Copyright © Hans Högman 2025-09-08
Pansarbil m/1931 (Armored Car m/1931)
The Pansarbil m/1931 (abbreviated Pbil m/1931)
was an armored vehicle used by the Swedish Army
for reconnaissance units and was in service
between 1931 and 1958. The armored vehicle was
initially part of the cavalry brigades, but with the
doctrinal reforms of the Second World War, it
became part of the first motorized brigades in 1941
and soon after part of the Swedish armored
brigades in 1943.
During the 1920s, the Swedish army tested many of
the lessons learned from World War I. Among these
was a keen interest in motorized cavalry and
equipping it with modern armored cars.
Initially, various foreign armored vehicles were
tested, but there was considerable interest in
domestic vehicles, and in 1925, Tidaholm Works
was commissioned to produce three test vehicles,
designated armored vehicle Pansarbil fm/1925 for
the first two and fm/1926 for the last.
These were
trucks from
Tidaholm
equipped with
armored
bodies
mounted on
top and
rotating gun
turrets. The trials with the armored vehicles
provided valuable experience, but they were only
temporary solutions.
The image shows the armored car Pansarbil
m/1931 (Pbil m/31) armed with the 37 mm Naval
Gun m/98B. Image: Wikipedia.
Work on developing an armored car for series
production began in 1929, and by the summer of
1930, a prototype had been developed at
Stockholms Tygstation (ST) - Stockholm Ordnance
Depot.
This was designated the fm/1930 armored car and
was used in trials by the Life Regiment Hussars in
Skövde. However, certain changes were required to
the test vehicle, and a new prototype was ordered
from Bofors in June 1931. It was delivered in August
of the same year and became the first example of
the Pbil m/31.
The Pbil m/31 armored car consisted of a standard
truck chassis with an armored car superstructure
mounted on top. The truck chassis for the initial
Pbil m/31 vehicles came from Chevrolet, but later on
chassis from Volvo Trucks were also used.
The armament originally consisted of a 6.5 mm
m/1914-29 machine gun in the passenger seat in
the cabin (later replaced by an 8 mm m/1936
machine gun) and an open rotating gun with an
armor shield on the flatbed. The flatbed gun could
either be an additional m/1914-29 machine gun
(later m/1936) in an anti-aircraft mount or a 37 mm
m/98B naval gun in a fixed conical mount.
In early 1942, the armored cars were rearmed
with new weaponry in the form of a purpose-built
armored car mount (pblav) on the flatbed, armed
with a Bofors 20 mm automatic cannon m/1940B
and an 8 mm machine gun m/1936. This gave the
vehicles modern capabilities to combat low-flying
aircraft and lightly armored vehicles.
The flatbed was open, but there was additional
protection in the form of a set of mountable armor
shields (usually four) with shooting ports that could
be attached at any height and position on the
flatbed railing.
A total of 32 m/1931 armored cars were delivered
to the Swedish Armed Forces up until 1940 and
were originally assigned to the cavalry (from 1941
the motorized brigades), but by the end of 1943
they had all been transferred to the newly formed
armored troops. They were then mainly used for
training but remained in the Swedish Armed Forces
until 1958.
Variants:
1.
Pansarbil m/31 [gun vehicle] (Armored car m/31)
– 1931 variant armed with a 37 mm naval gun
m/98B in a conical mount on the flatbed.
2.
Pansarbil m/31 [machine gun vehicle] (Armored
car m/31) – 1931 variant armed with a 6.5 mm
m/14-29 machine gun (8 mm m/36 machine
gun from 1936) in an anti-aircraft mount on the
flatbed.
3.
Pansarbil m/31 (1942 version) (Armored car
m/31) – 1942 variant armed with a 20 mm
automatic cannon m/40B and 8 mm machine
gun m/36 in an anti-aircraft turret on the
flatbed.
Specifications:
•
Crew
5–6 st (driver, cabin gunner, car
commander, flatbed gunner, 1–2 marksmen)
•
Mass
4,200 kg
•
Length
3.3 m
•
Width
1.8 m
•
Height
2.75 m
•
Max. speed
60 km/h (forward), 7 km/h
(reverse)
•
Engine
6-cylinder straight engine
(Chevrolet/Volvo), 78 hp
•
Armor
5,5–6,5 mm rolled
homogeneous armor
•
Manufacturer
AB Bofors (body), Chevrolet,
Volvo (chassis)
•
In Swedish service
1931 - 1958
•
Produced
1931–1940
•
Number
32
The image shows Armored Car m/1931, No. 807
(P4) in its 1942 configuration (20 mm automatic
cannon and 8 mm machine gun in anti-aircraft
turret). Image: Skaraborg Garrison Museum, ID:
GMSF.001157.
