History :
In 1939, all British Manufacturers were pressed to answer sudden army specifications for the upcoming war and as many armoured cars as possible based on all commercially platforms available. Among these Manufacturers was the Rootes Group. It was a British automobile manufacturer funded in 1913, which became onr of the UK’s major motor distributor and dealer network, based in London’s West End, with sites between the Midlands and south of England. The company acquired a number of manufacturers until 1928, as Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam, Talbot, Commer and Karrier, controlled via the parent company Humber Limited. During the war, Humber provided three armoured cars to the British Army : the Humber Scout Car, unlucky rival of the Daimler Dingo, the Humber « armoured car » backbone of the future reconnaissance Regiments, and the Humber « Light Reconnaissance Car ». For the LRC, Rootes choosed to work on the Humber Super Snipe chassis. The Humber Super Snipe was introduced in October 1938, using the 6cyl., 4,1L engine from the larger Humber Pullman, combined with the chassis and body of the Humber Snipe (powered by a 3L engine). The result was performing vehicle capable of reaching 127 km/h on road. Note that the Humber Super Snipe chassis was also used for the Humber Staff Car and Humber Light Utility Car (for the 4X2 chassis) and for the Humber Heavy Utility Car and Humber Light Ambulance (for the 4X4 chassis). Note that The same super snipe engine will equip all the variants of the Humer LRC with a range of approximatively 180 km. Development went on between September 1939 and March-April 1940, until the first vehicle was demonstrated to the British Ordnance and Transport Ministry, and acceptred as a first production version called Mark I. The Humber Light Reconnaissance Car was produced in Coventry. From 1940 to 1943 over 2400 units were built on the 3600 ordered. The Humber LRC was also called Ironside refering to Gen. Sir Edmund Ironside or Humberette since it was considered Rootes’ equivalent of the Beaverette.
The MkI :
This original version with open-topped hull and 4×2 drive. Production began in July 1940. Armoured to a maximum of 10 mm on the front and 7–9 mm on the sides. The floor was unarmored, making this vhicle very vulnerable to mines. Armament was two Bren light machine gun. It carried a No.11 or No.19 wireless set. Weather protection was a folding canvas tonneau cover. There was a sloped plating covering the entire hood, followed by an open topped armored body, single forward armored shutter which was left in up supported position when driving (The driver and co-driver were seated side by side), without armament, which instead was managed from behind, either a Bren or Boys, leaving the operators somehwat exposed. Visibility was limited to say the least with just two sight slits for the driver/co-driver and small aperture aft as fire port. The three side-mudguards were slab-sided fore and aft, and there was a storage bin on the rear sloped plate aft. There were two access doors forward for the entire vehicle’s access. The LRC was equiped with Dunlop run-flat tyres. Only a limited number were built before the Mk I was replaced by the Mk II. The crew was 3. Built in 200 copies, none saw combat but kept in UK to train Mark II-III crews.
MkI IRONSIDE
The Ironside Special Saloon vehicle :
Built for VIP use, Thrupp & Maberly provided a relatively luxurious interior which was split by a Perspex screen to separate driver and passengers. A passenger side door was provided to make entrance and exit easier and the driver had a side hatch, the two-part screen running in tracks fitted to the front seats: sliding both portions to the driver’s (right) side allowed the front passenger (left) seat back to be folded for an easier exit. Two Ironside ‘specials’ of this kind were used by cabinet ministers and members of the royal family, while six minus the privacy screen were used as armoured staff cars.
MkI IRONSIDE SPECIAL SALOON
The MkII :
The Mk II was an upgrade of the MkI, the MkI was not a fully combat vehicle since it was not fully enclosed and its armament could not traverse. The MkII had an enclosed roof with a small one-man type turret for the machine gun and retained the 4×2 drive of the Mk I. Opposite to the driver was a single vertical slot to use a Boys AT rifle, fired by the commander who also operated the single smoke discharger. The armored shutter was redesigned, as well as the side door and side slit, which was larger and gave better visibility. The aft compartment now comprised two opening windows/weapons ports, including one on the back plate, also for crew ventilation. Ventilation of the engine hood was also reworked, with front doors opening outwards in front of the radiator. The filler cap on it was enclosed in a light metal structure, and the engine hood panels were made easier to remove. The mudguards fore and aft were also reworked, with strappings front, rear and top to attach haversack of personal effects, jerrycans and toolboxes. Otherwise armoured as the Mark I, the roof was 7 mm and the turret 6 mm. The fenders of the Mark II were also different from the simplified 2-pieces aft ones of the Mark I. Although it is sometimes difficult to tell a Mark 2 from a Mark 3 LRC, the forward fender of the Mark 2 runs along the line of the armor angle of the front of the vehicle (lower at the front, higher at the rear); while the Humber LRC Mark 3 fender is lower and runs in a straight line.
MkII
The Mk III :
The MkIII was produced from late 1941. Externally similar to the Mk II but had 4×4 drive. They also had improved armour: 12 mm to the front, 8 mm to the sides, 7mm on the roof and rear, and 8 mm for the turret. Internal differences were modifications in the positions of the gearbox, engine, steering gear and pedals to distribute weight more evenly over all four wheels. Production began in late 1941.
