BRC&W Cromwell Mk IV

British Army 2nd Armoured Welsh Guards, Blenheim, Pickering, England, Spring 1944

Corgi 1/50 CC60613

A late war British tank design, the Cromwell came at the end of a line of successful cruiser tanks built for speed and mobility. The Cromwell had an unusually long development period for a wartime tank and even though the project began in 1942, the first machines did not enter combat until the D-Day landings. Although the Cromwell was no match for the firepower of the German Tigers and Panthers, it was designed to support rapidly advancing infantry units, allowing them to make strategic gains through the speed of their advance. An extremely fast tank, the Cromwell could reach speeds of 40mph, although this would not have been a pleasant experience for its five man crew, so it was usually limited to speeds no greater than 32mph. Powered by the excellent 600 hp Rolls Royce Meteor engine, this was actually a development of the famous Merlin engine which powered the Spitfires and Hurricanes of the Battle of Britain. Around 4,000 of these tanks were built and they saw heavy use during the battles following the D-Day landings.

This Cromwell IV, named "Blenheim' was photographed during an inspection of the Guards Armoured Division by Prime Minister Churchill prior to D-Day. The squadron sign for an un-brigaded regiment with a letter A is shown, identifying the squadron commander along with the bridge classification marking, AoS sign and the Guards formation badge. Later the names and recognition markings were removed and replaced by the Allied Star.

BRC&W Cromwell Mk IV

Introduced in 1943, the British Cromwell Tank was designed by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company as a replacement for the Crusader. Not as well armed as the German Tiger or Panther, the Cromwell relied on its superior agility and speed, supplied by a powerful Meteor engine and Christie suspension. The boxy turret at the center of the Cromwell's hull held the main gun, which was complimented by two anti-infantry machine guns, one mounted in the turret and the other in the bow. More than 4,000 Cromwells were produced during WWII, including variants with 57mm guns, AA guns, 75mm guns and 95mm Howitzers

Corgi Military Vehicles

The Corgi "Military Vehicles" range presents higly-detailed, ready-made diecast models of military vehicles. Corgi diecast tanks require no glueing or painting. Each model is an instant display piece or diorama centerpiece straight from the box. Made from diecast metal, die cast tanks from Corgi are 100% true to scale... these don't look like model tanks, they look like tanks!. Color, camouflage and unit markings are carefully researched for Maximum authenticity, marking the difference between and authentic scale model tank and a "toy" tank.

Corgi "Military Vehicles" diecast vehicles feature:

• Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
• Rotating turret, elevating cannon and accurate hull in diecast metal.
• Accurate moving tracks on detailed rotating wheels.
• Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
• Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.