Italeri 7023 M-8 Greyhound

The M8 Greyhound (greyhound) was an American armored car from the Second World War. The first prototypes were built in 1941, and serial production was carried out in the period 1943-1945. In total, around 12,300 copies of this vehicle were made with the M20 version. The M8 Greyhound was powered by a single carburetor engine Hercules JXD with 110 HP . It was armed with a single 37mm M6 gun in the turret, 1 Browning 1919A4 7.62mm machine gun and 1 Browning M2HB 12.7mm machine gun.

The M8 Greyhound was created in response to the demand from the US Tank Destroyer Command for a new wheeled reconnaissance vehicle. The contract for its production was awarded to a consortium of Ford and General Motors. The new armored car was based on a six-wheeled chassis, which provided it with good off-road mobility. It was also very quiet while driving and showed a high top speed - almost 90 km / h. The disadvantages include relatively thin armor and relatively weak armament - especially in the period 1944-1945. Based on the M8 Greyhound, in 1943, the M20 was created, which differed in the photo of the turret and the armament consisting only of a single 12.7 mm Browning M2HB machine gun. The armored car armored car fought in Europe: in Italy in the period 1943-1945 and took part in the battles in Normandy, France and West Germany (1944-1945). He also fought in the Far East against Japanese troops. After the end of World War II, it found its way to many foreign operators, including Austria, Belgium, France, Greece and South Korea.