Ursus wz.29
Encyclopedia
Samochód Pancerny wzór 29 ("armoured car 1929 pattern"), commonly known as Ursus or CWS, was a Polish
interwar heavy armored car. A handful of these vehicles saw combat during the Polish-German War of 1939
.
. The vehicle was based on the chassis
of the Ursus A 2-ton truck (Italian S.P.A.
25C modified by Ursus Mechanical Works in Warsaw
), the armored body was built by CWS, Warsaw. The initial armament consisted of the French
37 mm low velocity gun in the turret
front, 7.92 mm machine guns
in the turret left-rear and right-rear at 120 degrees to the gun (all operated by the commander), and another 7.92 mm MG in the hull rear (operated by the rear gunner). Although this arrangement helped to achieve good balance of the turret, it was awkward to use. In the mid-30s the right turret MG was removed. The car carried 96 rounds for the main gun and 4032 MG rounds in 16 252-round belts.
The vehicle was sufficiently armed and armored for late 1920s, but was underpowered, lacked all-wheel drive (which led to poor off-road mobility) and had high silhouette. Because of these shortcomings, only between 10 and 13 cars were built.
, Army Modlin, as a reconnaissance unit. The vehicles acted well in combat, but by 16 September all of them were lost.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
interwar heavy armored car. A handful of these vehicles saw combat during the Polish-German War of 1939
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
.
History and description
The car was designed in 1929 by Rudolf GundlachRudolf Gundlach
Rudolf Gundlach was a Polish engineer, inventor and tank designer. He headed the design division of the Armored Weapons Development Office .He was the chief designer of the Ursus wz...
. The vehicle was based on the chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
of the Ursus A 2-ton truck (Italian S.P.A.
SPA (automobile)
SPA an Italian automobile manufacturer, produced cars between 1906 and 1926.The company was established by Matteo Ceirano and Michele Ansaldi in Turin under the name of Società Piemontese Automobili. The first cars were exhibited at the Esposizione di Torino...
25C modified by Ursus Mechanical Works in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
), the armored body was built by CWS, Warsaw. The initial armament consisted of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
37 mm low velocity gun in the turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
front, 7.92 mm machine guns
Hotchkiss M1914 machine gun
The Mle 1914 Hotchkiss machine gun became the standard machine gun of the French Army during World War I. It was manufactured by the French arms company Hotchkiss et Cie, which had been established in the 1860s by American industrialist Benjamin B. Hotchkiss...
in the turret left-rear and right-rear at 120 degrees to the gun (all operated by the commander), and another 7.92 mm MG in the hull rear (operated by the rear gunner). Although this arrangement helped to achieve good balance of the turret, it was awkward to use. In the mid-30s the right turret MG was removed. The car carried 96 rounds for the main gun and 4032 MG rounds in 16 252-round belts.
The vehicle was sufficiently armed and armored for late 1920s, but was underpowered, lacked all-wheel drive (which led to poor off-road mobility) and had high silhouette. Because of these shortcomings, only between 10 and 13 cars were built.
Combat history
Although obsolete by 1939, the car was still in service at the outbreak of the Second World War. 8 vehicles were assigned to the 11th armoured battalion of the Mazowiecka Cavalry BrigadeMazowiecka Cavalry Brigade
Mazowiecka Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry unit of the Polish Army in the interbellum period, which took part in the Polish September Campaign. It was created on April 1, 1937, out of former 1st Cavalry Brigade...
, Army Modlin, as a reconnaissance unit. The vehicles acted well in combat, but by 16 September all of them were lost.