Panic armoured car, 1938

[riggerrob]

Poor Ruralia - or Ruratania depending upon your dialect - starts hearing rumours of neighbouring armies re-arming in 1938.
Currently, the Ruralian Army/Federal Police/Border Patrol only have a handful of “beater” Rolls-Royce armoured cars to patrol their eastern borders. They primarily use RR armoured cars for two or three man patrols.

The biggest current problem is semi-nomadic tribes smuggling cigarettes and “borrowed” cattle. Natives are primarily armed with .30 boot-action rifles of WW1 vintage and only fire the ocassional “warning shot” to scare off “federales.”

The western coast of Ruralia is rocky, quickly rising into steep, forested mountains. Only three highways connect the four coastal cities with inland prairies. Mountain villages are only connected by rough logging and mining roads.
Ruralian factories currently produce: motorcycles, 1 ton pickup trucks, mining and fishing equipment. A small factory has built a few fabric-covered biplanes for the Ruralian Air Force/Coast Guard.
Ruralian police have requested armoured patrol cars (2 or 3 seats) to replace RRs - before they fail completely - and would also like APCs capable of carrying up to a dozen police/border guards/soldiers. Common, high-wear, drive trains are needed because they only have a few mechanics and a slender budget.

However, rumour has it that a larger neighbouring nation - on the far side of huge grasslands - is buying tanks and armoured cars and modern airplanes, etc. The neighbouring country has a vague historical claim to rule Ruralia via an obscure shared ancestor in their royal families.

What type of armoured car(s) should Ruralia buy or build?

 

[Veiovis]

...is there an actual question you forgot to write down?

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

Let me introduce you to the Beverette. The British Panic Armoured Car. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Beaverette

 

[jsb]

1 ton pickup trucks

Rolls-Royce armoured cars

Can you mount the RR bodies on the pickup trucks?

 

[Driftless]

The Marmon-Herrington Armored Car might be a reasonable choice too. It was essentially a three-ton Ford truck chassis, with Marmon-Herrington 4WD running gear, and variable armor and armament slapped on top

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

If your industry can support it this would also be a good option.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Armoured_Car

 

[Deleted member 94680]

If they’ve got RR Armoured Cars, upgrade to Lanchesters

How does the terrain of Ruralia compare with Armenia?

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

This is probably the best existing match to Ruralia's motor manufacturing industry in 1938. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_CS9

 

[sparky42]

From Ireland's history, the Ford Mark IV-VI series (link to the mid Mark V):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mk_V_Armoured_Car

 

[yulzari]

Do the same as the British did with their RR Armoured Cars and put them on Fordson chassis or their own pickup. Perhaps a route into 4WD for the pick ups so benefits both ways?

 

[Deleted member 94680]

Do the same as the British did with their RR Armoured Cars and put them on Fordson chassis or their own pickup.

Out of timeframe, no? Wasn’t it not until 1940 that the Fordson came into service?

 

[sparky42]

Out of timeframe, no? Wasn’t it not until 1940 that the Fordson came into service?

But I doubt there was anything mechanical that would have prevented it being earlier if the national need was there?

 

[Deleted member 94680]

But I doubt there was anything mechanical that would have prevented it being earlier if the national need was there?

Probably not, but the nation that had them OTL didn’t figure it out ‘til ‘40 and Ruralia seems pretty lacking in indigenous brilliance, so I’d say it’s unlikely.

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

They swapped the Rolls Royce bodies onto the Fordson trucks when the RR chassis wore out, there's nothing to stop other operators of the Rolls Royce Armoured car doing that at any time if their RR's are knackered. It's not rocket science and is the sort of thing small relatively undeveloped countries did all the time.

 

[Richard V]

Landsverk L-180, or German equivalent Sd.Kfz. 231.

 

[sparky42]

They swapped the Rolls Royce bodies onto the Fordson trucks when the RR chassis wore out, there's nothing to stop other operators of the Rolls Royce Armoured car doing that at any time if their RR's are knackered. It's not rocket science and is the sort of thing small relatively undeveloped countries did all the time.

Exactly, I mean the Irish Army took the Peerless hull and mounted it onto Leyland Terrier Chassis in '35 and in '36 replaced their turrets, along with all the ones built domestically after that. As you say it's not anything complicated.

Landsverk L-180, or German equivalent Sd.Kfz. 231.

If Ireland of the 1930's could sustain the Landsverk I'm fairly sure pretty much anywhere could.

 

[jlckansas]

How thick is your plate to put on the chassis of the car? What size of vehicle you using for the original donor vehicle? Armament you want to use?

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

Exactly, I mean the Irish Army took the Peerless hull and mounted it onto Leyland Terrier Chassis in '35 and in '36 replaced their turrets, along with all the ones built domestically after that. As you say it's not anything complicated.

And the Peerless Armoured Car was made by putting the body of an Austin Armoured Car on a Peerless Lorry Chassis.

 

[Glyndwr01]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bison_concrete_armoured_lorry

The Bison was an extemporised armoured fighting vehicle frequently characterised as a mobile pillbox. Bisons were produced in Britain during the invasion crisis of 1940-1941. Based on a number of different lorry chassis, it featured a fighting compartment protected by a layer of concrete. Bisons were used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to protect aerodromes and by the Home Guard.[1] They acquired the generic name "Bison" from their main manufacturer.

 

[jsb]

Out of timeframe, no? Wasn’t it not until 1940 that the Fordson came into service?

Probably not, but the nation that had them OTL didn’t figure it out ‘til ‘40 and Ruralia seems pretty lacking in indigenous brilliance, so I’d say it’s unlikely.

They swapped the Rolls Royce bodies onto the Fordson trucks when the RR chassis wore out, there's nothing to stop other operators of the Rolls Royce Armoured car doing that at any time if their RR's are knackered. It's not rocket science and is the sort of thing small relatively undeveloped countries did all the time.

Might have something to do with British Army not wanting to rebuild RR bodies in case that stopped the replacements being bought at least until 1938 they would have expected to fully replace them soon with far better types coming in and then the panic of war in 39-40 made them want anything....