and Volvo built 48 such cars. Some of them equipped with Volvo engines, received the designation m/40. Weight 7.8 tons, engine 135 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew of 6 people. Armament: 20 mm automatic cannon, three 8 mm machine guns
BA-10, USSR. In operation since 1938. About 3.5 thousand cars were built. Weight 5.1 tons, engine 50 hp, wheel scheme 6 ×4, crew 4 people. Armament: 45 mm cannon (49 shells), two 7.62 mm machine guns
39M Csaba («Csaba»), Hungary. In service since 1939. About 100 cars were built, named after Attila's son. Weight 5.95 tons, engine 90 hp, wheel schemes 4 × 2 and 4 × 4, crew 4 people. Armament: 20 mm Solothurn anti-tank rifle, the same as on the Toldi tank (200 rounds), two 8 mm machine guns
Humber Light Reconnaissance Car, United Kingdom. In service since 1940, more than 3,600 machines were built. Weight 3.17 tons, engine 80-87 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 2, crew 3 people. Armed with a 7.7mm machine gun
ACV-IP (Armored Carrier, Wheeled, Indian Pattern), British India. In service since 1940. 4,655 vehicles were built, mainly on the chassis of CMP trucks imported from Canada. Weight 2.6 tons, engine 95 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3-4 people. Armament – 13.9 mm anti-tank rifle or 7.7mm machine gun
Morris Light Reconnaissance Car (LRC), United Kingdom. In service since 1940. More than 2200 vehicles were built. Weight 3.7 tons, engine 72 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 2, crew 3 people. Armament: 13.9mm anti-tank rifle, 7.7mm machine gun
Marmon-Herrington Armoured Car, South African Union. In production since 1940, 5746 cars were built. Weight 6.4 tons, engine 95 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3-4 people. Armament – 40 mm cannon, one or two 7.62 mm machine guns
Autoblindo Fiat-Ansaldo, Italy. In production since 1940. About 700 cars were built in different versions. The photo shows a trophy car of the Narodnooslobodilačka vojska Jugoslavije in Belgrade. In the AB 43 variant, it had a weight of 8 tons, an engine of 108 hp, a 4 × 4 wheel scheme and a crew of 4 people. Armament – 47 mm cannon (63 shots), two 8 mm machine guns (756 rounds)
Daimler Dingo, Great Britain (in the photo — in the foreground, behind it – Daimler Armored Car and Humber Armored Car). In service since 1940. 6626 vehicles were built. Weight 2.8 tons, engine 55 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 2 people. Armament – 7.7mm machine gun (pictured) or 13.9mm anti-tank rifle
Bedford OXA (aka Lorry 30cwt Anti-Tank), United Kingdom. In service since 1940. 948 vehicles were built. Weight 6.5 tons, engine 72 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 2, crew of 8 people. Armament: 13.9mm anti-tank rifle, 7.7mm machine gun
Daimler Armoured Car, United Kingdom. In operation since 1941, 2694 cars were built. Weight 7.6 tons, engine 95 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3 people. Armament: 40 mm cannon (52 shells), 7.7mm machine gun (2700 rounds)
Humber Armoured Car, United Kingdom. In operation since 1941, about 5,400 cars were built (as well as about 1,500 Canadian Fox Armored Cars similar to them). Weight 5-7 tons (depending on modification), engine 90 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3-4 people. Armament: 15 mm machine gun or 37 mm cannon — main, 7.92 mm machine gun — auxiliary
Otter Light Reconnaissance Car (otter – English «otter»), Canada. In service since 1942, 1761 vehicles were built. Weight 4.44 tons, engine 106 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3 people. Armed with a 13.9mm anti-tank rifle, 7.7mm machine gun
BA-64, USSR. In service since 1942. More than 9,000 BA-64 and BA-64B (with the wider track) were built. Weight 2.36 tons, engine 50 hp, wheel scheme 4 ×4, crew 2 people. Armed with a 7.62mm machine gun
Humber Scout Car, United Kingdom. In service since 1942. At least 4,100 cars were built. Weight 2.4 tons, engine 87 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 2 people. Armament – one or two 7.7 mm machine guns
AEC, United Kingdom. In service since 1942. The vehicle is based on the armored carrier Matador. 629 vehicles of different versions were built. Weight 11 tons, engine 105-158 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3 (Mk I) — 4 (Mk II, Mk III) people. Armament – 40 mm (Mk I), 57 mm (Mk II) or 75 mm (Mk III) cannon, two machine guns
M8, USA (known in the UK as Greyhound). 8523 vehicles were built. Weight 7.8 tons, engine 110 hp, wheel scheme 6 × 6, crew 4 people. Armament: 37 mm cannon, 12.7mm and 7.62mm machine guns
Coventry, United Kingdom. In service since 1944. 220 vehicles were built. Weight 10.35 tons, engine 175 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3-4 people. Armament – 40 mm (pictured) or 75 mm cannon, 7.92 mm machine gun
Sd.Kfz.234, Germany. In service since 1944. About 480 vehicles were built in four main variants, armed with 20-mm, 50-mm and 75-mm guns (pictured). Weight 10.5 tons, engine 210 hp, crew 4 people
When it comes to the armored vehicles of the World War II period, most people who are interested in history remember tanks first. These combat vehicles had a huge impact on the course of the war and became one of its material symbols. And even when comparing the power of the land forces of the belligerents in World War II, it is usually mentioned how many thousands of tanks a particular state possessed right after the number of military personnel and the number of divisions.
