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1/72 Sherman Mk.III
3rd County of London Yeomanry, Sicily July 1943
The Sherman III (M4A2 in U.S. nomenclature) was first used in quantity by the British at the Battle of El Alamein. It was powered by twin General Motors diesel engines, and was the second most common Sherman type to serve with British forces (incidentally, the most common was the Sherman V). Dragon Armor has produced a sterling 1/72 scale model of a Sherman III from the 3rd County of London Yeomanry. The tank is shown as it appeared in the Sicily campaign in July 1943, so it is finished in a Mediterranean scheme of light mud and black paint.
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, commenced on 9 July 1943 and the island was captured by 17 August. It was a very important victory for it was a vital stepping stone to invading the Italian peninsular, plus it cleared Axis naval and air forces and toppled Mussolini from power. The battle involved 160,000 Allied troops and 600 tanks fighting against 365,000 Italians and 40,000 Germans.
The model vehicle is accurately detailed and is manufactured according to Dragon Armor’s strict quality control standards. This British subject is an interesting one for this particular tank belonged to the regiment’s second-in-command, Major Allan Grant. The Major took over command of the regiment when the CO was killed by a sniper at Plimisole Bridge on 17 July. The accurately depicted markings on the model include the brigade’s famous Black Jerboa formation badge. This release is a very welcome addition to the Dragon Armor series, for this Sherman is adorned in a more colorful camouflage scheme than was commonly found in other theaters such as Northwest Europe.
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