KING & COUNTRY WWII BBA091  U.S. ARMY G.I. "WINTER .30 CAL. MACHINE GUN TEAM" 

... ARDENNES FOREST 1944

BATTLE OF THE BULGE SERIES... DECEMBER 1944  (TWO FIGURE SET)   MIB!

*Note: the addition of the King & Country Company Registered Trademark Logo in the photos for this listing certifies that an authorized and licensed King & Country Dealer is offering this item for sale.


Another of John M. Browning’s masterpieces, the ‘Model 1919’ was originally developed as a general purpose machine gun for the U.S. Cavalry, for use in its tanks and armoured cars or, in the ‘ground role’ mounted on a tripod. The U.S. Infantry liked the weapon so much that during WWII they introduced both a rifle-style butt in addition to the more familiar pistol grip. The heavy barrel was air-cooled using a perforated jacket. The gun’s tripod mount could be adjusted allowing the gunner to utilize both the ‘sitting’ and ‘lying prone’ positions. This King & Country two-man team are in the prone position with the gun’s ‘Number 2’ feeding the ammunition belt into the M1919 with his M1 Garand Rifle lying next to him.

NEW 2022, AND AVAILABLE NOW FROM PICACHO PEAK COLLECTIBLES!


Please Note: Images contained in this listing of the German or Allied Map of the Battle of the Bulge, the image(s) of U.S. Army GI's or German Waffen-SS or Wehrmacht troops during the Winter of 1944-45, the M1919 Browning Machine Gun or the M1 Garand Rifle, or other images of U.S. Troops, the image of the U.S. WWII Memorial in Washington D.C. or the image of the Luxembourg American Cemetery ARE ALL FOR HISTORICAL PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT PART OF THE SALE OF THIS WINTER .30 CAL. MACHINE GUN TEAM (TWO FIGURE SET).

MINT CONDITION IN THE ORIGINAL KING & COUNTRY BOX!

HISTORICAL QUOTE: "In war there is no second prize for the runner-up."
General Omar N. Bradley


HISTORICAL NOTE:  ALLIED INFANTRY DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE

The Battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945) was a major German offensive campaign launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg on the Western Front toward the end of World War II in Europe. The surprise attack caught the Allied forces completely off guard. United States forces bore the brunt of the attack and incurred their highest casualties for any operation during the war. The battle also severely depleted Germany's armored forces on the western front, and Germany was largely unable to replace them. German personnel, and later Luftwaffe aircraft (in the concluding stages of the engagement), also sustained heavy losses.

Different forces referred to the battle by different names. The Germans referred to it officially as Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein ("Operation Watch on the Rhine") or usually Ardennen Offensive or Rundstedt-Offensive, while the French named it the Bataille des Ardennes ("Battle of the Ardennes"). The Allies called it the Ardennes Counteroffensive. The phrase "Battle of the Bulge" was coined by contemporary press to describe the way the Allied front line bulged inward on wartime news maps; the phrase “Battle of the Bulge” became the most widely used name for the battle.

The German offensive was supported by several subordinate actions including Operations designed to stop Allied transport over the channel to the port city of Antwerp, These operations were intended to split the British and American Allied line in half, so the Germans could then proceed to encircle and destroy four Allied armies, forcing the Western Allies to negotiate a more favorable peace agreement with the Axis Powers. Once that was accomplished, Hitler could fully concentrate on the Eastern theatre of war.

The German forces with utmost secrecy, minimizing radio traffic, and moving troops and equipment under cover of darkness planned the offensive. The Allies ignored intercepted German communications that indicated a major German offensive preparation in the area.

The Germans achieved total surprise on the morning of 16 December 1944 due to a combination of Allied overconfidence, preoccupation with Allied offensive plans, and poor aerial reconnaissance. The Germans attacked a weakly defended section of the Allied line, taking advantage of heavily overcast weather conditions, which grounded the Allies' overwhelmingly superior air forces. Fierce resistance on the northern shoulder of the offensive around Elsenborn Ridge and in the south around the town of Bastogne blocked German access to key roads to the northwest and west that they counted on for success. Columns of armor and infantry that were supposed to advance along parallel routes found themselves on the same roads. This and terrain that favored the defenders threw the German advance behind schedule and allowed the Allies to reinforce the thinly placed troops. Improved weather conditions permitted Allied air attacks on German forces and supply lines, which sealed the failure of the offensive. In the wake of the defeat, many experienced German units were left severely depleted of men and equipment, as survivors retreated to the defenses of the Siegfried Line.

HISTORICAL NOTE CONTINUED: THE 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION... "THE BIG RED ONE" 

The 1st Infantry Division has a long and storied history dating back to World War I and has been engaged in nearly every military operation, with the exception of the Korean War where it functioned as a peace-keeping force, that has involved the United States. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the division was formed and ultimately fought in a number of campaigns before being in the Italian campaign.

