Peugeot Armored Car

The Peugeot armored car was a four wheeled armored vehicle based on a commercial Peugeot truck that was quickly developed by the French in 1914 for use in World War I.

History

The Peugeot armored car was rapidly developed by the French Army in 1914 to halt the advance of German forces. The vehicle was improvised from an existing commercial Peugeot truck, and underwent a rapid series of developmental changes once entering production. The vehicle resembled other armored cars of the era, such as the Rolls-Royce Armoured Car, and possessed a single rather ungainly turret mounted to the top of the vehicle. The turret was equipped with a single 37mm gun, giving the vehicle effective firepower for the period, though a comparatively slow rate of fire compared to other vehicles equipped with machine guns. Early experiences on the battlefield quickly brought about improvements in armament and firepower to combat the new armored fighting vehicles emerging from Germany, and eventually the introduction of the tank. Production of the vehicle slowed once the war switched to trench warfare, finally ending with the end of World War I.^[1]

In combat

The vehicle was designed for speed and movement, making it suited to counter the initial German invasion of France in 1914. Once World War I had switched to trench warfare, the vehicle was of little use, and was delegated to patrolling roads in rear areas, though the Peugeot's speed was brought to advantage on one final occasion to stem the German breakthrough of March 1918. Following World War I, the few survivors were handed over to the Polish Army, where they remained in service for several years, seeing action against the Russians. Four cars were sent to Serbia as military aid from France, and later used by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.^[1]

Operators

•  France
•  Poland
•  Serbia
•  Kingdom of Yugoslavia
•  Romania (see Romanian armored cars during World War II)

References