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Hello everyone, I would like to suggest this Canadian armoured car known as the Otter.
History:
The Otter’s existence started when GMC Canada got the blueprints for the Humber LRC Mark III which they began to adapt for Canada. The prototype was ready in early 1941 where it was accepted as “Car, Light Reconnaissance, Canadian GM Mark I”. The Otter managed to have British weapons supplied to it giving it a .303 Bern light machine gun in the dome-like turret and .55 Boy’s AT used by the co-driver seat. Compared to the Humber it was based on the Otter used the Chevrolet C15 of the Canadian Military Pattern(CMP) trucks as of base. Other changes include a stubby nose with a more capable engine, a sloped roof and what is described as a characteristic tail. Production of the Otter started in mid-1942 and had 1761 units delivered. Although out of those units, only about 1000 found their way inside operational units with the rest kept at home in Canada for training and other various duties. In service, the Otter was one of the main reconnaissance armoured cars of Canada in WW2. The Otter’s primary service for Canada was in Sicily, Italy, Normandy, and the Low Countries. Along with the resonance role the Otter was used as a convoy escort with its turreted .303 as an SPAA gun. During the war, the Otter also served with the British RAF who used it as an anti-air and often replaced the .303 and the turret with a 20mm Oerlikon with a field modification of the vehicle. Post-war surplus was sold to the Jordanian Army which ended up in the various Arab armies of the time and even Israel. It was also bought by the Dutch who also used it in their conflicts post-war. The Otter was also used by the Italians as but of the allied surplus that helped rebuild their army.
More photos
Specs:
| Year | 1942 |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Type | 4x4 Armoured Car |
| Origin & Designer | Canadian/GMC & HBC |
| Numbers Produced | 1.761 (100 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Main Armament | 1 x .55in Boys Anti-Tank Rifle (Bow) |
| Turret Traverse | 360° (Manual) |
| Secondary Armament | 1 x .303 Bren Light Machine Gun (Turret) |
| Smoke Discharger | 4in Smoke Mortar |
| Height | 2.44m |
| Width | 2.16m |
| Length | 4.50m |
| Combat Weight | 4.976 kg |
| Ground Clearance | 0.20m |
| Fording Depth | 0.61m |
| Climbing Ability | 46° |
| Radio | No 19 Set |
| Armour: | |
| Hull Front: 12mm. | |
| Hull Sides: 8mm. | |
| Hull Rear: 10mm. | |
| Hull Top: 12mm. | |
| Hull Bottom: 8mm. | |
| Turret Front: 8mm. | |
| Turret Sides: 8mm. | |
| Turret Rear: 8mm. | |
| Turret Top: Open. | |
| Engine | GMC 6 Cylinder (Petrol) |
| Transmission | 4 Forward & 1 Reverse |
| Maximum Road Range | 161 km |
| Maximum Road Speed | 75 kph |