The M38
Wolfhound was a 6x6 US armored car produced in 1944 by the Chevrolet division
of General Motors. It was designed as a replacement for the M8 Greyhound
series, but the end of the war in 1945 led to the cancellation of the project
after the completion of a handful of prototype vehicles.
The Wolfhound
had a crew of four and was armed with a 37 mm gun in a rotating open-topped
turret, with ammunition load of 93 rounds. Secondary armament consisted of two
machine guns; one mounted co-axially with the main weapon, the other on an AA
pintle mounting. It was powered by a Cadillac, 8-cylinder, water-cooled engine.
Each side featured three large tires on symmetrically placed axles, with
distinctive curved mudguards. The frontal glacis plate was sharply sloped to
improve protection. A radio antenna was mounted on the front right of the
glacis.
One M38 was
modified to take the turret of an M24 Chaffee tank and went through a series of
tests to check a possibility of upgunning the vehicle. The layout of the M38
had similarities with the Alvis Saladin, a post war British armored car, but
there was no link between them.
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| M38 armored car engine compartment. |
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| This is the same photo as the previous photo, only "enhanced" for use in a Ordnance Department publication. |
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| M38 armored car fitted with the turret from the M24 Light Tank. |
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| M38 armored car fitted with the turret from the M24 Light Tank. |
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| M38 armored car fitted with the turret from the M24 Light Tank. |
