Jeffery armored car

The Jefferey four wheel drive chassis was independently used to make a number of different armoured cars. One design was the first US Army armoured car. Canadian built armored cars saw service in India.

Jeffery armored car
A Jeffery-Russel armored car, likely of the Eaton Motor Machine Gun Battery, seen in Toronto, Ontario.
TypeArmored car
Place of originUnited States
Canada
Service history
Used byCanada
British India Command
United States Army
WarsPancho Villa Expedition
Production history
ManufacturerThomas B. Jeffery Company
Produced1915
Specifications
Length18 ft (5.48 m)
Width6.4 ft (1.95 m)
Height8 ft (2.44 m)
Crew4
Main
armament
4 x Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié machine guns (No. 1) or 1 x .303 Vickers machine gun (Jeffery-Russel)
Engine4-cylinder petrol
Suspension4x4 wheel
Maximum speed 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) maximum

Armored Car No. 1

The Jeffery Armored Car No.1 was developed by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1915 with a hull from the Rock Island Arsenal

The armored car No.1 was used in General John Pershing’s 1916 Pancho Villa Expedition in Columbus, New Mexico for training. Pancho Villa was far into Mexico at that time and there are no records on its use in fighting.[1]

Jeffery-Russel armored cars

The Russel company in Canada built a number of armored cars on the four-wheel drive Jeffery chassis. After serving in Canada for a while they were sent to the UK. From there they were sent on to British India. Forty were added to the "Field Force" that was operating to contain the Mohmand rising of Haji Mullah on the North West Frontier. The "Mohmand blockade" involved British armoured cars patrolling unpaved tracks between blockhouses. Maintenance of the cars was difficult as the ship carrying spares had been torpedoed. They were armed with a single Vickers machine gun. Although the four-wheel drive with independent transmission and wide range of gears should have been an advantage, the narrow solid tyres negated that and running at more than 12 mph (19 km/h) caused problems with engine bearings.[2]

Jeffery-Poplavko

A different model of armoured car basing on the Jeffery Quad chassis was built in Russia by Ukrainian officer Victor Poplavko who was the Odessa city commandant (1917–18), and was known as Jeffery-Poplavko.

  • No. 1 circa 1916 in Mexico
  • Ditto
  • Russian Jeffery-Poplavko (in centre and on the left)

References
  1. Albert Mro, American military vehicles of World War I: an illustrated history of armored cars, staff cars, motorcycles, ambulances, trucks, tractors and tanks. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2009. ISBN 978-0-7864-3960-7, p.76
  2. AFV Profile No. 9 Early Armoured Cars
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