British Humber Mk.II Armoured Car

Matchbox 1:76 Scale Vehicle Review

Armoured cars made up the Recce Troop of armoured regiments and tank brigades, they also operated in dedicated Armoured Car Regiments, many of which were converted from famous horse cavalry regiments. This Humber Mk.II has been painted in a British Mickey Mouse camouflage pattern. The black Mickey Mouse ears were sprayed onto the khaki green basecoat using a cardboard template with different patterns of holes. There are photos of a captured Humber amoured car serving with a German reconnaissance detachment in Italy. The vehicle had not been repainted yet, but it displayed prominent German vehicle markings on the turret sides.

Humber Mk.II Armoured Car
Commander
Diorama Base (North Africa)

Type: Armoured Car, 4x4
Wheelbase: 2.60 m
Length: 4.57 m
Width: 2.19 m
Height: 2.39 m
Weight: 7 t
Armament: 15 mm HMG, .303 MG
3 Crew: Driver, Commander & Gunner

Evaluation

Scale model with much raised detail and some external stowage.
Good choice of subject, the Humber Armoured Car is an attractive model.
Superb commander figure included. For additional variety, the figure may be swapped with Hasegawa’s British tank commander or the Stuart light tank commander figure from Matchbox.
Few parts, easy to assemble.
High quality kit. Parts fit well and there is minimal flash.
Compatible with Airfix, Fujimi, Nitto, and VAC-U-CAST.

Approximately 5% smaller than the 1:72 scale figure standard. The vehicle will mix well with 1:72 scale troops, but it is noticeably smaller than the Humber Mk.II produced by Hasegawa.

Historical Employment

British and Commonwealth forces
8th (King’s Royal Irish) Hussars, 7th Armoured Division
11th (Prince Albert’s Own) Hussars, 7th Armoured Division
12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s), 1st Armoured Division

Possible Conversions

Mk.I, Mk.III and Mk.IV similar to above.

Armoured Cars like the Humber Mk.II were fast and maneuverable, but they lacked the armament to fight enemy armoured vehicles with much chance of success. Unless they were backed up by tanks, Humber armoured cars were no match for enemy Panzerspähwagen 234, which they were likely to encounter in the course of their reconnaissance work. The Matchbox model of the Humber is easy to build and it will be an important part of any armour collection. The vehicle may be used in simulations of the European and North African campaigns. Matchbox deserves praise for including well designed crew figures and diorama bases in many of their vehicle kits, the commander of the Humber Mk.II is simply superb.

Frequently Asked Questions

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British Miniatures of World War Two