Samochód pancerny wz. 28
| Samochód pancerny wz.28 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 3 |
| length | 3.50 m |
| width | 1.40 m |
| height | 2.10 m |
| Dimensions | 2.3 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | 3-8 mm |
| Main armament | 1 × 37 mm SA-18 Puteaux L / 21 cannon (30 vehicles) or 1 × 7.92 mm wz.25 Hotchkiss machine gun (60 vehicles) |
| agility | |
| drive | Citroën B-14, 4-cylinder 20 HP (15 kW) at 2100 rpm |
| Top speed | 30 km / h |
| Power / weight | 8.7 hp / t |
| Range | approx. 200 km |
The Samochód pancerny wz. 28 ( Panzerwagen Modell 28 ) was a light armored automobile. From 1924 135 chassis of the type Citroën-Kegresse B2 10CV were procured in France , 90 of which received an armored structure in Poland and were named Samochód pancerny wz. 28 were designated. From 1928 they replaced the armored cars of the Peugeot type in the armored departments. Except for three vehicles, all wz. 28 due to inadequacies in the chassis in armored vehicles of the wz series . 34 rebuilt. The three tanks that had not been converted were still used during the attack on Poland and were destroyed in the process.
History and description
The origins of the wz. 28 go back to the French armored car AMC-M23, which connected the chassis of the Citroën-Kegresse B2 10CV with an armored body. This vehicle development was observed with great interest by the Polish army command. The half-track drive seemed to her to have been made for the Polish road and terrain conditions. A delegation of engineers was then sent to France to test the vehicle. Ultimately, the decision was made to purchase 135 chassis without a body in France. 90 chassis were to be given an armored structure, while the other 45 were to be converted into trucks or special vehicles. The manufacture of the armored structure was based on the French model AMC-M23. A 37 mm cannon was provided as armament. In 1925 two prototypes were completed, which were tested intensively at the cavalry school until 1928. In the same year the Polish Army decided to adopt the model. It was therefore called Samochód pancerny wzór 28 (wz. 28). By 1930 all 90 tanks had been delivered.
The chassis consisted of a rectangular frame. The front axle with solid rubber tires was rigidly installed and had leaf springs. The rear drive was a Kegresse P4T crawler track. It was driven at the rear and had four rollers and a guide wheel on each side. The chains were made of rubber and were 275 mm wide.
A liquid-cooled 4-cylinder carburetor engine Citroën B-14 with a displacement of 1477 cm³ was installed as the drive. It delivered 15 kW at 2100 rpm. The maximum speed of the tanks was 30 km / h.
The armored structure of the wz. 28 was made from rolled steel plates that were riveted together. The thickness of the armor plates was 3–8 mm. The floor of the vehicles was made of wood and not armored. Originally, the side and rear armor was arranged vertically. In 1929, however, this was changed and the armor plates were now installed at an angle.
The armament consisted of a 37 mm cannon model SA-18 Puteaux L / 21 with 96 rounds of ammunition for 30 vehicles. The other 60 tanks received the 7.92 mm Hotchkiss wz.25 machine gun with 2000 rounds of ammunition.
Calls
The first missions took place in 1925 with the two prototypes during a maneuver in Volhynia . From 1930 the vehicles were introduced into the armored car departments in Brest am Bug and Żurawica as well as at the tank school in Modlin. 30 of them were used as training vehicles, while the rest were stored as reserves in case of war. In 1931, 18 armored cars were made available to the state police to fight communist unrest in the east of the country.
Over time it turned out that the chassis did not meet expectations. The speed was too slow and the drive unreliable. In addition, a high level of wear on the rubber tracks was noticeable. The vehicle was in danger of tipping over due to its tall but narrow structure. Therefore it was decided to convert the tanks to a pure wheel drive. This resulted in the Samochód pancerny wz. 34 . 87 armored vehicles were converted. Three vehicles were not rebuilt and were used during the attack on Poland in 1939, all of which were destroyed. The last wz. 28 was destroyed by Ukrainian nationalist militias near the Hungarian border.
References and comments
See also
Web links
- Samochód pancerny wz. 28 (derela.pl)