The Ford FT B (also known as Ford Tf-c and model 1920) was the first armoured car designed and built in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. Built on the chassis of the
Ford T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relati ...
and armoured with re-used armoured plates, the car was a successful design for its time. The main designer was the engineer Tadeusz Tański. The armoured vehicle originated on account of the high demand during the Polish-Soviet war in 1920.
After the outbreak of the Polish-Soviet War in 1919, the
Polish Army
The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stret ...
was severely under-equipped. Except for a number of
Renault FT
The Renault FT (frequently referred to in post-World War I literature as the FT-17, FT17, or similar) was a French light tank that was among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history. The FT was the first production tank to ...
tanks that arrived with the Blue Army formed in France, the Polish forces lacked any armoured reconnaissance vehicles. During the Soviet offensive leading to the battle of Warsaw the situation became even more tragic as many Austin-Putilov Armoured Cars captured from the Red Army were retaken by the
Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
. It was then that engineer Tadeusz Tański, a renowned inventor and a worker of the Ministry of Military Affairs, designed his armoured car. The project originated within only 2 weeks from Tanski’s initiative. The prototype was prepared in less than two weeks in the ''Gerlach i Pulsing'' works in Warsaw. After a series of tests the production started, and each of the battle-ready cars was immediately dispatched to the front-line and attached to various units. Altogether a series of 16 or 17 cars were made.
The project was based on the successful
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relati ...
, one of the most popular cars of the epoch. The chassis and the levers were significantly reinforced and the fuel tank was moved. In addition, the crank was extended to allow for starting the engine from the inside and the dashboard had been modified. The armoured plating was handmade out of scrapped German armoured trench shields, and attached to the chassis by bolts.
The FT-B cars took part in the later stage of the Polish-Soviet war and fought in the battles along the
Wkra
Wkra is a river in north-eastern Poland, a tributary of the Narew river, with a length of 255 kilometres and a basin area of 5,348 km² - all within Poland.battle of Warsaw, as well as the
battle of Kowel
The Battle of Kowel (also known as the Battle of Kovel or the Battle of Kovel-Stanislav) took place during World War I, from 24 July to 8 August 1916. It began with an Austrian counter-attack by Alexander von Linsingen south of Kowel, a city loc ...
and in numerous other battles.
The high speed, agility, and uncomplicated servicing and repair (thanks to the commercial Ford T chassis) were among the advantages of the vehicle. In spite of the extra weight of the armour, the vehicles managed well in heavy terrain, and were also able to cross relatively weak bridges on account of their low mass in comparison to other armoured vehicles. The Ford Tf C was really small in comparison to other armoured vehicles of the era, being for example half the size of the Austin-Putilov, and offered a smaller target. Nevertheless, the consequence was that Ford Tf C were very cramped inside, and the driver had to steer from a
squatting position
Squatting is a versatile posture where the weight of the body is on the feet but the knees and hips are bent. In contrast, sitting involves taking the weight of the body, at least in part, on the buttocks against the ground or a horizontal object. ...
. Another problem was engine overheating during longer cross-countrydrives, or with let down cooler armour plating. Also, the springs were overloaded in spite of strengthening, but the vehicle was urgently required and the advantages offset the defects. In 1921 Tanski offered to build another series of 30 vehicles; however, this was rejected, because the war was over and no other armoured vehicles were required. 12 Fords Tf C armored vehicles outlasted the war and were in use until 1931. Some had proper names such as "Osa" (wasp), "Mucha" (fly), and "Komar" (mosquito) painted on their armor.
References
{{Reflist
;Bibliography
*Janusz Magnuski, "Samochody pancerne Wojska Polskiego 1918-1939", WiS; Warszawa 1993
*Jan Tarczyński, K. Barbarski, A. Jońca, "Pojazdy w Wojsku Polskim - Polish Army Vehicles - 1918-1939"; Ajaks; Pruszków 1995
*Piotr Zarzycki, "Improwizowany samochód pancerny FT-B Model 1920"; Młody Technik 11/1988
*Janusz Magnuski, "Samochód pancerny Ford"; MMG, Warszawa 1990