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Panhard Type 178

1935 COLD WAR WORLD WAR 2

History

The Panhard Type 178 armoured vehicle is an evolution of the Toe-M-32 system, originally developed to patrol overseas areas of the French Empire, especially in civil unrest-ridden North Africa. These areas became increasingly unstable, and unarmored vehicles soon proved limited in their tactical range, forcing the need for armored wheel systems. AutoMitrailleuse de Decouverte was the company that built the Type 178 and equipped it with a four-wheel-drive 4x4 transmission - the first of its kind in Europe at the time for an armored vehicle. The engine is mounted in the rear compartment, and the weapons are mounted in the 360-degree rotating turret position.

Four numbered wheels are pushed to the most extreme corners of the chassis for maximum surface displacement. The arrangement of the Type 178 proved so successful that its style was soon adopted by all the major military powers of the world and produced their own first-class wheeled armoured vehicles.

In the French Army inventory, the Panhard Type 178 was officially designated the AMD Panhard Modele 1935 and, as its name suggests, entered service in 1935. Even by today's modern standards, the vehicle's design is traditional, with multi-faceted sloping armor for light ballistic protection. The overall picture was fairly clean, and it was a revolution at the time. There is a standard four-man crew with the driver in the center of the fuselage, his forward vision protected by a hinged armored slotted panel.

Fenders cover each wheel system to keep dirt and mud loose on the vehicle's surface. The Type 178 has a barrel length of 15 feet 9 inches and a height of only 7 feet 7 inches. Armor protection thickness is between 7 and 20 mm. The weight is about 8 tons. Power is provided by a single Panhard 8-cylinder 105-horsepower engine.

The transmission allows four forward and four reverse gears, and is efficient enough to allow reverse speeds of up to 26 mph. The top speed is 45 mph and the maximum range is 186 miles.

Armored vehicles such as the

Type 178 proved invaluable in the coming world war as they were highly agile compact combat units that could be deployed quickly when needed. Their speed and range make them excellent scout vehicles, capable of detecting or harassing enemy fortifications as needed. As such, they were usually lightly armed and armored roles and assigned to mechanized cavalry or infantry units. The Type 178 was initially armed with a short-barreled cannon and one or two 7.5mm general purpose machine guns.

After some practice, the weapon of choice became a high-speed 25mm L/73 cannon and a 7.5mm coaxial machine gun. Armament includes 150 rounds of 25mm ammunition and 3,750 rounds of 7.5mm ammunition. There are other variants that forgo some or all of the weapons for the intended role, including command vehicles with fixed hull superstructures but no primary weapons.

These versions allow for additional internal storage space to implement additional radios and communications equipment.

The Type 178 played a role in the German invasion of France in 1940 and proved to be of considerable value. However, the original 25mm gun proved insufficient and was duly replaced with a 37mm gun, which was then further upgraded to a 47mm model. Production rose to a frenetic pace, but few increased in this way. France soon fell, and its combat capabilities, including existing products such as tanks, aircraft and, of course, the Type 178 armored vehicle.

Even the German Army discovered the value of the excellent French Type 178 systems and deployed them back into service under their own name, the Panzerspagwagen Panhard 178 P204(f). By mid-1941, nearly 200 prototypes had been handed over to the German army, representing basic French designs without any German modifications. A slightly modified form was later adopted by the Germans, which were used to patrol the railways.

So the chassis was stripped of rubber tires and steel wheels and replaced with flanged track wheels. These vehicles were used to patrol the area in front of vital supply trains to protect trains and tracks from ambushes or partisan attacks.

The railroad version served on both the Eastern and Western Fronts of the war, and at least 43 examples were modified for this service.

By 1944, the Germans were repulsed on multiple fronts. The Type 178 was sent back to the Renault factory in Paris, where the 50mm KwK-L/42 gun was installed on the original 25mm system. This resulted in a more powerful wheeled vehicle capable of fighting at least lightly armored and soft leather vehicles and deterring all direct enemy infantry action.

At the end of 1944, mainland France was liberated from Axis control, and with it the liberation of the institutions of war. For a short time, the Type 178 was produced again for the French Army as the Type 178B, and since then has been in service with the French Liberty Armed Forces.