Mike Dobrzelecki has sent us some pictures and a description of a model he built of the Polish Ford FT-B (Tfc) Armored Car.  It’s a nicely done model of a rather rare and unusual vehicle.

Description:

Polish Ford FT-B (Tfc) Armored Car 1/35th Scale

By Mike Dobrzelecki

Designed in 1920 by Tadeusz Tanski the Ford FT-B (tfc) was based on the classic Ford Model T chassis. He used plates made from German trench armor scrounged from Polish battlefields and filled the tires with wood pulp to protect them to a certain degree  against rifle and machine gun bullets (probably a rough ride). The Ford FT-B was the first Polish armored vehicle built in series, with between 16 and 17 completed, depending on whose information you believe. All of the other armored vehicles in Polish service were either WWI vehicles captured from the Russians (Austin Pulitov Armored Cars, amongst others), Imperial German forces (Ehrhard Armored Cars, amongst others), Austrians, furnished as war material by the French Government (Renault FT-17’s, amongst others), or one-off armored conversions of civilian vehicles. The Ford FT-B acquitted itself well during the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1920 excelling in the highly mobile combat, which characterized that conflict, so unlike the static trench warfare of WWI. The Ford distinguished itself particularly in “The Raid on Kovel” and saved many a Polish kiester during the retreat from the Ukraine back to Warsaw. It them supported the counter-attack eastward, after the successful defense of Warsaw, known as “Miracle on the Wistula” (Wisla River in Polish), where Sikorski defeated the Reds, routing them in the process and sending [Read more…]