Army Modifies Standard Models
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IT is understood that the Army has 1 taken delivery of 50 commercialehicie chassis, modified to incorporate four-wheel drive, as renewals of " softskinned " transport.
• The Army was to have been re-equitiped with specialized combai vehicles having Rolls-Royce B series engines and all wheels driven, but it was found impracticable to build up a mechanized transport System independent of the commercial market. A cornpromi:-e has, therefore, been made by including 16 per cent. combat vehicles, 34 per cent. general-service vehicles {commercial models modified to fouror six-wheel drive) and the remainder, standard commercial chassis.
The combat vehicles are constructed for full cross-country operation and are assembled from standardized parts. This range includes the Nuffield .1,-ton four-wheel-drive truck, which is the British successor to the Jeep, and incorpora/es the Rolls B40 engine. •
The military 1-tonner, using the sixcylindered engitte, is being made by the Rootes Group. A 3-tonner with an eight-cylindered engine is planned, but a contract has not yet been given out. There is also a Leyland 10-ton combat vehicle employing the B80 engine. General-service vehicles are mostly 1-tonners made by Austin and MorrisCommercial, and 3-tonnerS of Ford, Bedford and Commer manufacture.
A26 They are two-wheel-drive models, converted to military specification by fitting driven front axles, transfer cases and other modifications.
The general-service range also ineludes the Land-Rover and A.E.C., Albion, Scammell and Thornycroft 10tonners, of which the A.E.C. and Scammell have six-wheel drive. Standard commercial vehicles, with twowheel drive are to be issued to all units the work of which is hauling by road. Orders are being placed for severai thousand of these models annually, sin] they are generally being supplied by the manufacturers of the general-service vehicles.
Trailers Will be drawn by vehicles of all three categories.