I made a post a while ago detailing U.S. use of armored cars here. The rank of armored car commanders varied, but they were most often, as officers, first or second lieutenants, or as enlisted men, sergeants or staff sergeants.

As I discussed in my previous post, there were several types of units detailed to be equipped with armored cars in the U.S. Army. The most prominent of these were probably cavalry reconnaissance troops, assigned either singly to infantry divisions or in threes or fours to cavalry reconnaissance squadrons or armored reconnaissance battalions. Cavalry reconnaissance squadrons with three troops were assigned in pairs to cavalry groups. Cavalry reconnaissance squadrons with four troops were assigned to the 1st (after July 1944), 4th through 14th, 16th, and 20th Armored Divisions; the cavalry reconnaissance squadrons of the 1st (before July 1944), 2nd, and 3rd Armored Divisions were called armored reconnaissance battalions, despite having the same composition as four-troop squadrons.

The basic unit of the cavalry reconnaissance troop was the reconnaissance platoon, which had an armored car section and a scout (jeep) section. I'll highlight the armored car section of three M8 armored cars, breaking it down by crew position.

Commander/loader, in turret right rear:

Something common in U.S. units was a role, such as a truck driver, having two permissible ranks. The unit would be allowed a certain number of men of each rank per its table of organization, and then they would be split up among the sub-units as necessary.

The cavalry reconnaissance troop was allotted a total of two first lieutenants and three second lieutenants. One of the second lieutenants was to be the troop liaison officer; the other four first or second lieutenants could either be detailed as the troop's executive officer (1) or as a commander of a reconnaissance platoon (3), regardless of rank.

Quantity	SSN	Rank	Role
1ac	1204	First or second lieutenant	Armored reconnaissance unit commander
1c	733	Staff sergeant	Platoon sergeant
1c	733	Sergeant	Car commander

Gunner/radio operator, in turret left rear:

Quantity	SSN	Rank	Role
3c	776	Technician 5th grade	Operator, radio, low speed and gunner

Driver, in hull left front:

Quantity	SSN	Rank	Role
3c	733	Technician 5th grade	Driver, armored car

Assistant driver/radio operator, in hull right front:

A similar situation as described above existed for armored car radio operators/assistant drivers. The troop was allotted a total of seven intermediate speed radio operators/assistant drivers; four with the rank of technician 4th grade and three with the rank of technician 5th grade. After distribution to the other units of the troop, the reconnaissance platoons were left with two, of the same or different ranks. All the low speed radio operators/assistant drivers allotted to the troop were technicians 4th grade, of which the reconnaissance platoons got one; the three assistant drivers could be moved around the cars depending upon what type of radios they were equipped with.

Quantity	SSN	Rank	Role
2c	740	Technician 4th or 5th grade	Operator, radio, intermediate speed and assistant driver
1c	776	Technician 5th grade	Operator, radio, low speed and assistant driver

• a: mounted in armored car or other vehicle of the platoon, as required

• c: armed with carbine, cal. .30, M1