M3 scout car
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The M3 scout car (known as the White scout car in British Commonwealth service) was an American armored car produced in the World War II era, from 1939 to 1944. The original M3 scout car was produced in limited numbers, while the improved M3A1 scout car saw wide service during World War II and after.
Design
The main production variant, the M3A1 scout car,[1] was a lightly armored, open topped, machine gun armed, four wheel drive vehicle designed to be used in the reconnaissance role. The M3A1 scout car was crewed by a driver and commander, while there was seating for six additional occupants in the rear.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Powered by a Hercules JXD 6-cylinder in-line petrol engine delivering Template:Cvt, the M3A1 Scout Car had a maximum road speed of Template:Cvt and the Template:Cvt fuel tank gave a maximum range of Template:Cvt. The vehicle’s four wheel drive and bumper mounted unditching roller enabled it to cross a Template:Cvt wide trench and climb a Template:Cvt high step, maximum fording depth was Template:Cvt.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
The armored body of the M3A1 Scout Car was produced by the Diebold Lock and Safe Company. It had a maximum armor thickness of Template:Cvt and was open topped, providing good fields of view but no overhead protection for the occupants, a canvas cover was provided for protection from the elements. The underside protection was also limited, giving little protection from the effects of land mines for the vehicle’s occupants.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
The M3A1 Scout Car was typically armed with a .50 cal M2 Browning heavy machine gun and one or two .30 cal M1919 Browning machine guns, all mounted on a skate rail upon which the pintle mounts could be moved about. Due to its open top, the occupants were also able to employ their personal weapons.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
History
Development
- M1 Scout Car
The M1 Scout Car was the first of a new series of armored cars developed by the White Motor Company for the US Army. Tested in 1934, the M1 Scout Car was an improvised, open topped four-wheel drive vehicle based on a commercial White ½-ton truck design. It weighed Template:Cvt, was powered by a Template:Cvt engine, and had a top speed of Template:Cvt. The M1 Scout Car had a crew of four, a maximum armor thickness of Template:Cvt and was armed with machine guns mounted on static mounts inside the vehicle. Seventy-six M1 Scout Cars were delivered to the US Army.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
- M2 Scout Car
The M2 Scout Car was a development of the M1, tested in 1935. The almost identical-looking M2 was larger and more powerful, and designed with as many commercial components as possible to keep costs down. It could accommodate a crew of seven. The M2 Scout Car weighed Template:Cvt, was powered by a Template:Cvt engine and retained the top speed of Template:Cvt. Twenty M2 Scout Cars were delivered to the US Army.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
- M2A1 / M3 Scout Car
The M2A1 Scout Car, later redesignated the M3 Scout Car, was a further development of the M1 and M2 Scout Cars. The M2A1 / M3 Scout Car retained the Template:Cvt engine and had a top speed of Template:Cvt. Sixty-four M2A1 / M3 Scout Cars were produced, all being assigned to the 7th Cavalry Brigade.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
- M3A1 Scout Car
The M3A1 Scout Car was the final development of the series. Primary external differences from the M3 were a widening of the body over the fenders, the removal of the rear door of the M3 and the addition of the front roller. Internally, the M3A1 had an improved engine and was fitted with the machine gun skate rail. A total of 20,918 were produced between 1939–1944. It was the only version to see service outside of the United States, with the exception of Philippine Scouts in the 26th Cavalry Regiment (PS) who were issued the M2 variant before 1937.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Variants
The M3A1E1 Scout Car was developed to increase the range and fuel economy of the vehicle, it was powered by an Template:Cvt Buda-Lanova 6DT-317 six-cylinder diesel engine. 3,340 were produced, all were sent to the Soviet Union.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
The M3A1E2 Scout Car was a version with an armored roof.Template:Fact
The M3A1E3 Scout Car was an experimental version fitted with a pedestal mounted 37 mm Gun M3.Template:Fact
The M3A1 Command Car was a command version, fitted with an armored screen and additional side armor.Template:Sfn
The M2 Half Track was developed from the M3A1 Scout Car by adding half-tracks to the rear of the vehicle. The post-War BTR-40 was a Soviet development of the M3A1 Scout Car concept.Template:Sfn
Service
United States
The M3A1 was used by cavalry units of the US Army in its intended cavalry role during the North African campaign and the invasion of Sicily, being employed for reconnaissance, screening and as an armored command vehicle. The M3A1 was fast and reliable, making it popular with its crews. However, it was a major disappointment in its intended role, because of its poor off-road performance and its lack of overhead protection. Cavalry units were forced to supplement it with the M2 Half-Track Car and the larger M3 Half-tracks.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Throughout 1943, most US Army units replaced the M3A1 with the M8 Greyhound armored car and the similar M20 Utility Car, although the M3A1 was retained for rear area security and convoy escort duties. A small number of M3A1s were employed in the Normandy campaign. A few M3A1s were used by the US Marine Corps in the Pacific theater, but none saw combat.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
