M8 Greyhound

The M8 Light Armored Because was an armored vehicle with wheels produced by the Ford Motor Compagny and used by the allied S during the Second world war. He was still seen with the combat until 2006 in the armies of the countries in the process of development. The British called it Greyhound (greyhound).

Development

In July 1941, the Ordnance department launched an invitation to tender for an armored vehicle on wheel in order to replace the M6 Farco, a truck not armor-plated, armed with a gun of 37 Misters Three prototypes were presented: the Studebaker (T21), the Ford (T22) and the Chrysler (T23), all similar in term of performance and design. In April 1942, a version improved of T22 from Ford was selected. Thereafter, it had become obvious that the gun of M8 was too weak to beat the German armoured tanks, thus it was famous M8 Light Armored Because and intended for roles of recognition. Problems of startup delayed its production until in March 1943. The M8 last left the line productions in June 1945 and in all, 8.634 units were assembled (without counting M20 Armored Utility Because (see hereafter).

Description

M8 was armed with a gun of 37 mm models M6 (equipped with a telescopic sight M70D), a coaxial machine-gun Browning 1919 of 7,62 mm and a heavy machine gun Browning m2 of 12,7 mm on the turret. The pilot and the radio-operator took seat in the part before hull, the two others being in the turret. It could also take along 16 grenade S to hands, 4 Fumigène S (M1 model or m2), 6 mine S (anti-tank devices or anti-personnel) and of the rifles M1 for the crew. The shielding went from 3 mm (under the hull) to 19 mm (turret and front face of the hull). Its Hercules engine enabled him to reach 90 km/h on road and 48 km/h in any ground, speeds impressive for the time on this type of machine. Its tank of 224 L and its measured consumption of 35 l/100km enabled him to have a very suitable autonomy of 640 km.

Experiment with the combat

Baptism of fire of M8 take place into 1 943 in Italy. On the European faces it was confined with roles of recognition and in Far East, like anti-tank machine. Via the law of the lease-lend, 1.000 units were delivered to the the United Kingdom, the France and the Brésil.

The crews found it fast, reliable (after resolution of the engine trouble of youth) and sufficiently armoured and armed for the reconnaissance missions. However, its poor capacities in cross-country were reproached to him, the mountainous grounds of the the Alps, or muddy and covered with snow the Ardennes fine 1944 consigned it to missions on road, making him lose good number of missions. It was also vulnerable to the mines, so that the British often sandbags under its hull placed. Generally, M8 also took part in great number, with missions of supports of infantry where its weak shielding strongly handicapped it. The US Army started to think of its substitute as of 1943. Two prototypes, Studebaker T27 and the Chevrolet T28 were ready at the summer 1944. Both were found higher than M8 because they took well account of the information feedbacks of the use of M8 to the combat. However, the production was not launched because the army did not need any more.

After the end of the war, M8 were used for spots of occupation in Germany and took part in the Guerre of Korea. They were withdrawn from the active service, within US Army, shortly after. M8 were then delivered to the American police force and were useful to with it until in the years 1990. The Army used them until the Guerre of Indo-China. Following that, remaining M8 were sent to the Member States of NATO. In 2002, several M8 were seen in Africa and Latin America.

Country users

Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Benign, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Colombia, Cyprus, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Niger, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal , South Korea, Southern Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, the United States, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, Zaire.

Alternatives

T22 Armored Light Because

Initial prototype having made it possible at Ford to obtain the market.

T22E1 Armored Light Because

Prototype version with 4 wheels.

T22E2 Armored Light Because

Version standardized as a M8 Light Armored Because , version produced in great number.

M8E1 Armored Light Because

T22E2 with modified suspensions, two vehicles produced in 1943.

M20 Armored Utility Because

The M20 Armored Utility Because , so known under the name of M20 Scout Because , was M8 without turret. It was replaced by a superstructure low and opened with like armament, a machine-gun m2 of 12,7 Misters the crew could take along a Bazooka in order to compensate for the loss of its gun of 37 Misters first M20 were employed like Command Vehicle (command vehicle, equipped with new more powerful radios) or conveys recognition. However, rained the share of M20 were used as armored vehicle of transport of troop or like truck of armor-plated supply. Indeed, it mobile, fast, was sufficiently armoured to resist the weapons of small gauges and projections of Shrapnel.

The first name of M20 was M10 Armored Utility Because , but in order to avoid confusions with the Hunter of tanks M10 Wolverine, its name was changed. Between 1943 and 1944,3 680 M20 left the line productions of Ford.

T69 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage

At the end of 1943, an Anti-aérienne version of M8 was tested. It was equipped with 4 machine-guns m2 of 12,7mm in a special turret drawn by Maxson Corporation. The tests showed are inferiority vis-a-vis the M16 Multiple Gun Motor Cariage and the project was rejected.

M8 TOW Tank Destroyer

Update of M8 by company NAPCO, the principal armament was a launcher of missile BGM-71 TOW. Some specimens used by Colombia.

M8/M20 with the H-90 turret

Replacement of the turret by that of the Panhard AML 90.

CRR Brasileiro

Version developed in 1968 by the engineers of the Brazilian Army. New engine of 120 ch OM- 321 of origin Mercedes-Benz. In competition with EE-9 Cascavel, it was found lower and the project was cancelled, only one specimen carried out.

References

Steven J Zaloga, Tony Bryan - M8 Greyhound Armored Light Because 1941-91 , 2002 Osprey Publishing (New Vanguard 53), ISBN 1-84176-468-X.

External bonds

from wwiivehicles.com
RobertsArmory
Photo gallery At Tanxheaven
Armor penetration counts off US 37 mm guns
CRR Brasileiro At Warwheels.net

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