- Yes
- Maybe
- No
History.
In 1935 the English authorities needed to change the old armored cars. In 1936, Morris Commercial Cars, a subsidiary of Morris Motors, introduced a new vehicle on the chassis of the Morris C9 4x2 15-cwt truck. The vehicle was called Morris CS9 and was classified as a Light Armored Car or LAC. About a hundred examples were ordered, and they were put into service in 1938, although the first ones were only used operationally in 1938 by the Royal Tank Corps. Various examples were also used by Commonwealth forces, and several others fell into the hands of their adversaries. A Morris armored car was captured by Italian Marshal Italo Balbo of the 11th Hussar Regiment at Bir El Gobi on 21 June 1940, and was reused by the “Brigata Corazzata Speciale Babini”.
As evidenced by at least one photograph, one of the Morris armoured cars was rearmed with Italian armament (probably because British weapons had been invalidated or for lack of suitable ammunition). The vehicle, along with other similar ones, was photographed with Centurion Balestra of the 4th CC.NN. Division at a military yard.
This armoured car, or a similar one, was used in the filming of the Italian propaganda film ‘Bengasi’ in 1942, while the others were used between 1940 and 1941 to contain the British forces that were rampant during Operation Compass.
Armaments and propulsion.
At least one such vehicle was rearmed with a 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT aircraft machine gun (instead of the 11 mm Boys gun) as main armament, while the secondary armament, consisting of a 7.62 mm Bren machine gun was left intact in its place.
The Breda-SAFAT machine gun could theoretically also mount the typical aeronautical sight.
In terms of engine, the armoured car was powered by a 96 hp Morris 6-cylinder petrol engine, which could push the vehicle up to a maximum speed of 73 km/h.
Specifications.
Spoiler
Crew: 3-4
Maximum weight: 4.5 t
Length: 4.77 m
Width: 2.05 m
Height: 2.13 m
Engine: Morris 6-cylinder petrol engine with 96 hp
Maximum speed: 73 km/h
Armament: 1x Breda-SAFAT 12,7 mm and 1x Bren 7,62 mm
Armor: 7-0 mm
Pictures and drawnings.
Sources.
Spoiler
Brigata corazzata speciale "Babini" - Wikipedia
“Gli autoveicoli da combattimento dell’esercito italiano Volume II”
Morris CS9 - Wikipedia
Le matériel capturé par les Italiens en Afrique du Nord · Milguerres
Morris CS.9 armoured car (1938)
Armorama :: Resicast 1:35 Morris C9 Armoured Car Review
Morris CS9 - Wikipedia
4ª Divisione CC.NN. "3 gennaio" - Wikipedia
Breda-SAFAT - Wikipedia
Breda-SAFAT machine gun - Wikipedia
SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM: Le mitragliatrici Breda-SAFAT da 7,7 mm e 12,7 mm