But in the period between the 1930s and 1940s, there were wheeled armored vehicles, a very numerous and no less diverse than tanks class of combat vehicles. We are talking about armored cars that were designed to perform a wide range of military tasks. As a rule, they were used for reconnaissance and security, and also found application in police and counter-guerrilla formations.
However, despite the appearance and spread of tanks, cheaper and easier-to-operate armored cars continued to appear directly on the battlefields. Engineers even managed to equip some heavy armored cars with guns that were usually mounted on medium tanks. In this review, we offer to compare almost three dozen armored cars used by different armies during World War II.
If the background of the photos prevents you from reading the reference information for the photos, you can hover your mouse over the text. This will darken the text background.
Lancia 1Z, Italy. In production since 1916, 120 cars were built including 110 1ZM. 1ZM is shown in the photo. Weight 3.7 tons, engine 35-40 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 2, crew of 6 people. Armament – three 6.5mm or 8 mm machine guns (in the 1ZM version — two machine guns)
Obrněný avtomobil vz. 23 (OA vz. 23, aka PA-II "Želva», «turtle»), Czechoslovakia. In operation since 1925. 12 vehicles were built. Weight 7.7 tons, engine 70 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 4 people. Armament – four 7.92 mm machine guns (6250 rounds)
Obrněný automobil vzor 27 (OA vz. 27), Czechoslovakia. In operation since 1927, 16 cars were built. Weight 6.6 tons, engine 60 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 5 people. Armament: two 7.92 mm machine guns
Kfz 13, Germany. In operation since 1933, about 150 cars have been built. The weight is 2.1 tons, the engine is 51 hp, the wheel scheme is 4 × 4, the crew is 2 people. Armament – 7.92 mm machine gun (1000 rounds)
Obrněný avtomobil vzor 30 (OA vz.30), Czechoslovakia. In production since 1933, 52 cars have been built. Weight 2.8 tons, engine 32 hp, wheel scheme 6 × 4, crew 3 people. Armament: two 7.92 mm machine guns (3000 rounds)
Steyr ADGZ, Austria/Germany. In operation since 1935, about 50 cars have been built. Weight 12 tons, engine 150 hp, wheel scheme 8 ×8, crew 6 people. Armament: 20 mm (100 rounds) or 45 mm cannon, three 7.92 mm machine guns (1500 rounds)
Sd.Kfz. 221, Germany. In service since 1935. More than 340 vehicles were built. Weight 4 tons, engine 80 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 2 people. Armament: 7.92 mm machine gun, ammunition — 1100 rounds
Pansarbil m/41 (aka Landsverk L-180), Sweden. In operation since 1936, about 40 units were built. It was exported, five cars remained in Sweden. Weight 7.8 tons, engine 160 hp, wheel scheme 6 × 4, crew 4-5 people. Armament – 20-mm automatic or 37-mm cannon, two or three 8-mm machine guns
Panhard AMD-178, France. In operation since 1937, 1143 cars were built in different versions. Weight 8.2 tons, engine 105 hp, wheel scheme 4×4. Armament – 25 mm cannon (150 rounds), 7.5 mm machine gun
Saurer RR-7 (aka SdKfz 254), Austria/Germany. The car was created as an artillery tractor on a wheeled track for the Austrian army, but after the Anschluss it was used in the Wehrmacht as an armored reconnaissance vehicle. About 140 cars were built. Weight 6.4 tons, engine 70 hp, crew 7 people
Pansarbil m/39 Lynx, Sweden. Since 1937, Landsverk and Volvo built 48 such cars. Some of them equipped with Volvo engines, received the designation m/40. Weight 7.8 tons, engine 135 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew of 6 people. Armament: 20 mm automatic cannon, three 8 mm machine guns
BA-10, USSR. In operation since 1938. About 3.5 thousand cars were built. Weight 5.1 tons, engine 50 hp, wheel scheme 6 ×4, crew 4 people. Armament: 45 mm cannon (49 shells), two 7.62 mm machine guns
39M Csaba («Csaba»), Hungary. In service since 1939. About 100 cars were built, named after Attila's son. Weight 5.95 tons, engine 90 hp, wheel schemes 4 × 2 and 4 × 4, crew 4 people. Armament: 20 mm Solothurn anti-tank rifle, the same as on the Toldi tank (200 rounds), two 8 mm machine guns
