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Armoured Autocar
The Armoured Autocar was
developed by Major Raymond Brutinel, who immigrated to Canada
from France. Brutinel, a Captain in the French Army Reserve,
became a self-made millionaire in Canada prior to the beginning
of World War I. At the beginning of the war, he promoted an idea
to combine machine guns and mechanical mobility. Brutinel assured
the Minister of Militia that he could raise a mobile machine gun
unit with private funds. Raising units with private funding was a
standard practise of the time. As Vickers machine guns were
unavailable at the time, Brutinel travelled to the Colt Company
of Hartford, Connecticut and placed an order for 20 Colt machine
guns. He then travelled to the Auto Car Company of Ardmore,
Pennsylvania to purchase delivery vans which had a reliable
reputation. He then moved on to the Bethlehem Steel Company where
he bought stocks of 9.5mm armour plate.
Returning to Canada, Brutinel directed the design of the armoured
bodies that would be mounted on the truck chassis. The end
result was an open topped armoured box with an angled front plate
and drop sides. The machine guns were pedestal mounted, capable
of firing over the sides of the vehicle, and also able to be
dismounted for ground use. The Armoured Autocar weighed 3 tons,
had a crew of 8 and had a maximum speed of 25mph.
On 15 September 1914, the Automobile Machine Gun Brigade, C.E.F.
was mobilized, comprising the 1st and 2nd Sifton Batteries. The
Establishment called for a Major (Brutinel), 9 other officers and
124 other ranks. At the time of mobilization, the Brigade was
equipped with 8 Armoured Autocars, 20 machine guns, 8 trucks and
4 automobiles. Within the following year, a further 3 batteries
named Eaton, Borden and Yukon, were raised with private funding
which lead to the establishment of a second unit. The brigades
moved overseas and while there was no mobile role for them in the
static fighting of the time, they somehow managed to retain their
armoured equipment.
On 16 May 1915, the units were redesignated 1st and 2nd Canadian
Motor Machine Gun Brigades, C.E.F. Each consisted of A, B, C, D
and E batteries. Each battery consisted of 8 Armoured Autocars
and 12 specially designed light trucks. An individual Armoured
Autocar carried 2 machine guns, ammunition, extra gasoline and
enough food for 14 NCOs and men. A Section was made up of 2 cars
under the command of a Lieutenant, and a Battery consisted of 4
Sections under the command of a Captain. In addition to the
armoured vehicles, each brigade also included a Section of
motorcycles with 51 scouts who operated as signallers and
dispatch riders.
The Armoured Autocars were to prove their worth in the German
breakthrough of 1918. While Brutinel had envisioned the unit
spearheading an advance through the enemy lines, they were to
ultimately excel in the defensive role by utilizing their
firepower and mobility.
Brutinel's Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigades were the world's
first specifically designed and equipped armoured units. That
they ever saw the light of day was a direct result of the
Minister of Militia of the day, Sam Hughes, who with all of his
faults, was more open to the concept of mechanical mobility in
combination with firepower than were the traditional army leaders
of the period. It would be 20 years after the conclusion of WWI
before the idea of armoured machine gun carriers would catch on
with the British War Office.
The one surviving example of the Armoured Autocar is held by the
Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario.
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Armoured Autocars During WW I
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Armoured Autocar held by the Canadian War Museum
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© Chris Johnson, 1997