Archer is a British tank destroyer of the Second World War. The first prototypes were created in 1943, and serial production continued in 1944-1945. A total of 655 copies of this car were produced. Archer was equipped with one General Motors 6046 Model 6-71M engine with a capacity of 195 hp. The vehicle was armed with a 76.2 mm 17-pounder QFSA II gun and one 7.7 mm Bren machine gun. The Archer was based on the Valentine tank chassis and was armed with an excellent 17-pounder anti-tank gun. It was intended to increase the ability of British mechanized and armored units to fight German tanks. "Luchnik" had a simple, but extremely unconventional design, since the barrel of the gun was directed to the rear of the vehicle, which was supposed to make it easier to ambush enemy tanks, and then quickly fail. In the course of operation, it turned out that "Archer" has a number of advantages: firstly, excellent weapons, and thanks to its low silhouette, it is easy to disguise. However, it had very thin armor and poor internal ergonomics, which made it extremely difficult for the crew. The car entered service at the end of 1944 and participated in the Italian campaign and in battles in France and West Germany (1944-1945), as well as in the Polish Armed Forces in the West (PSZ). They also fought in the Suez Crisis (1956) as part of the Egyptian army. Archer machines were withdrawn from the British army in the early 1950s.
