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<small>Humber Mk 4 Armoured Car</small>
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46 m
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22 m
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24 m
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7 t
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Wheel 4x4, rigid front and rear axles, rear wheel drive with selectable four wheel drive
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72 km/h
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400 km
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Mk I-III: 15 mm Besa machine gun <br> Mk IV: US made M5 or M6 37 mm gun
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792 mm Besa machine gun
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15 mm
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Rootes 6 cyl Gasoline
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90 hp (67 kW)
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129 hp/tonne
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Mk I, II, IV: 3 <br> Mk III: 4
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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.
Made by the Rootes group, Humber Armoured Car was essentially a combination of the Karrier KT 4 artillery tractor chassis and armoured body of the Guy Armoured Car . The first order for 500 was placed in 1940 . Production started in 1941 , a total of about 3652 units were produced until 1945 , most of them - the gun-armed Mk IV.
The vehicle was used in the North African Campaign since late 1941 by the 11th Hussars , 2nd New Zealandian Division 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.
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 Mk I on display at the Bovington Tank Museum .
- - Original version, based on the Guy Armoured Car body. Armed with 1 x 15 mm and 1 x 7.92 mm BESA machine guns. Three man crew: driver, gunner, commander. About 300 units built.
- - A different turret with 4 x 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.
- - Changes to the turret, better armour around driver and radiator. 440 units built.
- - Observation post vehicle, armed with 2 x 7.92 mm BESA MGs.
- - Larger three-man turret with provisions for a wireless operator freeing up the wireless operation tasks of the commander.
- - Equipped with US made 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 2000 units built.
- George Forty - ''World War Two Armoured Fighting Vehicles and Self-Propelled Artillery'', Osprey Automotive.
- И. Мощанский - ''Бронетанковая техника Великобритании 1939-1945 часть 2'', Моделист-Конструктор, Бронеколлекция 1999-02 (I. Moschanskiy - ''Armored vehicles of the Great Britain 1939-1945 part 2'', Modelist-Konstruktor, Bronekollektsiya 1999-02).
- WWII vehicles
- Armyvehicles.dk
- Photo galleries at Tanxheaven.com (Mk IV): [http://tanxheaven.com/huw/humbermk4huw/humbermk4huw.htm .
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