Pansarbil m/1939 and m/1940 (Armored Car
m/1939 and m/1940)
Lynx was a line of Swedish four-wheel-drive
armored vehicles created by AB Landsverk
shortly before World War II.
In the late 1930s, AB Landsverk developed, on its
own initiative, an armored vehicle that they gave
the international name Lynx. Denmark was
interested and ordered 18 vehicles based on
Danish specifications. The first vehicles were ready
for testing in 1938, and three Lynx vehicles were
shipped across the strait to Denmark for testing in
the summer of 1939. The Danish vehicles were
equipped with a Madsen 20 mm cannon and
Madsen machine guns. The remaining 15 vehicles
were to be exported to Denmark when they were
completed. However, when World War II broke out
in September 1939, Sweden imposed a ban on the
delivery of war material abroad. When Germany
annexed Denmark in April 1940, Sweden
confiscated the 15 vehicles that had still to be
delivered. These were now fitted with new turrets
and 20 mm cannons from Bofors and designated
Pansarbil m/1939 Lynx (Armored Car m/1939
Lynx).
The Swedish army was now in great need of
armored cars and ordered another 30 armored
cars of the same type from Landsverk. However,
Landsverk's manufacturing capacity had become
severely limited, owing in part to the production of
tanks for the Swedish army. These occurrences
prompted negotiations with Volvo about licensed
production of the armored vehicle. At the end of
1939, a contract was signed with Volvo for the
manufacture of 30 armored cars based on
Landsverk's Lynx model. Volvo's armored cars were
manufactured at the Penta facilities in Skövde.
These armored cars were equipped with a Volvo
engine and were therefore designated Pansarbil
m/1940 (Armored Car m/1940). The first Volvo
armored car, the m/1940, was test driven in
November 1940. Everything went according to plan,
and all 30 vehicles were delivered during the first
four months of 1941.
The image shows the armored car m/1939 Lynx
(Pansarbil m/1939 – Lynx (short: Pb m/39)). Image:
Svensk Pansarhistorisk Förening.
All 45 Lynx vehicles in Swedish service were armed
with the Bofors 20 mm automatic cannon m/40,
unlike the original Danish versions, which had a
Madsen automatic cannon. Initially, the armored
car m/39 still had Madsen armament, but they were
gradually equipped with Swedish turrets and
Bofors cannons. From 1941, all m/39s were fitted
with Swedish-made turrets with Bofors 20 mm
automatic cannons and parallel-mounted 8 mm
m/36 machine guns. The body was fully welded,
and the armor was up to 13 mm thick.
The vehicles from Landsverk, i.e. m/1939, were
equipped with a 6-cylinder Scania-Vabis engine
with 142 hp, while the m/1940 model was
equipped with a 6-cylinder Volvo engine with 135
hp. Both engines were equipped with a 5-speed
gearbox.
The vehicles had four-wheel drive for better off-
road mobility. Regardless, the 8-ton vehicle needs
stable ground in the terrain to avoid being trapped.
Furthermore, there was a driver at either end of
the vehicle, allowing for seamless forward and
backward movement. The vehicle also had four-
wheel steering and could be driven at the same
speed in both directions.
In terms of appearance, the m/1939 and m/1940
armored cars were very similar. They had different
engines, and only a few exterior details revealed
whether it was an m/39 or m/40.
The image shows the Armored Car m/1940 Lynx
(Pansarbil m/1940 – Lynx (Pb m/40)). Photo:
between 1943 and 1950. Image: Arsenalen, ID:
ARSF.001705.
The vehicle was initially assigned to cavalry units in
Stockholm, Helsingborg, Skövde, and Umeå. The
armored forces formed their own branch in 1942,
and in 1943, personnel and vehicles were
transferred from the cavalry to the armored forces.
Soldiers were then trained on the armored cars in
Helsingborg, Strängnäs, Skövde, and Enköping. In
the 1950s, armored cars were also used in infantry
formations.
