The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-08
't|eHT.CIl|NOtR KING
DONS FIGHTING I0GS
Interesting Tests Made by the United
States Government in Select
ing Armored Cars for
the Front.
(Capt. Frank +. Evans, q. S. Marine
Corps. Retired.)

Corps, Retireu.)
When congress, at .ts recent Fes-
SION, auth ria ed the purchase o. Two
IGNORED mctor cars .or the Marie
corps. at a cost not to exceed slo,-
90 for each complete car, the mead
quarters of the corps had ALREADY De-
gun its search for the armore0 car
designed for use on expediuonary ser
vice. Quad trucks in the Haitian apd
Santo Domingo operations had prov
ed that motor driven machines were
suita BILE, under favoring cndl,ions
for campaigns in tropical countries
The chief LIMITATIONS imposed by such
service were incidental to the nctori-
ousiy bad roads and trails found IN
both those theaters Of operation. and
heavy rain and trails. impossible ex-
cept by foot troops. had further mar
rowed their effective scope. when
not confronted by these hamperlng
conditions the trucks had done eX-
+ eellent work and contributed TO the
success of the expeditionary forces
The i'm provisation of armor capa-
bic OF resisting small arms IRE, and
the improvised installation OF a lght
armored car that could be used on
reconnaissance work in hostile ter
rtterv and for cooperating with foot
troo ps in many phases Of active ser
vice light car that combined with
mobility both defensive armor and an
offensive weapon was the goal de-
sired It is easily conceivable that
ander favorable conditions of terrain
such car would add to our hoasted
mobility, while. where the conditions
of the road due TO either trapical con-
iittors or the almost unbelievable
neglect Characteristic % both Haiu
and Santo Domingo. either prevent or
~ tho
rate equal 70 that OF infantry, the
mobility of the main offensive unit
would he harpeTed 10 a point that
would either threaten or prevent suc-
cess The destruction Of bridge
would alone be highly detrimental 70
the mobility OF a column accompani-
ed by armored cars One feature ~
the car that WAS tested or rather hs
eauipment, Is the re-enferced trussed
neel bridge provided for such q con-
tingency.
II the arrloref car makes good uu-
der the herdicaps that il will en-
counter in either of these countries
then Its range OF possibilities where
reasonably good roads are fonn7
would appear 70 Re almost unlimited
It's neral effect on unframed forces
when Il can be used will uniouhtef-
" 30 ~ great value
Tho AfTnorei Car Tests.
TNi1o i was obviously impossible
to 4url}~ate the conditions Of terrain
ana roadway that will he met in eth
rr Haiti or Santo Domingo, every eff
tnrt vas made ny tbe board appoint
cd ~ the ma tor general eonmanfaGt
m conduct exhaustive tests ~ car
~ m. desired type. to approximate
the cor Sitions
N addition to tho requirements of
lie operation on lard were consider
~ It's case ~ characterization aboard
shin. the raetica hilltv OF its 6lsem-
farfsafion where modern wharfage
farFiftiee we're rot available. and the
hes- and roost stn1nie method by which
II could be, whether under favora BILE
or urfsvors hie weather conditions
trn nsported from the deck Of a man
of-war or transport To the beach in
ore ~ the various tynes 81 boats car
rfed by such vessels These considera-
ito7~ naturally complicated the re-
a1iircn7e nts that car would satisfy
WHARF ALI its operations were restrict-
-sa land warfare Introducing the
elemen's ~ Sire ard weight thar must
% Ne -vst * siFsss with ~ Il IS A4-
THE m ior-reneraf commandment -
expedite the final acquisition of such
j.. car detsiled CAPTAINS Earl n FL
IFS and Andrew r. Drum, OF the line.
ard Captain Seth Williams ~ the
euartermaster's department &c
hoard 10 conduct tire tests The mai
renort OF the board was made by
rHntain Drum under date ~ August
Is 1915 two weeks prior 20 the hral
enactment 81 the naval appropriation
bill
The hoard frst made nrel!n1ina~v
survey NJ the cars available for It's
n =.
81 - conform 70 The salient charae-
teristics OF practical light arnored
ear HAPPILY such p car had proved
It's worth IN the European war and
-captain Waldo A Tess who had
seen service In the British forces had
taken UP with the Arnored Motor
Tar comnanv ~ Detroit. Mich, tire
IDEA ~ Introducing such car into
the American service. Captain Ross
had suffered permanent disa nifty
while attached TO the roval fvInS
rorps and arrived in Detroit to look
over the field for a motor car chassis
-nat ~e-ia -eanahie-af dexeian--
mert into a light armored car, He
bad heen attracted to the ei~ht-cv-
Under King of th-t automobile CEN
ter. hv virtue ~ the safisfa aforv
weight ~ IT'S chassis and its eight
cv''ndered m olive power.
FOLLOWING his supervision A car Of
the desired type was built and driv-
en- overland to Washington for ord
nance tests ~ he held bv the army
ordnance at Fort Mver, There tests
attracted immediate interest and In
afa'tion to prominent government
officials. certain attaches Of foreien
embassies and LEGATIONS watched the
r-~ a-mored car IN its work on ~ q
r'Nttr-~ reservation captatns Ellis
rnA Williams were present at the
demonstration.
Annor~ the tests to which the car
wes subjected was c1'mh hing a short
et-htrer- per rent grade over rough
eobblestored surface with full COM
r'Awert in IT'S crew and over the
~r'ndinr reilita-v road IN the re.er-
-a+ion leafinE 20 the Md signal store
house The nilot Of the scar drove II
in the sandhil' leading to the same
-cirt over such obstacles As sunken
s>rlders and holes with success and
then came a more rruelling test over
the terrain OF the Black ravine where
army trucks had invariably come to
rrief. At the bottom OF this rayine
.