Hi Guys,
     Welcome to a very special month with an exceptionally strong ‘D.Day’ flavour to it…  This particular month and the 6^th of June marks the 80^th Anniversary of ‘Operation Overlord’, the Allied invasion of France.  This began with the simultaneous landings on 5 beaches in Normandy by British, American and Canadian forces.
     During the weeks and months that followed the Western Allies fought their way up from the beaches, through the dense Normandy ‘bocage’ and across France itself liberating villages, towns and cities along the way.
     To celebrate and commemorate this great victory K&C are releasing a colourful collection of very happy French civilians gratefully welcoming their ‘liberators’ as well as a number of dismounted U.S. Army ‘Tankers’ enjoying the celebrations.
     At the heart of this ‘Summer of ‘44’ release are two of King & Country’s brand-new, all-metal M4 Sherman tanks that might well be the very best Shermans K&C has ever produced.
     Then, moving from Normandy for a brief moment we remain in France but relocate to Paris a couple of centuries earlier with a unique figure of probably France’s greatest monarch… Louis ⅩⅣ.
     And so, as l like to say, let’s get down to the details and all the relevant information about these new releases…

1. BEING RELEASED IN JUNE…

A. “Liberation!”

Liberation of France was brought about by the combined military efforts of the Western Allied Powers, Free French forces and the French Resistance.
As the Allies advanced and the Germans retreated the populations of village after village and town after town poured into the streets to greet their ‘liberators’ happy to see the end of four years of brutal Nazi occupation and Vichy French collaboration!

DD372 ‘The Floor-Sweeping Waiter’     A familiar figure in any French café or bar.Here, he pauses for a moment as he goes about this everyday task before hearing the metallic rumble of tank tracks on cobble-stoned streets and the happy cheers of the local populace as they welcome their Allied ‘liberators’.
DD373 ‘Vive les Allies’ (‘Long Live The Allies!’) This happy F renchman raises both arms in salute as the first Americans arrive.
DD374 ‘Buvons!’ (‘Let’s Drink!’) Another nattily-attired French gentleman raises a glass of beer to greet the arriving GIs.
DD375 ‘Liberation! Mother & Child’  A delighted young mother encourages her toddler son to wave to these soldiers from across the Atlantic.
DD376 ‘Liberation! Female Flagbearer’ Proudly carrying her French tricoleur complete with the Free French ‘Cross of Lorraine’ in the centre this woman also carries a bouquet of flowers to present to the GIs.
DD377 ‘Liberation! Vive les Americains’ Waving a small ‘Stars ‘n’ Stripes’ this attractive young girl enthusiastically welcomes the American ‘tankers’.
DD378 ‘Liberation! La famille Francais’ Mama, Papa and their young son come into the street to celebrate their Allied heroes.
DD379 ‘Vive la Victoire!’ (Long Live The Victory!) A First World War veteran celebrates the liberation with a double ‘V for Victory’ sign.
DD380 ‘Liberation! A saluting French scout’  A French boy scout proudly wears his uniform as he salutes his new G.I. friends.
DD391 ‘Liberation! Vive la France’   Another pretty young lady fully of ‘Joie de Vivre’ and waving her little French flag.

AVAILABILITY:  Early June

 B. ‘HEAVY METAL SHERMANS’   

After a year in development, here is K&C’s newest all-metal fighting vehicle available with two options.
As many collectors know King & Country has been producing 1:30 scale fighting vehicles since the early 1990s.A major part of the reason for this was that back then we had started several different WW2 series of figures and realized that as this war had been very much a mechanized conflict it was essential that our toy soldiers needed to have all kinds of different military vehicles to accompany them and help tell the authentic history of the war in miniature.
It’s no coincidence that the first model we chose to make was the M4 Sherman, the iconic American-made tank that was supplied to virtually all the Allied forces and served in every ‘Theatre of War’ that erupted between 1939 and 1945.     Between 1991 and 1999 K&C produced a number of hand-carved, hand-painted wooden M4 Shermans that at first were made in China and then in the Philippines.These first wooden tanks looked pretty good for the period but were also very fragile and quite expensive.
Looking for a more durable and less expensive alternative we discovered a very useful, flexible and moldable material called ‘Polystone’ (a combination of marble dust and resin) in China. We also found a gift company in the PRC that was willing to produce a relatively small number (200) of these M4 Shermans in our 1:30 scale and built to our specifications.
Over the next two decades we worked with a number of different factories in China who helped us improve and develop hundreds of different military model fighting and transport vehicles to work with all of the many WW2 series K&C were and still producing.
Now, jump forward to mid 2021, in the middle of COVID, when K&C decided to take a giant leap forward and produce our first all-metal, diecast models complete with moveable metal tracks and running wheels with full suspension.We also increased and improved crew hatches on the vehicle that could fully open and close.Not only that but we also included essential crew figures to add to the realism.
The successful release of our all-metal ‘Winter’ and ‘Kursk’ Tigers in 2023 ensured that our third release would definitely be an Allied vehicle and had to be the classic ‘M4 Sherman’.

