Frontline Breakthrough!
It was late 1944 and Germany was clearly losing the war. Russia was closing
in on the Eastern front while American bombing raids were devastating German
cities. Italy had been liberated and the Allies were quickly moving through
France and the Low Counties. The end looked near for Germany unless they could
succeed in a great offensive push, which is exactly what they attempted. On Dec
16, 1944, an American sentry reported countless “pinpoints of light”
flickering along the German line. Seconds later, shells exploded around him and
he realized that the lights were the muzzle flashes of hundreds of German guns.
A massive German counter offensive was underway along the 85-mile Ardennes
front. In the north, the Sixth Panzer Army struck the U.S. 99th and 2nd
Divisions. In the centre, the fifth Panzer Army hit the 106th Division, the 14th
Cavalry Group and part of the 28th Division. In the South, the Seventh Army
clashed with the U.S. 4th, 9th and 28th Armoured Divisions. Although the Allies
were initially sent reeling, courageous troops and rugged armour such as the
Sherman tank eventually turned the tides of battle. The representative version
of this tank was the 75mm gun-equipped M4A3 Sherman, which was housed a
V8 450hp Ford engine. The late production version first rolled out of the
factories in February 1944 with an angled front hull and 63.5mm armoured plate.
To the turret, a cupola for the commander and hatch for the loader were added.
This version was also equipped with wet ammo storage bins, which helped prevent
internal fires, a weakness of earlier Shermans.
Midst-of-Battle Figures Bring Set to Life!
Any number of exciting dioramas is made possible with this M4A3 Sherman tank
and 3 infantrymen set. These figures wear late WWII winter uniforms overflowing
with rich detail. Use this set in combination with any US vehicle set such as
the M8 Greyhound or 2.5ton 6X6 Cargo Truck for an authentic 1/35 scale
diorama.
Specs and Features:
- Plastic assembly model kit based on the main tank of the WWII U.S., the M4
Sherman.
- Overall length: 172mm, overall width: 76mm. The smooth form of the cast
turret with 75mm gun and welded hull of this late production M4A3 tank overflow
with realism.
- Two kinds of commander's cupolas; loader's hatch and other hull and
turret hatches can be modelled in the open or closed position.
- Two kinds of road wheels and sprockets can be selected; rubber padded tracks
also included.
- Three crewman and one tank commander in realistic poses bring an air of
excitement to the kit. Included equipment includes ammunition boxes, tripod,
ration boxes, and much more.
- Three types of decals included.