Humber Light Reconnaissance Car, United Kingdom. In service since 1940, more than 3,600 machines were built. Weight 3.17 tons, engine 80-87 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 2, crew 3 people. Armed with a 7.7mm machine gun
ACV-IP (Armored Carrier, Wheeled, Indian Pattern), British India. In service since 1940. 4,655 vehicles were built, mainly on the chassis of CMP trucks imported from Canada. Weight 2.6 tons, engine 95 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3-4 people. Armament – 13.9 mm anti-tank rifle or 7.7mm machine gun
Morris Light Reconnaissance Car (LRC), United Kingdom. In service since 1940. More than 2200 vehicles were built. Weight 3.7 tons, engine 72 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 2, crew 3 people. Armament: 13.9mm anti-tank rifle, 7.7mm machine gun
Marmon-Herrington Armoured Car, South African Union. In production since 1940, 5746 cars were built. Weight 6.4 tons, engine 95 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3-4 people. Armament – 40 mm cannon, one or two 7.62 mm machine guns
Autoblindo Fiat-Ansaldo, Italy. In production since 1940. About 700 cars were built in different versions. The photo shows a trophy car of the Narodnooslobodilačka vojska Jugoslavije in Belgrade. In the AB 43 variant, it had a weight of 8 tons, an engine of 108 hp, a 4 × 4 wheel scheme and a crew of 4 people. Armament – 47 mm cannon (63 shots), two 8 mm machine guns (756 rounds)
Daimler Dingo, Great Britain (in the photo — in the foreground, behind it – Daimler Armored Car and Humber Armored Car). In service since 1940. 6626 vehicles were built. Weight 2.8 tons, engine 55 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 2 people. Armament – 7.7mm machine gun (pictured) or 13.9mm anti-tank rifle
Bedford OXA (aka Lorry 30cwt Anti-Tank), United Kingdom. In service since 1940. 948 vehicles were built. Weight 6.5 tons, engine 72 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 2, crew of 8 people. Armament: 13.9mm anti-tank rifle, 7.7mm machine gun
Daimler Armoured Car, United Kingdom. In operation since 1941, 2694 cars were built. Weight 7.6 tons, engine 95 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3 people. Armament: 40 mm cannon (52 shells), 7.7mm machine gun (2700 rounds)
Humber Armoured Car, United Kingdom. In operation since 1941, about 5,400 cars were built (as well as about 1,500 Canadian Fox Armored Cars similar to them). Weight 5-7 tons (depending on modification), engine 90 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3-4 people. Armament: 15 mm machine gun or 37 mm cannon — main, 7.92 mm machine gun — auxiliary
Otter Light Reconnaissance Car (otter – English «otter»), Canada. In service since 1942, 1761 vehicles were built. Weight 4.44 tons, engine 106 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3 people. Armed with a 13.9mm anti-tank rifle, 7.7mm machine gun
BA-64, USSR. In service since 1942. More than 9,000 BA-64 and BA-64B (with the wider track) were built. Weight 2.36 tons, engine 50 hp, wheel scheme 4 ×4, crew 2 people. Armed with a 7.62mm machine gun
Humber Scout Car, United Kingdom. In service since 1942. At least 4,100 cars were built. Weight 2.4 tons, engine 87 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 2 people. Armament – one or two 7.7 mm machine guns
AEC, United Kingdom. In service since 1942. The vehicle is based on the armored carrier Matador. 629 vehicles of different versions were built. Weight 11 tons, engine 105-158 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3 (Mk I) — 4 (Mk II, Mk III) people. Armament – 40 mm (Mk I), 57 mm (Mk II) or 75 mm (Mk III) cannon, two machine guns
M8, USA (known in the UK as Greyhound). 8523 vehicles were built. Weight 7.8 tons, engine 110 hp, wheel scheme 6 × 6, crew 4 people. Armament: 37 mm cannon, 12.7mm and 7.62mm machine guns
Coventry, United Kingdom. In service since 1944. 220 vehicles were built. Weight 10.35 tons, engine 175 hp, wheel scheme 4 × 4, crew 3-4 people. Armament – 40 mm (pictured) or 75 mm cannon, 7.92 mm machine gun
Sd.Kfz.234, Germany. In service since 1944. About 480 vehicles were built in four main variants, armed with 20-mm, 50-mm and 75-mm guns (pictured). Weight 10.5 tons, engine 210 hp, crew 4 people
