This is a 1:48 Blitzkrieg resin model of a Sherman V Firefly that I bought to beef up my British armour in Normandy. I had to buy 1:48 to match my 1:50 Corgi Sherman and 1:48 Tamiya Wolverine.
The model comes fully assembled. One only has to add the gun. It is beautifully detailed and flash free. These are expensive models but very high quality. The only extras I have added are the baggage and the Browning in the AA mounting.
The Firefly was a specialised vehicle and the best allied tank killer of the war because it was fitted with the 17 pdr anti-tank gun, arguably the most dangerous at-gun of any of the WWII combatants.
The Anglo-Canadians and Poles in Normady took on the bulk of the panzer divisions and beat them. The Firefly was the key weapon: it was a Firefly that put paid to Wittman's career.
In mid '44 there was one Firefly per three Sherman 75s but this rose to one in two by '45.
Initially the Firefly took the Germans by surprise as they associated Shermans with ineffectual puny 75mm guns and would parade their armour past British armoured formations. They soon learnt and Fireflys were always the first tank taken out in an ambush.
The British response was for the Fireflys to hang back behind the '75s in overwatch. They also countershaded the barrel to disguise it (see model), even eventually fitting fake muzzle breaks half way down.
Lovely Firefly John.
ReplyDeleteJust completing a Churchill in this scale myself!
I have some Corgi Churchills including a Russian one.
DeleteA very nice model of the lovely Firefly. One of my favourite Allied tanks.
ReplyDeleteIt was one hell of a tank, Ashley.
DeleteGreat work, John!
ReplyDeleteDear John,
DeleteMy recollection was that a 6-pounder Crusader from the side knocked out Wittmann.
About half the muzzle brakes of our M48s in Nam had cracked off along the weld. We thought it was the shrapnel round (Green Ball), but in fact it was putting 4000 rounds through guns intended to fire about a hundred rounds against Soviets swarming across the German border.
Ah, the good old days!
Dave
But wait!
DeleteI just reread what you actually said. I was thinking of St Mere Eglise where Wittmann's Tiger was taken out by a 6-pounder. I didn't know who killed him, and I'm perfectly willing to believe it was a Firefly.
Dave
Thanks Monty
DeleteThey originally claimed a Typhoon got him but a Yeomanry Firefly engaged and killed 3 Tigers during the battle. One was almost certainly Wittman's.
DeleteI read too many comics as a kid: every time I see one of these I want to paint up a ghostly horse-mounted confederate general to run alongside it...
ReplyDeleteWouldn't he have haunted Stuarts? :)
DeleteVery nice indeed John. I'm planning to do some of these in 15mm some time later in the year...
ReplyDeleteMy eyesight is too poor now to paint 15mm but you're young.
DeleteFantastic! I must say though, painting at that scale of detail would terrify me!
ReplyDeleteNice potted history too...