The M5 Stuart light tank made its debut in the invasion of Casablanca in French North Africa. By 1943, and at the time of the invasion of Sicily, the upgraded M5A1 was becoming the standard light tank of the American armored divisions. Because of its limited firepower, the M5A1 eventually took on reconnaissance and escort duties in Italy and, after the invasion of Normandy, throughout Europe. In the Pacific theater, the M5A1 made its debut at Roi-Namur in February 1944 and on Saipan later that year. The M5A1 was quite effective against most Japanese armor, even the Japanese Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank typically used in the Pacific theater. The 37mm main gun, although obsolete in Europe, was found to be effective against lightly skinned Japanese targets. Consequently, many other vehicles carrying the 37mm gun, such as the M8 armored car and M3 anti-tank gun, were retained and used in the Pacific theater.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a US M5A1 Stuart light tank equipped with a Cullen Hedgerow Cutter. This vehicle, nicknamed "Victory", was attached to E Tank Company, 83rd Armored Recon Battalion, 3rd Armored Division, then deployed to Normandy during 1944. Sold Out!

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

Release Date: September 2011

Historical Account: "Hedgerows" - The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between Nazi Germany in Western Europe and the invading Allied forces as part of the larger conflict of World War II. Over sixty years later, the Normandy invasion, codenamed Operation Overlord, still remains the largest seaborne invasion in history, involving almost three million troops crossing the English Channel from England to Normandy in then German-occupied France. It is most commonly known by the name D-Day.

The primary Allied formations that saw combat in Normandy came from the United States of America, United Kingdom and Canada. Substantial Free French and Polish forces also participated in the battle after the assault phase, and there were also contingents from Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, the Netherlands, and Norway.

The Normandy invasion began with overnight parachute and glider landings, massive air attacks, naval bombardments, and an early morning amphibious phase began on June 6. The 'D-Day' forces deployed from bases along the south coast of England, the most important of these being Portsmouth. The battle for Normandy continued for more than two months, with campaigns to establish, expand, and eventually break out of the Allied beachheads, and concluded with the liberation of Paris and the fall of the Falaise pocket in late August 1944.

The Battle of Normandy was described thus by Adolf Hitler: "In the East, the vastness of space will... permit a loss of territory... without suffering a mortal blow to Germany's chance for survival. Not so in the West! If the enemy here succeeds, consequences of staggering proportions will follow within a short time."