The canadian armoured autocar model is here
History:
This World War I vehicle was based on a chassis from the Autocar Company, founded by the Clarke family in 1897 as the Pittsburgh Motor Vehicle Company and renamed Autocar in 1899. The factory was moved to Ardmore in 1900 and production quickly increased from 27 vehicles in 1900 to 1,300 vehicles in 1902-03. 1907 saw the production of a first truck (type 18), and in 1908 the type UF XXI came out (UF for under floor (engine location) and XXI for 21st vehicle of the brand). By the end of production in 1926, 30,000 units had left the factory. The goal was to build a compact truck to operate in narrow streets, powerful enough even when fully loaded, rustic, easy to repair. In addition, hardwood was pressed into the metal beams of the chassis, which made it particularly robust. The 18 hp horizontal twin engine was mounted directly behind the driver’s seat with three forward and one reverse gears. The suspension was semi-elliptical springs as usual at the time but there was a fifth transverse spring connecting the two rear springs. The tires could be pneumatic (rare) or solid (more common). The driver’s seat was on the right as on most American trucks of this period.
The American army tested the truck in 1909 but only the Pennsylvania National Guard ordered 10 examples in 1910. The British army on the other hand ordered 460 chassis in 1918 (265 with water tanks, 189 with standard bodies which were sent to Africa, the last 6 without destination remained in England). The Canadian army used 20 coaches, thanks to two men: Raymond Brutinel, a Frenchman who had made his fortune in Canada and who, when war was declared, wanted to return to France to fight, and Sir Clifford Sifton, his Canadian friend, a lawyer, businessman and politician who managed to convince him to create together a unit of armoured trucks equipped with machine guns. As Vickers machine guns were unavailable at the time, Brutinel travelled to the Colt Company of Hartford, Connecticut and placed an order for 20 Colt machine guns. He then travelled to the Autocar Company of Ardmore, Pennsylvania and ordered 10 chassis (8 armoured with two Colt machine guns supplied with 12,000 rounds and 2 for refuelling) which had a reliable reputation, and which could support the weight of the armour. He then moved on to the Bethlehem Steel Company where he bought stocks armour plates. Returning to Canada, Brutinel directed the design of the armoured bodies that would be mounted on the truck chassis. The end result was an open topped armoured box with an angled front plate and drop sides which only protected the driver up to the neck and the crew up to the chest. The machine guns were pedestal mounted, capable of firing over the sides of the vehicle, and also able to be dismounted for ground use. The Armoured Autocar weighed 3 tons, had a crew of 8 and had a maximum speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) on roads; its offroad capabilities were limited. A public subscription was launched and the result was beyond expectations, which made it possible to double the number of vehicles ordered. In total, 8 combat coaches were planned, 5 for ammunition and equipment supplies, 1 for oil and water supplies, 4 for command, 1 for repair, and an ambulance. Before departing to England, the brigade was reviewed in Ottawa at the rockliffe ranges on September 23, 1914 by the Governor-General, the duke of Connaught. The brigade then travelled by rail to montreal and was shipped to England.
The vehicles arrived in England in October 1914 with their Colt machine guns which were replaced in 1916 by Vickers. Initially, the English authorities did not know what to do with these vehicles and relegated them to coastal defence while the Canadian division left for the front. It was political pressure from the Canadian authorities that decided to send them to France on 16 June 1915 as the First Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade. Five batteries were formed, A and B comprising four combat coaches each, C, D and E being support batteries, a total of 8 Armoured Autocars, 20 machine guns, 8 trucks and 4 automobiles. Unfortunately, with trench warfare, their usefulness seemed nil, so much so that the machine gunners were expected to fight outside the vehicles, these only serving as transport. It was even proposed in early 1918 to dismantle the armour and use it as conventional trucks. But before this was done, the Germans launched their major offensive on 21 March 1918.
In combat:
Given the urgency of the situation, General Gough committed the First Motor Brigade the next day as firefighters in the hole formed by the retreat of the XVIIIth and XIXth Corps to prevent the Germans from breaking through. It should be noted that most of the time, the machine guns were used in indirect fire like artillery. On March 25, a first Coach of the A Battery was lost at Licourt then a second on March 30 at Domart. The Coaches played a crucial role in these difficult days but the too low armour caused about 40% of losses among the crews. A third Coach was lost in September, but with the resumption of mobile operations, the Coaches played their role fully, even if a fourth vehicle was lost on November 4, 1918. The repair echelon then spent its time trying to make available the maximum number of vehicles (rarely more than three) because the wear was significant, the Coaches having been used permanently. At the armistice, two vehicles took part in the parade in the Belgian city of Mons on November 15, 1918, one of which was equipped with a Lewis machine gun at the front. The coaches then left for the occupation in the German city of Bonn. Then from January 1919, the Canadian troops began their repatriation and the coaches were sent to England and then two examples returned to Canada, one joining the Winnipeg militia and the other being used as a training vehicle in Montreal before joining the Canadian Army Museum in Ottawa where it can still be seen today.