The crew consisted of six men: a commander and
a gunner/loader in the turret and two drivers and
two gunners in the chassis. The armored cars were
used until 1958, when they were decommissioned.
Of the original 15 armored car m/39s, 13 were sold
to the Dominican Republic, where they were used
until the end of the 1990s.
The armored car was very popular and reliable. As
an armored car, it had high firepower for its time,
quiet running, advanced communications
equipment, and could maintain high speeds. In
1955, both the m/39 and m/40 armored cars were
phased out of the military organization. A few
vehicles remained in service for a while longer with
the headquarters staff company (I 1) and the police
command in Stockholm (Fo 44). In 1958, armored
cars were completely phased out of the
organization.
Specifications:
•
Crew
6: commander, 2 drivers (one in
front and one in the rear), 3 gunners/loaders
•
Mass
7.8 ton
•
Length
5.1 m
•
Width
2.28 m
•
Height
2.2 m
•
Armor
up to 13 mm
•
Engine
m/39: 6-cyl Scania-Vabis 142
hp. m/40: 6-cyl Volvo 135 hp
•
Gearbox
5-speed
•
Suspension
four-wheel drive
•
Max. speed
70 – 80 km/h on roads
•
Main armament
1 × 20 mm Bofors cannon
•
Sec. armament
8 mm machine gun m/36
•
Number, Swe
m/39: 15 and m/40: 30
•
In Swedish service
1939 - 1958
•
No. produced
48
•
Manufacturer
Landsverk / Volvo
•
Produced
1939 - 1941
The image shows Armored Car m/1940 Lynx
(Pansarbil m/1940 – Lynx (Pb m/40)). Image:
Karlsborg Fortress Museum, ID: KBGF.010700.
Terrängbil m/1942 KP (Armored Personnel
Carrier m/1942 KP)
The armored personnel carrier Terrängbil m/1942
KP (short: Tgb m/42 KP) was an armored variant of
the m/1942 off-road vehicle.
The “KP” in the name stands for “Karosseri Pansar”,
meaning “armored body”, and the vehicle was
intended for use as an armored personnel
carrier. They were introduced during World War II
and continuously upgraded until the last one was
finally taken out of service in 2004. The KP vehicle
could also be used to transport wounded soldiers
on stretchers, which was utilized by the Swedish UN
battalion in Congo in the early 1960s, among
others.
Since it was impossible to purchase armored
vehicles abroad during World War II, Swedish
company AB Landsverk was commissioned to
design a vehicle based on the Swedish Army's
standard trucks. The armored bodies were
delivered from Landsverk, Bröderna Hedlund, and
KMV to Volvo (100 units) for mounting on Volvo TLV
141 truck chassis and to Scania-Vabis (300 units) for
mounting on Scania-Vabis F10 truck chassis. The
first KP vehicles were delivered to the armored tank
regiment Göta Life Guard (P 1) towards the end of
1944. The KP vehicles from Scania were designated
SKP (Scania Karosseri Pansar - Scania Bodywork
Armor) and those from Volvo VKP (Volvo Karosseri
Pansar - Volvo Bodywork Armor).
The image shows the armored personnel carrier
Terrängbil m/42 KP, so-called "KP-car". Image:
Miliseum, ID: MILIF.025694.
The soldiers promptly nicknamed the KP cars
"coffins" due to their unusual design.
The driver and vehicle commander were seated in
the cab, while the flatbed had benches for 16
soldiers sitting with their backs to each other. The
transport compartment had armor protection at
the rear and sides but no roof so that the soldiers
could fire from the flatbed. In 1956, the vehicles
were equipped with m/36 anti-aircraft machine
guns.
In 1960, eleven SKPs were assigned to the UN
battalion in Congo, where they participated in the
battle in and around Elisabethville, their first action
under the UN flag. Also, the UN force in Cyprus
employed SKP trucks until May 1978.
The image shows an
armored personnel
carrier, m/1942 SKP, in
UN livery in Skövde for
UN operations in
Congo in the 1960s.
Image: Skaraborg
Garrison Museum, ID: GMSF.001541.
In 1970, the VKP was phased out as surplus,
while the SKP, which had been tested in UN
service, was retained.
In the early 1980s, a final upgrade was carried
out, in which the vehicles were rebuilt and fitted
with armored roofs, improved splinter protection,
and shorter rear sections with a door for
disembarking and loading. The number of
passengers that could be transported was reduced
to seven. The vehicles' armament was changed to 2
machine guns, Ksp 58, and supplemented with
smoke launchers.
