(3,000 points) 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.

In honor of its achievement, The Franklin Mint has come out with an amazingly accurate 1:24 scale diecast replica of the famed US M4A3E8 Sherman. This stunning recreation features a rotating turret, elevating gun, and treads that are made of flexible metal links! The turret can be removed which reveals a highly detailed crew compartment. This particular Sherman tank has been painted in the US Army's standard olive drab color scheme. Now in stock!

Length: 12 inches

Historical Account: "Old Blood and Guts" - George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11th, 1885 – December 21st, 1945) was a leading US Army general in World War II. In his 36-year Army career, he was an advocate of armored warfare and commanded major units of North Africa, Sicily, and the European Theater of Operations. Many have viewed Patton as a pure, ruthless and ferocious warrior, known by the nickname "Old Blood and Guts", a name given to him after a reporter misquoted his statement that it takes blood and brains to win a war. But history has left the image of a brilliant military leader whose record was also marred by insubordination and some periods of apparent instability.

• The definitive die-cast model of the most famous tank of World War II.
• Issued in honor of the man -- and the machine -- that made history.
• Presented by the Patton Museum.
• Assembled by hand from more than 1000 separate parts in 1:24 scale.
• Authentic working features include rotating turret, movable tracks and opening hatches.
• An impressive tribute to remind future generations of the glory in our past.