Morris C8 Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 This is on one of my original ww1 glass negs, any one ID it, you can see the left hand wheel is on the other side of the road and there is not a lot left. Could be a winch under it. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAN THE STEAM Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 I want one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 I would say that was the remains of a Benz heavy artillery tractor. Where was it photographed? One came back to the UK for testing after WW1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morris C8 Posted March 9, 2014 Author Share Posted March 9, 2014 Photo taken on the Cambrai to Arras road. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hair Bear Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Do I see retractable spade lugs in the wheels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Yes you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Durkopp is another possibility. Perhaps the wheels were used by a number of manufacturers. Stilltimecollectionco.uk have a photo of a Durkopp tractor with a winch that appears to have a strongly mounted cable-feed at front and directly below the radiator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 I think you are right. It probably is a Durkopp. Here is a link to the stilltime photo. http://www.stilltimecollection.co.uk/detail/11711-tpt-transport-truck-lorry-wagon-military-soldier-war-ex_german-army-aldershot-sale-durkopp.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 And another link here http://63528.activeboard.com/t18384802/german-armored-vehicle/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Herbert Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 [quote name=Redherring ,And another link here http://63528.activeboard.com/t18384802/german-armored-vehicle/ /QUOTE] Good link, I'm persuaded it's a Durkopp. I wonder what happened to the one sold at Aldershot. Presumably scrapped when its wheel fell off ? David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morris C8 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 Thanks Guys, Here is one more from my original ww1 glass negs, thats in the post to me . Any one ID it. Armoured car ? Photo taken on the somme. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
super6 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I reckon that this could be an Austin as per this http://www.motorstown.com/imgs/52471-austin-armoured-car-6.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I reckon that this could be an Austin as per thishttp://www.motorstown.com/imgs/52471-austin-armoured-car-6.html I think the Austins had twin drive shafts so maybe not that make of chassis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morris C8 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Share Posted March 10, 2014 When the neg gets to me i can enlarge it. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Peskett Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 The Automobile Engineer, volume 10, 1920 pages 466 to 477 has a full report of the German vehicles bought back to Aldershot. Richard Peskett. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
super6 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I think the Austins had twin drive shafts so maybe not that make of chassis. I stand corrected, not wishing to sow disinformation. In my defence I only Goggled Austin Armoured Cars and viewed the images. Upon viewing again, and looking at more, the image I chose is also listed as a Peerless.........:banghead: It does appear to show the deep 'chassis' rails though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 It probably is an Austin - I don't belive they were based on the twin-shaft chassis; and the Peerless was chain drive, whereas the one in the photo is (single) shaft draive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nz2 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 The turret as shown on the photograph appears to be of the type built originally for the Navy, then transfered on to the Army. The chassis it sits on has a diff rather than chain drive so that excludes Peerless. The wheels in the photo are not all that clear. They could be wood suggesting an American chassis, or a Sakey type pattern being British. The alloy gear box and size of the engine should be a clue. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Peskett Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 The Austin 'twin shaft' only appeared as a 2 ton lorry, not the chassis used for armoured cars. The 'twin shaft' was a financial disaster for Austin, a cancelled order for Russia being the basic cause, two variations were built although in late 1913 a larger 4/5 version was built experimentally as was a forward radiator version in 1917. Other than a brief excursion into lorry building in 1919 Austin left the commercial vehicle market until the late 1930s. One 'twin shaft' of original specification survives in an Essex collection. Richard Peskett. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nz2 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Also another twin drive shaft Austin in New Zealand. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Larkin Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 The Austin 'twin shaft' only appeared as a 2 ton lorry, not the chassis used for armoured cars. The 'twin shaft' was a financial disaster for Austin, a cancelled order for Russia being the basic cause, two variations were built although in late 1913 a larger 4/5 version was built experimentally as was a forward radiator version in 1917. Other than a brief excursion into lorry building in 1919 Austin left the commercial vehicle market until the late 1930s. One 'twin shaft' of original specification survives in an Essex collection.Richard Peskett. The order from Russia and was addressed to the British government and was for about 1200 lorries. The Russians didn't specify what make and it was the War Office/Ministry of Munitions that determined they would be Austins as they could be supplied without interrupting the supply of lorries to the War Office from other makers. After months of debate as to whether the Russians could afford to pay for them, the order was finally placed but then the Russian Revolution intervened and the order was cancelled by the British government. Austin did rather well out of the War office compensation for the cancelled order. It's a measure of what the War Office thought of the twin shaft Austin that even after paying for them, they didn't want them. So, while it is true that Austin didn't make enough Austin twin shafts to be financially a success, they did get paid for around 1,000 which they didn't have to build, so wasn't entirely a disaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 The American Expeditionary Force acquired a number of Austin twin shafts in 1917. I wonder if these were left over from the Russian order? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charawacky Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Here is some background http://www.austinmemories.com/page67/page97/page97.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Herbert Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 (edited) For those of us not familiar with them, how did the twin shaft design work? I am imagining two pairs of bevel gears and a prop shaft for each rear wheel, directly replacing chain drives, with the diff in the back of a normal chain drive style gearbox. Alternatively a diff with its axis in line with the c/l of the vehicle and driving two shafts, one either side of it but still parallel to it, which drive seperate prop shafts, each to a crown wheel and pinion for each rear wheel. Still a crazy way to do it! David Thank you Charawacky for answering my question two minutes before I posted it, that was very clever ! Edited March 13, 2014 by David Herbert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morris C8 Posted March 14, 2014 Author Share Posted March 14, 2014 Came in the post to day, close up of the AC and is the eng from a tank? on the other photo. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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