Landsverk L-180 and its modifications
Previous projects of armored vehicles, developed in Sweden, clearly showed the inconsistency of existing ideas. The two-axle chassis of trucks simply could not cope with the new load and did not provide sufficient performance. Therefore, already in 1931, Landsverk began developing projects L-180 and L-185. These armored cars were to be equipped with the chassis of the new systems. So, the L-180 car was built on the basis of a 6x4 chassis.
The chassis of one of the Scania-Vabis trucks was taken as the basis for the L-180 armored car. At the same time, the base chassis underwent some modifications, which were intended to bring its characteristics to a level suitable for use in armored vehicles. During the development of the armored car, the frame and suspension of the base chassis were strengthened, a new Bussing-NAG engine with a capacity of 160 hp was installed. and the transmission has been redesigned. In addition, the chassis received bullet-resistant tires of the new model. As it turned out later, the modifications to the chassis were correct, although they did not allow to bring the characteristics of the car to the desired level.
The armored body of the L-180 machine was assembled from sheets with a thickness of 5 (roof and bottom) to 15 (tower) mm. The layout of the new armored car resembled the m / 25 and had a separate engine compartment in the front of the hull. The middle and rear parts of the hull were reserved for the fighting compartment. For more efficient ventilation, the engine compartment received three sets of blinds: on the front sheet and on the sides. A rotating turret with a weapon was installed on the roof of the fighting compartment.
In front of the fighting compartment were the driver (left) and machine gunner (right). The latter had a 7, 92 mm Madsen machine gun and controlled a relatively small sector in the front hemisphere. Three other crew members (commander, gunner and loader) were in the turret. They were in charge of a 20-mm Bofors cannon and a coaxial machine gun. The third machine gun was installed in the rear of the armored hull. Also in the stern, an additional control post was provided for leaving the battlefield in reverse.
In 1933, the first modification of the L-180 armored car, called the L-181, appeared. She had several serious differences from the base machine. First of all, it should be noted the chassis manufactured by Mercedes-Benz (Germany) with a Daimler-Benz М09 engine with a power of 68 hp. A similar engine was previously used on the German armored car Sd. Kfz.231 (6 Rad), but its performance was considered insufficient. Instead of a 20-mm gun, the L-181 armored car was equipped with a 37 mm gun with 67 rounds of ammunition. In addition, a second driver was included in the crew, who was supposed to be constantly at the aft control post.
In 1936, a modification of the L-182 was developed by order of Finland. Instead of a cannon, a large-caliber machine gun was installed on it, which made it possible to reduce the crew to four people. Otherwise, with the exception of some minor details, the Landsverk L-182 armored car was similar to the base L-180. Only one such armored car was built and handed over to the customer.
The accumulated experience in the creation of armored vehicles allowed Landsverk to create a combat vehicle with good firepower and a level of protection high enough for that time, as well as with a relatively low combat weight. An armored car with a length of 5.8 meters, a width of 2, 2 m and a height of 2.3 meters in ready-to-fight condition weighed a little more than 7800 kg.
During tests, an experienced L-180 armored car was able to reach a speed of 80 km / h while driving on the highway. The 120-liter fuel tank provided a range of over 280 km. The firepower and level of protection of the vehicle were at the level of light and medium tanks of the first half of the thirties. However, the Swedish armed forces were in no hurry to adopt the L-180 into service. The fact is that the previous experience in the creation, testing and operation of armored vehicles forced the Swedish military leaders to reduce the role of such equipment in defense strategy. The main emphasis was placed on tracked armored vehicles - light and medium tanks. In the case of the L-180, a positive decision was hampered by the low cross-country ability outside highways.
Lithuania became the first customer of armored cars of the L-180 family. In 1935, the Lithuanian military ordered, and the next year received six L-181 armored cars on a German-made chassis. At the request of the customer, the equipment was equipped with 20 mm Oerlikon cannons. In 1940, all six armored cars "went into service" in the Red Army. According to some sources, all these vehicles were destroyed in the summer of 1941, shortly after the start of World War II.
Denmark was the next buyer. In 1936, she purchased two L-181 vehicles. In the Danish armed forces, the armored cars received the designation PV M36. For several years, these armored vehicles were used only in exercises. During the German occupation, the M36s were used as patrol vehicles.
