The Scammell Pioneer is a British heavy truck of the Second World War. The first copies of this car were made in 1927, and serial production was carried out in 1927-1945. Approximately 3,400 examples of this vehicle were produced in its course. The drive was provided by a single Gardnem Diesel engine with 102 HP.
The Scammell Pioneer was originally developed as the primary means of transport and artillery tractor for British troops stationed primarily in colonies. The vehicle was suitable for off-road use, it was characterized by high mobility, durable suspension and considerable towing capacity. Several versions of this car were created in the course of production. One of the more produced was the artillery tractor version (Pioneer R100) and the technical assistance vehicle (Pioneer SV1T and SV2S). There was also a tractor version for damaged tanks with a carrying capacity of 20 tons (Pioneer TRCU20) and 30 tons (Pioneer TRCU30). Scammell Pioneer trucks underwent their baptism of fire in 1940 during the campaign in France. Later, they also served, among others, in North Africa (1940-1943).
The Crusader was a British tank of the Second World War. The first prototypes were built in 1939, and serial production continued in 1940-1943. In total, about 4,900 copies of this tank were built. Crusader was powered by an engine Nuffield Liberty Mk II with 340 hp. The vehicle was armed with - depending on the version - a single 40mm QF 2-pounder cannon or a single 57mm QF 6-pounder cannon and two 7.92mm and 7.7mm machine guns.
Tank Crusader was constructed as a successor to the failed Convenanter A13 car. First of all, the new tank was more carefully designed, which meant it had a much lower failure rate than its predecessor. The armour has also been improved. Despite these changes The Crusader, when it entered service, still had too weak armour, and above all, too weak weapons to fight enemy tanks. Its strengths include the aforementioned low failure rate and good mobility. Nevertheless, after the end of the North African campaign (1940-1943) in which the Crusader tanks played a major role, they were systematically and quickly withdrawn from the frontline units. Several versions of this tank were created in the course of serial production. Chronologically, the first was the Crusader I, which was the first mass-produced version of this tank. In May 1942, the Crusader III version made its debut, with a new 57mm gun and 51mm reinforced armour. After 1943, numerous specialist vehicles based on the Crusader chassis were built, such as the Crusader II Gun Traktor or the Crusader III AA Mk. I and II. Crusader tanks found themselves in the Free French, Australian and New Zealand units. They also became part of the equipment of the Polish Armed Forces in the West (PES).
