Medium Armored Car T17E1 Staghound I, early production1-9

T17E1: General
Date of first acceptance October 1942 Total acceptances 2,844
Manufacturer Chevrolet Division of General Motors Crew
5 men:
  • Commander/radio operator in turret center rear
  • Gunner in turret left
  • Loader in turret right
  • Driver in hull left front
  • Assistant driver in hull right front
T17E1: Dimensions
Combat weight 30,705lbs
13,928kg
Height 112"
284cm
Length 216"
549cm
Width 106"
269cm
Tread 89"
230cm
Wheelbase 120"
305cm
Ground clearance 15"
38cm
Fire Height 78"
200cm
Turret ring diameter 54"
140cm
Ground pressure, zero penetration 60.5psi
4.25kg/cm²
T17E1: Armament
Type Mount Ammunition Traverse Max traverse rate Elevation
37mm Gun M6 M24 in turret 103 rounds 360°
(manual and hydraulic)
18°/sec +40° to -7°
(manual)
.30cal M1919A4 MG Coaxial to 37mm gun 5,250 rounds 360°
(manual and hydraulic)
18°/sec +40° to -7°
(manual)
.30cal M1919A4 MG Ball mount M13, D72084, or D32971 in right bow M13:
34°
(17° left and right;
manual)
-- M13:
+22°45' to -10°
(manual
Aiming equipment
Periscope M4 with telescope M40 for gunner
T17E1: Armor
Assembly
Welding
Hull
Rolled homogeneous steel
Location Thickness Angle from vertical
Upper front .875"
2.22cm
30°
Lower front .625"
1.59cm
45°
Sides .75"
1.9cm
13°
Rear .375"
.953cm
30°
Top .50"
1.3cm
90°
Front floor .50"
1.3cm
90°
Rear floor .25"
.64cm
90°
Turret
Cast homogeneous steel
Location Thickness Angle from vertical
Gun shield 1.00"
2.54cm
0° to 52°
Front 1.75"
4.45cm
45°
Sides 1.25"
3.18cm
22°
Rear 1.25"
3.18cm
12°
Top .50"
1.3cm
90°
T17E1: Automotive
Engine Twin GMC 270; 12 cylinder (6/engine), 4 cycle, in-line gasoline
Horsepower Net: 194@3,000rpm
(97/engine)
Torque Net: 432.6 ft-lb@1,000rpm
(216.3/engine)
Fuel capacity 62gal
230L
Transmission Twin Hydramatic, 4 speeds forward, 1 reverse
Steering Steering wheel
Brakes Hydraulic, internal expanding
T17E1: Suspension
Type Road wheels Shock absorbers
Semi-elliptic leaf spring 2/side On each wheel
T17E1: Performance
Max level road speed 55mph
89kph
Max trench 18"
46cm
Max grade 57% Angle of approach 57°
Angle of departure 40° Max vertical obstacle 21"
53cm
Min turning diameter 55'
17m
Max fording depth 32"
81cm
Cruising range with two 38gal (140L) jettison fuel tanks ~450mi, roads
~720km, roads

The 4x4 T17E1 was produced for the British, who dubbed it Staghound I. (Staghounds II and III were British modifications of the Staghound I and were armed with their 3" tank howitzer or the turret from the Crusader tank with the OQF 75mm Mk.V, respectively.) Standardization as the M6 was proposed in the US, but this never occurred. Each engine was provided with its own Hydramatic transmission and gear reduction case, and power was routed from these to a single two-speed transfer case. The engines could be operated singly as well as together. The hull was designed so that a frame was not required; elements including the suspension, transfer case, and steering gear were attached directly to the hull. Early T17E1s were equipped with an elevation stabilizer for the main gun. With 4" (10cm) of penetration, the ground pressure was reduced to 17.95psi (1.260kg/cm²).

Late-production T17E1s featured the combination gun mount M24A1 with a larger, angular, pyramid-like gun shield at the base of the 37mm gun that included an aperture for the coaxial machine gun. The side armor was raised ~30mm (~1.2") to better protect the turret ring; a visible step was present as it transitioned to the hull rear. The engine covers were changed to a hinged design instead of being bolted down, and the lifting hooks on the hull rear were consequently changed to a folding type that used the rear hinge as its base. A mount for another .30cal M1919A4 machine gun was added to the center of the turret roof rear during production, and a spotlight that could be controlled from the vehicle interior was installed near the turret roof center. From May 1943, a 2" smoke mortar was installed in the turret, firing through an opening in the roof. Fourteen smoke bombs were stowed.

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References

  1. Hunnicutt, R.P. Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 2002. Reprinted from Armored Car, R.P. Hunnicutt ©2002, available from Presidio Press, 505B San Martin Drive, Suite 160, Novato, CA 94945.
  2. TM 9-741 Medium Armored Car T17E1. Washington, DC: War Department, 15 December 1942.
  3. TM 9-1741C Ordnance Maintenance--Chassis, Hull and Turret for Medium Armored Car T17E1. Washington, DC: War Department, 18 October 1943.
  4. SNL G-122 Service Parts Catalog for Chevrolet Medium Armored Car M6. Detroit: Chevrolet Motor Division, General Motors Corporation, 15 September 1942.
  5. TM 9-2800 Standard Military Motor Vehicles. Washington, DC: War Department, 1 September 1943.
  6. Sola, Samuel, Vincent Bobkowski, and Kara Crocker. Weapon Mounts for Secondary Armament. Santa Monica, CA: G. O. Noville & Associates, Inc., April 1957.
  7. Doyle, David. The Staghound: A Visual History of the T17E Series Armored Cars in Allied Service 1940-1945. Delray Beach, FL: Ampersand Publishing Co., Inc., 2009.
  8. Crismon, Fred W. U.S. Military Wheeled Vehicles. Minneapolis: Victory Publishing, Ltd., 2001.
  9. Hogg, Ian V. The Greenhill Armoured Fighting Vehicles Data Book. London: Greenhill Books, 2000.
Last updated 9 Dec 2023.
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