DD381(SE) M4 Sherman (#17)      This all-metal M4 includes all the unique features that made our last two ‘Tigers’ so popular and collectible…       This model belongs to the U.S. Army’s 6th Armored Division which landed in Normandy at Utah Beach on 18 July 1944 and immediately went into action in the Cotentin Peninsula, driving through Avranches and helping to liberate the great channel port of Brest and the clearing of the Brittany Peninsula.       Later in December 1944 the 6th and its Shermans were heavily involved in ‘The Battle of The Bulge’ and the defence of Bastogne alongside the men of the 101st Airborne.       On the 25th of March 1945 the 6th crossed the Rhine and drove towards Frankfurt after which it helped free Allied prisoners of war and assisted in the liberation of Buchenwald concentration camp.        By the end of the war the division had reached Leipzig and halted pending the arrival of the Red Army.        Our K&C all-metal Sherman is painted in the standard U.S. Army ‘Olive Drab’ and could be utilized in any of the battles and events between D. Day in June 1944 and the defeat of The Third Reich in May 1945.        This model also includes 3 x Crew Figures and 6 x individual sandbags.        Just 200 pieces of this model are available.

DD382(SE) M4 Sherman (‘TONTO’)        This particular M4 was one of several Shermans utilized by Capt. Bill Dwight, the assistant S3 and liaison officer of the 37th Tank Battalion of the 4th Armoured Division.       Like almost all of the tanks in this battalion it had a painted image on both sides of the hull depicting The Lone Ranger’s sidekick ‘TONTO’ from the popular radio show of that time. After D.Day the 4th also landed on Utah Beach but earlier on 11 July 1944 and went into action on the 17th of the same month capturing the French city of Nantes on 12th August. Later in the year, during The Battle of The Bulge, the 4th Armored Division, as part of General Patton’s Third Army attacked the Germans at Bastogne and relieved the besieged city. Among the most famous members of the 4th Armored Division during WW2 was Creighton Abrams who commanded the 37th Tank Btn. and would later command all U.S. Forces in South Vietnam from 1968-1972. Returning to this M4 Sherman ‘TONTO’ each model comes with 3 x Crew figures, a backpack of supplies and is a ‘Special Edition’ of 300 pieces plus a numbered certificate and a full colour, presentation box.

AVAILABLE: Late June / July
To avoid disappointment place your order now!


C. DISMOUNTED ‘TANKERS’ & ‘TANK RIDERS’
As mentioned before here are the 8 individual U.S. Armored Division ‘Tankers’ in a variety of poses on top of their vehicles or standing next to them…  PLUS 4 ‘Tank Riders’… always useful!

