All photos source wikipedia, livejournal,dzen

History :

At the declaration of war in August 1914, the Russian army possessed in all and for all 711 vehicles: 418 trucks, 239 cars, 34 special vehicles (sanitary, cistern, workshop). Only one Russian firm produced vehicles and only cars (127 in 1913), the Russo-Balt company based in Riga. That is why, in parallel with national efforts, a commission was set up under the direction of the commander of the automobile reserve company, Colonel Sekretev (the same who led the commission of 1911-1912). This commission went to England in September 1914 to buy vehicles for the Russian army. In addition to trucks, cars and special vehicles, it was also planned to buy armored cars if possible. A specification was drawn up by the military technical direction of the general staff. Among the recommendations, it was asked for an armored roof which made the Russian army the first to recommend fully armored vehicles. When they arrived in England, unfortunately, there were no vehicles that fulfilled the specifications. During negotiations with the firm Austin for the purchase of trucks, the Austin management agreed to work on an order for armored vehicles fulfilling the Russian conditions. A contract was signed for 48 vehicles with delivery for November 1914. In October, the commission left for France and concluded on October 20 a contract for the purchase of 40 Renault armored cars identical to those of the French army even if they did not meet the Russian specifications (they did not have an armored roof). At the end of 1914, the commission bought a total of 89 armored cars (48 Austin, 40 Renault, 1 Isotta-Fraschini). These vehicles arrived in Russia between November 1914 and April 1915. It should be noted that in addition to these armored cars, the commission also bought 1422 other various vehicles.

In Russia itself, at the end of 1914, the Russian army had a single automobile machine-gun unit equipped with Russo-Balt type C and a Mannesmann-Mulag gun truck. The Russo-Balt factory was not in a position to supply quickly either a more resistant chassis or the quantity of chassis requested by the army. Studies were requested from other suppliers. The Izorski factories proposed an interesting armor project, but still struggled with chassis problems. The Renault arrived chassis and armor separated to be reassembled on the spot, but after thorough study, they were judged unfit for front battles, and so a part was reserved for the transport of ammunition for the armored cars and guns trucks and 11 were sent to the Izhorski factory in the summer of 1915 to receive a new armored superstructure designed by Captain Mgebrov. It should be noted that Captain Mgebrov’s team also received among others the unique Isotta-Fraschini which will give the Mgebrov-Isotta-Fraschini and a White truck that will give the Mgebrov-White. This superstructure was very original for the time because the plates were inclined for the first time in the history of armored vehicles and thus artificially increased the protection (7mm inclined were equivalent to 10.9 mm vertical). The front of the armored car was particularly streamlined and gave it a futuristic look, this was allowed because the radiator was not in front as usual but behind the engine. In return, the engine cooling was of lower quality. Work on a prototype began in September 1915 and ended the following spring, the tests took place on April 30, 1916 and showed both a surprising speed of 55 km / h together with an impossibility to off-road driving due to chassis overload. Meanwhile, Cpt Mgebrov died in august 1915 and to reduce the weight, Captain Bazhanov (head of the armored vehicles division at the military automobile school) decided to mount two turrets like Austins armored cars in place of the central turret, which allowed to gain 672 kg, this new version was completed in the summer of 1916 and the remaining 10 Renault were immediately converted as well. There were 10 models Mgebrov / Bazhanov – Renault with two turrets and one model Mgebrov – Renault with a turret. 2-turrets vehicles were sent to the front, but the fate of the only one turret vehicle remains unknown. A copy was also transferred on September 30, 1916 to the famous belgian corps des auto-canons mitrailleuses and took part in the fighting in southeastern Russia with the 7th Army. It should be noted that many photos of Mgebrov-Renault are taken in St. Petersburg, we can presume that given its poor performances in all terrain, most vehicles were repatriated to cities as soon as other more performing armored cars were available for the front. It must also be remembered that Russian armored cars were both a military and a political tool. Indeed, the majority of the civilian population being at best indifferent if not hostile to the war, it was essential to control it or to muzzle it and for that what better than an armored vehicle. This was especially valid for St Petersburg, where the royal family and all the organs of power were. Many Mgebrov-Renault survived the war and found themselves in the hands of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War, there were still four in the inventories made on December 10, 1929. Note that Captain Mgebrov did’nt see the end of his project because he died on the front on August 21, 1915. He was also working on a project of armored windows that will be placed on the Renault and a project for rifle grenades. It was while attending tests of these grenades on the front that he was caught in a surprise attack and then killed during the couter attack that follows. It should be noted that all but one of the photos show the two-turret model.

Technical description:

The vehicle is in three parts: the profiled front that contains the engine, a fixed compartment in the extension of the front where the driver’s seat is located with the driver, a circular compartment at the back that has on its rotative roof a fixed pillbox containing two maxim machine guns and a cupola for the chief officer. Note that this cupola is equipped for the first time in the world of armored glass. The chief officer could communicate with the driver via a flexible tube. The movable roof of the rear compartment which supports the fixed casemate with the two maxim machine guns has a very heavy complex rotation system that overloads the chassis, that’s why, later, it will be replaced by two Austin turrets placed diagonally. The weight will be reduced from 3.4 tons to 2.74 tons. The access was through two doors: a small trapezoidal on the left side and a rectangular at the rear of the central turret. The engine is a Renault 4 cyl, the radiator is placed behind the engine and is cooled by two ventilation ports on the sides, work hatches were provided on the sides and on the top of the hood. The wheels were protected by a circular plate and equipped with bulletproof tires. A light was mounted at the front.

Armor: 7mm nickel-chromium steel on the front, sides and rear (5mm on the roof) by angled plates riveted to angles to artificially increase the protection.

Armament: On the one turreted model, two Maxim mod1910 machine guns sliding on protective plates. Angle of fire from 0 ° to 90 ° for each machine gun. On the model with two turrets, two maxim machine guns with firing angle of 270 ° each.

Dimensions: length: 5,1m width: 2,32m height: 2,3m

It should be noted that many plans are false. The model with a turret and a single machine gun is nowhere shown with photo, the model with two turrets must show turrets that protrude from the sides of the body, in fact they are wider, the side motor hatches are different, Moreover, the rear part of the chassis after the turret was not protected in order to gain even more weight.