Highly detailed model  - “First in Bastogne”, George Smith Patton’s 4th A.Div. 3rd Army, Bastogne area, 26 Dec, 1944.

The M4A3E2 Assault Tank was born from a need by the US Army for an up-armoured Medium Tank to take part in the upcoming Operations in the ETO (European Theatre of Operations) - The Assault on Fortress Europe.

Long before the start of the Liberation of Europe the Army was looking at a suitable Tank to take on what they knew would be well prepared and experienced German forces with strong defensive positions, a Tank with better armament and armour protection than was available at the time. The T26E1 (M26) was intended to fill this role however owing to its delayed introduction the Army looked towards the Tank which was already operational and available in large numbers - the Sherman. The M4A3 was the base model chosen to upgrade for this role and in March 1944 the order given for a total of 254 M4A3’s to be modified to M4A3E2 standard (E standing for ‘Experimental’) by Fisher Body Corporation, production of these taking place between March and July 1944. These vehicles had an extra 1 1/2” of armour plate welded to the upper hull front and sides, the hull top and rear remained the same. The standard M4 turret was replaced with the new T23 type turret (also seen on the later E8 -
‘Easy 8’ models) and though the original 75mm gun was retained it was mounted in the later M62 gun mount with extra armour added to the already heavier cast mantlet. The turret alone weighed over 9000kg.

In February 1945, 100 of the M4A3E2’s were up-gunned with the more potent 76mm gun commonly seen on the E8’s at the time. The M4A3E2 retained the powerful Ford GAA V8 power plant however the final drive ratio was increased and the gearbox altered in order to compensate for the increased weight from the added armour. This extra weight resulted in decreasing the Tank’s speed from 25-30mph to 22mph and in order the spread this increased weight over the ground and improve its mobility Track Extenders - ‘Duckbills’ were to be fitted as standard to the VVSS suspension for all the E2 models. These “Jumbo’s” arrived in the ETO in September 1944 and they were well received, the extra armour protection being appreciated, though some crews still added even more armour protection in the form of sandbags and even concrete in some cases. The M4A3E2’s were used as intended as ‘point’ vehicles on advances where heavy enemy opposition was expected and due to this they suffered heavy losses, 4th Armoured Div alone lost 24 “Jumbo’s” which amounted to 10% of the total number manufactured. The most famous of these “Jumbo’s” was “Cobra King” of the 37th Tank Bn, 4th Armoured Div, this was the first US Tank into Bastogne, Belgium, to relieve the besieged members of the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge in late December 1944, hence the chalked on slogan seen on the hull side - “FIRST IN BASTOGNE”. “Cobra King” was one of the “Jumbo’s” to be up-gunned later
with a 76mm main gun along with a .50 cal Co-axial MG. Though it was disabled, possibly by a Panzerfaust, and then burnt out late in the War on an Operation, it survived and having been rediscovered in 2001 the original Tank was faithfully restored and now resides in the National Museum of the US Army at Fort Belvoir. Another “Jumbo” painted to replicate “Cobra King” resides in Bastogne Barracks, Belgium in honour of its significant role during the Battle of the Bulge.