By all accounts, the M4 Sherman medium tank was regarded as the workhorse of the US Army during World War II. In fact, virtually all of the Allied armies employed the Sherman in their armed forces, including the British, who developed an upgunned variant called the "Firefly". Eleven different US plants manufactured six basic models of the Sherman, and by June 1944 over 49,234 battle-ready vehicles had been produced. While it was no match for the German Panther or Tiger tanks, the Sherman soldiered on, using its weight in numbers to wrest control of Europe from the Wehrmacht.

The M4A3 (76mm) was a highly improved variant of the Sherman with production numbers of 1,400. Built by Detroit Arsenal and Grand Blanc, the M4A3 (76mm) had improved armor protection, as well as greater firepower, thanks to its' high velocity 76mm main gun.

This particular 1:43 scale replica of an US M4A3 Sherman medium tank was commanded by Creighton Abrams and nicknamed "Thunderbolt", which was attached to the 37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division, then deployed to Bastogne during December 1944. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Length: 7-inches
Width: 3-inches

Release Date: June 2021

Historical Account: "Breakthrough to Bastogne" - On the morning of December 26th, 1944, as part of a concerted effort to relieve the 101st Airborne ("Screaming Eagles") defending the all-important crossroads town of Bastogne, the 4th Armored Division's ("Breakthrough") Combat Command Reserve (CCR) was ordered by Division HQ to link up with Combat Command B (CCB), which was still fighting for the town of Chaumont in southeast Belgium. Colonel Wendell Blanchard, commander of CCR, called together Lt. Colonel Creighton Abrams of the 37th Tank Battalion, and Lt. Colonel George L. Jaques of the 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion. He told them to attack and seize the village of Chaumont, which was just three miles from Bastogne. From there, they were to advance in earnest up the main road, break through the German cordon, and make contact with the beleaguered 101st, which was rapidly running out of ammunition.

After capturing Chaumont, the two commanders initially planned to attack the town of Sibret, but because it was so heavily defended, they instead chose to assault the nearby village of Assenois, which was located on a secondary road but still provided access to Bastogne. With artillery firing in support, the leading element of CCR, comprised of three Shermans followed by a half-track full of infantry, then two more Shermans, stormed the village. Abrams' tanks blasted their way through the obstacles, while dismounted infantry mopped up the remaining strongpoints. After eliminating several enemy soldiers laying Teller mines along the road, Abrams command linked up with elements of the 101st at 1700 hours. The siege had been lifted and with it came the collapse of Hitler's "Wacht am Rhein" operation.