T17 Armored Car

T17E1 Armored Car
Type	Armored car
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1944–1980s
Used by	see operators
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Chevrolet
Produced	October 1942-April 1944
No. built	4,094 (3,844 Staghound, 250 Deerhound)
Specifications (Staghound Mark I)
Weight	14 t
Length	17 ft 10 in (5.49 m)
Width	8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
Height	7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)
Crew	5
Armor	9 to 44 mm
Main armament	37 mm M6
Secondary armament	2 or 3 x .30 (7.62 mm) machine guns
Engine	2 x GMC 270 2 x 97 hp (72 kW)
Power/weight	13.9 hp/tonne
Suspension	wheels, 4 x 4
Operational range	450 miles (724 km)
Speed	55 mph (89 km/h)

The T17 and the T17E1 were two American armored car designs produced during the Second World War. Neither saw service with frontline US forces but the latter was supplied, via the United Kingdom, to British and Commonwealth forces during the war and received the service name Staghound. A number of countries used the Staghound after the war, with some of the vehicles continuing to serve into the 1980s.

In July 1941, the US Army Ordnance issued specifications for a medium armored car alongside a specification for heavy armored car (which resulted in the T18 Boarhound). Ford Motor Company built a six wheels, all driven (6 x 6) prototype which was designated T17 and Chevrolet a four wheels, all driven (4 x 4) model designated T17E1. At the same time, the British Purchasing Commission was also looking for medium and heavy armored cars for use in the war in North Africa. Had the U.S. adopted this, it would have been called the M6.

Both the T17 and T17E used the same turret which was designed by Rock Island Arsenal with British requirements driving some of the design features such as putting at least two crew in the turret and placing the radio in the turret so that it was close to the commander.

The T17 was armed with a 37 mm gun in a rotating turret, a coaxial machine gun and a bow machine gun. Power was from two Hercules JXD engines. In the interests of standardization, these replaced Ford's initial 90 hp engines.

The British gave the name Deerhound to the T17. Production started in October 1942. The US military eventually decided to adopt the lighter M8 Greyhound vehicle instead; as an interim measure T17 production continued until M8 production could be started. These were to be supplied as "International Aid" but US Army tests in early 1943 showed the T17 was lacking compared to the T17E and so Britain turned them down. The 250 units produced were disarmed and given to the United States Army Military Police Corps for use in the States.