FV 432

The threat of nuclear war in the 1950s had a profound effect on military tactics. Until then the bulk of most armies consisted of infantry on foot. Trials had shown that armoured vehicles could survive on the fringes of nuclear explosions. The whole doctrine of warfare in the face of these weapons was based on mobility, ensuring that no worthwhile target remained in place long enough to be bombed.

At the end of World War 2, turretless Ram Tanks were used as Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to provide mobility and armoured protection for the infantry. Some Churchill tanks were similarly converted, but by the late 1950s these had been replaced by the six wheel drive Saracen APC.

In the 1950s, when it was decided that all infantry in Europe should fight from APCs, and that these APCs be tracked to keep up with tanks, a new vehicle, the FV432, was developed. Its ancestry could be traced back to the small tracked ‘Bren gun carriers' of World War 2, but the FV432 was Front engined with a rear door and all over roof. The design was similar to earlier US vehicles, but developed in Britain as a family of vehicles, the APC being but one variant. The APC itself was later to be adapted to fulfil several roles.

Early FV432s were given the name Trojan which was later dropped for trademark reasons. They were powered by one of the Rolls Royce designed B Series petrol engine. Later, the K60 diesel engine was used in the APCs and other vehicles in the series. The APC was originally fitted with a built in flotation screen for river crossing.

One adaptation of the APC was provided for the REME LADs of those infantry battalions equipped with the basic carrier. The REME variant was fitted with an internal winch driven from the main engine, and the rear door of the vehicle was shortened so that a fixed lower section could have an aperture for the winch cable. A folding spade anchor provided stability when winching. The vehicle was not popular because the winch was not powerful enough for any but simple recovery tasks unless a layout of pulleys was used. Setting these up took time and effort and often an ARV or a wheeled recovery vehicle with
a more powerful winch could do the job more easily and quickly. The basic FV432 remains in service.

Length
5.11 m (16 ft 9 in)
Width
2.82 m (9 ft 3 in)
Height
1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight
15 tonnes laden
Engine
Rolls Royce K60 diesel