The Sherman Firefly was a medium tank used by the United Kingdom and some armoured formations of other Allies in the Second World War. It was based on the US M4 Sherman but was fitted with the more powerful British 76.2 mm (3.00 in) calibre 17-pounder anti-tank gun as its main weapon. Conceived as a stopgap until future British tank designs came into service, the Sherman Firefly became the most common vehicle mounting the 17-pounder in the war.

The British Army made extensive use of Sherman tanks, but they expected to have their own tank models developed soon, so the idea of mounting the 17-pounder in the Sherman was initially rejected. However, through the efforts of two persistent British officers, government reluctance was eventually overcome, and the Firefly went into production. This proved fortunate, as the Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger and Cruiser Mk VIII Cromwell tank designs experienced difficulties and delays.

After the problem of getting such a large gun to fit in the Sherman's turret was solved, the Firefly was put into production in early 1944, in time to equip the 21st Army Group, commanded by General Bernard Montgomery, for the Normandy landings. It soon became highly valued, as its gun could almost always penetrate the armour of the Panther and Tiger tanks it faced in Normandy, something no other British or US tank could reliably do. Because the Firefly's barrel was visibly longer than that of a normal 75 mm Sherman, crews tried to countershade camouflage it so the tank would look like a regular Sherman from a distance. Between 2,100 and 2,200 were manufactured before production ended in 1945, it is unknown if this includes 100 tanks built for the United States.

Pictured here is a 1:72 Firefly Mk. Vc tank that was attached to the 13th/18th Royal Hussars, 27th Armoured Brigade, then deployed to Normandy during 1944. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Length: 3-1/4-inches
Width: 1-1/2-inches

Release Date: June 2024

Historical Account: "Queen Mary's Own" - The 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 13th Hussars and the 18th Royal Hussars in 1922 and, after service in the Second World War, it amalgamated with the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars to form the Light Dragoons in 1992.

The regiment was created, as part of the reduction in cavalry in the aftermath of the First World War, by the amalgamation of the 13th Hussars and the 18th Royal Hussars on 9 November 1922. It was renamed as the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) after Queen Mary, who was Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment, in December 1935. The regiment transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps in April 1939.

During the Second World War, the regiment served as a reconnaissance unit with the 1st Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade, part of 1st Infantry Division, during the Battle of France. It then served with the 27th Armoured Brigade. Having been equipped with Sherman DD tanks, it took part in the D-Day Landings at Sword Beach, and fought during Operation Overlord, taking part in the landings at Sword Beach, and continuing fighting with the 27th Armoured Brigade until late July 1944 when it transferred to the 8th Armoured Brigade.