General George Patton used an M3A1 as a command vehicle, modified with additional armor and a raised fighting compartment.Template:Sfn
A total of 11,401 M3A1 Scout Cars were allocated for supply to US allies under the Lend-Lease policy; 6,987 were supplied to the British Commonwealth, 3,310 to the Soviet Union and 104 to the Chinese Nationalist Army. Some were also supplied to Free Belgian, Free French, Czechoslovak and Polish forces.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn[2]
Britain
In British Commonwealth service, the White Scout Car was regarded more as an armored truck, reflected in the designation "Truck, 15cwt, 4x4, Armoured Personnel", and was used in a variety of secondary roles, being issued to engineer, artillery (as an observation vehicle for field artillery observers) medical (as a protected ambulance) and signals units; within the Royal Armoured Corps’ Tank and Armoured Car Regiments it usually served in Squadron or Regimental headquarters. It was used by British Commonwealth forces in every theatre they fought in except Burma.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Soviet Union
In Soviet Red Army service, the M3A1 was used as an armored personnel carrier by brigade and corps reconnaissance units and motorcycle battalions and regiments, operating alongside the BA-64 armored car. The M3A1 was also used as an armored command vehicle and a gun tractor for the ZIS-3 76-mm field gun, although the towing hitch proved to be unreliable, the M3A1 remained in widespread service throughout the war.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
China
The Chinese Nationalist Army received M3A1 Scout Cars from 1942 and used them throughout the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War.Template:Fact
Postwar service
After the war, many vehicles were sold, mostly to Asian and Latin American countries while they remained in Soviet service until 1947. A few vehicles were used by Israel in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. At least one Israeli M3A1 was modified with top armor and a revolving turret. France employed its M3A1s in the First Indochina War[3] and the Algerian War.[2] The Madagascar Armed Forces still had M3s in service Template:As of.[4]
Operators
- Second World War
- Template:Country data Australia
- Template:Country data Belgium
- Template:Country data Canada
- Template:Flagicon Free Czechoslovakia
- Template:Country data Free France
- Template:Flagicon Dutch East Indies – 40 vehicles, out of an order of 400, were delivered before the colony was overrun by Japan.
- Template:Flagcountry
- Template:Country data Nazi Germany – captured vehicles.
- Template:Country data New Zealand – M3A1s used by 2nd NZ Division engineering units.Template:Sfn
- Template:Flagicon Polish Armed Forces in the West
- Template:Country data USSR
- Template:Country data United Kingdom
- Template:Country data United States
- Post-War
- Template:Country data Brazil – 100 M3A1
- Template:Country data Cambodia – 15 M3A1s used by the Cambodian Army in 1954–1975.
- Template:Flagcountry
- Script error: No such module "flag". – captured from the Chinese Nationalist Army during the Chinese Civil War.
- Template:Country data Chile
- Template:Country data Colombia
- Template:Country data Costa Rica
- Template:Country data Czechoslovakia
- Template:Country data Dominican Republic[5]
- Template:Country data Dutch East Indies
- Template:Country data El Salvador
- Template:Country data France[2]
- Template:Country data Greece
- Template:Country data Israel
- Template:Country data Katanga
- Template:Flagicon Kingdom of Laos – 19 M3A1s used by the Royal Lao Army during the Laotian Civil War (1954–1975).
- Template:Country data Lebanon – M3A1s used by the Regional Gendarmerie and the Lebanese Air Force in 1949–1959.
- Template:Country data Liberia[5]
- Template:Country data Madagascar[4]
- Template:Country data Mexico
- Template:Country data Norway
- Template:Country data Philippines
- Template:Country data Poland
- Template:Country data Portugal – M3A1s used by the Portuguese Army in Africa during the Portuguese Colonial War (1961–1974).
- Template:Country data South Vietnam
- Template:Country data USSR
- Template:Country data United Nations – captured Katangese vehicles used by ONUC forces.
- Template:Country data Venezuela[6]
- Template:Country data Yugoslavia – 300 received during the Informbiro period.[7]
See also
References
Bibliography
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- David François, El Salvador – Volume 1: Crisis, Coup and Uprising 1970-1983, Latin America@War Volume 32, Helion & Company Limited, Warwick UK 2023. Template:ISBN
- David François, El Salvador – Volume 2: Conflagration 1984–1992, Latin America@War Volume 34, Helion & Company Limited, Warwick UK 2023. Template:ISBN
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External links
Template:Military navigation Template:Military navigation
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