Leyland Beaver-Eel

The Leyland Beaver-Eel, known officially as the Tender, Armoured, Leyland Type C, was an improvised armoured truck used by the Royal Air Force throughout World War II for airfield defence duties.

Overview

The Leyland Beaver-Eel was one of several armoured vehicle types designed in 1940 on the orders of Lord Beaverbrook and Admiral Sir Edward Evans for the defence of Great Britain, as a part of the hasty measures taken by the British Government following the Dunkirk evacuation and the threat of invasion.
The first prototype was designed, built, tested and approved, and deliveries of production vehicles commenced, all within 10 days of Admiral Evans’ visit to the Leyland Motors factory in June 1940. Leyland built 250 Beaver-Eels in its own factory, whilst an additional 86 were built by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway's Derby Carriage Works.
The Beaver-Eel consisted of an open topped armoured body mounted a Leyland Retriever 3-ton 6×4 lorry chassis. A solid frame was welded all around the chassis, over which were bolted on a series of armor plates, sometimes with armoured skirts to protect the wheels. The cabin had sloped plating on all three sides, but had an access door at its rear. The front had two armoured shutters, with sight slits, and two swinging covers for the side slits, which provided poor visibility. A ladder was installed on either side to climb into the truck, which was stored inside.
Propulsion was a 4-cylinder liquid cooled petrol engine with a capacity of for an output of at 2120 rpm. The crew comprised the driver and co-driver seated in front, and a gun crew of 3 to 4 persons, depending on the weapons used.
The vehicle was armed with whatever was available, but the most common was a [20 mm caliber|] Hispano-Suiza HS.404 autocannon or a Coventry Ordnance Works autocannon on a shielded mount in the rear flatbed, and two additional pintle-mounted .303 Lewis machine guns.
The Beaver-Eel was used throughout the war by the Royal Air Force on the British mainland for aerodrome and aircraft factory defence.