The T27 Armored Car was a
prototype armored car developed for the
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
in 1944 by the
Studebaker Corporation
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Ma ...
. The T27 was an eight-wheeled vehicle, with the first, second and fourth pairs of wheels being powered. With a crew of four, the T27 was armed with two .30 caliber machine guns and a 37 mm cannon. Powered by a Cadillac gasoline eight-cylinder engine, two T27's were produced in 1944.
[Haugh (2005)]
The T27's production was cancelled in favor of a competing design by
Chevrolet, the
T28 Armored Car.
Development
It was developed by the
Studebaker Corporation
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Ma ...
in 1944 as a possible replacement for the
M8 Greyhound
The M8 light armored car is a 6×6 armored car produced by the Ford Motor Company during World War II. It was used from 1943 by United States and British forces in Europe and the Pacific until the end of the war. The vehicle was widely exporte ...
. It was completed in late 1943 and was tested against the
T28 Armored Car at the
Aberdeen Proving Grounds
Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) (sometimes erroneously called Aberdeen Proving ''Grounds'') is a U.S. Army facility located adjacent to Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland, United States. More than 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel work at ...
. Although the T28 was found out to be more mobile than the T27, both were superior to the mobility of the M8. After more testing at
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...
, the T28 was found superior to the T27 and was officially designated the M38, but it was later cancelled because there was no apparent need for new armored cars after it finished testing.
Specifications
Source:
See also
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List of U.S. military vehicles by model number
The following is a (partial) listing of vehicle model numbers or M-numbers assigned by the United States Army. Some of these designations are also used by other agencies, services, and nationalities, although these various end users usually assig ...
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Military technology and equipment
Military technology is the application of technology for use in warfare. It comprises the kinds of technology that are distinctly military in nature and not civilian in application, usually because they lack useful or legal civilian application ...
References
Citations
Sources
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World War II armoured cars
World War II armored fighting vehicles of the United States
Abandoned military projects of the United States
Wheeled armoured fighting vehicles
Reconnaissance vehicles
Studebaker vehicles
Armoured cars of the United States
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