In the first months of 1937, Ireland became interested in the L-180 armored cars. The first two test vehicles were handed over to the Irish military the following year. In 1939, another contract was signed for the supply of six armored vehicles. Ireland set a kind of record - in its armed forces, the L-180 armored cars were used until the early eighties. It is worth noting that during this time the technique has undergone several upgrades. So, in the late forties, the composition of its units changed (armored cars were unified with other vehicles), in the mid-fifties, armored vehicles received a new Ford V8 engine, and two decades later, the L-180 was equipped with 20 mm Hispano-Suiza cannons and new machine guns.
In 1937, Estonia purchased one L-180 armored car, which was used by the Tallinn police until 1940. The further fate of the car is unknown.
The Netherlands became the largest foreign customer of the L-180 family of armored vehicles. In 1937, they expressed a desire to purchase 36 Swedish-made armored cars. The first batch of 12 L-181 armored vehicles, which received the designation Pantserwagen M36 in the Netherlands, was handed over to the customer in the same year. In 1938, the Netherlands received a dozen L-180s (locally designated M38) and at that supply stopped. The customer refused further purchases of equipment, explaining this decision by too much dependence on foreign manufacturers. In the future, it was planned to build armored vehicles on their own. In 1940, part of the vehicles of the L-180 family was destroyed, but eight armored cars were restored by German troops and used in their own troops.
The Swedish military showed interest in the Landsverk L-180 armored car only at the end of the decade, after seeing its success in the international market. In 1941 it was put into service under the designation Pansarbil m / 41. The order of the Swedish military department implied the supply of only five armored cars in the L-180 version. The operation of this technique continued until the early sixties.
Armored vehicles of the Landsverk L-180 family have become the most successful Swedish development in their class. A total of 49 vehicles of three modifications were built. To date, only four copies have survived. Two of them are in Ireland, one in the Netherlands and one in the Axvall Museum.
Landsverk L-185
During the L-185 project, as in the case of the previous L-180, the Swedish designers intended to move away from the 4x2 chassis. To improve the running characteristics, first of all, the cross-country ability, they decided to make the new armored car of the two-axle scheme all-wheel drive. It was expected that the use of such a chassis would significantly increase the capabilities of the new combat vehicle. The Swedish designers were partially right: the all-wheel drive chassis really turned out to be an effective way to solve the problems that existed at that time. Moreover, several decades after the creation of the L-185, it is difficult to find light armored vehicles without all-wheel drive. According to some reports, soon after the start of work, the Danish military became interested in the project, which is why further design was carried out taking into account possible supplies to Denmark.
For an all-wheel drive chassis, the Swedish designers turned to their American colleagues. A Fordson truck with a Ford 221 85 hp gasoline engine was chosen as the basis for the new armored car. The transmission of this truck distributed the torque to all four wheels. The suspension was made on the basis of leaf springs. The base chassis was equipped with a relatively low-powered engine. Since there were no alternatives that met the existing requirements, the designers of Landsverk had to create a project using existing opportunities.
It was required to lighten the structure as much as possible. For this, the armored body was assembled from 6 mm thick sheets. It is easy to see that the L-185 armored car turned out to be quite compact: by reducing the internal volume of the hull, it was possible to reduce the required amount of metal and, as a result, the weight of the entire structure. Including for this reason, the sides of the hull were located vertically, and the frontal and stern plates were at an angle. Louvers for engine cooling were provided in the front and side sheets of the hood. The frontal grille received a control system from the driver's seat.
The layout of the body of the L-185 armored car was classic: the engine compartment in the front, followed by the control compartment and the fighting compartment. Like some previous Swedish armored cars, the L-185 had two control posts, one of which was located in the rear of the hull. The crew of the armored vehicle consisted of five people, but during operation it was often reduced to four, refusing to have a second driver. In addition to two drivers, the full crew included a commander, a shooter and a loader. The armored car had only one door for boarding the crew, located near the front control post.
The main armament of the L-185 armored car was located in a rotating turret on the roof. A 20-mm automatic cannon and an 8-mm Madsen machine gun were installed in the conical turret with a characteristic bevel at the front. The second machine gun of the same model was run by the shooter, whose workplace was located to the right of the driver. The gun's ammunition was 350 rounds, and the ammunition boxes for machine guns contained a total of 3,500 rounds.
