The M4 Sherman medium tank was regarded by many 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 was fitted with a long-barrel M1A1 76mm gun, which replaced the shorter and less effective 75mm gun, and sported a larger, more angular turret to house the bigger gun. In addition, the slope of the M4A3's frontal armor was changed to 47-degrees to increase frontal protection and simplify the production process.

Pictured here is a 1:48 scale limited edition USMC M4A3 Sherman medium tank nicknamed "Doris", which served with D Company, 4th Marine Tank Battalion, then fighting to wrest control of the Japanese-held island of Iwo Jima during February 1945. Only 500 pieces produced. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 6-inches
Width: 3-inches

Release Date: October 2009

Historical Account: "Semper Fi" - The 4th Tank Battalion was first formed on May 12th, 1943 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It was composed, with the exception of 2 officers, entirely of reservists. It was the first unit to capture Japanese mandated territory in the Pacific. It participated in the Battle of Kwajalein, Battle of Saipan, and the battalion's last major operation in World War II was the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Late in 1946, a group of World War II veterans began meeting at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot on a volunteer basis. This became the formation of the first organized Marine Corps Reserve unit in San Diego. The unit was officially designated as the 11th Tank Battalion in 1947 and became home for a headquarters and a tank company.