Hobby Master 1/72 Ground Power Series
HG3802
US M20 Armored Utility Car
2nd Armored Division, 82nd Armored Recon. Battalion
"C" Co. 1st Platoon, France, August 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.
THESE ARE PRE-PRODUCTION PICTURES
NOT THE FINISHED MODEL
The M20 was an Armored Utility Car that was also known as an M20 Scout Car. It was a
converted M8 without the revolving turret so there would be room for passenger seats,
radio equipment, a Commanders table and the ring mounting for a .50 caliber heavy
machine gun. The crew was also provided a bazooka for defense to help compensate for
the lack of heavy armor. This configuration meant there was an open top but it did
provide a certain amount of protection for the crew from small arms fire or shrapnel. The
M20 had a top speed of 90km/h and was quite agile which made it well suited for forward
reconnaissance work. The vehicle was also used as an APC and cargo carrier.
The M20 started life in 1943 as the M10 Armored Utility Car but was changed to M20 so it
wouldn’t be confused with the M10 TD. The M20 had a rather short production life from
1943 to 1944 but during this brief period Ford produced 3,680 units.


Initially established as the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion on July 15, 1940 at Fort
Benning Georgia it wasn’t until a re-organization on January 8 1942 that the 2nd became
the 82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. The 82nd was referred to as the “eyes and
ears” of the 2nd Armored Division that was known as “Hell On Wheels”. By August 1944
the 82nd Armored Recon was no stranger to combat. In 1942 they were part of the force
that landed in North Africa, they were at Gela and Palermo in Sicily. On June 9th 1944
they were part of the force that landed at Normandy and were at St. Lo in July and in
August helped drive the German 10 SS Panzer Division from Domfront just south of St.
Lo. They moved quickly across France and aided in the securing of crossings over the
Seine River.
The 82nd received a Presidential Unit Citation for its efforts while driving deep into
Germany. For 8 months after the fall of Nazi Germany the 82nd Reconnaissance
Battalion performed occupational duties in Berlin and other areas. In February 1946 the
unit arrived at Fort Hood Texas and on November 22 1946, the battalion was deactivated.


Specifications Ford M20 6X6 Armored Utility Car

Country of origin – USA

Crew – 2 + 4 passengers

Performance
Engine - Hercules JXD 6 cyl, gasoline / 86 hp
Speed – 56 mph
Range – 250 miles
Fording depth – 2ft 8in

Weight – 12,250 lbs

Dimensions
Length – 16 ft, 5 in
Width – 8 ft, 4 in
Height – 7 ft 6 in

Armament
1 X 0.50 caliber M2 machine gun
1 X Bazooka
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