The dimensions of the new Swedish armored car, developed for Denmark, differed little from the dimensions of previous combat vehicles. The length of the L-185 armored car did not exceed 5 meters, the width was about 2 m and the total height was no more than 2.3 m. The armored car turned out to be relatively light. Due to savings at the level of protection, the combat mass was brought to 4.5 tons.
A light armored car with a relatively low-power engine, according to the developers, could accelerate to 80 km / h on the highway. However, on tests, he showed only half of the promised speed. The actual maximum speed on the highway did not exceed 45 km / h. The cross-country ability increased slightly compared to the previous 4x2 armored cars, but was still insufficient for normal movement over rough terrain.
The specific running characteristics of the L-185 armored car did not alienate the customer, although it probably influenced the latter's further plans. In addition, its fighting qualities should have been reflected in the attitude towards the vehicle ordered by the Swedes. With solid armament, she had insufficient booking. Because of this, the use of such armored cars in the army was a dubious undertaking.
Nevertheless, in 1934, the only copy of the new armored car was transferred to Denmark, where it received the new designation PV M34. Due to its limited characteristics, the machine was limitedly operated until approximately 1937-38, after which it was sent for storage. Information about the further fate of the L-185 / M34 armored car varies. According to some sources, it was disposed of by the end of the decade. Others claim that in 1940 the Germans received an armored car as a trophy, repaired and used it in police units. One way or another, the only armored car of the L-185 model has not survived to our time.
Landsverk lynx
By 1937, Landsverk designers had accumulated sufficient experience in the creation of armored vehicles and began work on a new project with the code name Lynx ("Lynx"). The goal of the project was to create a promising armored car with a 4x4 wheel arrangement, high speed and maneuverability, as well as with a good level of protection and firepower. Unlike previous projects, the new armored car was supposed to receive a chassis specially designed for it. Apparently, the use of ready-made units was considered futile.
Frontal projection of the vehicle and front control post (machine gun on the left). The turret along the vehicle axis is shifted to the right - the engine is shifted to the left.
Rear projection of the vehicle and rear control post (machine gun on the right).
An original armored hull was developed for the Lynx armored car. It had to be made of sheets up to 13 mm thick and had an interesting shape. For the convenience of manufacturing and placing the internal units, the front and rear parts of the body were made almost the same, they had minimal differences. Among other things, this made it possible to equip two control posts with an acceptable composition of instruments and observation equipment inside the habitable volume. The presence of two workplaces for drivers affected the placement of the engine. Scania-Vabis 1664 carburetor engine with 142 hp. installed in the middle of the hull, at the port side. Radiator louvers and an exhaust pipe were placed on board. This arrangement of the engine made it possible to make a relatively simple transmission that transmits torque to both axles. Four wheels with bullet-resistant tires received leaf suspension.
In front of the armored hull of the "Lynx" vehicle, at the left side, was the workplace of the first driver. He could observe his surroundings through observation devices on a small turret, as well as through the front hatch and hatch in his door. Both hatches, if necessary, could be closed with an armored cover with a viewing device. To the right of the driver was a shooter armed with an 8mm Madsen machine gun. In the rear of the hull, the shooter and the driver were also located, with the driver behind the engine (at the left side), and the shooter next to it. The main driver and shooters could get into the armored car and leave it through the doors in the sides. The stern driver did not have a door of his own. Due to the specific shape of the sides of the body, the doors were double-leaf. The front doors opened backwards in the direction of travel, the rear doors opened forward.
Not wanting to waste time developing a new combat module, the designers of Landsverk equipped the Lynx armored car with a turret borrowed from the L-60 light tank. The tower with the commander and gunner's workplaces was installed on the roof of the armored hull, with a shift to the starboard side. A 20 mm automatic cannon and an 8 mm Madsen machine gun were mounted in the turret. The gun's ammunition consisted of 195 shells. The total ammunition load of the three machine guns is over 2,100 rounds.
The armored car "Lynx" in its dimensions did not differ much from other Swedish vehicles of this class. Its length exceeded 5.2 meters, and its width was 2.25 meters. At the same time, however, the armored car turned out to be slightly lower than its predecessors. Its height on the roof of the tower did not exceed 2.2 meters. Combat weight reached 7, 8 tons. Inside such a relatively compact armored car, there was a crew of six people: a commander, two driver-mechanics, a gunner and two gunners.
