Humber Armored Car

History of the Humber armored vehicle

Although there were a large number of armoured vehicles in service with the British Army during World War II (1939-1945), the Humber line proved to be one of the more important types of all global conflicts. These vehicles were based on Guy's earlier series of tank, light, wheeled Mk I, of which 101 were produced until October 1940. However, Guy's production facility was subsequently dedicated to the production of more important light tanks, as the British Army required a variety of armour.

This went on to produce other brands of Mk I, such as the Rootes Group (Karrier Motors Ltd). However, Guy continued to make turret components and hulls for the car.

It was then decided to combine the Karrier KT4 series artillery tractor chassis with the existing armored body of the Guy Mk I, and the newly styled vehicle was therefore called "Armored Vehicle, Humber Mk I". This type is used for armed light reconnaissance missions, its armament is housed in a shell turret.

The crew consisted of three people, with the commander being the radio operator, weapons-specific gunner and driver at the same time. The driver sat in the center of the fuselage, and the other two crew members sat on the turret.

When finished, the vehicle largely mimics the form and function of the previous original Guy design. The British Army initially ordered 500 of this model in 1940, and production began the following year. The first brand was the Mk I, their turrets were armed with a 1 x 15mm BESA machine gun and a 7.92mm BESA machine gun.

Despite top 500 orders, the brand only produced 300 units.

The cars weighed 5 tons, had an overall length of 15 feet and a width of just over 7 feet. They promoted a relatively high profile, reaching 8 feet near the top line of the tower. Armor protection peaks at 15mm, providing shielding against small arms fire and shrapnel - the hull is welded steel. Power is provided by a 90-horsepower Rootes 6-cylinder petrol engine mounted in the rear compartment.

The vehicle is suspended on a 4x4 wheel arrangement and power is sent to the rear axle, optionally to the front axle depending on the driver's needs. Road speeds reach 50 miles per hour and operating range is up to 200 miles.

Despite the vehicle's short wheelbase, the Humber range is not widely known for its excellent handling characteristics.

The Mk I was eventually developed as a self-propelled anti-aircraft (AA) vehicle and entered the market in 1943, with the original two-machine gun turret being transformed into a single-machine (Vickers K) or four-machine-gun (BREN) mount. As the war progressed, only a limited inventory of these vehicles was procured, largely due to the increasing Allied air superiority in late 1944.

The M II follows an earlier production vehicle with improved armor protection through a revised front hull shape and an improved turret design. 440 cars make up the brand. The Mk II OP functions as a mobile "observation post" and features an armament arrangement of 2 x 7.92mm BESA machine guns.

Along with the BREN and Vicker series, the BESA vehicle-mounted machine gun constituted one of the most important British automatic weapons in circulation throughout the war.

The Mk III introduced a three-man turret, larger in size than the original, bringing the total crew to four. The fourth crew member becomes a dedicated radio operator, allowing the vehicle commander to focus on other aspects of the operation. The Mk III was also modified to the radio in the "rear link" variant of the Mk III, with a dummy turret fitted with a dummy gun assembly. The Canadian Army's locally produced Mk III reconnaissance vehicle became the "Fox Armored Vehicle", armed with an off-the-shelf 12.7mm Browning heavy machine gun and a machine gun-equipped 7.62mm Browning medium machine gun.

Assembly practices have also been simplified to better utilize existing Canadian manufacturing methods.

Over time, it was assumed that the new Humber turret could accommodate a 37mm anti-tank gun for light anti-tank missions. As a result, the existing stock of American M5/M6 guns was fitted to the new turret at the expense of the 15mm machine gun and dedicated radio operator.

The gun and the required mounting hardware and ammunition supply forced a small redesign of the turret interior and exterior hatch locations. A driver-controlled sun visor aids emergency rear vision. By the end of the war, some 2,000 prototypes of the new Mk IV were eventually built.

The car's baptism of fire occurred during the pivotal campaign in North Africa, which marked the prelude to the Allied advance towards Rome and Berlin. From the second half of 1941, batches were deployed on this front, and by the end of the war, all four major brands were finally in play - it was not uncommon for different variants to share an excuse on a front.

This line introduced service into the final combat period of the war, before selling them to British allies or shipping to distant experiential operations, ending their days in security roles during large post-war military retreats.

The total production of Humber armored vehicles reached 5,400 units, and this number alone makes the Humber series an important contributor to the British and Commonwealth cause of World War II. The last known car was officially retired in the 1960s, and they saw further combat service under the Indian Army flag - either during the successful, brief Portuguese-Indian war in December 1961, or the subsequent failed war with China Sino-Indian War in 1962.

Other known operators include Myanmar, Ceylon, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland and Portugal.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on weapon.

Changes