MkIII
The Mk IIIa :
The MkIIIa arrived in frontline units at the start of 1943. The only exterior difference from the Mk III was additional vision ports at the front angles of the hull and the rear stowage bin was replaced by a spare wheel, side panniers were added. A new improved carburetor was fitted and the suspension was strenghtened. Armour was 12 mm to the front, 8 mm to the sides, 7 on the roof and rear, and 6 mm on the turret. The MkIIIa didn’t mount the Boys AT rifle. Most MkIIIa were new vehicles but some old MkIIIs were also converted.
MkIIIa
Humber LRC Mk I to IIIa Comparison Table
MkI | MkII | MkIII | MkIIIa | |
Lenght | 4,3688m | 4,3815m | 4,3307m | 4,3307m |
Width | 1,8796m | 1,8796m | 1,8796m | 1,8796m |
Height | 1,8796m | 2,1082m | 2,1082m | 2,1082m |
Wheelbase | 2,8956m | 2,8956m | 2,8384m | 2,8384m |
Tyres | Dunlop run-flat | Dunlop run-flat | Dunlop run-flat | Dunlop run-flat |
Fully laden weight | 2,81t | 3,17t | 3,39t | 3,60t |
Speed on roads | 72 km/h | 96 km/h | 96 km/h | 96 km/h |
Engine | Humber 6cyl, 4,1 l. | |||
Armament | 2X Bren | 1XBren, 1XBoys, 1X smoke discharger | 1XBren, 1XBoys, 1X smoke discharger | 1XBren, 1X smoke discharger |
Crew | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Operational history:
The vehicle was used by infantry reconnaissance regiments and the RAF regiment. It served in Tunisia, Italy and Western Europe. Initially equiped with 45 LRCs, the Reconnaissance Corps units received later 52 copies. The LRC together with the Universal Carriers formed the basic vehicles of the recce regiments of the Infantry Divisions. Its lack of heavy armor and heavy weapon prevented it to deal with ennemy’s light armored cars. At the end of the Tunisian campaing, true armored cars arrived in the recce units, reducing the number of LRC, but these later survived until the end of the war. After the war, some vehicles remained in service with the British units in India and in the Far East. The LRC was used widely by the Reconnaissance Corps and was also used by the Reconnaissance squadron of the 1st Polish armoured Division and the Reconnaissance squadron of the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade. The Canadian Army also used some LRC but the Canadians choose to build their own vehicle based on the LRC MkIII, the Otter MkI.
The first operational rôle in combat was with the 56 Recce in the later stages of the Tunisian campaign, showing their shortcomings. As the campaign continued, 56 Recce was joined by 46 Recce, 1 Recce, 4 Recce (with the first Humber armoured cars) and 44 Recce. In Sicily fought the 56 Recce and the 5 Recce only. The 5 Recce lost 13 LRC in this campaign. The 5 Recce was also the leading Recce regiment in the landing operation of the eight Army in Reggio on 3 September 1943 in Italy. Fifth Army landed at Salerno on 9 September with the 44 Recce and 46 Recce (X Corps). Later on, 56 Recce landed at Taranto to join the eight Army. Later on, 1 Recce landed in Anzio, but the Italian campaign was not very suitable for recce units and their long range adventures because it was mostly a positionnal warfare due to the geography of this country. In Normandy were engaged the 3 Recce, 61 Recce, 15 Recce, 43 Recce, 49 Recce, 53 Recce, 59 recce but at the time of the Normandy campaign, LRC beagn to be outnumbered by Humber armoured cars.With the Breakout from Normandy came the opportunities that the LRC were made for but this rapid advance stopped when the low countries border was reached and again LRC crews saw their role limited. Again the number of LRC in the Recce regiments decreased some times to single figures. The last copies took part in operation plunder, the Rhine crossing, which was the last major offensive in the west and in the final advance to victory.
The RAF Regiment also used the LRC to protect air bases, reconnoitring new airfields and providing ground liaison with fighters-bombers.
The Czech Humber LRC :
The first thirteen Humber LRC armoured vehicles went into the Czechoslovak armed forces in Great Britain on 1 September 1942. These were some Mk.II and mostly Mk.III types. All armored vehicles were assigned to the Joint Intelligence Unit, with the exception of vehicle M 1278597, which was assigned to the OPL platoon. After about a year of use, all thirteen Humbers were withdrawn from Czechoslovak service. On 10 September 1944, When the czechoslovak troops were besieging Dunkirk, additional equipment for two engineer platoons was approved; among other equipment, the engineers also received more Humber LRCs. These were cars registered M 4652318 and M 4710156. On April 18, 1945, the engineers received a third Humber LRC armored car, number M 4709065. The war was finally coming to an end and Czechoslovak soldiers brought the three Humber LRCs back to their homeland.
Sources: Osprey, Wikipedia, different internet sites