Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 89.djvu/602

 �The United States Army's first armored car has twenty port-holes for machine-guns and a well in the center for a three-inch rapid-fire field piece

��Our First Armored Car

��THE first armored car to be con- structed under the direction of the Board of Engineers of the United States Army has been inspected at the Sandy Hook proxing grounds. The car was designed and built within twenty-seven days. It will no doubt be sent to the Mexican border, to be used in actual operation.

The service for which the car is intended is primarily to guard railroads and depots adjacent to railroads. It is not ordinarily to l)e em])Iyi'd in aggres- sive mo\'ements. In cffi-ct, it is a movable jjlockhousi- which may be used at any point along the line. It may serve as a retreat for troops past danger points, or for the transportation of explosives or material of a perishable nature which might l)e damaged by lire from the ends.

The car consists of a heavy steel-plate structure erecte<i upon a staiidanl II, it-

��car frame. The plate is of suliicicnt thickness to withstand fire from small anus. The interior is divided into three compartments. Through port-holes in the end compartments, machine-guns and rifles may be fired by soldiers with- in the car. The center comixirtmeiit, which is lower than the full height of the car. is used for the storage of ammunition. Enough ammunition may be stored to sup]il\' the small arms and the three-inch rapid-lire field gun mounted on toj) of the car. This gun h. is asi)ecial recoil mounting. It takesacrew of three Iraini-d nun to opi-rati- it. The gun-wi'll may also be used as a fighting- top for troops armed with machine-guns or rilles.

The car will accommodate a platerate the rai)id-fire

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