That's correct, they started In ' armoured cars'. !
The full story goes even further and deeper than that article...the last vehicle my dad drove in the desert was a large American tank...after much time in the cheaply built and cramped British Matilda tanks ( the Mk 2 version was better after the Mk 1 was withdrawn around 40/41.. but overall things had to change drastically to keep pace with the enemy.. the equipment wore out quickly on the sand.
Why the American intervention was important for supplies of everything.
https://wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/allied/regimentrac.php?pid=1058
In September 1940 when Italy declared war on Britain and France, the 11th Hussars were in Egypt with the 7th Armoured Division (known as the Desert Rats). Equipped with obsolete Rolls-Royce and Morris armoured cars, the regiment were engaged in raids against Italian positions in the Western Desert Campaign. They captured Fort Capuzzo and captured General Lastucci, the Engineer-in-Chief of the Italian Tenth Army in an ambush east of Bardia.
The 11th Hussars took part in Operation Compass that was launched against the Italian forces in Egypt and Libya. They joined the ad hoc combat unit named Combe Force (lead by Lieutenant-Colonel John Combe) which cut off the retreating Tenth Army near Beda Fomm, unable to break through the defensive positions the Italians surrendered en-masse as the 6th Australian Division closed in on them from their rear.
The 11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army and can be traced back to 1715. In 1940, the 11th was based in Egypt and became part of the 7th Armoured Division (The Desert Rats) equipped with armoured cars during the Western Desert Campaign. In September 1940, when the Italians invaded Egypt the 11th Hussars were part of the British covering force and they took part in the counterattack, Operation Compass against the Italian forces in Egypt and Libya. They returned to Britain in January 1944, docking at Glasgow and moved to Ashridge Park near Berkhamstead, to begin training for the Normandy Campaign.
The 11th Hussars boarded the MT Bradford City at Millwall Docks on the 5th of June 1944. They landed on the 9th of June near the small village of Conseulles, Normandy. After fierce fighting in Normandy they advanced to the Seine, on to the Somme and crossed into Belgium by September, they fought their way towards Berlin, being near the Kiel Canal on VE Day and entering the German capital in July 1945.
http://www.desertrats.org.uk/equipment.htm
Armoured Cars:
At the beginning of the war the 11th Hussars were equipped with the
Rolls Royce and
Morris Armoured Cars, but the war progressed the
Marmon-Harrington and
Humber Scout Car and Armoured Car became available, along with the
Daimler Scout Car and Armoured Car.
From about 1944 onwards the
Staghound range of Armoured Cars was issued to the British Army, which saw them through to the end of the war, along with some of Daimler and Humber Cars. Anti-aircraft Armoured cars were deployed as early as October 1942, with the
Humber Quad AA Car filling this role This later to be replaced by the
Staghound Dual 0.5" AA Car.
Although perhaps not as famous as the tank the development of the Armoured Car is an interesting story and this section also includes information on the
Vickers K Gun which was fitted to many Scout and Armoured Cars.
