Showcase Collection

One of the most distinctive tanks of the Second World War, the British Churchill heavy infantry tank may have looked a little ungainly, but was actually an extremely capable fighting vehicle and one of the heaviest Allied tanks to see combat. Possessing exceptional hill climbing capabilities, the relatively slow, yet extremely reliable Churchill had frontal armour protection which was thicker that that used on the feared German Tiger and despite first entering service in 1941, large numbers of these tanks would be deployed following the D-Day landings. Several special purpose variants of the Churchill were also produced, which included flamethrower, bridge layer and bunker buster tanks.

An extremely capable main battle tank, the M48 Patton was the third US tank to be named after the famous WWII general George S Patton, who was a strong advocate of the use of tanks on the modern battlefield. Introduced in 1953, the M48 would be used extensively by American forces during the Vietnam War, where it would perform well, but more in an infantry support role as opposed to tank destroyer. It would also go on to be an export success, seeing service with around twenty countries all over the world, with many still in service during the last years of the 20th Century.

One of the key requirements of the modern battlefield is to have mobile infantry units supporting their heavy armour, both to protect the tanks and to secure any territorial gains they may have made. During WWII, the most famous Allied armoured personnel carrier was the M3 Half Track series of vehicles, which were large enough to transport a fully armed squad of 12 troops and provide them with protection from small arms fire and shrapnel.Fast and extremely mobile, around 53,000 of these vehicles were built in several different combat configurations, proving to be one of the most useful armoured fighting vehicles of the war.

One of the most famous military light utility vehicles ever produced, the 4 wheel drive Willys Jeep was in widespread Allied service from 1941 onwards and has been described as America's greatest single contribution to modern warfare. With 360,000 Willys MB vehicles produced, this fast and reliable off-road capable vehicle could be adapted to perform a huge variety of tasks and became a vital battlefield asset in almost every theatre of conflict.From reconnaissance and re-supply to casualty evacuation and officer transport, the Willys Jeep became a means of military mobility as important as the horse was during the Great War.

Although often overshadowed by the more famous Tiger tank, the Panther is generally regarded as Germany's best tank of the Second World War. An effective combination of mobility, fire power and armoured protection, the Panther was originally developed to counter the success of the Soviet T-34 on the Eastern Front.Despite initial problems associated with its rushed service introduction, would go on to become one of the most feared armoured adversaries on the battlefields of Europe. Much cheaper to produce that a Tiger, Wehrmacht units could receive five of these highly effective tanks for the price of a single Tiger I.

Originally conceived as a fast and mobile tank killer, the M8 Greyhound armoured car was not built to withstand the punishment it would receive at the hands of Germany's main battle tanks and was therefore used more for reconnaissance patrols and armoured escort duties. Open turret variants of the Greyhound afforded their commanders an exceptional view of the battlefield, although this feature was understandably less popular during poor weather conditions.Amazingly, one M8 is reported to have destroyed a mighty German King Tiger in December 1944, sneaking up behind it and firing three rounds into its engine before the Tigers turret could traverse round.

The diminutive M3 Stuart light tank occupies an important position in the history of WWII, as it was the first American tank made available to British and Commonwealth forces via the Lend-Lease programme.Used in the North African campaign, the M3 proved to be an extremely reliable and relatively fast tank, earning the respect of British crews who quickly learned to use it to its best potential. The M3 would also be used by the Americans during their first tank versus tank engagements of WWII and despite being outclassed by most German tanks, would be used extensively in support and reconnaissance roles following the D-Day landings.