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Landsverk L-180

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The Landsverk L-180, L-181 and L-182 are a family of armored cars developed by the Swedish company AB Landsverk during the interwar years. They had a good international reputation for being fast, robust and reliable and were acquired in small numbers by Denmark, Estonia, Ireland and the Netherlands, among others. Their Swedish military designation was Pbil m/41.

Landsverk L-180
Landsverk L-180
TypeArmored car
Place of originSweden
Service history
In service1933-1980s
Used bySee operators
WarsWorld War II
Production history
DesignerAB Landsverk
ManufacturerAB Landsverk
Specifications
Mass7,825 kg (17,251 lb)
Length5.86 m (19.2 ft)
Width2.24 m (7 ft 4 in)
Height2.28 m (7 ft 6 in)
Crew5 — commander, driver, gunner, artilleryman and loader
Armor9mm front and sides, 5mm top, 15mm turret
Main
armament
Bofors 37 mm or Madsen 20mm
Secondary
armament
2 × Madsen 7.7mm
EngineBüssing-NAG L8V V8-cylinder petrol (L-180)
180 hp
Transmission3-speed gearbox
Fuel capacity120 liter
Operational
range
288 km (179 mi)
Maximum speed 80 km/h (50 mph)

Design

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The different variants were similarly configured, but were built on different chassis; Büssing-NAG, Mercedes-Benz and Daimler-Benz truck chassis. (See Operators)

Armament

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These vehicles were also similarly armed, most commonly with a Bofors 37 mm or 20 mm Madsen autocannon but was also manufactured with other similar guns. The only exception, Finland, bought one L-182 and armed it with a 13.2 mm L-35/36 machine gun. (See Operators)

Engine

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In the same way, as several different chassis were used, different engines were also used, and where the make of the engine is known, they were manufactured by the same company as the chassis. (See Operators)

Operators

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Country Branch Variant Quantity Chassis Engine Main armament Secondary armament Notes
  Denmark Danish Army
L-180
2[1]
 Büssing-NAG[1] Büssing V8-cyl., 160 HP[1] Madsen 20mm M 1933 L/60 cannon[1] 2 x Madsen 8 mm M 1924 type C machine guns[1]
  Estonia Tallinn Police[1]
L-180
1[1]
  Ireland Irish Army
L-180
8[1]
 Madsen 20mm cannon 2 x Madsen .303 machine guns
  Nazi Germany
L-180
 Büssing-NAG[1] Büssing V8-cyl., 160 HP[1] Madsen 20mm M 1933 L/60 cannon[1] 2 x Madsen 8 mm M 1924 type C machine guns[1] Captured Danish vehicles
Wehrmacht[2] Büssing-NAG[2] Bofors 37 mm gun[1][2] 3 x 7.92 mm Lewis machine guns[2] Captured Dutch vehicles[2]
  Netherlands Dutch Army
L-180
13[1]
 Büssing-NAG[2] Bofors 37 mm gun[1][2] 3 x 7.92 mm Lewis machine guns[2] 12 turrets delivered[1]
14 L-180 delivered[2]
  Soviet Union
L-180
 Captured Lithuanian vehicles
  Sweden Swedish Army[1]
L-180
5[1]
 Bofors 20 mm akan m/40 cannon[1][3] 2 x Kulspruta m/36 machine guns[1] Ordered by Ireland but undelivered due to British blockade[1]
  Lithuania Lithuanian Army
L-181
6[4]
 Mercedes-Benz[4] Mercedes-Benz 6-cyl., 65 HP[4] Oerlikon 20 mm cannon[4] 2 x 7.92 mm Maxim machine guns[4]
  Nazi Germany Ordnungspolizei[2]
L-181
[2]
 Daimler-Benz G 3 a/P[2] Daimler-Benz M09 6-cyl., 80 HP Bofors 37 mm gun[2][4] 3 x 7.92 mm Lewis machine guns[2] Captured Dutch vehicles[2]
  Netherlands Dutch Army
L-181
12[4]
 Daimler-Benz G 3 a/P[2] Daimler-Benz M09 6-cyl. petrol, 80 HP[4] Bofors 37 mm gun[2][4] 3 x 7.92 mm Lewis machine guns[2]
  Soviet Union
L-181
 Mercedes-Benz[4] Mercedes-Benz 6-cyl., 65 HP[4] Oerlikon 20 mm cannon[4] 2 x 7.92 mm Maxim machine guns[4] Captured Lithuanian vehicles?
  Finland Finnish Army
L-182
1[5]
 Daimler-Benz[6] 13.2 mm L-35/36 machine gun[6]

20 mm L-39 anti-tank rifle[6]

2 x 7.92 mm machine guns[5] or

2 x 7.62 mm L-33/36 machine gun and
1 x 7.62 mm Maxim AA machine gun [6]

Crew: 4 (without rear driver)[5] or 5[6]

Service

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Denmark ordered two L-180s in 1935, and they were delivered in 1936. They were used by the Army Technical Corps of the Danish Army under the designation FP-7 and FP-8.[1]

The only L-180 Estonia acquired was in 1937, and they were used by the Tallinn Police.[1]

