Armored cars in Sweden 1926-45
Not only tanks were acquired in the 1920s. Three experimental armored cars were built in the mid 1920s by Tidaholm firm, they were designated Pansarbil m/26. They served with K3 cavalry regiment. They were built on Tidaholm truck chassis, and probably used iron plates instead of armor plates. A heavy armored car weighing some 8 tons were developed in 1929. It was known as L-170 or Pansarbil fm/29. It was ready in spring of 1932 and it had a 85hp engine providing a maximum speed of 60km/h, but the vehicle was too heavy and expensive so it was dropped. A more realistic project had to be developed in the early 1930s, as the need of armored cars grew more and more. The cavalry needed training vehicles for maneuvers and in June 1931 Bofors got an order of a Pansarbil m/31, built on a 2-ton Chevrolet truck. It was delivered in August the same year. It was accepted and a series of 30 vehicles built on Chevrolet and Volvo chassis were later ordered from Landsverk AB. They were delivered during 1933-34, and the total weight was 4.2 tons. Armament consisted of a 8mm m/14-29 MG to the right of the driver, and on the loading platform at the rear was installed either a 37mm marine gun m/98B behind an armor plate or double 8mm m/36 MGs which could be moved from side to side. They were organized in armored car troops in 4 cavalry regiments at K1, K2, K3 and K4. Pansarbil m/31 were the only armored car in service with the Swedish army up to 1940, and by then only 19 of them were operational. However in 1942, decisions are taken to rearm Pansarbil m/31 with a 20mm Bofors automatic cannon m/40B, with a coaxially mounted 8mm m/14-29 MG. Along with the order of 104 tanks in September 1939, it was also proposed to acquire 30 new armored cars. This were permitted, and Landsverk which already had developed a new modern armored car for export was chosen. This was the Lynx armored car, and delivery was fast. The Lynx were also sold to Denmark in small numbers. In August 1940, some 15 Lynx armored cars which had been ordered by Denmark were taken by the Swedish government. They were designated Pansarbil m/39 and was put in use by the Swedish army. Another 30 vehicles were then ordered from Volvo, and they were designated Pansarbil m/40. Pansarbil m/40 were issued to cavalry regiments in Stockholm, Helsingborg, Skövde and Umeå. After export of war material had been stopped, five Landsverk L-180 ordered by Ireland were taken by the Swedish governmet. The Swedish army then used them under the designation Pansarbil m/41. This was the famous Landsverk L-180, used by Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, The Netherlands, and also Germany who captured few vehicles from Denmark and The Netherlands. The Swedish version had a Lynx turret with a 20mm automatic cannon, instead of the more common turret with a 37mm Bofors gun. An unknown number of Lynx armored cars were sold to the Dominican Republic in 1960s.