Monty's Desert Rats
(BRAB09)
includes five plastic Grant tanks, three plastic Crusader tanks, one plastic Tank Commander sprue, two plastic 17/25 pdr or 25 pdr guns, two plastic Gun Crew sprues, one mini 4th Flames Of War rulebook, two Decal sheets and eight Unit cards.
The eyes of the world are on the complex and bloody campaign unfolding in the Western Desert of Egypt and Libya. If the Axis can succeed in pushing the British out of Egypt, there will be nothing keeping them from the rich oil fields of the Middle East, and the strategically vital Suez Canal will open the back door to the Far East. The brave but battered soldiers of the Eighth Army hold the last line of defence against fascist conquest.
The Grant
British armoured regiments were delighted to receive the new American-made M3 Grant tank, which gave them a tank with a gun as good as those on the German panzers, with armour to match. Rushed into service to meet the urgent need for a heavy 75mm-armed tank it took the Germans by surprise. Its thick armour and powerful 75mm gun are superior to most of the German panzers. Its only real downside is its height, which makes it a conspicuous target in the desert. The placement of the 75mm gun makes it difficult to conceal the tank in a hull-down position behind terrain. At Alam el Halfa, with time to prepare a static defence, the British were able to partly overcome these difficulties by carefully choosing the placement of each Grant.
The Crusader
The light squadrons of the armoured regiments embody the dash and daring of the British cavalry. Fast and manoeuvrable but not as heavily armoured as the enemy panzers, they use speed and cover to protect themselves. They are often relegated to scouting or protecting the flanks of the regiment while their heavy cousins, the Grants, take the fight to the enemy.
The Crusader entered service in November 1941, in time for Operation Crusader, the offensive in late 1941 that was named after the new tank. Although the Crusader is vulnerable to enemy fire and prone to certain mechanical difficulties, its speed and cross-country manoeuvrability are admired both by its own crews and their German and Italian foes.
When the up-gunned Crusader III entered service just prior to the Second Battle of El Alamein, it was eagerly welcomed by the crews. The new tanks are shared out among the squadrons, giving each troop much-needed extra firepower.
The 17/25pdr Gun
In the ongoing race between tank armour and anti-tank guns, even the 6 pdr would not be powerful enough for long. The answer was the huge 17-pounder. The barrel was ready by May 1942, but the carriage still needed work, so in an effort to rush the gun into service to deal with the arrival of heavy German panzers like the Tiger, a temporary hybrid solution was created by mounting the gun on a 25 pdr carriage. The resulting 17/25-pounder, codenamed the ‘Pheasant’, first saw action at the Battle of Medenine in March 1943.
Contents
Flames Of War 4th Edition Mini Rulebook (x1)
Plastic Crusader Sprue (x3)
Plastic Grant Sprue (x5)
Plastic 17/25 pdr or 25 pdr gun (x2)
Plastic Gun Crew (x2)
Large Six-hole Base (x2)
Base Plug Sprue (x1)
Plastic Tank Crew (x1)
Decal Sheet (x2)
Unit Cards
7th Armoured Divison (x1)
Movement Orders (x1)
Grant Armoured Squadron HQ (x1)
Grant Armoured Troop (x1)
Crusader II Armoured Troop (x1)
Crusader II & III Armoured Troop (x1)
17/25 pdr Anti-tank Troop (x1)
25 pdr Field Troop (x1)
15mm, plastic
Battlefront Miniatures
