KP-bil
Encyclopedia
Terrängbil m/42 KP meaning "Off-road vehicle [19]42" with a secondary designation of "Scania Bodywork, Armoured" or "Volvo Bodywork, Armoured", was the Swedish army
's first armoured personnel carrier
, developed as a stop-gap measure during World War II
.
s were organized into a unit of their own, it was clear there was a desperate need for a troop carrier able to both keep up with the tanks and provide protection against artillery shrapnel and small-arms fire. Due to the war there were no international suppliers to buy from, so the only option was to develop a domestic solution. AB Landsverk
designed an APC consisting of a chassis from a regular army lorry equipped with an armoured shell.
The armour-plates were made by Bofors
, Landsverk
, Bröderna Hedlund and Karlstads Mekaniska Werkstad and then delivered to Volvo
and Scania-Vabis
for final assembly.
The first approved delivery was made in 1944, after some 38 vehicles had been failed due to tensions caused by welding the hardened steel
. This was rectified by switching to a soft-hardened steel and then heating the completed body-work in purpose-built ovens to remove the tensions.
The KP saw combat with Swedish UN forces
during the Congo Crisis
in the 1960s (Scania variant only). 15 KPs were also bought by the UN and used by the Indian and Irish battalions in Congo. An armoured, open top turret for the machine gunner was added to the KPs in Congo after a number of gunners were shot in the abdomen. KPs were also deployed by United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
during the Cypriot intercommunal violence
.http://www.gotlandsforsvarsmuseum.se/fordon/kpbil.htm
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world and a branch of the Swedish Armed Forces; it is in charge of land operations. General Sverker Göranson is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army.- Organization :...
's first armoured personnel carrier
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
, developed as a stop-gap measure during World War II
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...
.
History
In 1941, when tankTank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s were organized into a unit of their own, it was clear there was a desperate need for a troop carrier able to both keep up with the tanks and provide protection against artillery shrapnel and small-arms fire. Due to the war there were no international suppliers to buy from, so the only option was to develop a domestic solution. AB Landsverk
AB Landsverk
Landsverk was founded in 1872 as Firman Petterson & Ohlsen. It was a heavy industry, manufacturingrailroad cars, harbour cranes and agricultural machinery. It was located in Landskrona, Sweden.-Early days:...
designed an APC consisting of a chassis from a regular army lorry equipped with an armoured shell.
The armour-plates were made by Bofors
Bofors
The name Bofors has been associated with the iron industry for more than 350 years.Located in Karlskoga, Sweden, the company originates from the hammer mill "Boofors" founded 1646. The modern corporate structure was created in 1873 with the foundation of Aktiebolaget Bofors-Gullspång...
, Landsverk
Landsverk
Landsverk is the name of two forest farms located in the village of Lisleherad, in the municipality of Notodden, Norway.The name means "land squeezed in between the river and mountain in each end", or "land squeezed". The cultivated land is of minor importance compared to the value of the forest....
, Bröderna Hedlund and Karlstads Mekaniska Werkstad and then delivered to Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
and Scania-Vabis
Scania-Vabis
Scania-Vabis was a Swedish truck and car manufacturer. The company was formed from a merger of Scania with the firm of Vabis in 1911. The car production ended in 1929...
for final assembly.
The first approved delivery was made in 1944, after some 38 vehicles had been failed due to tensions caused by welding the hardened steel
Hardened steel
The term hardened steel is often used for a medium or high carbon steel that has been given the heat treatments of quenching followed by tempering. The quenching results in the formation of metastable martensite, the fraction of which is reduced to the desired amount during tempering. This is the...
. This was rectified by switching to a soft-hardened steel and then heating the completed body-work in purpose-built ovens to remove the tensions.
The KP saw combat with Swedish UN forces
United Nations Operation in the Congo
Opération des Nations unies au Congo, abbreviated ONUC, was a United Nations peacekeeping force in Congo that was established after United Nations Security Council Resolution 143 of July 14, 1960...
during the Congo Crisis
Congo Crisis
The Congo Crisis was a period of turmoil in the First Republic of the Congo that began with national independence from Belgium and ended with the seizing of power by Joseph Mobutu...
in the 1960s (Scania variant only). 15 KPs were also bought by the UN and used by the Indian and Irish battalions in Congo. An armoured, open top turret for the machine gunner was added to the KPs in Congo after a number of gunners were shot in the abdomen. KPs were also deployed by United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus was established in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and a return to normal conditions...
during the Cypriot intercommunal violence
Cypriot intercommunal violence
Cypriot intercommunal violence refers to periods of sectarian conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots on the island of Cyprus from 1963 to 1974.-Background:...
.http://www.gotlandsforsvarsmuseum.se/fordon/kpbil.htm