Mann's Model Moments
Gecko Models 1/35 Daimler Armoured Car Mk. 1
Gecko Models 1/35 Daimler Armoured Car Mk. 1
The Daimler Armored Car was a British heavy armored car from the Second World War. The first prototypes were built in 1939, and serial production continued in the period 1941-1945. In total, approximately 2,700 copies of this vehicle were built. Daimler Armored Car it was powered by an engine Daimler 27 with 95 HP. The basic version of the vehicle was armed with a single 40mm 2-pounder cannon, 1 7.92mm Besa machine gun and 1 7.7mm Bren machine gun.
The Daimler Armored Car was created on the basis of the Dingo reconnaissance vehicle, but compared to its predecessor it had larger dimensions and much stronger armament located in the turret adapted from the Tetrarch tank. The vehicle was delayed to series production (it was not introduced until 1941) due to problems with the drive. Four main development versions were created in the course of production. The first - marked as Mk. And - it was, of course, the first production run. The next version was the Mk. II, which went into production in 1942. It had a modified cannon cover and an escape hatch for the driver. The third variant was designated CS and was equipped with a 76.2 mm howitzer. In total, only a few or a dozen copies of this version were made. The fourth version was the Daimler Armored Car Command or SOD, which was the regiment's command car and did not have a turret. The vehicle was used in North Africa and Western Europe, only marginal amounts went to the Far East. The Daimler Armored Car underwent its baptism of fire during the campaign in North Africa (1941-1943). Vehicles of this type also found their way to the Canadian Army, Australian units and the Polish Armed Forces in the West (PES). After the end of World War II, Daimler Armored Car armored cars were still in service during the Korean War (1950-1953), and were eventually withdrawn from service in the British Army in the 1960s.