Landsverk 180 ACs in the Netherlands

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

The NL Army bought Landsverk 180 Armoured Cars from Sweden.

When? How many? What happned with them after 1940? Were they used by the Germans?

Stellan

[Hanno Spoelstra]

(source)
Captured Dutch Pantserwagen M 36 (Swedish Landsverk L-181), Ordungspolizei, Holland, February of 1941.
Source: Nederlandse Pantservoertuigen, Dr C.M. Schulten/J.Theil, (c) 1979, Unieboek BV, Bussum.


None of them is in existance today, but the Cavalry Museum at Amerfoort has an ex-Irish Army Landsverk Armoured Car on display, which is close to the Dutch Pantserwagen M36:

Source: http://www.panzer-modell.de/specials...lerie/gal2.htm

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Thank You Hanno! Fantastic! There is one survivor in NL!

Anyhow these Landsverk ACs were running on Ireland for many many years.

In Sweden we had just five (nr 946 - 950) in service as Pansarbil m/41 (AC M/1941).

All five served in 42nd AC Sqn of 3rd Armoured Regt. The Sqn was in 1944 posted to Gotland Island.

These five ACs were originally intented for export to Ireland but placed under embargo by the Swedish Government (which also happened with 15 ACs type Landsverk-Lynx for Denmark).

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by Stellan Bojerud
The NL Army bought Landsverk 180 Armoured Cars from Sweden.

When? How many? What happned with them after 1940? Were they used by the Germans?

To Answer the:

"When" - 1938

"How Many" - at least two platoons (36 total?)

"What happned with them after 1940" - some cars pressed into German service

I'll post details and photos of the Landsverk 180 & 181 (M36 & M38?) in Dutch (and German) service shortly - had the information out - but thought I mis-read the post, but the post was on another thread and I never thought to look here in the Carrier Forum for the correct thread regarding the Landsverk 180

Cheers

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by Stellan Bojerud
The NL Army bought Landsverk 180 Armoured Cars from Sweden.

When? How many? What happned with them after 1940? Were they used by the Germans?

Stellan;

From what I've been able to find, there were 12x Landsverk L-180 Armoured Cars (designation in Dutch service the M-36) and 12x L-181 Landsverk Armoured Cars (designation in Dutch service the M-38) purchased by the Netherlands prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. The 12x Landsverk L-180's (M-36) came into Dutch service in 1936 and the 12x Landsverk L-181's (M-38) came into Dutch service in 1938. I've posted pictures of each below:

Top photo: Landsverk L-180's (M-36) in Dutch service pictured at Brabant in 1936

Bottom photo: Landsverk L-181 (M38) in Dutch service, no date or location given

Sources:

- BLITZKRIEG IN THE WEST, THEN AND NOW: by J.P. Pallud
- THE FALL OF FRANCE, DISASTER IN THE WEST 1939-40; by G. Forty & J. Duncan

Note: In May, 1940, the Dutch Armoured Car strength in the Netherlands was: 12x Landsverk L-180's (M-36); 12x Landsverk L-181 (M38) and 12x DAF M-39's (Dutch Van Doome Armoured Cars) that had just become operational.

Cheers

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Mark W. Tonner
I'll post details and photos of the Landsverk 180 & 181 (M36 & M38?) in Dutch (and German) service shortly - had the information out - but thought I mis-read the post, but the post was on another thread and I never thought to look here in the Carrier Forum for the correct thread regarding the Landsverk 180

Thanks Mark, I look forward to your information.
BTW, I moved the thread to the Armour Forum.

H.

[Mark W. Tonner]

Stellan/Hanno;

A bit of a follow-up to my last post, I've attached two pictures of the DAF M-39 (Dutch Van Doome Armoured Car).

Top photo: DAF M-39 in Dutch service
Bottom photo: Captured DAF M-39's in German Service, where they were designated: Pz Sp Wg DAF 201(h)

Note: both the Landsverk L-180's (M-36) and L-181's (M-38), along with the DAF M-39's, that survived after May 1940, and were used in German service, were employed by their 'Police Units', within the occupied territories, ie: "internal security/rear area security". No numbers available.

Cheers

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Thank You indeed, Mark!

I know that Ireland had a few of those, but were there Landsverk L-180 and L-181 sold also to other countries?

