Guy Armoured Car

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Guy Armoured Car
Guy Mk I
Place of origin	UK
Specifications
Weight	5.2 t
Length	4.12 m
Width	2.06 m
Height	2.29 m
Crew	3
Armour	up to 15 mm
Primary armament	.5 inch Vickers machine gun
Secondary armament	.303 inch Vickers machine gun
Engine	Meadows 4ELA 4-cyl petrol engine 55 hp (41 kW)
Power/weight	10.6 hp/tonne
Suspension	4 x 4 wheel
Operational range	340 km
Speed	64 km/h

The Guy Armoured Car was a British armoured car produced in limited numbers during World War II. The car saw limited action during the Battle of France.

[edit] Production history and description

In 1938 Guy Motors built five Guy Quad armoured car prototypes based on the Quad-Ant artillery tractor chassis. The vehicle successfully completed field trials and in 1939-1940 101 Guy Armoured Cars (initially designated Guy Wheeled Light Tank) were produced.

The vehicle had a welded hull (making it the first British armoured car with an all-welded construction) with a sloped glacis plate. Above the center of the hull was mounted a turret with two Vickers or Besa machine guns. The engine was located at the rear. The vehicle carried a No. 19 radio.

The body of the Guy vehicle formed the basis of the later Humber Armoured Car, which employed a new chassis.

[edit] Deployment history

Six cars were sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Four were used by the mobile guard of the British Royal Family (a troop from 12th Lancers) and two by cabinet ministers. The rest served with different British, Belgian, Danish and Dutch units stationed in Britain. By 1943 they were replaced by more modern vehicles.

[edit] Variants

• Mk I - original version. 50 units built.
• Mk IA - was armed with Besa 15 mm and 7.92 mm machine guns instead of the Vickers. 51 units built.

Guy Mk IA during anti-invasion exercises in Southern Command, 7 May 1941. Note the longer barrel of the 15 mm Besa MG.

[edit] References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Guy Armoured Car

• George Forty - World War Two Armoured Fighting Vehicles and Self-Propelled Artillery, Osprey Publishing 1996, ISBN 1-85532-582-9.
• I. Moschanskiy - Armored vehicles of the Great Britain 1939-1945 part 2, Modelist-Konstruktor, Bronekollektsiya 1999-02 (И. Мощанский - Бронетанковая техника Великобритании 1939-1945 часть 2, Моделист-Конструктор, Бронеколлекция 1999-02).

v • d • e	British Commonwealth armoured fighting vehicles of World War II

v • d • e Tanks Light tanks Vickers 6-Ton • Mk II • Mk III • Mk IV • Mk V • Mk VI • Mk VII Tetrarch Cruiser tanks Mk I • Mk II • Mk III • Mk IV • Mk V Covenanter • Mk VI Crusader • Mk VII Cavalier • Mk VIII Centaur • Mk VIII Cromwell • Challenger • Comet • Sherman Firefly • Ram (Canada) • Sentinel (Australia) Infantry tanks Mk I Matilda • Mk II Matilda • Mk III Valentine • Mk IV Churchill

v • d • e Self-propelled artillery Bishop • Sexton • Deacon • Archer

v • d • e Armoured personnel carriers Universal Carrier • Loyd Carrier • Kangaroo • Terrapin

v • d • e Scout Cars and Armoured cars Scout Cars Daimler Dingo • Dingo Scout Car (Australia) • Humber Scout Car • Lynx Scout Car (Canada) • S1 Scout Car (Australia) Light Reconnaissance Cars Humber LRC • Morris LRC • Otter LRC (Canada) Armoured Cars AEC Armoured Car • Coventry Armoured Car • Daimler Armoured Car • Fox Armoured Car (Canada) • Guy Armoured Car • Humber Armoured Car • Lanchester Armoured Car • Marmon-Herrington Armoured Car (South Africa) • Morris CS9 • Rhino Heavy Armoured Car (Australia) • Rolls-Royce Armoured Car • Rover Light Armoured Car (Australia) • Standard Beaverette • Armoured Carrier Wheeled Indian Pattern (India) Armoured Trucks Bedford OXA • C15TA Armoured Truck (Canada) Armoured Command Vehicles AEC ACV • Guy Lizard ACV

v • d • e Experimental vehicles Avenger • Black Prince • Centurion • Excelsior • TOG 1 • TOG 2 • Tortoise • Valiant • Harry Hopkins • Alecto • Thornycroft Bison

v • d • e Unarmoured vehicles Artillery tractors AEC Matador • Morris C8 Quad • Scammell Pioneer • Canadian Military Pattern Trucks and lorries Bedford QLD • Austin K2 • Morris 15 cwt Tank transporters Diamond T tank transporter • Scammell Pioneer Semi-trailer Utility and cars Car, Heavy Utility 4x2 Ford C11 • Car, Light Utility ("Tilly") • Car, 4-Seater 4x2 British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II

British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II