Ford FT-B

Ford FT-B
model
Type	Armoured car
Place of origin	Poland
Service history
In service	1920-1931
Used by	Poland
Wars	Polish-Bolshevik War
Production history
Designer	Tadeusz Tański
Designed	1920
Manufacturer	Gerlach i Pulst
Produced	1920
No. built	17
Specifications
Weight	1350 kg
Length	3.25 m (10 ft 8 in)
Width	1.55 m (5 ft 1 in)
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Crew	2
Armor	8 mm
Main armament	1 x 7.92 mm Maxim 08/15 1,250 rounds
Secondary armament	25 x hand grenades
Engine	4-cylinder 2.9 L water-cooled gasoline engine 22.5 hp
Power/weight	16.6 hp/t
Suspension	transversely mounted semi-elliptical spring for each of the axles
Operational range	250 km
Speed	50 km/h (31 mph)

The Ford FT B (also known as Ford Tf-c and model 1920) was the first armoured car designed and built in Poland. Built on the chassis of the famous Ford T and armoured with re-used armoured plates, the car was a successful design for its time. The main designer was the engineer Tadeusz Tański. The armoured vehicle originated on account of the high demand during the Polish-Soviet war in 1920.

After the outbreak of the Polish-Soviet War in 1919, the Polish Army was severely under-equipped. Except for a number of FT-17 tanks that arrived with the Blue Army formed in France, the Polish forces lacked any armoured reconnaissance vehicles. During the Soviet offensive leading to the battle of Warsaw the situation became even more tragic as many Austin-Putilov Armoured Cars captured from the Red Army were retaken by the Bolsheviks. It was then that engineer Tadeusz Tański, a renowned inventor and a worker of the Ministry of Military Affairs, designed his armoured car. The project originated within only 2 weeks from Tanski’s initiative. The prototype was prepared in less than two weeks in the Gerlach i Pulsing works in Warsaw. After a series of tests the production started, and each of the battle-ready cars was immediately dispatched to the front-line and attached to various units. Altogether a series of 16 or 17 cars were made.

The project was based on the successful Ford Model T, one of the most popular cars of the epoch. The chassis and the levers were significantly reinforced and the fuel tank was moved. In addition, the crank was extended to allow for starting the engine from the inside and the dashboard had been modified. The armoured plating was handmade out of scrapped German armoured trench shields, and attached to the chassis by bolts.

The FT-B cars took part in the later stage of the Polish-Soviet war and fought in the battles along the Wkra river and in the battle of Warsaw, as well as the battle of Kowel and in numerous other battles.