Staghound Mk III in Lebanese Service - now with a rooftop .50cal

Sebbo_the_Plebbo · March 9, 2024, 6:50pm

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Lebanese Staghound

Introduction

The development of the Staghound began in response to U.S. Army Ordnance specifications for a medium armoured car issued in July 1941, alongside a heavy armoured car specification that led to the development of the T18 Boarhound. Ford Motor Company crafted a prototype named T17 with six driven wheels (6 x 6), while Chevrolet produced a model named T17E1 with four driven wheels (4 x 4). Concurrently, the British Purchasing Commission sought similar vehicles for the North African war effort.

Both the T17 and T17E1 shared a turret designed by Rock Island Arsenal, incorporating British requirements such as accommodating at least two crew members and situating the radio within the turret for proximity to the commander. The T17E1, known as the Staghound in British nomenclature, resulted from collaborative efforts between British liaison officers and Chevrolet engineers. Despite initial flaws identified during testing, production commenced in October 1942. Although a U.S. Army board recommended cancelling larger armoured car projects in favour of a lighter vehicle, production of the Staghound continued for the UK under Lend-Lease, with a total of 3,844 units manufactured. The Staghound featured innovative elements including two rear-facing 6-cylinder engines with automatic transmissions, selectable two- or four-wheel drive, and a unique power steering system that could be manually activated based on steering conditions. Its rigid hull structure eliminated the need for a separate chassis, showcasing advanced engineering for its time.

Following WWII, Britain found itself with a massive excess of armoured fighting vehicles, and begun to sell them off to buyers all over the world. One such purchaser was Lebanon, operating 56 Staghound armoured cars between 1949 and 1983. Quite exactly how Lebanon obtained these vehicles is a topic of debate, but the common consensus is that they were sold as WWII excess to Jordan from Britain, and Jordan then passed them on to Lebanon shortly after. In Lebanese service they saw extensive action, predominantly during the 1958 Lebanon Crisis and from 1975 onwards during the Lebanese Civil War. Over the period of their operation, they were modified extensively with additional armaments and turret swaps.

The variant being discussed in this suggestion is not hugely different to the vehicle originally operated by the British – the main difference being the roof-mounted M2 Browning .50cal. In-game this would be a useful weapon against aircraft and other light vehicles. As well as this, the hull machine gun and 4th crew member were also re-instated on these Staghounds.

Specifications

Spoiler

Mass: 14t
Length: 5.49 m
Width: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
Height: 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)
Crew: 4
Armour: 9 to 44 mm
Main armament: 1 × Ordnance QF 6-pounder OR 1 x Ordnance QF 75mm - the Staghound Mk III was historically equipped with both, usually the 75mm
Secondary armament: 2× .30 (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns
Anti-aircraft armament: 1x .50cal M2 Browning
Engine: 2 × GMC 270 rated at 97 hp (72 kW)
Power/weight: 13.9 hp/tonne
Suspension: Wheels, 4 x 4
Operational range: 450 miles (724 km)
Maximum speed: 55 mph (89 km/h)

Images

Spoiler

Lebanese Staghound

Staghound-MkIII-lebanon-2