M8 Greyhound vol3 - Bilder &; Video

Den M8 lys pansret bil er en 6×6 pansret bil produsert av Ford Motor Company under andre verdenskrig. Den ble brukt av USA og britiske tropper i Europa og Fjernøsten til krigens slutt. Kjøretøyet ble mye eksportert og fra og med 2006 er det fortsatt i tjeneste med noen land i den tredje verden.

Kilde: M8 Greyhound på Wikipedia

The M8 Greyhound was a light armored car produced by Ford Motor Company for the United States and its allies during World War II. It was designed as a fast tank destroyer, but it soon became clear that its 37 mm gun was inadequate for that role. Instead, it was used as a reconnaissance vehicle, scouting ahead of the advancing armored columns and providing fire support with its coaxial and hull-mounted machine guns. The M8 had a six-wheel drive and a powerful Hercules engine, giving it a top speed of 55 mph (89 km/h) on roads.
It had a four-man crew and a radio for communication. The M8 was nicknamed “Greyhound” by the British, who received over 4,000 of them under the Lend-Lease program. The M8 saw action in Europe, North Africa, the Pacific and other theaters of war. It was well-liked by its crews for its speed and mobility, but it also had some drawbacks. Its armor was thin and vulnerable to mines, anti-tank guns and even heavy machine guns. Its open-topped turret exposed the crew to shrapnel and sniper fire. Its off-road performance was poor in mud and snow. Despite these flaws, the M8 remained in service until the end of the war and beyond, and was exported to many countries after the war.