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Dingo (scout car)
Encyclopedia
The Dingo Scout Car was a light armoured car built in Australia
during Second World War
. They were produced by the Ford
motor company during 1942.
whose industrial output was dedicated to more immediate needs in Europe, it was forced to try to develop and build them itself, and armoured cars and scout cars were no exception.
The Dingo was based on a commercial Ford 30-cwt 134.5 inch wheelbase
chassis shortened to 110 inches, fitted with a Marmon-Herrington
all wheel drive kit to give the vehicle 4 wheel drive. It was powered by either an 85 hp or 95 hp Ford V8 engine. Onto this was fitted an armoured body manufactured from ABP-3 (Australian Bullet Proof plate type 3) by Victorian Railways. Serial production began in early 1942.
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The Dingo was equipped with a Bren
light machine gun
and Mk19 wireless
. The vehicle's weight restricted its off road mobility and the front axle could be bent when travelling over rough terrain. A lighter version with only 10 mm of armour and an open top was proposed at the end of 1942 but not proceeded with as armoured cars could now be imported from overseas. All 245 vehicles produced were disposed of in 1945.
Surviving Dingos can be seen at the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) tank museum at Puckapunyal
Victoria, at the Australian War Memorial
, and at the Melbourne Tank Museum in Narre Warren
. There are also several vehicles in private ownership.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
during Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. They were produced by the Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
motor company during 1942.
History
Australia was unprepared for World War II and possessed little in the way of armoured vehicles, and being unable to purchase them from their traditional supplier, the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
whose industrial output was dedicated to more immediate needs in Europe, it was forced to try to develop and build them itself, and armoured cars and scout cars were no exception.
The Dingo was based on a commercial Ford 30-cwt 134.5 inch wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
chassis shortened to 110 inches, fitted with a Marmon-Herrington
Marmon-Herrington
The Marmon-Herrington Company, Inc. is an American-based manufacturer of axles and transfer cases for trucks and other vehicles. Earlier, the company built military vehicles and some tanks during World War II, and until the late 1950s or early 1960s was a manufacturer of trucks and trolley buses...
all wheel drive kit to give the vehicle 4 wheel drive. It was powered by either an 85 hp or 95 hp Ford V8 engine. Onto this was fitted an armoured body manufactured from ABP-3 (Australian Bullet Proof plate type 3) by Victorian Railways. Serial production began in early 1942.
Bren
The Bren, usually called the Bren Gun, was a series of light machine guns adopted by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1991...
light machine gun
Light machine gun
A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...
and Mk19 wireless
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
. The vehicle's weight restricted its off road mobility and the front axle could be bent when travelling over rough terrain. A lighter version with only 10 mm of armour and an open top was proposed at the end of 1942 but not proceeded with as armoured cars could now be imported from overseas. All 245 vehicles produced were disposed of in 1945.
Surviving Dingos can be seen at the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) tank museum at Puckapunyal
Seymour, Victoria
Seymour is a township in the Shire of Mitchell in the state of Victoria, Australia and is located north of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Seymour had a population of 6,063...
Victoria, at the Australian War Memorial
Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...
, and at the Melbourne Tank Museum in Narre Warren
Narre Warren, Victoria
Narre Warren is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 42 km south east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Narre Warren had a population of 25,667. Narre Warren has a population density of over 2000 people per square...
. There are also several vehicles in private ownership.