When the Italian campaign was over, the 1st Infantry division returned to England, arriving there on 5 November 1943 to prepare for the eventual invasion of Normandy. The 1st Infantry Division and one regimental combat team from the 29th Infantry Division comprised the first wave of troops that assaulted German Army defenses on Omaha Beach on D-Day… 6 June 1944. The division had to move across 300 yards of beach to get to the bluffs, with some of the division's units suffering 30 percent casualties in the first hour of the assault. The division was able to secure Formigny and Caumaont in the beachhead by the end of the day. The division followed up the Saint-Lô break-through with the attack on Marigny, 27 July 1944.

The division then drove across France in a continuous offensive, reaching the German border at Aachen in September. The division laid siege to Aachen, taking the city after a direct assault on 21 October 1944. The 1st Division then attacked east of Aachen through the Hürtgen Forest, driving to the Ruhr. The division was then moved to a rear area on 7 December 1944 for refitting and rest following six (6) months of continuous combat. When the German 'Wacht Am Rhein' offensive (commonly called the Battle of the Bulge) was launched on 16 December 1944, the division was quickly moved to the Ardennes front. Fighting continuously from 17 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, the division helped to blunt and reverse the German offensive. Thereupon, the division, now commanded by Major General Clift Andrus, attacked and again breached the Siegfried Line, fought across the Ruhr, 23 February 1945, and drove on to the Rhine River, crossing at the Remagen bridgehead in March. The division broke out of the bridgehead, took part in the encirclement of the Ruhr Pocket, captured Paderborn, pushed through the Harz Mountains, and was fighting in Czechoslovakia when the war in Europe ended. 

During World War II, Sixteen members of the 1st Infantry Division were awarded the Medal of Honor.


NEW 2022, AND AVAILABLE NOW FROM PICACHO PEAK COLLECTIBLES!


Please Note: Images contained in this listing of the German or Allied Map of the Battle of the Bulge, the image(s) of U.S. Army GI's or German Waffen-SS or Wehrmacht troops during the Winter of 1944-45, the M1919 Browning Machine Gun or the M1 Garand Rifle, or other images of U.S. Troops, the image of the U.S. WWII Memorial in Washington D.C. or the image of the Luxembourg American Cemetery ARE ALL FOR HISTORICAL PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT PART OF THE SALE OF THIS WINTER .30 CAL. MACHINE GUN TEAM (TWO FIGURE SET).

MINT CONDITION IN THE ORIGINAL KING & COUNTRY BOX!


Please note: the pictures that have been uploaded for this auction serve as part of the description. If there is ever a question or concern regarding this item, please contact us BEFORE bidding. By placing a bid, you have entered into a contract and agree to pay for any winning bid. Payment is due within 5 days of the end of the auction! 


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As an additional note: We Do Not Offer Partial Refunds. If there is an issue with your purchase we will accept a return and assist you with a complete refund; minus the cost of the return shipping.  


We will do our best to answer your questions within 24 hours; however there may be times when it takes a little longer; please be patient, we will answer all questions.

 

Picacho Peak Collectibles Will Make Every Effort to Gain Your Trust & Respect and Will Do Everything We Can to Keep It! You can Bid with confidence, knowing that we stand behind what we sell.

 

In addition, We Would Appreciate Your Positive Feedback after you receive your collectible item. It lets us know the kind of job we are doing and also helps other customers to know what to expect from... Picacho Peak Collectibles.


Note: We have now traveled in October 2019, using our own self-guided GPS supported itinerary, to some of the WWII Battle Sites and several of the cities and towns in Germany... along with Amsterdam, Netherlands and the area near Arnhem. We have also, on a number of occasions, used this same self-guided, GPS supported format to visit All Five of the Landing Beaches along the Cotentin Peninsula and many of the historical locations, and museums in an around Normandy. We have also had several opportunities to use the same format to tour the Bastogne area, including the Baugnez '44 Museum, the site of the Malmedy Massacre, the still existing foxholes of the 502nd and 506th P.I.R. and the pastoral surrounding area in Belgium. We have found both the French and the Belgian people, especially in the towns in Normandy, the area near Bastogne and in the Netherlands, to be very friendly and still grateful to the Allies, especially the American forces, for their liberation… despite the huge loss of life and property damage suffered by the French & Belgian civilians and the Nederlanders. In addition, should you want to visit the area in and around Normandy, the Netherlands or Bastogne, we would be willing to share our experiences or trip itinerary with you, which may help to make your travel through the area easier and perhaps make the historical experience more valuable.

 

Please contact us for information concerning other Retired and New King & Country sets. We have been a successful retailer with King & Country since 1999, marketing their line of connoisseur quality military miniatures. We are listed on their website as an authorized & licensed dealer and welcome YOUR DIRECT CONTACT for any of these miniatures that are Not Listed in Our eBay Store.


In addition, we also offer a unique selection of WII Militaria items; Original and Reproduction WWII U.S. and German Helmets, Uniforms and Equipment/Gear and Museum Quality Restored Original U.S. M-1 Helmets and Converted U.S. M-2 and M-1C Paratrooper Helmets. 


Remember, for the Finest Collectibles, Packed & Shipped *USPS INSURED PRIORITY MAIL Within 24 hours after Receipt of Your Payment, look no further than... 

Picacho Peak Collectibles.


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"We Put History in the Palm of Your Hand"


Thank you for looking and good luck bidding!