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.
History
Tank Chats #29 Daimler Dingo Scout Car | The Tank Museum - The wheeled armoured scout car was the British Army's principal reconnaissance vehicle from the beginning of World War II until the 1980s. Scout cars were small and much quieter than a tracked...
Australia as a nation was ill-prepared for the Second World War and possessed little in the way of armoured vehicles. Being at the time unable to purchase them from their traditional supplier, the United Kingdom whose industrial output was dedicated to more immediate needs in Europe, they were forced by circumstance to develop and build them from what resources were to hand, and armoured cars and scout cars were no exception. Much creative application and innovation was spawned by the lessons learnt from the Great War.
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 85Â hp or 95Â 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.
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 distorted when travelling over rough terrain. A lighter version with only 10Â 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. And recently, at the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum in Cairns.There are also several vehicles in private ownership.
Notes
References
- Michael K. Cecil - Australian Military Equipment Profiles vol. 3, Australian Scout and Armoured Cars 1933 to 1945, 1993 Australian Military Equipment Profiles, ISBNÂ 0-646-14611-4.
- Spoelstra, Hanno. "Marmon-Herrington Military Vehicles".Â
External links
- Old CMP - Dingo
- The Australian Dingo Scout Car at Mheaust.com.au