DD383 ‘Standing Tank Sergeant w/Binos’ Wearing the winter ‘Tanker’s Jacket’ with the knit collar, cuffs and waistband on top of his 2nd pattern combat trousers this tank sergeant holds a pair of military issue binoculars.  Next to his right leg is a U.S. Army ‘jerrican’.
DD384 ‘Walking Corporal w/M3 Submachine Gun and Jerrican’ This junior ‘noncom’ is carrying his M3 ‘Grease Gun’.  This cheaply-made submachine gun was manufactured out of stamped and welded steel parts and looked remarkably like a mechanic’s grease gun, hence the nickname.  It fired only in automatic mode and came with a 30-round straight magazine.  Because of its small size it could be fitted easily inside the confined space of an M4 Sherman.  Like the previous Tank Sergeant our Corporal is outfitted with the same Tanker’s uniform plus helmet and goggles.
DD385 ‘Standing Tank Sergeant w/Tommy Gun’  One more sergeant, but this time cradling his M1A1 Thompson Submachine Gun a simplified version of the classic Thompson SMG adopted in 1942 and a favourite of armoured vehicle crews.   Next to his left foot is a pressed steel ammunition box for a 250 round belt of .30 cal machine gun ammunition.
DD386 ‘Kneeling Tech 5 Corporal w/Map’  A great little figure, dressed like the other guys, and armed with the M-1911 Colt. 45 Automatic Pistol in the leather holster.  This guy can kneel on different parts of the Sherman including the turret or down on the ground.
DD387 ‘Smoke Break’  Back in WW2 almost everyone smoked cigarettes and they were cheap, plentiful and supplied free of tax for the armed forces.  This smoking ‘tanker’ is probably enjoying his favourite brand of ‘smokes’, Lucky Strike, in the distinctive red and white pack.  Another of those very useful ammo cans helps balance the figure.
DD388 ‘Tanker Replacement’ Corporal.  This Tech 5 Corporal has just arrived from the Replacement Depot carrying a bedroll and wearing matching olive drab shirt and trousers and a brand-new shoulder holster rig and pistol which was originally supplied only to Airforce pilots but somehow got to be issued to tank crews and other U.S. Army units.  How a lowly noncom got hold of this is anyone’s guess.
DD389 ‘Happy Liberation’  Another lucky ‘tanker’ gets a very warm and passionate welcome from a newly-liberated pretty French maiden happy to see the last of the Germans … and the first of the Americans!
DD390 ‘The Tanker & The Kid’   During WW2 every kid in Europe loved the GIs…  The ‘Yanks’ were fun, friendly and very generous with their chocolate, candy and… chewing gum.  All of which had been scarce at best or simply unavailable at worst during the years of occupation.  For children of all ages, especially those living in German-occupied countries, ‘liberation’ was not just about freedom but about the opportunity to taste and enjoy some of these long-lost delights that had been hidden for four long years.  For many of the GIs themselves these European kids were a reminder of the families they had left back home and their own children or young relatives.   This little two figure set is a reminder of that time and the happiness and joy liberation brought to one and all.
DD392 ‘U.S. Armored Division Tank Riders’  During World War Two the composition of a typical U.S. Army Armoured Division was, of course, centred around its chief component – its three tank battalions. In support of the tanks were another three battalions of armoured infantry who could be moved forward using M3 Half-Tracks as well as the usual complement of jeeps and trucks.  On occasion these armored infantrymen would and could ‘hitch a ride’ on any passing Sherman or other armoured vehicle heading towards the front.  To that end we’re ‘reintroducing’ an old favourite 4 x man set with upgraded painting and appropriate Armored Division shoulder patches. Perfect to work with any of our two new all-metal Shermans!

  AVAILABLE: Mid June

 D.“Vive le Roi!” (Long Live The King) 

From France in 1944 we travel back in time to France in the middle of the 17^th Century and the reign of King Louis ⅩⅣ also known as ‘The Sun King’.
This monarch was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715.His reign of 72 years and 110 days was the longest of any European ruler in history.During his rule France became the leading European power and regularly asserted its military strength fighting three major continental wars as well as numerous other smaller conflicts inside and outside of France’s borders.
As well as providing his military leadership Louis ⅩⅣ had many other significant achievements which would go on to have a wide influence on the early modern period in the arts, science and architecture of not only France but throughout the rest of Europe.
Among his greatest achievements was the design and construction of The Palace of Versailles, his Royal residence outside Paris.
 
 

TR018 ‘Louis ⅩⅣ’ The Sun King This K&C figure of the great French King portrays him in the military uniform of a Marshal of France leading his army in battle against all enemies… foreign and domestic.

AVAILABLE: Mid June


2. BEING RETIRED ...

IC054   Wooden Fence
JN035 Standing w/ Rifle & Bayonet
JN036 Moving Cautiously Forward
SP036 The Desert Village Wall

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