BBA015(SL) “GENERAL INSPECTION”.  Our latest “Strictly Limited” piece and our last one of 2006 – and it’s American. And very special too.

Near the end of 1944 and into ’45 as the Allies entered the Third Reich American tank crews suffered appalling losses at the hands of German anti tank guns and mobile rocket launchers like the “Panzerfaust” and the “Panzerschrek”. Their under- armoured Shermans and Stuarts were destroyed in their hundreds by these hand-held rocket launchers.

To help protect their vehicles and themselves they took to “gaffer rigging” steel frames on their tanks and filling them with sandbags. Although this did indeed provide added protection and was popular with the crews it was hated by the “top brass”.  The “brass” believed it wore out tank engines “too quickly” and was making crews “less aggressive”. General George S. Patton was particularly offended by “sand-bagging” and vehemently opposed and forbid it in the units under his command.

Here a luckless Sherman M4A3 (with the long 76mm gun) and its crew have been “caught in the act”. A General officer and one of his aides is giving the crew a “dressing down” on their slovenly appearance and their “sand-bagged” tank.

This latest “Strictly Limited” comes with 5 Sherman crew figures plus the General and his staff officer and, of course, its very own special packaging.

Just 1250 are being produced. Order yours now!

This SL set available: Late November