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Humber Mk 4 Armoured Car
Humber Armoured Car
General characteristics
Crew	Mk I, II, IV: 3 Mk III: 4
Length	4.6 m
Width	2.2 m
Height	2.4 m
Weight	7 t
Armour and armament
Armour	15 mm
Main armament	Mk I-III: 15 mm Besa machine gun Mk IV: US made M5 or M6 37 mm gun
Secondary armament	7.92 mm Besa machine gun
Mobility
Power plant	Rootes 6 cyl gasoline 90 hp (67 kW)
Suspension	Wheel 4x4, rigid front and rear axles, rear wheel drive with selectable four wheel drive
Road speed	72 km/h
Power/weight	12.9 hp/tonne
Range	400 km

The Humber Armoured Car was one of the most widely produced British armoured cars of the World War II. It replaced the Humber Light Reconnaissance Car and remained in service until the end of the war.

Contents 1 History 2 Variants 3 See also 4 References and external links

Made by the Rootes group, the Humber was essentially a combination of the Karrier KT 4 artillery tractor chassis and the armoured body of the Guy Armoured Car. The first order for 500 was placed in 1940. Production started in 1941 and a total of about 3652 units were produced by the time production stopped in 1945. Most of them were the 37 mm gun-armed Mk IV.

The vehicle was used in the North African Campaign from late 1941 by the 11th Hussars and other units. It was also widely used in the European Theater of Operations by reconnaissance regiments of armoured divisions. A few vehicles were used for patrol duty along the Iran supply route.

A caputured vehicle (MKIV) was used by the Aufklärungs Abt of the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen at Arnhem^[1].

After the Second World War, the Humber was employed by Egypt in 1948-49 as well as by Burma, Ceylon, Cyprus, Denmark, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal.

Several static and operational cars are distributed through North America and Europe. There is a Mk I on display at the Bovington Tank Museum.

However, to the great regret of many modern day collectors and enthousiasts, most of the British Army's remaining Humbers ended up on firing ranges to be used for target practice in the years following their removal from service.

• Mark I - Original version, based on the Guy Armoured Car body. Armed with one 15 mm and one 7.92 mm calibre Besa machine guns. Three man crew: driver, gunner, commander. About 300 units built.

• Mark I AA / Quad AA - The Mark I fitted with a different turret mounting four 7.92 mm BESA machine guns able to elevate to near vertical and an AA sight. The vehicle was intended to provide anti-aircraft support for armoured car units, but the Allied air superiority meant they were needed less and less as the war progressed.
• Mark II - Changes to the turret, better armour around driver and radiator. 440 units built.

• Mark II OP - Observation post vehicle, armed with two 7.92 mm BESA MGs.
• Mark III - Larger three-man turret with provisions for a wireless operator freeing up the wireless operation tasks of the commander.

• Mark IV - Equipped with the US M5 or M6 37 mm high velocity gun in place of the 15 mm BESA. The larger gun required the removal of the third crewman in the turret (the wireless operator). Turret hatches were rearranged with the new gun and crew layout. About 2,000 units built.

• Fox Armoured Car - a Canadian vehicle based on the Humber Mk III.

• George Forty - World War Two Armoured Fighting Vehicles and Self-Propelled Artillery, Osprey Publishing 1996, ISBN 1-85532-582-9.
• I. Moschanskiy - Armored vehicles of the Great Britain 1939-1945 part 2, Modelist-Konstruktor, Bronekollektsiya 1999-02 (И. Мощанский - Бронетанковая техника Великобритании 1939-1945 часть 2, Моделист-Конструктор, Бронеколлекция 1999-02).
• WWII vehicles
• Armyvehicles.dk
• Photo galleries at Tanxheaven.com (Mk IV): [1], [2].

1. ^ http://forum.axishistory.com accessed 25 Nov 2006