Hobby Master Archive

The American M8 was equipped with a 37mm gun and 6X6 wheel drive and was the main recon vehicle used by the US military during WWII. The only positive thing the crews had to say about the vehicle was it was reliable and fast on roads. It performed poorly off road, was very lightly armored with only sheet metal for a floor. It had an open top with no periscopes and exposed the crew to weather and enemy fire. Over 8,500 were manufactured in 1942 - 1943.

Operation Cobra was an offensive action by the U.S. First Army to break out of Normandy into the Brittany region of France. With a large portion of German forces concentrated at Caen trying to repel Canadian and British forces the U.S. 9th and 30th Infantry Divisions would punch a hole in the weaker portion of the German defensive line and then they would protect the flanks as the 1st Infantry and 2nd Armored Divisions pushed further east through the new corridor eliminating any remaining resistance. This would allow 5 or 6 divisions to pass through and then turn in a pincer movement against the Germans. Just prior to Operation Cobra the U.S. 1st Army decided to paint their armored vehicles with black patterns over portions of the usual olive drab. The 2nd Armored Division also painted the vehicle call numbers on its tank turrets or on the hull of their armored cars and half-tracks. The names on the vehicles usually coincided with the first letter of the units company. This is why this Company “C” vehicle is named Conan. The small white markings are the vehicle registration indicating this particular vehicle was produced in July 1943. M8 armored cars had a loss record of 47 during a period of D-Day June 6, 1944 until July 20, 1944. However from the July 25, 1944 start date of Operation Cobra which lasted 6 days, right through until September 20, 1944 there were 264 vehicles lost.

Specifications for the Ford M8 light armored car Crew - 4 Performance Engine - Hercules JXD 6-cylinder gasoline 110 hp (82Kw) Speed - 56mph (90km/h) Range - 349.8 miles (563km) Turn radius - 28ft (8.5m) Maximum grade - 60% Suspension - 6X6 wheel with leaf springs Dimensions Length - 16.4ft (5m) Width - 8.33ft (2.54m) Height - 7.38ft (2.25m)

Armor - maximum 0.75in (19mm)

Armament Primary - 37mm M6 gun Secondary - 1 X 0.30 caliber M1919A4 machine gun 1 X 0.50 caliber M2 machine gun

Hobby Master 1/72 Ground Power Series HG3810 U.S. M8 Light Armored Car “CONAN” 2nd Armored Division, Operation Cobra, 1944

True 1/72 scale.

Professionally painted.

Great attention to detail.

All markings are Tampoed (pad applied).

Extremely heavy metal with a minimum of plastic.

Highly collectable.