Variants
•
SKP m/42
•
VKP m/42
Specifications, Scania SKP m/42
•
Crew
3
•
Troops
16 (7 for m/42D SKPF)
•
Mass
8,500 kg
•
Length
6.90 m
•
Width
2.30 m
•
Height
2.90 m
•
Engine
Scania 402/1, 4-cylinder
petrol, 115 hp
•
Max. speed
70 km/h (road), 35 km/h (off-
road)
•
Armor
8-20 mm
•
Main armament
8 mm machine gun m/36 in
double mount, replaced in the early 1980s with
two 7.62 mm machine guns 58
•
Sec. armament
6 smoke launchers
•
Numbers
300
•
In Swedish service
1944 - 2004
Specifications, Volvo VKP m/42
•
Crew
3
•
Troops
16
•
Mass
8,500 kg
•
Length
6.85 m
•
Width
2.33 m
•
Height
2.80 m
•
Engine
Volvo FET, 6-cylinder petrol,
105 hp
•
Max. speed
70 km/h (road)
•
Armor
8-20 mm
•
Main armament
8 mm machine gun m/36 in
double mount
•
Numbers
200
•
In Swedish service
1944 - 1970
Infantry Fighting Vehicles,
Sweden - 1
Armored Personnel Carrier
(Pansarterrängbil)
Pansarbil fm/1925 and fm/1926 (Armored Car
fm/1925 and fm/1926)
During the first half of the 1920s, the Swedish Armed
Forces were keen to gain experience with armored
cars and to start testing Swedish armored car tactics.
In April 1924, the design for the first armored car was
ready, and production began immediately. They were
built at the Tidaholm Works in Västergötland and
were basically ordinary trucks from the works'
production fitted with armored bodies. Tidaholm had
begun small-scale series production of trucks as early
as 1906, and by 1920, production had reached
around 150 trucks per year. However, Tidaholm
Works was primarily known as a manufacturer of
special vehicles, such as fire engines and buses. Two
armored cars were built in 1925 and were
completed in the fall of the same year. These
armored cars were experimental models and were
designated Pansarbil fm/1925 (fm = FörsöksModell =
experimental model), i.e. Armored Car fm/1925.
Both cars were armed with a 6.5 mm m/00 Hotchkiss
machine gun mounted in a round turret.
The intention was that the bodies would be made of
armor plate from AB Bofors, but they had problems
delivering the armor plate, so the cladding on the
fm/25 was built in ordinary 5-millimeter commercial
iron. The body superstructure consisted of large,
straight plates riveted together. The armored cars
had dual controls with one driver in front and one
driver in the rear.
The two armored cars were called Armored Car No. 1
(reg. no. 602) and Armored Car No. 2 (reg. no. 603).
The cars were largely similar, but Armored Car 1 had
six narrow flanges in front of the radiator, while
Armored Car 2 had only three flanges.
The image shows Armored Car fm/1925 No. 2 (with
registration number 603) from Tidaholm Works.
Image: Wikipedia.
Both armored cars were placed with the Life
Regiment Hussars, K 3, in Skövde for testing under
the command of Cavalry Captain Wilhelm Odelberg.
As an experiment, Armored Car No. 1 was fitted with
a track unit at the rear to improve mobility in winter
conditions. The track drive attachment was of the
same type as that used by the Swedish Postal Service
on its vehicles in rural areas of northern Sweden
during the winter. To make room for the track
assembly, a section of the metal plate on the side of
the rear body had to be cut away. However, the track
drive trial was unsuccessful, so the wheels were
remounted on the rear axle.
A third armored car was delivered in 1926 with a
slightly different design and was built to
specifications based on the experience gained from
trials with the cars delivered the previous year, i.e.
fm/25.
The armored car from 1926 was designated
Pansarbil fm/1926 (Armored Car fm/1926). On the
fm/26, the corners of the armor plates were more
beveled, and the car was more streamlined. Instead
of Hotchkiss machine guns, the fm/26 was armed
with an m/22 machine gun in the turret.
The fm/26 vehicle was called Armored Car No. 3 (reg.
no. 604). Armored Car No. 1, the first of the 1925
models, was scrapped in 1935, while the other two
remained in service until the Second World War.
