Austin Armored Car (Series)

History of Austin armored vehicles (series)

The armored vehicle proved its military worth in the battles of the First World War (1914-1918), when mechanized troops were just beginning to find their place on the battlefield. These vehicles provide mobile fire platforms and armored reconnaissance services, and are capable of impacting every engagement with a conflict.

Although seemingly indispensable, many early armoured vehicles were simply built on existing civilian commercial vehicle chassis that were never really solid for front-line military service, especially over rough terrain, while also Withstand extra armor, weapons and carry heavy ammo.

With the assassination of Austrian Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in June 1914, Europe mobilized for war as a long-standing alliance came into play. These included an alliance with Serbia against Austria-Hungary and Germany's Russian Empire, and in response the Russians set out to form their own mechanized tank corps to equip armored vehicles for future wars.

However, such a commitment soon found that Russia's industrial infrastructure was incapable of producing the required vehicles. A decision was made to send Russian authorities abroad in the hope of finding an armored vehicle design suitable for use by their armed forces, and the search led to the subsequent relocation of Austin Motors to the UK to meet the requirements of the Russian army and to take a civilian vehicle chassis, attach the required military components and Submit a product for review.

In September 1914, the Russians ordered the first 48 cars of the so-called "Austin 1st series".

Austin cars still retain their generally civilian appearance, especially in their length, and their four-spoke heavy rubber tire wheels are placed in the extreme corners of the design. Spare wheels were brought into battle as an emergency measure, while armor was added to the hull superstructure, which accommodated a crew of four.

The crew consisted of a driver, vehicle commander and a pair of machine gunners, each armed with a .30 caliber machine gun mounted in separate side-by-side mobile turrets behind the driver's position. The armor protection of various fairings ranges from 3mm to 4mm. The 30 hp engine remained in a compartment at the front of the vehicle, although the additional armored superstructure made the rear of the vehicle heavy and put a lot of stress on the rear axle and its drive wheels. Crew members are allowed to disembark and disembark through a double-walled rear door and another door on the left side of the cabin. The vehicle is powered by a liquid-cooled Austin 4-cylinder in-line engine with 50 horsepower.

This is combined with a four-speed drivetrain (with 1 reverse gear) and the entire vehicle is suspended on a 4x2 wheel suspension system that provides some off-road capability. The range is up to 125 miles, while road speeds on ideal surfaces can reach up to 35 mph.

As soon as the first Austin cars were shipped to Russia, authorities there provided enhanced protection by adding thicker armor plates to the front fairings, which were expected to see most of the effect of enemy guns. Despite this move, early action indicated the vehicles were poorly protected, and Izhorski Works overhauled their protection systems (upgraded to 7mm).

Despite improved occupant protection, this resulted in an overweight vehicle, which put additional stress on the chassis and wheels and limited drivability. Despite this shortcoming, these vehicles were pushed into use mainly due to the lack of better alternatives.

In March 1915, with the war in full swing, a new and improved version of Austin appeared, called the "Austin 2nd Series". Unlike its predecessor, a heavier chassis was chosen in the 1.5-ton range, so a higher output (50 hp) Austin-branded powerplant was used to provide the required power. The rear access door was removed and a completely new armored hull superstructure was added, which favored the firing arc of the machine gun.

Russia ordered at least 60 units, which were modified upon arrival to better meet the needs of the Russian military. These include the addition of armor shields on either side of the gunner position and a brand new rear-facing driver position (with an additional crew), which provides the vehicle with a means of escape without having to wrap the entire vehicle around its large turning radius rotate.

The "Austin 3rd Series" ordered on August 25, 1916 is closely based on the specifications of the 2nd series vehicles. The size of the side viewports has been reduced, and bulletproof glass has been added to the front viewport.

A machine gun guard on the turret is standard, and the rear hull includes the rear cab.

The 3rd Series was chosen locally by the Russian government, the 60 chassis came from Austin, and the armored hull superstructure was machined at the local Putilov plant in St. Petersburg.

The cars were expected to be delivered in 1917, but the Russian Revolution delayed their final arrival to March 1918, when 33 cars were introduced until production ceased in 1920. Due to their true Austin origin, these cars are commonly referred to as "Russian Austin" or "Austin-Putilov" cars.

After the Russian Revolution, at least 16 USS Austin en route to Russia were occupied by British troops. The British Army and Austin Motors made a dramatic move during the Battle of Amiens (1918), the vehicles were transported under cover behind hulking British tanks and released after traversing no man's land.

With their mobility and armament, the cars wreaked havoc on the German troops stationed, leading to the capture of the entire headquarters.

Also in 1917, just before the Russian Revolution, the "Austin Model 1918" became another evolution of the Austin car line. The new model lineup includes a reinforced chassis and dual rear-wheel drive to offset rear weight.

However, due to internal unrest, the model was not delivered to Russia (70 were ordered), and some of the model series were subsequently acquired by the Japanese Army, which did not use them until the 1930s.

The last known version of the Austin armored vehicle used the Austin Putiloff hull to mate with the half-tracked undercarriage and chassis of a French Kegresse tractor, resulting in the "Austin-Kegresse" model with 12 complete vehicles. Production continued from July 1919 to March 1920.

In addition to their use in World War I, Austin armored vehicles were heavily relied upon by the Red and White armies during the Russian Civil War. One of the last Austin armored vehicles to be retired was a unit of the Austrian Army, which was decommissioned in 1935.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

variable.

Changes