The L-182 was bought for testing[7] in 1936, it was used by the armored unit of the Ratsuväkiprikaati (English: Cavalry Brigade) and saw limited service in the Winter War. Next, the armored unit of 1. Divisioona (English: 1st Division) employed it, in the Continuation War in 1941, already with the original 13.2 mm L-35/36 machine gun replaced by the 20 mm L-39 anti-tank rifle, conversion made approximately in December 1940. It seems that the armored car was out of service in late 1941 and was scrapped in 1945.[6]

Ireland ordered its first two Landsverk L-180s in 1937 and these were delivered the following year. Six more were then ordered and they were delivered in 1939. A further five were ordered but could not be delivered because of the outbreak of World War II, these five were used instead by the Swedish army. Irish Landsverk L-180s were armed with a Madsen 20mm Cannon and two Madsen .303 Machine Guns. The Madsen machine guns were replaced with .30 Browning machine guns in the 1950s and the 20mm cannon was replaced in the 1970s with Hispano-Suiza 20mm cannons taken from former Irish Air Corps De Havilland Vampire jets. In the 1950s the Landsverk's engines were replaced with Lincoln 317 V8 petrol engines developing 155 hp at 3,200rpm. All Irish Landsverks belonged to the 1st Armoured Squadron and used alongside the Irish built Leyland and Dodge Armoured Cars until they re-equipped with Panhard AML armoured cars in 1972. The Landsverks were then transferred to the reserve FCA units, five going to the 11th Motor Squadron and three to the 3rd Motor Squadron until they were all retired in the 1980s.

 
Lithuanian Army L-181

The Lithuanian Army used the six L-181 ordered in 1933 and delivered in 1934.[4][8]

The L-180s from the Danish and Dutch armies were captured and used by the German Army for reconnaissance tasks, patrol and training, being called Panzerspähwagen L 202 (h).[2] The Dutch L-181s were also captured and put to service by the Ordnungspolizei for security duties.[2]

 
Dutch L-181 (Pantserwagen M.36)

The Dutch Army bought 13 L-180 in 1938,[1] although it could have been delivered 14 L-180, including two as armored command vehicles without main gun (dummy gun instead).[2] From Landsverk AB were also purchased 12 turrets.[1] The command variant used two special turrets. The command vehicles were used on the two armored squadrons, with one vehicle each.[9] The L-180s were designated Pantserwagen M-38.[2] Netherlands also purchased 12 L-181[4] and designated them as Pantserwagen M-36.[2]

The Dutch had two squadrons of these Landsverk's operational during the German invasion of the country in May 1940. The 1st squadron [L.181, M.36] with its four platoons of three cars each had been divided over the infantry protection forces of the major air-force bases of Ypenburg, near the Hague, and Schiphol, near Amsterdam. The first six cars at Ypenburg were involved in heavy fighting and contributed considerably to repelling the German airlanding on Ypenburg on 10 May 1940. The 2nd squadron [L-180, M.38] was attached to the Field Army command on the central front of the country. Here they performed a large number of aggressive recce mission during which numerous encounters with German forces of the X.Army Corps occurred. The Dutch operations with the Landsverk's were very successful. Only one was taken out by German countermeasures whereas three were crippled by German bombs or debris on Ypenburg. A number were sabotaged by the Dutch after the capitulation of the Dutch army, but most vehicles were reactivated and serve particularly in the recce battalion of the German 227th Infantry Division in France and later in the former Soviet Union.

 
Swedish L-180 (Pbil m/41)

The five L-180 originally ordered by Ireland and not delivered, were used by the Swedish army under the designation Pansarbil m/41 (Pbil m/41). These vehicles had the Swedish-version of Landsverk Lynx turret with the Bofors 20 mm akan m/40 automatic cannon, instead of the Madsen automatic cannon on Irish vehicles or the more common turret armed with a Bofors 37 mm gun.[3]

Probably the armored cars from Estonia and Lithuania were captured during the Soviet occupation of 1940.

Landsverk in Dutch museum

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The Dutch Cavalry Museum in Amersfoort has a Landsverk L-180 in its collection. It is an original Irish version of the vehicle.

  •  
    Front view
  •  
    Rear view
  •  
    interior view, in front the turret and in the back the steering wheel for the second driver
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Landsverk L-180.

See also

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References

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  • Regenberg, Werner. Captured Armored Cars and Vehicles in Wehrmacht Service in World War II. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0764301802.
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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Landsverk L-180". Landsverk. Archived from the original on 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Regenberg, pp. 8–9
  3. ^ a b "Sweden". Tanks!. Retrieved 2012-05-20.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Landsverk L-181". Landsverk. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  5. ^ a b c "Landsverk L-182". Landsverk. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: HEAVY ARMOURED CARS". Jaeger Platoon. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  7. ^ "Finland". Tanks!. Retrieved 2012-05-20.
  8. ^ "Lithuania". Tanks!. Archived from the original on 2012-06-26. Retrieved 2012-05-20.
  9. ^ "The Netherlands". Tanks!. Archived from the original on 2012-06-27. Retrieved 2012-05-20.
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