Therefore, emergency measures were taken, with the War Office requisitioning virtually all available vehicles it could locate. Among these, all civilian motorcycles that Triumph had ready for delivery were requisitioned, while the Coventry-based company was commissioned to produce the 3TW twin-cylinder model, specifically intended for use by the Dispatch Riders (DR) who ensured communication services between different units.
However, on 14 November 1940, Coventry suffered the most concentrated attack on a British city during the Second World War. The bombing lasted for eleven long hours, involving nearly 500 Luftwaffe bombers that destroyed the city and almost the entire local industry, including the Triumph factory where the 3TWs were built. At that moment, in addition to completely wiping out production capacity, most of the company’s archives—dating back to when it began manufacturing motorcycles in 1902—were lost.
Seeking an emergency solution, Triumph quickly developed the 3HW model, a motorcycle for exclusive military use based on the 1937 civilian Tiger 80. Production was resumed at an old foundry in the city of Warwick, which managed to begin manufacturing the new 3HWs in June 1941. The bike featured a 342cc single-cylinder OHV (Overhead Valve) engine, capable of producing 17 hp at 5,200 rpm and reaching a top speed of 115 km/h. Due to shortages of strategic materials, the Tiger 80’s aluminium cylinder head was replaced by a new cast iron unit.
Around 40,000 Triumph 3HWs were built and used in the United Kingdom—many supplied to the Royal Navy—but also in various military campaigns including in North Africa, India, and Greece.