| Staghound Mk1 | |
|---|---|
| Country | UK |
| Type | Armored car |
| Description | Photo album of 104 photos walk-around of a Staghound Mk1 |
Photo Gallery of a Staghound Mk1 , The Staghound was an armored car in activity during the second world war.
See also:
Design and Innovative Features
The Staghound was a large and sophisticated armoured car for its time, incorporating several notable design elements:
- Twin-Engine Setup: It was powered by two rear-mounted GMC 270 6-cylinder gasoline engines. This setup provided redundancy and the ability to run on a single engine to conserve fuel or in the event of damage.
- Drivetrain: Power was routed through a single transfer case, allowing for selectable 4×4 (four-wheel drive) operation.
- Armour: Protection was significant for an armoured car, with steel plating ranging up to 44 mm on the turret front.
- Crew: The vehicle was operated by a five-man crew: Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver, and Hull Machine Gunner.
Armament (Staghound Mk I)
The vehicle’s firepower came from a combination of light anti-tank and machine gun armaments:
- Main Gun: One 37 mm M6 cannon mounted in a fully rotating, power-operated cast turret.
- Stabilizer: Early production models were equipped with a gyroscopic stabilizer for the main gun, an advanced feature for improving accuracy on the move.
- Secondary Armament:
- One .30 cal M1919A4 Browning machine gun (coaxial with the main gun).
- One .30 cal M1919A4 Browning machine gun (in a ball mount in the hull’s bow).
- A pintle-mounted .30 cal M1919 machine gun on the turret roof for anti-aircraft defense was often included.
- Smoke: A 2-inch smoke mortar was also fitted in the turret.
Service and Legacy
The Staghound’s combat debut came in Italy in 1943 with South African forces, having arrived too late for the initial North African Campaign. It was widely used in the subsequent Italian campaign and in North-West Europe (1944–1945) by Commonwealth and Allied forces in a heavy reconnaissance role.
The vehicle proved highly reliable and durable, leading to a long post-war career. It was exported to numerous countries and remained in active service in some regions, such as the Middle East, until the 1980s, demonstrating its fundamentally sound and long-lived design.
Key Specifications (Mk I)
| Characteristic | Specification |
|---|---|
| Country of Origin | USA (for UK) |
| Mass | 14 tonnes |
| Length | 5.49 m (17 ft 10 in) |
| Max Speed | 89 km/h (55 mph) |
| Main Gun | 37 mm M6 cannon |
| Crew | 5 |
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