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*AEC B-Type 3-Pounder Gun Truck

Specifications

Country of Origin/Used by:	Great Britain
First Produced/Service Dates:	1914
Manufactured by:	Chassis: *Associated Equipment Company Ltd. (AEC); Conversion: Forges et Chantiers de France
Crew:	4?
Armament:	(1) 3 Pounder (47mm) Vickers QF Cannon
Engine:	4-Cylinder Gasoline (36 hp)
Miscellaneous Info:	After operating the armored cars and auxiliary vehicles of his Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) squadron, Commander Charles R. Samson decided that also having mobile heavy support weapons would be very valuable. Expanding upon their use of the AEC B-Type Armored Truck (RNAS Pattern), Samson arranged for a gun truck to be built using the familiar 3-ton 4x2 AEC B-Type double-decker buses chassis. Contracting again with the French firm Forges et Chantiers de France in Dunkirk, one (1) modified lorry with 3-pounder Vickers QF Cannon was created. The unarmored AEC B-Type 3-Pounder Gun Truck was built to resemble a normal cargo truck, but had drop-down sides that also increased the floor space for the operation of the gun. Crewed by the Squadron's Royal Marines, the truck went into action in October 1914 providing valuable gun support. Further missions highlighted the major advantage of having access to ready gun support.  Samson quickly augmented the one AEC truck with a similar design using a Mercedes-Daimler 3-ton truck instead. The Mercedes gun truck also had positive results as well. With the success of these lorries, it was determined that additional gun trucks should be built. However, as the RNAS was encountering some difficulties in using their vehicles based upon the AEC B-Type buses, a different truck was to be utilized.  As a result, the Seabrook Armored Truck was created and quickly replaced this AEC and Mercedes vehicles. *The manufacturer of the truck chassis is often cited as the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) as the vehicles were converted from buses originally sourced from that company.  Additionally, LGOC was the parent company of AEC, which it had created as a subsidiary earlier to build and service their buses.  However, we are citing the manufacturer as AEC as that company actually built the chassis on behalf of LGOC.
Data Sheet Available:	None Available

Photos

Reference	Source/Provider
AEC B-Type Omnibus Photo	"Danie DVM" via Wikipedia Commons
AEC B-Type 3-pdr Gun Truck Photo	U.S. Library of Congress

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