| Romfell armoured car | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Austro-Hungarian Army |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Branko Romanić & Simon Fellner |
| Designed | 1915 |
| No. built | 1 or 2 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 5 tons (Mercedes chassis), 3.51 (Fiat chassis) |
| Length | 5.67 m (Mercedes chassis), 5.37 m (Fiat chassis) |
| Width | 1.8 m (Mercedes) |
| Height | 2.48 m (Mercedes) |
| Crew | 4 (Commander, driver, gunner, assistant) |
| Armor | 2-7 mm |
Main armament | 8 mm Schwarzlose machine gun |
Secondary armament | 1 x 8 mm Mannlicher M1895 rifle, 2 x 9 mm Steyr M1912 pistols |
| Engine | Mercedes 4-stroke Otto, 4-cylinder (Mercedes), M09 Goliath water-cooled petrol engine (Fiat) 90-95 hp (Mercedes), 44 hp (Fiat) |
| Drive | rear-wheel |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| Ground clearance | .36 m (Mercedes) |
Operational range | 100-150 km (Mercedes) |
| Maximum speed | 28-40 km/h on-road, 25 km/h off-road (Mercedes), 35 km/h (Fiat) |
| References | https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww1/austria-hungary/romfell-armoured-car |
The Romfell armoured car was designed by Hauptmann Branko Romanić and Oberleutnant Simon Fellner (hence the name Romfell) for the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1915, based on a Mercedes 37/90 PS chassis.[1] Romanić and Fellner were supported by Lieutenant Emil Vidéky, Imre Kádár, and Lieutenants Ágoston and Fazekas. A private enterprise, the War Ministry was not informed of the car's construction until a Siemens and Halske radio was requested, at which point they became aware of the project and viewed it with disapproval.[2] A favorable report was given by Oberleutnant Erich Kurzel Edler von Runtscheiner so construction proceeded, with the car being finished by the end of July, 1915 at the Automotive Replacement Depot in Budapest.[3][4]
The Romfell was armed with a Schwarzlose M07/12 HMG in a 1,100mm 360 degree rotating turret. The machine gun could be elevated 45° and depressed 30°. Additional firepower was carried by the crew in the form of a Stey M.95 rifle and two Steyr 1912 pistols. Armor consisted of metal plates riveted to the frame: 2-2.5 mm for the roof, 6.5-7mm for the sides and vertical areas of the turret, and 4.5-5mm elsewhere. Crew entry and exit was from small hatches on the side. Three shooting ports were on the left side and two on the right, with a hatch in front for the driver to see through as well as a small hatch for the commander/observer and a central square hatch from which a Zeiss acetylene searchlight could be mounted. The searchlight could also be mounted on the roof. The radiator was protected by an armored shutter. At the rear were two extrusions. The top extrusion was used for a tow hook, to which a short-lived ammo trailer could be attached. The lower extrusion could be dropped to the ground via a chain, acting as an anchor if stalled on a slope.[3]
- ^ https://www.ujpest.hu/galeria/intezmenyek/helytorteneti_ertesito/uhe-201404.pdf
- ^ "A Romfell páncélautó története".
- ^ a b Jobse, Leander (August 7, 2021). "Romfell". Tank Encyclopedia.
- ^ Felberbauer, Franz (March 28, 2024). "Panzerfahrzeuge des Österreichischen Heeres: seit 1904". Paaul Pietsch Verlage GmbH & Co. KG – via Google Books.