Landships II

Date: Sep 29, 2005

Odd WWI USA ACs.

Date: Sep 29, 2005

As I recall, those are soft steel armour fitted to Cadillac auto chassis. These are with New York State National Guard, but similar vehicles can be found pictured in service with the California NG.

Date: Sep 30, 2005

Hello

Actually Two of the Armoured Cars are Mack Armoured Cars, constructed by the International Motor Company of New York, and based upon the Mack 2-ton truck, They weighed 4 1/2 tons, and mounted two Colt machine guns. The other one is a Locomobile Armoured Car, built to resemble the Mack, this armoured car was built on the Locomobile chassis, they were basically the same in design, with a few minor changes. They were indeed used by the 1st Field Artillery Battalion, New York National Guard.

All the Best

Tim R.

Date: Sep 30, 2005

Here is a link to the Davidson-Cadillac Armoured Car of 1915

https://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/ww1nsew/t5069.jpg

All the best

Tim R.

Date: Oct 3, 2005

B.T. White decribes these vehicles in "Tanks and Other AFVs 1900-1918".

They are 3 similar vehicles, each built on a different maker's chassis: Mack, White, and Locomobile. They were the nucleus of the 1st Armored Motor Battery, N.Y. National Guard.

"The whole equipment of this battery, which was raised on 18 March, 1916, and included 72 motor-cycles, two trucks, and a staff car, was paid for by a group of wealthy and patriotic New York citizens."

Dimensions were approx. 19' 8" long, 6' 6" wide, and 8' 4" high to the top on the mg shields. The armoured hulls from the radiator armour rearwards were identical and were built by the Carnegie Steel Corporation.

The Battery was used on the Mexican border in 1916, but the cars became well-known after the US entered the War as they were used in demonstrations and parades. The Battery was disbanded in November 1917; it was not absorbed into the regular army, which "had little use for armoured cars at the time".

The book also contains info on the Davidson-Cadillac, which was a one-off vehicle of 1915.