Stellan

[nuyt]

I believe there were also two M38's in service as command vehicles. Will get back on that. An extra chassis was converted to a recovery vecle by DAF.
Kind regards,
Nuyt

[nuyt]

Yep, Dutch Army had:
12 M36=L181
14 M38=L180 (180 is actually an improved 182-correction July 12th))
Of the latter type two had no guns. Each one of them was assigned to the 1st and 2nd Armoured Car Squadron respectively as command vehicles (Have no pictures of these).
So a total of 26 Landsverks were in service by May 1940.
(Source: Vier eeuwen Nederlandse Cavalerie, part one)
According to this source only 7 M39 type were operational.

When the M36 were bought, the deal included a spare chassis that was reworked into a recovery vehicle for armoured cars (Nederlandse Militaire Voertuigen), but I am not sure now by whom.

[nuyt]

from the same source:

PS note the (same bullit proof?) tyres/wheels as in the Swedish vehicles?

[nuyt]

Hohoho!
I think you guys mixed up the M36 and M38s

All picture show M36s=L181, while the Irish one comes closer to the M38=L180 (which is an improved 182-correction July 14th), though its armament is not as in the Dutch vehicles (Bofors 37mm gun and 3 mg's).
There were also Irish cars on Leland chassis with similar Landsverk hull.

The front of the M36 was continously sloped down, the M38 had a different one.

Here's a M38=L180=improved L182

(source: Schulten/Theijl, Nederlandse Pantservoertuigen)

PS: note the tracks

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Mark W. Tonner
Note: both the Landsverk L-180's (M-36) and L-181's (M-38), along with the DAF M-39's, that survived after May 1940, and were used in German service, were employed by their 'Police Units', within the occupied territories, ie: "internal security/rear area security". No numbers available.

Attached goes a picture of M36's and/or M38's in use by a German police unit, somewhere in the Netherlands during the occupation. I had not seen this picture before, it sold on eBay during March 2003.

H.

[Landsverk]

Hello!

This is my first post on this forum, thanks Geoff Winnington-Ball for fast response!

I have been researching the history about AB Landsverk for some years now, and have made many good contacts abroad with similar people in Holland, Ireland, Denmark and Germany.

My special interest has the Landsverk six- and four-wheeled armoured cars.

I am preparing a booklet, and I have amongst others written magazine articles about the history of the Swedish 42nd Armoured Car Squadron for the Swedish magazine "Armour".

To begin with:
Holland acquired 12 L-181s for it's 1st Armd Sqdn in 1936.
As others have confirmed an extra chassis was ordered to act as a recovery vehicle, it would find important use in the May days of 1940.

Then they acquired 14 improved L-180s for their 2nd Squadron.
However, shortly after their arrival Landsverk built two special command turrets which were modified and each squadron got one of the Command Cars.

After the Dutch surrender several vehicles were used with both Polizei units but also in Infanterie Divisionen. Some made it until late in the war, possibly as long as 1944 with Police unit/s.
Danish armoured cars survived even longer in german use...

Landsverk deliveries of six-wheelers as follows:

- Lithuania, 6 x L-181
- Netherlands, 12 x L-181
- Denmark 2 x L-180
- Finland 1 x L-182
- Estonia 1 x L-180
- Ireland 2+6 x L-180
- Netherlands 14 x L-180 (incl. 2 Command Cars)
- Sweden 5 x L-180

Cheers,
Thorleif

(edit) PS. There are currently 4 known survivors:

L-180 at Howth Castle, Dublin, IRE
L-180 at Museum Nederlandse Cavalerie, Amersfoort, NL
L-180 at the Swedish Armour Museum, Axvall, SWE
L-180 in restored condition in private ownership, Ireland.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Landsverk
PS. There are currently 4 known survivors:

L-180 at Howth Castle, Dublin, IRE
L-180 at Museum Nederlandse Cavalerie, Amersfoort, NL
L-180 at the Swedish Armour Museum, Axvall, SWE
L-180 in restored condition in private ownership, Ireland.

The last one listed was sold to a pair of Dutch collectors earlier this year - see http://www.landsverk-m38.nl.

So 50% of the known survivors are located in The Netherlands!

H.