The use of the original chassis, designed specifically for the armored car, made it possible to achieve high performance. On the highway, the Lynx car could reach speeds of up to 80 km / h. The fuel supply made it possible to overcome up to 200 kilometers. In cross-country cross-country ability, the vehicle could not compete with light tanks of that time, but it surpassed the early types of wheeled vehicles. The level of protection of the armored corps was recognized as acceptable, and the firepower corresponded to the views of that time on the armament of armored vehicles.
The tests, which demonstrated the advantage of the new armored car, did not convince the Swedish military. Because of this, Denmark became the first customer for Lynx armored vehicles. In the thirties, this state regularly made attempts to update its fleet of armored vehicles, but limited financial resources did not allow it to realize all its plans. In 1938, the Danish military resumed the search for suitable armored cars. After reviewing the documentation for various vehicles, the competition committee selected two finalists: the British armored car Alvis-Straussler AC3 and the Swedish Landsverk Lynx.
The winner of the competition was a Swedish armored vehicle. Despite the slightly higher price, it attracted the customer with its characteristics, as well as the speed of production. In addition, the Swedish side agreed to make some adjustments to the design of its armored car, for example, to remake the tower to install a radio station.
According to initial plans, Denmark wanted 18 armored cars. The supply contract was signed at the end of 1938. However, after a series of cost cuts, the Danish military was able to order only three armored vehicles. In April of the following year, Denmark received the ordered armored cars. In its armed forces, they received the new designation PV M39. For some reason, for several months, Danish soldiers could only learn to drive armored cars. The fact is that the supplied Lynx had no weapons. It was possible to bring them to a combat-ready state only in the fall of the 39th.
Seeing the military-political situation in Europe, official Copenhagen in the spring of 1939 decided to find the necessary funds to fulfill the original plan for the purchase of Swedish armored cars. In May 1939, a contract was signed for nine vehicles, and in February of the following year, Denmark ordered another six Rys. Some of the ordered armored vehicles were built by the spring of 1940, but further events did not allow the completion of the contract. At the beginning of April 40, Germany occupied Denmark and three of the available Lynx armored cars went to her as trophies. Subsequently, the cars were handed over to German police units.
Landsverk still completed the construction of the ordered armored vehicles, but was never able to transfer them to Denmark. It should be noted that some of the Lynx armored vehicles were built by Volvo, since Landsverk was filling several large military orders at that time. In 1940 they were adopted by the Swedish army under the designation Pansarbil m / 40. Before being handed over to the troops, the vehicles received new 20-mm cannons from Bofors. 15 armored cars "Lynx" could be transferred to the Danish military. At the beginning of 1941, Denmark offered Sweden to transfer the ordered equipment. Sweden refused, since it observed neutrality, and such a deal threatened with specific consequences of an international nature. There is information about a Danish proposal to transfer a batch of armored cars under the guise of steel. But even after him, the cars remained in the Swedish army.
The operation of the Landsverk Lynx armored vehicles in the Swedish army continued until the mid-fifties. In 1956, Sweden sold 13 armored cars to the Dominican Republic. The remaining two by this time, probably, have exhausted their resources. According to some sources, used armored cars "Lynx" were used in the fighting in the sixties, but there is no exact information about the results of their use.
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By the end of World War II, it became clear that armored vehicles in their current form did not have any prospects. The specific combination of mobility, protection and firepower no longer allowed them to act on the front line. Gradually, armored cars were reborn into new classes of equipment: combat reconnaissance and reconnaissance and patrol vehicles, whose combat missions are not associated with open clashes with the enemy.
The Swedish military department and the defense industry, analyzing the results of the recent war, came to the same conclusions as other countries. After the Landsverk Lynx armored car, such projects gradually disappeared from sight, being ousted by other equipment. It is worth noting that back in 1941, Swedish designers began work on the Terrängbil m / 42 armored personnel carrier, which used a number of developments on armored vehicles. However, this vehicle was intended to carry soldiers. Soon practice showed that with a similar construction cost and labor intensity of operation, an armored personnel carrier turns out to be much more useful for the army than an armored car. For this reason, the history of Swedish armored vehicles soon ended.
