US 1st Armored Division North Africa 1942

The US 1st armored division was nicknamed "Old Ironsides" by its first commander, Major General Bruce Magruder. The unit first blood was as part of Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of Northwest Africa, on 8 November 1942. The Old Ironsides had on operation two light tank regiments (1st and 13th) which deployed the M3, M3A1 and M5 Stuarts tanks. The early American markings and the extensive combat use of these Stuarts made an interesting subject for this project.
I used the fairly new Tamiya's M3A1 Stuart late version. This is a superb and very detailed kit straight from the box. Nevetheless, I wanted a more detailed superstructure and, of course, metal tracks. I also used different markings than the ones provided in the kit.