Hobby Master Archive

Hobby Master 1/72 Ground Power Series HG3421 Achilles IIC 1st Anti-tank Reg., Polish 1st Armoured Div., Netherlands, autumn 1944

Authentic Detailing Pre-Painted by professionals Accurate paint colors Markings Tampo (pad) applied Fully Assembled Die-Cast Model True to Scale (1:72)

Weathering and insignias Turret turns Metal turret and main gun Realistic tracks

In 1943 the US introduced the M10 as a SP anti-tank gun using the carriage of the M4 tank and a 3-inch M7 AA Gun. The British took their M10s and exchanged the 3-inch gun for the larger 17-pdr that had much better stopping power against the Panther and Tigers. They added some armor to the turret and named it Achilles. The first modified tanks went into service in 1944 and by the end of WWII 1,100 of the 1,650 M10s the British received under the Lend Lease Program became known as Achilles.

Once the Allies were able to break out of the Normandy beach head the Polish 1st Armoured Regiment began pushing the German forces back along the English Channel shore through Belgium into the Netherlands liberating many towns along the way. One of the weapons the Polish Armour used was the up-gunned M10 with the British 17pdr gun that had been nicknamed by the Canadians as the “Wolverine”. The Polish 1st Armoured Division spent the winter of 1944-45 in the Netherlands south of the Rhine before the Allied push into German.

Specifications Achilles IIC Dimensions Length: 19 ft 7 in (5.97 m) Length with gun: 23 ft 8.25 in (7.27 m) Width: 10 ft (3.05 m) Height: 8 ft 2 in (2.9 m) Battle Weight: 66,000 lb (29.6 long tons) Ground clearance: 12.3 in (.31 m)

Armour: 0.4 in - 1.6 (10 - 41 mm)

Powerplant Engine: air-cooled fuel injected 12 cylinder GM M6046 (2 X 6 cylinder GM 6-71 in line) 210 hp each at 2,100 rpm Fuel type: Diesel. Fuel capacity: 137 gal (624 liter)

Transmission: 5 forward, 1 reverse Range: 140 mi (225 km)

Armament Primary: 77 mm 17-pounder Mk. V Ammunition: 50 rounds Secondary: 12.7 mm Browning .50 caliber MG (AA) Ammunition: 450 rounds