General
Prior to 1945 the Ejército del Perú made little use of wheeled armored fighting vehicles, despite the potential for their employment in the southern regions of the country. However, in 1946 negotiations were opened with the British Government to obtain significant quantities of light armored vehicles to re-equip units of the Caballería Blindado. The agreement covered the supply of two hundred examples of the Daimler Armored Car and a similar quantity of Daimler Scout Cars. The Daimler armored cars, then being replaced in service by the more modern Coventry armored car, were to be obtained second-hand from British Army stocks; however, supply difficulties forced the Ejército to place orders with the Daimler firm for new vehicles.
In the Ejército’s service the Daimler Armored Car was designated the Vehículo blindado ligero Modelo 46, and the first batch of surplus vehicles arrived in mid-1946. The smaller Daimler Scout Car, designated Automóvil blindado de reconocimiento Modelo 47, entered service early in 1947, deliveries being somewhat delayed due to the need to restart the production line.
Details
Automóvil blindado de reconocimiento Modelo 47
Weight: 3,000 kg
Length: 3.18 meters
Width: 1.71 meters
Height: 1.50 meters
Crew: 2
Armor: 30mm front, 12mm sides
Armament: one 7.65mm Ametralladora media Modelo 1919 (external pintle)
Engine: Daimler 6-cylinder, 2,500cc, rated at 55 hp
Power/weight ratio: 18.3 hp/tonne
Transmission: Pre-selector gearbox, five gears forward and five gears reverse
Suspension: Independent coil spring
Operational range: 320 km (road)
Speed: 89 kph (road)
Vehículo blindado ligero Modelo 46
Weight: 7,600 kg
Length: 4 meters
Width: 2.46 meters
Height: 2.26 meters
13 feet 1 inch (4 m)
Crew: 3
Armor: 7 – 16mm
Armament: One 40mm (2pdr) OF gun with 52 rounds, coaxial 7.65mm Ametralladora media Modelo 1919 with 2,000 rounds
Engine: Daimler 6-cylinder, 4,100cc, rated at 95 hp
Power/weight ratio: 12.5 hp/tonne
Transmission: Five speed (both directions) with fluid flywheel
Suspension: Independent coil spring
Operational range: 320 km (road)
Speed: 80 kph (road)