The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-03-17

Prepared In the Office OF the Chlef
OF Ordnance of the United states
Army.I
Armored motor cars are still In the
experimental stage in the United
States army. So far. only four ar
mored cars have been obtained, al
though an order has been placed for
two others.
Two of the cars already obtained
are constructed on two-ton truck
chassis having four-wheel drive, with
q maximum speed Of fourteen miles
per hour. These cars have gross
weight of approximately $4,000 pounds
each and are considered too heavy
for use over the ordinary roads ana
bridges OF this country.
The other two cars are constructed
on one and one-half ton truck chassis
with rear-wheel drive and have
maximum speed of thirty-ffse miles
per hour. Their gross weight 10 about
1000 pounds each.
The two additional cars which
are being obtained are OF q still light
err type, being constructed on touring
car chassis. Their gross weight will
be under 5000 pounds each. and they
will be capable OF developing speeds
as high as forty-five or fifty miles
per hour.
Specifications Of Car.
Some of the special specifications
for these are In part as follows: The
wheels will be of the wire type equip
ped with Dayton airless tires, or
equal. The rear wheels will be Of
dual cross lace type. AL wheel rims
will be drilled for tire stems so that
pneumatic tires suited to the rims
may be used IL desired or In case OF
emergency. The construction of the
wheels will be such that they can be
easily removed and in emergency the
single tire spare front wheels may
be used on the rear axle. Two COM
plete spare front wheels with tires
will be furnished with provision for
carrying ON the outside Of the car,
The spare wheels will be carried suf'
ficently far up on the side Of the
car SO that the road clearance will
not be decreased
Three gasolene tanks will be pro-
vided, one of which will have q ca
pacity of twelve gallons and be in
the lower rear portion of the car. The
other two tanks will have a capacity
of nine gallons each and will be
mounted in suitable spaces in the rear
of the interior OF the car. The ffil-
ing holes will be so located that the
tanks may be conveniently filled
without removing ammunition or
stores. All tanks must feed gaso-
lene directly to the carburetor, and
IL not SO located that gasolene Will
feed on the steepest grade the car
is capable Of ascending, the Stewart
vacuum feed system will be used.
Suitable sediment traps, drain cocks,
and shut-off cocks will be provided,
there being one of the latter in the
supply line from each tank. The
two smaller gasolene tanks viii be
fitted with large connecting pipes
leading to the twelve-gallon tank so
that in case OF damage to one OF the
small tanks II may readily be drained
into the larger tank.
A suitable hand-operated long norm
will be provided.
Two suitable fixed headlights with
armor protection will be furnished.
The armor lids covering these lights
will be so arranged that, they can
be tripped from the inside OF the
car. The headlights will be supple
mented by a spot light of commercial
pattern that can be turned through
a reasonable range. The light will
be SO attached to its fastening that
IL can be readily removed and held
in the hand IL desired. The neces-
sary dash, trouble light with extern
sion cord, and tail light will be fur
nished-
A suitable foot accelerator. speed
ometer, ETC., will be furnished. but a
muffier cut-out will not be furnished.
All armor will be of two.inch plate,
complying with the specifications for
armor plate laid down in Ordnance
Department pamphlet No. 434, except
that of the ballistic test, which will
consist of one round for each plate
Q5o-grain bullet 2,IOO ks), from the
United States service rife at a range
of 100 yards.
The hood will be so constructed that
access may be easily had to the en-
CINE for ordinary inspection, etc,