Book Review of
U.S. Army Ford M8 & M20 Armored Cars
Illustrated Special
Author: Didier Andres
Casemate Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-63624-310-8
BY Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $39.95
ISBN: 978-1-63624-310-8
BY Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $39.95
HISTORY:
The M8 light armored car is a 6×6 armored car produced by the Ford Motor Company during World War II. It was used from 1943 by United States and British forces in Europe and the Pacific until the end of the war. The vehicle was widely exported and as of 2006 still remained in service with some countries.
In British service, the M8 was known as the "Greyhound", a service name seldom, if ever, used by the US. The British Army found it too lightly armored, particularly the hull floor, which anti-tank mines could easily penetrate (the crews' solution was lining the floor of the crew compartment with sandbags). Nevertheless, it was produced in large numbers. The M8 Greyhound's excellent road mobility made it a great supportive element in the advancing American and British armored columns. It was marginal cross country, especially in mud.
SPECIFICATIONS :
Type: Armored car
Place of origin: United States
In service: 1943–present
Wars: World War II, Chinese Civil War, Korean War, April Revolution, Greek Civil War, First Indochina War, Cuban Revolution, Algerian War, Congo Crisis, Vietnam War, Cambodian Civil War, Laotian Civil War, Guatemalan Civil War, Colombian conflict, Internal conflict in Peru, Iran-Iraq War
Designer: Ford Motor Company
Designed: 1942
Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Produced: March 1943 – June 1945
No. built: 8,523 M8, 3,791 M20
Mass: 16,400 lb (7.4 t)
Length: 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m)
Width: 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m)
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Crew: 4 (commander/loader, gunner, driver, assistant driver)
Armor: Up to 1 in (25 mm)
Main armament: 1× 37 mm gun M6 with 80 rounds
Secondary armament: 1× .30 caliber (7.62 mm) Browning M1919 machine gun with 1,500 rounds, or 1× .50 caliber (12.7 mm) Browning M2HB machine gun with400 rounds
Engine: Hercules JXD 6 cylinder 4-cycle inline gasoline engine of 110 hp (82 kW) at 3,200 rpm
Power/weight: 14.79 hp/metric ton
Transmission: Synchromesh of 4 speeds forward, 1 reverse
Suspension: Leaf spring
Ground clearance: 11.4 in (0.29 m) under axles
Fuel capacity: 54 US gal (200 L)
Operational range: 100–250 mi (160–400 km) cross country, 200–400 mi (320–640 km) on road
Maximum speed: 55 mph (89 km/h) on road
Steering system: Steering wheel
THE BOOK:
Casemate is an old prolific publisher of their own line of books and a distributor of other company’s books, based in Havertown, PA. USA.
This book is hard-bound of 164 pages (4 pages are blank) in 8” x 10” page format.
The cover art shows 4 black and white photos of Ford M-8’s and M-20’s.
The book holds 341 black and white photos, including the covers.
There is 1 color illustration of an M-8, ammo rounds, dashboards.
There are 16 data lists.
The book starts in 1914-19, with Armored Car no. 1, that has 2 turrets (5 photos).
The 1917 no. 2 (8 photos).
The 1928-34 T1, T2ET and T4. Including an interior shot of the T1.
A T-5 half-track, T-6. T-7, T-8, T-9 interior, T-10, 2 armored cars built for other countries.
The M-1 (7 photos)
The T-22 & T-22E1 (1 photo each)
T-23 (8 photos)
Many photos of the M8 and M20 interior and exterior and engines etc.
This is a great book that will interest both modelers and military historians.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample.
All Casemate books can be viewed on their website at:
The M8 light armored car is a 6×6 armored car produced by the Ford Motor Company during World War II. It was used from 1943 by United States and British forces in Europe and the Pacific until the end of the war. The vehicle was widely exported and as of 2006 still remained in service with some countries.
In British service, the M8 was known as the "Greyhound", a service name seldom, if ever, used by the US. The British Army found it too lightly armored, particularly the hull floor, which anti-tank mines could easily penetrate (the crews' solution was lining the floor of the crew compartment with sandbags). Nevertheless, it was produced in large numbers. The M8 Greyhound's excellent road mobility made it a great supportive element in the advancing American and British armored columns. It was marginal cross country, especially in mud.
SPECIFICATIONS :
Type: Armored car
Place of origin: United States
In service: 1943–present
Wars: World War II, Chinese Civil War, Korean War, April Revolution, Greek Civil War, First Indochina War, Cuban Revolution, Algerian War, Congo Crisis, Vietnam War, Cambodian Civil War, Laotian Civil War, Guatemalan Civil War, Colombian conflict, Internal conflict in Peru, Iran-Iraq War
Designer: Ford Motor Company
Designed: 1942
Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Produced: March 1943 – June 1945
No. built: 8,523 M8, 3,791 M20
Mass: 16,400 lb (7.4 t)
Length: 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m)
Width: 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m)
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Crew: 4 (commander/loader, gunner, driver, assistant driver)
Armor: Up to 1 in (25 mm)
Main armament: 1× 37 mm gun M6 with 80 rounds
Secondary armament: 1× .30 caliber (7.62 mm) Browning M1919 machine gun with 1,500 rounds, or 1× .50 caliber (12.7 mm) Browning M2HB machine gun with400 rounds
Engine: Hercules JXD 6 cylinder 4-cycle inline gasoline engine of 110 hp (82 kW) at 3,200 rpm
Power/weight: 14.79 hp/metric ton
Transmission: Synchromesh of 4 speeds forward, 1 reverse
Suspension: Leaf spring
Ground clearance: 11.4 in (0.29 m) under axles
Fuel capacity: 54 US gal (200 L)
Operational range: 100–250 mi (160–400 km) cross country, 200–400 mi (320–640 km) on road
Maximum speed: 55 mph (89 km/h) on road
Steering system: Steering wheel
THE BOOK:
Casemate is an old prolific publisher of their own line of books and a distributor of other company’s books, based in Havertown, PA. USA.
This book is hard-bound of 164 pages (4 pages are blank) in 8” x 10” page format.
The cover art shows 4 black and white photos of Ford M-8’s and M-20’s.
The book holds 341 black and white photos, including the covers.
There is 1 color illustration of an M-8, ammo rounds, dashboards.
There are 16 data lists.
The book starts in 1914-19, with Armored Car no. 1, that has 2 turrets (5 photos).
The 1917 no. 2 (8 photos).
The 1928-34 T1, T2ET and T4. Including an interior shot of the T1.
A T-5 half-track, T-6. T-7, T-8, T-9 interior, T-10, 2 armored cars built for other countries.
The M-1 (7 photos)
The T-22 & T-22E1 (1 photo each)
T-23 (8 photos)
Many photos of the M8 and M20 interior and exterior and engines etc.
This is a great book that will interest both modelers and military historians.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample.
All Casemate books can be viewed on their website at:
Highly recommended.