The heart and soul of the armoured squadron is the British-designed and built Churchill tank. Like the great man himself, the Churchill tank has had its fair share of problems, but these have been overcome and the tank is now a reliable fighting machine. In fact, the latest versions are the most heavily-armoured vehicles available to the Allies. Years of training in partnership with the infantry have shaped the Tank Brigades into a formidable combined arms force. Now, equipped with the heavily-armoured Churchill tanks they have landed on French soil ready to liberate occupied Europe and deal a decisive blow against the oppressors.

The Churchill Crocodile flame-throwing tank is one of the most feared allied tanks in Normandy. Its thick hide makes sure that its crew remain safe from even the heaviest German guns as they close to deliver their deadly cargo. The flame tank is supplied by a 6½-ton armoured trailer holding 500 gallons (1800 litres) of fuel. This gives the Crocodile enough fuel for 80 one second bursts which can reach a range of up to 120 yards. In Normandy the Crocodile tanks came from the 141st Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (The Buffs, Royal East Kent Regiment). The regiment was in high demand, clearing enemy strongpoints and helping push the Allied advance toward victory. One trick developed by the flame tankers was to spray unlit fuel at a target and letting it drain around corners before igniting it with a second burst, hitting anything around the blind corner.

The AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers, plural AVsRE and pronounced av-ree, rhyming with ‘cav see’) is a Churchill infantry tank modified for engineering work. The main gun has been replaced with a Petard spigot mortar firing a 40-pound (18 kg) demolition charge. These ‘Flying Dustbins’ are capable of destroying any fortification at up to 80 metres range.

THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS:

• 3x Churchill Tanks that can be built as Churchill (6pdr), Churchill (75mm), Churchill (Late 75mm), Churchill CS (95mm), Churchill Crocodile (75mm & Flame-thrower) or AVRE (Petard)
• 1x Decal Sheet