Russia

Putilov-Garfors Armoured Car

As mentioned elsewhere, the Russians were pioneers when it came to Armoured Cars - much more so than, say, the Germans -, and already in 1914 they had started the work on several different new designs. One of these was the Putilov-Garford, perhaps the most heavily equipped Armoured Car seeing service during the Great War. The design was done by the prolific Putilov factory in Petrograd, and based on the chassis of an American truck made by the Garford Motor Truck Co.  The main armament was a 76.2mm gun mounted in the turret, at the rear of the vehicle, with 270 degrees traverse. In the turret a 7,62 machine gun could also be fitted, and additional two Maxim machine guns were mounted in sponsons on both sides of the hull, firing forward and to the sides. The vehicle was tough to control, it's weight was rather high, 8,6 tons, and as it was also top-heavy, so it was pretty much confined to the roads, which of course limited it's tactical value. Some 50 vehicles were made, and it was produced in 1915-16 in two series or marks: 1 and 2. (The main difference between the two series, was that the 2nd series had thicker armour, a longer gun and stowed more ammunition. There also seems to have been some differences in the design of the superstructure, but this is conjucture.) Despite it's faults, the Putilov-Garford was still a pretty successful design, it's thick armour and heavy armament impressing both friend and foe alike - it was perhaps the only Armoured Car that could meet and knock out Tanks, which they also did, especially during the Russian Civil War, when they were employed with effect by the Bolsheviks against the British tanks supplied to the Whites. First the Tsarist Army used it - the Putilov-Garfords chief claim to fame is the fact that is was the first Russian vehicle to enter Teheran in 1915 - , then Reds and Whites and other involved factions, including the Latvians in their War to liberate themselves. Captured Putilov-Garfords were also employed by Poles and Germans, some of them put into use during the Civil War in Germany in 1918. During the 1920's, surviving vehicles were converted into armed railway trolleys by the Red Army, who simply removed their rubber tires and fitted new steel wheels. In this capacity they soldiered on until 1941, when the last Putilov-Garford were destroyed by the Germans.

The Model

is made from the fine Cromwell 1/76 kit. It is basically a very good kit, but it lacks some detail, especially in the lower chassis area. Among the things added you can find protective back- and frontplate, wheel springs and a search light on top. I've also rebuilt the Front Lights.

Technical Data

Weight 8.6 tons Maximum Armour 13 mm Maximum Road Speed 18 km/h Armament 1 x 76mm Gun 3 x 7.62mm Maxim MG:s Crew 8 men

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