Armoured cars - Great Britain: books - history, types and construction

The Rolls-Royce Armoured Car (Osprey)

The first Rolls-Royce armoured car was a privately owned vehicle modified with a machine gun and limited armour, used by the Royal Naval Air Service in Flanders in 1914. By 1915, nearly 100 had been built and transferred to the Army.
These vehicles were deployed worldwide, including India, the Middle East, and southern Africa. Fast, quiet, and reliable, they were also powerful. Lawrence of Arabia famously remarked, "A Rolls in the desert is above rubies."

After World War I, the War Office continued production, refining the design. These vehicles remained in service across the British Empire, including Ireland and later Shanghai, and saw brief use in the early stages of World War II.

This book provides a complete history of the Rolls-Royce Armoured Car, covering its design, development, and role in conflicts from World War I through the interwar years.

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British Armoured Car Operations in World War I

Readers have come to expect a level of detail and critical rigour from the established military historian and author Bryan Perrett. They will not be disappointed at all here by this new publication. Focussing predominantly on the British armoured car units of World War One, it also untangles many fascinating strands forming the history of modern warfare.

Full of detail, it acquaints the reader with the complete history of the armoured car, from invention onwards, setting the history of its Great War service career firmly in context.
Well written in an accessible style, this publication serves as an impressive tribute to the armoured car, one of the most effective weapons utilised by the allies during the course of the Great War.

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Humber Light Reconnaissance Car 1941-45 (Osprey)

The Humber Light Reconnaissance Car (LRC) was an iconic vehicle of the British Army's Reconnaissance Corps during World War II, serving in various theatres from 1941 to 1945. The LRC provided excellent service with its agility, speed, and height, proving invaluable to the units that operated it.

This book, featuring numerous photographs and newly commissioned artwork, explores the development of the LRC, its use by the Reconnaissance Corps, and its importance to British infantry divisions in the theatres where it served.

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Staghound Armored Car 1942-62 (Osprey)

The Staghound was a unique World War II armored vehicle - designed and manufactured in the US, but intended solely for the British army. Since its combat debut in Italy in 1943 until the end of the war it had performed particularly valuable service in a reconnaissance role where its speed and armor ensured that it was able to extricate itself from trouble as required without additional support.

This book examines the development of this category of armored cars and offers a detailed analysis of the extensive combat use of the Staghound in British service as well as in the service of other Allied countries including Canada, New Zealand and Poland.

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T17E1 Staghound Medium Armored Car - Technical manual (TM9-741)

The T17E1, better known as the Staghound, was an American armored car design produced during the Second World War. It never saw service with front line U.S. forces but was supplied, via the United Kingdom, to British and Commonwealth forces during the war.
A number of countries used the Staghound after the war, with some of the vehicles continuing to serve into the 1980s. Production started in October 1942, and approximately 4,000 Staghounds were built in total.

The Staghound was an innovative design that incorporated some cutting edge features. It had two rear-facing six-cylinder engines with automatic transmissions feeding through a transfer case to drive both axles. Either two-wheel or four-wheel drive could be selected. Also, either engine could be shut down while in motion and taken out of the drive train.
Additionally, a power steering pump was incorporated that could be switched on or off manually from the driver's instrument panel depending on steering conditions. Steering and suspension components were directly attached to the hull as the structure was rigid enough to dispense with the need for a separate chassis.

The Staghound first saw operational service in Italy, where many units found its large physical size too restrictive in the narrow roads and streets of Europe. It saw the most service at squadron and regimental headquarter level.
Originally labeled restricted, this technical manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

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