The image shows armored cars fm/25 and fm/26 at K
3 in Skövde. From left: Armored Car No. 3 (fm/26),
Armored Car No. 2 (fm/25) and Armored Car No. 1
(fm/25). Note the cranks at the front of the armored
cars. Image: Skaraborg Garrison Museum, ID:
GMSF.038599.
Specifications:
•
Crew
4 (commander, forward driver, rear
driver, one or two gunners)
•
Mass
4 – 5 tons
•
Length
5.4 m
•
Width
1.68 m
•
Height
2.53 m
•
Engine
36-45 hp 4-cylinder Tidaholm
engine, petrol
•
Armor
5 mm commercial iron
•
Max. speed
45-60 km/h on roads
•
Armament
6.5 mm machine gun m/1900 Hotchkiss
or 6.5 mm air-cooled aircraft machine gun m/22 of
the Colt type. Occasionally also 37 mm Puteaux
cannons.
•
Delivered
two in 1925, one in 1926
•
Manufacturer
Tidaholm Works AB (chassis)
•
Superstructure
Royal Army Administration Artillery
Department, Design Division. Assembly at
Stockholm Armory Station.
Pansarbil fm/1929 (Armored Car fm/1929)
The fm/1929 (Pb fm/29) was yet another armored
car developed as an experimental model. It was used
by the Swedish Armed Forces between 1931 and
1945. The previous armored cars from Tidaholm, i.e.
fm/25 and fm/26, lacked off-road capability. An
important requirement for this armored car was that
it should have some off-road capability. Funding for
further trials with armored cars was granted on 27
June 1927. Attempts were first made to purchase a
suitable armored car from various foreign
manufacturers, but none could be found that met
Swedish requirements, so it was decided to develop a
Swedish armored car instead. The Artillery
Department's design division at the Royal Army
Administration was commissioned to design an
armored car chassis, and the design was completed
in July 1930. The Swedish business AB Landsverk was
tasked with producing the chassis, which was
completed by the end of June 1931. In the summer of
1931, the chassis and superstructure were assembled
at the armory station in Stockholm, and the armored
car was then completed at the Oskarshamn Shipyard
in February 1932. The armored car was designated
Pansarbil fm/1929 (reg. no. 10) - (fm = FörsöksModell
= experimental model).
The armored superstructure consisted of riveted
plates 4 and 6 mm thick from AB Bofors. Unlike the
fm/25 and fm/26, the wheels were also protected by
armor plate.
Landsverk gave the armored car the designation L-
170, but it came to be nicknamed “Paddan” (the Toad)
because of its appearance. The vehicle was designed
with modern features such as four-wheel drive and
steering on all four wheels. It had two driver's seats,
one at each end, and could be configured to travel in
either way.
The fm/1929 had an extra pair of wheels positioned
higher than the others between the front and rear
axles, primarily intended to assist with off-road
driving and prevent the armored car from getting
stuck on the chassis.
The
image shows the Armored Car fm/1929 (no. IV) from
Landsverk. Image: Skaraborg Garrison Museum, ID:
GMSF.001155.
The armored car was armed with a 37 mm m/1898
cannon at the front and two machine guns m/14-29,
one in the turret and one in the rear armor facing
backwards. The vehicle was assigned to the Mounted
Life Guards, K 1.
Only one example was manufactured. During
production, it became apparent that the advanced
design of the armored car fm/29 would be too
expensive for Sweden to afford to produce more
examples. From 1940, it was used as a driving school
vehicle at K 1 for drivers of the Armored Car m/39
and Armored Car m/40.
Specifications:
•
Crew
4–5 man
•
Mass
7.5 tons
•
Length
5.43 m
•
Width
2.33 m
•
Height
2.46 m
•
Ground clearance
0.3 m
•
Engine
6-cyl Scania-Vabis, 85 hp
•
Max. speed
60 km/h (in either way)
•
Armor
4 and 6 mm
•
Main armament
37 mm cannon m/1898
•
Sec. armament
two 6,5 mm machine gun
m/14-29
•
In Swedish service
1931 – 1945
•
Manufactured
1931 - 1932
•
Manufacturer
AB Landsverk / AB Bofors
The image shows the Armored Car fm/1929 (no. IV)
from Landsverk. Photo: 1935. Image: Miliseum, ID:
MILIF.008772.
