Struggling against the oppressive daytime heat, choking dust and freezing cold nights in addition to battling their German and Italian opponents the 8th Army become more popularly known as the 'Desert Rats’ – a nickname adopted from the 7th Armoured Division, a key component of the Western Desert force.
The middle ranks of officers were almost invariably drawn from the upper-middle classes: educated in the public schools, instilled with the values of empires, and imbued with a sense of confidence, duty and resolve that is difficult to conceive of today. An officer unit consists of the man himself and can include up to two other men acting as his immediate attendants.
The battle for France saw Matilda IIs fighting what would become a general retreat. However, Matildas caused problems for the Germans, whose 37mm and 50mm anti-tank guns were simply too small in calibre to penetrate the thick armour of the Matilda.
Sent to bolster their beleaguered Italian allies facing the combined forces of the British Commonwealth in North Africa, the Deutsches Afrika Korps proved a dangerous opponent. Commanded by the legendary Erwin Rommel, the Afrika Korps fought a series of ferocious battles in Egypt and Libya as each side pushed the other to breaking point.
German officers were capable and often experienced leaders. Junior officers were trained to undertake the role of their immediate superiors, enabling them to use their initiative to take control of situations when necessary. The Afrika Korps (DAK) proved this through consistent victories as well as elusiveness in retreat.
The Idoneth Deepkin are a mysterious race of aelves who dwell within the oceans of the Mortal Realms, emerging from their watery seclusion to plunder the souls of land-dwellers – a grim harvest upon which their very survival depends.
The British Expeditionary Force was an army of nearly a third of a million troops sent out to France to try to resist aggression from Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. Allied with Belgium and powerful French forces, it fielded ten infantry divisions, artillery, tank brigades and supporting air squadrons.
The British Expeditionary Force was an army of nearly a third of a million troops sent out to France to try to resist aggression from Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. Allied with Belgium and powerful French forces, it fielded ten infantry divisions, artillery, tank brigades and supporting air squadrons.
German officers were capable and often experienced leaders. Junior officers were trained to undertake the role of their own immediate superiors, enabling them to use their initiative to take control of situations when necessary.
Representing the classic image of the German infantryman during World War II, these miniatures are equipped with knee-high jackboots, unadorned 'coalscuttle’ helmet and a martial discipline that took them to almost complete dominance of mainland Europe.
The new plastic kit for the British and Canadians is fantastically detailed and allows for myriad customization options. Our customer service boffins worked out that there are a possible 396 variations that can be made BEFORE the consideration of optional heads and additional accessories such as maps, waving arms and binoculars.
The Commandos established an extraordinary reputation for dash and bravery in World War II. Formed in 1940 by order of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill with the express goal of taking the fight back to the apparently unstoppable German armed forces that had thrown the British Expeditionary Force out of France with such apparent ease. An all-volunteer force, they recruited from all parts of the armed services. Indeed there were Army commandos, Naval commandos and the Inter-Allied Commando regiment which included nationalities such as the Belgians, Polish, Dutch and others.