Just needed a break from painting some infantry. This model will be used with the British Commandos which I need to get around to finishing soon. It may also double up for the “forgotten” British in Burma which will be further down the track.

The Daimler Armoured Car was one of the most widely used and successful British Armoured Cars used in WWII and was primarily used for armed reconnaissance and liaison purposes. It was commonly used in the Sabre Squadrons of the Reconnaissance Regiments of the British Armoured Divisions, with the Humber Armoured Car being commonly used in the Infantry Divisions Reconnaissance Regiments, although they weren’t exclusive to either.

The Daimler was armed with a 2pdr main gun and a co-axial Besa machine gun, both located in the turret, and often another Bren gun on a pintle mount for AA fire. The vehicle was essentially an enlarged Daimler ‘Dingo’ Scout car that was developed in parallel to Daimler Armoured Car, both were produced by Birmingham Small Arms, and saw the first cars arrive in 1941. It was a four-wheel drive vehicle, with an engine producing 95 hp, giving it good off-road abilities, a top speed of 80 km/h on roads, and a range of around 320 kilometres

In Burma, the close jungle environment meant troops could be ambushed at any time, and crews much preferred fighting from inside an armoured vehicle rather than the Dingo scout version in the areas they could utilize the wheeled vehicles.

A British Indian Army armoured car regiment, the 16th Light Cavalry, which formed part of Fourteenth Army troops was partly equipped with Daimlers and served in the reconquest of Burma.

To improve the gun performance, some Daimlers in the European Theatre had their 2-pounders fitted with the Littlejohn adaptor, which worked on the squeeze bore principle. This increased the gun’s theoretical armour penetration and would allow it to penetrate the side or rear armour of some German tanks. I have been unable to confirm this use in Burma.

A different sort of battle report tomorrow.