Scout Car S1 (American) is an armoured car produced in Australia for the United States Army during the Second World War.
| Scout Car S1 | |
|---|---|
 Scout Car S1 (American) | |
| Place of origin | Australia |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1942 |
| Manufacturer | Ford Australia |
| No. built | 40 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4 tonnes |
| Length | 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) |
| Width | 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Height | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Crew | 5 (Commander, Driver, 3 Gunners) |
| Armor | 6 mm |
Main armament | 1 .50 Browning M2HB machine gun |
Secondary armament | 2 .30 Browning M1917A1 |
| Engine | Ford V8 95 hp (71 kW) |
| Power/weight | 23.7 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | 4x2 or 4x4, leaf spring |
History and description
editIn 1942, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in Australia issued a requirement for a light armoured car to be used in patrolling and airfield defence. The requirement resulted in a vehicle designated Scout Car S1 (American). About 40 vehicles were produced by Ford Australia.
The vehicle was based on a Ford F15 4x2 chassis (a single 4x4 vehicle was built). The open-topped armoured hull was similar to that of the M3 Scout Car. The armament consisted of one .50 inch (12.7 mm) heavy machine gun and two .30 inch machine guns on skate rails, operated by the crew of five. [1]
They served in defence of Australia and did not see any combat. [2]
Survivors
editAs of late 2017, two S1 cars are known to be preserved: one restored at the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum, in Cairns,[3] and another in a private collection.[n 1]
Footnotes
edit- ^ As posted in Facebook on 10 Nov 2017 by the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum.
References
editNotes
edit- ^ "WarWheels.Net-Scout Car S1 (American) Index". www.warwheels.net. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Scout Car S1 (American) Armored Car". WW2DB. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
- ^ "Exhibits". Australian Armour & Artillery Museum. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
Bibliography
edit- Michael K. Cecil - Australian Military Equipment Profiles vol. 3, Australian Scout and Armoured Cars 1933 to 1945, 1993 Australian Military Equipment Profiles, ISBN 0-646-14611-4.