Humber Mk. II [1:76]

The Great Britain prides itself to be inventor of the armoured warfare. However even before September 1916, when first British "ironclads" or "landships" rushed into battle, there existed various armoured vehicles, ment to repell enemy's bullets. The first ones were improvised armoured trains of American Civil War period. The direct predecessors of tanks were armoured cars, not so greatly armoured and armed, but nevertheless protecting their crew against bullets. It is generally assumed that the world's first armoured car was built in Britain (Motor War Car) as well, protected by 6 mm of armour and armed with two Vickers MGs in traversing turret. However it was built in just one example. Other Entente's members, like France or Russia, as well as Central Powers, experimented with their armoured cars as well.

When the Great War broke out and gradually turned into trench warfare, these machines proved unsuitable for this type of war. The battlefields were razed by artillery shelling and covered with craters, making them impossible to cross by armoured car. Nevertheless they were, indeed, used by both sides of the conflict for various tasks, but typically behind the main front line (transporting important persons, serving as mobile observation posts etc.).

After World War I, armoured cars were still being developed, as a cheap suplement for tanks. They were much needed in British colonies to quell native's uprisings against the Empire. Among the best known was Rolls Royce 1920, though only 120 of them were built before and until the end of WWI. At the outbreak of WWII, they were used as a coastal observatiom posts in southern Britain, looking for any signs of naval invasion or aerial strikes. They were withdrawn from any frontal service after 1940, when new types of armoured cars arrived. One of them is preserved in Bovington Tank Museum and was used at least once as a VIP carrier, transportin Queen Elizabeth II during the tank shows.

In 1940 British car manufacturer Rootes Group was given an order to prepare a new armoured car for British reconaissance units. Due to severe conditions on the Islands - Luftwaffe was performing air raids against industrial and military targets - it was supposed to be easy to built, non-material consuming and it'd be best to use already existing parts. Rootes Group used the chassis of Karrier KT4 tractor and a modified body from Guy AC. The car weighed 5 t and had the crew of 3 (in later model, Mark III, another crewmember was added). It had 15 mm of armour and was armet with 15 mm Besa MG and an auxilliary 7,92 mm machine gun. With 90 HP engine the new car could achieve the speed of 80 km/h. It was named after Humber, estuary of rivers Ouse and Trent in eastern England*.

For the first time Humber Armoured Cars were used in combat in Northern Africa in 1941. Their first user was 11th Hussars, cavalry regiment established in 1715 and the first mechanized unit of British cavalry. Humber ACs performed well as reconaissance vehicles, but due to their weak armament they could not counter German armoured vehicles. Therefore British designers created a Mk. IV version armed with 37 mm gun. Aside from British, Polish troops were using these vehicles as well (i.e. by 1st Reconaissance Regiment of 1st Armored Division), but they were not numerous.

After the African Campaign, Humber ACs were used in Italy, where they faced Germans hiding behind numerous obstacles like houses, fences, rocks etc. It was very different than in Africa, where the open terrain allowed them to spot enemy easily. On the other hand, it made the reconaissance easier, because obstacles could be used by both sides. However some changes had to be made. Several Humber's commanders retained their habit of sticking out of their hatches and observing the terrain with binoculars. Several German snipers convinced them that it's a bad idea.

In 1944 those of the Humbers that were still rolling took part in Normandy invasion and later moved eastwards towards Germany. At least one was captured and used in the vicinity of Arnhem; it was not repainted, but several big German crosses were applied to avoid friendly fire.

After WWII Humbers were used i.e. by Egypt during Suez Crisis or India during their clashes with Pakistan. In total, there were 5,400 Humbers built. Several of them can still be found in museums, but none is in running condition.

* see, I learned something from my British Life and Institutions classes

The kit
One of several Revell/Matchbox 1/76 kits I bought on a sale, and one of my very first scale models. Aside from Humber, I had (chronological order): Sherman Firefly, Panzer II, M7 Priest and Sd.Kfz. 124 Wespe and Sd.Kfz. 234/2 Puma (and later also Sd. Kfz. 251 and M3 Half-track). While I'm satisfied with the first three, I wasn't as much satisfied with Humber and Puma. In case of Puma, I've simplt made terrible stripes of camouflage. But in case of Humber...

Back then I had no idea that Pactra and Humbrol paints are NEVER supposed to be mixed together. If I recall, I didn't have enough paint of either of them, so I took both containers and poured the paint into one of them. While it looked perfectly shortly after applying, later is started to deteriorate, crease and change colour. Because of that, Humber didn't stay on the model shelf long - it was moved to the unsuccesful models section far away from others.

But when I discovered how brake fluid reacts with paint, I decided that it may be possible to restore this little car. So I dumped it into a jar with that makeshift solvent and left for some time. But not only that paint proved ugly-looking, but almost impossible to remove as well! However, the paint's layer thinned to the point I could apply new paint again.

Aside from that, nothing much was done. I only had to remove wheels, axles and packages (canisters, masking nets, boxes etc.) from the car so they won't be painted all together. I couldn't find any fitting decals, so I left it unmarked.

Model: Revell/Matchbox
Paint: Humbrol, except black Pactra on tyres.
Scale: 1/76