ICM 35381 1:35 Panhard 178 with French Armoured Vehicle Crew

The Panhard 178 was at the time of its manufacture (1935) an advanced reconnaissance armoured car used by the French armed forces. The 178 being Panhard's internal project number. The vehicle features 4 wheel drive a 25mm main gun supplemented by a 7.5mm machine gun. It was the first 4 wheel drive type of vehicle mass produced for a major power.  A feature of the vehicle was a driving position in the front for the drive, and a separate one at the rear for the second driver. The second driver also doubled as a radio operator in command vehicles.  The main gun used was a shorten version of the 25mm Hotchkiss L/42.2 the then standard French Antitank tank gun. To allow for the shorter barrel the gun used heavier charges, this would penetrate 50mm of armour using a tungsten round, 150 rounds of 25mm ammunition were carried.  Secondary armament was a coaxial Reibel 7.mm machine gun for which 3750 rounds were carried, approximately half of them being armour piercing. A further machine gun was carried which could be mounted on the turret for anti aircraft use. The magazines for this gun were carried on the walls of the fighting compartment. 

 

Approximately 370 vehicles were completed and available for use once war broke out and they were employed by infantry units as well as the Cavalry. When in combat with German vehicles armed with 20mm cannon the Panhards often came out much better than the enemy vehicles. Following the French defeat nearly 200 (many brand new) were used by German reconnaissance units. An interesting modification made by the Germans was to develop the Schienepanzer as railway protection vehicles which were fitted with special wheels to allow them to run on railway tracks.