M8 Greyhound Armored Car

Genesis

En juillet 1941, des spécifications pour un canon automoteur à roues, furent émises par la toute nouvelle Tank Destroyer. Ce véhicule devait être rapide, doté de 6 roues motrices, doté d' une silhouette discrète, posséder des capacités tous-terrains et être armé du canon antichar de 37 mm. Son poids devait également léger et il devait être convertible en porteur de mortier, transport de munitions ou encore véhicule de DCA.

In July 1941, specifications for a self-propelled gun with wheels, were emitted by the very new Tank Destroyer. This vehicle was to be fast, to be equipped with 6 driving wheels, to be equipped with a discrete silhouette, to have cross-country capacities and to be armed with the anti-tank gun of 37 mm. Its weight was to be also weak and it was to be convertible in carrier of mortar, transport of ammunition or anti-aircraft vehicle.

Studebaker T43/T21 Armored Car	Ford T22 Armored Car
src: U.S. Armored Cars in Action, Squadron/Signal Publications (Armor Number 37)

Trois compagnies furent contactées, fin 1941: Studebaker, la Ford Motor Co. et la Chrysler's Fargo Division. Studebaker proposa le T43 (plus tard renommé T21) 37 mm GMC, Ford proposa le T22 37 mm GMC et Fargo le T23 37 mm mm GMC. Des versions 4 roues furent également demandées à Ford et Chrysler. Cependant, l' expérience des modèles de la série M3 Stuart en Afrique du Nord démontra que les possibilités antichar du canon de 37 mm étaient assez pauvres. L' idée d' utiliser cette voiture blindée comme arme antichar fut donc abandonnée mais le Tank Destroyer Command ainsi que les unités de reconnaissance de l' US Cavalry désirait être dotés d' un tel engin pour leur missions de reconnaissance. C' est ainsi que l' appellation GMC fut abandonnée au profit de celle de Light Armored Car (voiture blindée légère).

Three companies were contacted, at the end of 1941: Studebaker, Ford Motor Co and Chrysler's Fargo Division. Studebaker proposed T43 (later renamed T21) 37 mm GMC, Ford proposed T22 37 mm GMC and Fargo T23 37 mm mm GMC. Versions 4 wheels were also requested to Ford and Chrysler. However, the experiment of the models of the series M3 Stuart in North Africa showed that the anti-tank possibilities of the gun of 37 mm were rather poor. The idea to use this armoured car as anti-tank weapons was thus abandoned but the Tank Destroyer Command as well as the units of reconnaisance of US Cavalry wished being equipped with a such machine for their reconnaissance missions. Thus name GMC was abandoned to the profit of that of Light Armored Car.

M8 Greyhound Armored Car

C' est le modèle de Ford, le T22, qui remporta la compétition entre les trois compagnies. Cependant des modifications furent exigées comme l' amélioration de la vision du poste de pilotage, la suppression de la mitrailleuse .30cal (7.62 mm) de caisse et l' ajout de caissons blindés de rangement et de jupes blindées sur les côtés. Quelques changement internes mineurs furent également exigés. La nouvelle version du T22 fut baptisée T22E2 et fut acceptée pour la production le 19 mai 1942 sous l' appellation de M8 Light Armored Car. Bien qu' ayant perdu le marché, Studebaker poursuivit son travail sur le T21 en 1942, mais ce dernier n' offrant pas d' améliorations par rapport au modèle de Ford fut finalement abandonné.

Au total, 11667 exemplaires de M8 furent produits par la Ford Motor Co. entre mars 1943 et avril 1945.

It is the model of Ford, T22, which gained the competition between the three companies. However modifications were required like the improvement of the vision of the cockpit, the removal of the machine-gun .30cal (7.62 mm) of hull and the addition of armoured boxes of arrangement and armoured skirts on the sides. Some minor changes were also required inside. The new version of T22 was baptized T22E2 and was accepted for the production on May 19 1942 under the name of M8 Light Armored Car. Although having lost the market, Studebaker continued its work on T21 in 1942, but this last not offering improvements compared to the model of Ford was finally abandoned.

A total of 11667 specimens of M8 were produced by Ford Motor Co between March 1943 and April 1945.

Sources:

• La Seconde Guerre Mondiale, Éditions C. Colomb
• U.S. Armored Cars in Action, Squadron/Signal Publications (Armor Number 37)
• Blindés de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale, Éditions Altas
• site WWII Vehicles
• site AFV Database
• Photos Gallery of WWII