It appears as if Corgi has just about caught up with its 2021 release schedule even if some of their competitors are still lagging behind. News from the “pooch” is that both of their 1:50 scale Tiger I heavy tanks have arrived and are now riding the rails to our facility here in New York City. With New Years looming, however, it will likely be the first week of January before they’re ready for battle and able to take up assault positions along side some of their brethren Military Legends vehicles.

Looking back, their initial production Tiger I tank, which was decked out in field grey and unleashed two years ago, was easily their best selling vehicle in the line even though it was a tad inaccurate. Perhaps hastily released before it could be properly scrutinized, it failed to properly replicate the actual tank in a number of important respects, most notably in the shape of the turret and type of road wheels chosen. After examining their newly uploaded images for their early production Tiger I tank, it would appear as if they made a concerted effort to get this one right since it now comes with the correct turret and rubber-rimmed road wheels. In any event, based upon pre-orders submitted for these two heavies, these should do exceptionally well too. Enjoy!

Note: Tiger 131 is a German Tiger I heavy tank captured by the British 48th Royal Tank Regiment in Tunisia during World War II. Preserved at The Tank Museum in Bovington in Dorset, England, it is currently the only operating Tiger I in the world.

Tiger 131 was repaired with parts from other destroyed Tigers and inspected to judge its performance. It was displayed in Tunis and formally inspected there by King George VI and Winston Churchill. The tank was sent to England in October 1943 where it was displayed as a trophy at various locations to raise wartime morale before it was subjected to extensive testing and evaluation by the School of Tank Technology who produced detailed reports on its construction. The captured tank was transferred to The Tank Museum by the British Ministry of Supply on 25 September 1951 where it was given the accession number 2351 (later E1951.23).

In 1990, the tank was removed from display at the museum for restoration by the museum and the Army Base Repair Organisation. The restoration involved an almost complete disassembly of the tank. The Maybach HL230 engine from the museum’s Tiger II was installed as the Tiger’s original Maybach HL210 had been cut into cross sections for display. A modern fire-suppressant system was added to the engine compartment, the only other significant alteration. The wear and performance of the refitted Tiger engine was studied by metallurgists to explore the alloys and performance of WWII German manufacturing.

In December 2003, Tiger 131 returned to the museum with a working engine, making it the only working Tiger tank in the world and the most popular exhibit at the museum. Further work and repainting in period colours completed the restoration in 2012, for a total cost quoted at £80,000.

This tank was used in the 2014 film Fury, the first time a real Tiger has appeared in a feature film since Theirs Is the Glory in 1946 and They Were Not Divided (1950).

Originally expected last fall, the balance of Corgi’s Military Legends line of 1:50 scale military vehicles are finally en route to us. Interestingly, Corgi quietly updated two of the product photos – one for the US M3A1 half-track and the other for the Sherman tank. The revised half-track now features bed rolls attached to the front fenders of the vehicle, a gear rack affixed to the rear of the vehicle, and a dustier paint job, giving it a more grizzled, well-worn appearance better suited to a hard-fought WWII battlefield than its predecessor. The Sherman tank, on the other hand, has been completely overhauled. We were expecting a standard M4A3 Sherman tank but it now appears as if we are getting a M4A3(76)W which featured a 76mm main gun and a more bulbous turret. Its not clear why the images were updated so late in the production cycle, but both will certainly sell well despite the mix up.

Other vehicles en route to us include their Tiger I heavy tank, German Sd. Kfz. 7/1 prime mover and Bedford QL supply truck. We should have them in stock during the first week of February and will be completing all of our outbound shipments as soon as they arrive.

Recently, Corgi talked up the release of their 1:50 scale military vehicle series on Facebook, showing photos of the packaging as well as other pertinent material from their marketing department. One forum goer responded that the Tiger shown in the promotional material did not properly represent the vehicle in question. According to the sales literature, the tank being offered is an initial production Tiger I Ausf. H, one of 100 vehicles that comprised the first batch of tanks to reach the battlefield in late 1942.

We took a closer look at the image and, lo and behold, the critic was right. Not only does the tank shown sport steel road wheels, a feature commonplace among some of the late model Tigers and designed to prevent mud from building up between the wheels. But it didn’t end there. The initial production Tiger did not come with armored side skirts as shown on the Corgi tank. Furthermore, the initial production Tiger came with side-mounted storage boxes attached to the turret, which is clearly absent on the Corgi replica.

Corgi’s Tiger is slated to come out in December so they still have a few months to correct these issues by either building an initial production Tiger — not likely to happen this late in the game — or going with a late model vehicle that perhaps saw action towards the latter stages of the war. This would require different packaging, an altogether different camouflage scheme, and, of course, different markings and insignia. While its great to see Corgi make a return to the diecast battlefield, we hope they’re doing their due diligence by matching up historical records with the right vehicle being portrayed.

As they approach the kick off date for the release of their Military Legends series, Corgi unveiled a bunch of new photos largely showing the re-designed packaging for each of the updated military vehicles. In a post on Facebook, the Company also discussed the reason behind why it took so long to get the series off the ground, even though many of the items were launched years ago and were now languishing awaiting service and upkeep.

“In the previous edition of Diecast Diaries,” says Corgi, “we took a closer look at the recent return of our 1:50th scale Military Vehicle range and how these impressive models, which made their original Corgi debut back in 2003, are making something of a comeback after ten years in the collector wilderness. Their welcome return to the range has not been without a number of challenges for the Corgi development team, several of which only became apparent following the decision to reintroduce the models to the range, however, determined not to be beaten and with a desire to produce the most authentic versions of these fantastic scale military vehicles, their efforts are finally coming to fruition. With several of the models passing through the pre-production stage and the appealing box designs finally taking shape, we are pleased to say that these popular models are just on the model collecting horizon and we have a further series of exclusive images to bring you in this latest edition, led by arguably the most famous military vehicle in the history of warfare, the fearsome German Tiger tank.”

Reading between the lines it would appear as if several of their remaining 1:50 scale vehicles that aren’t part of the initial re-release will also be making a come back at some point in the not-too-distant future, likely augmented by several new toolings should the series do well at retail. I think we can also expect a relaunch of their separate Korean and Vietnam War era series, perhaps as early as 2020 should the toolings still be in salvageable condition and interest for their return gathers momentum in the wake of their WWII era series return to the hobby.