Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale US M4(75) Sherman Medium Tank with VVSS Suspension – 753rd Tank Battalion, Gustav Line, Italy, 1944 [Bonus Ford GAA V-8 Engine]
Barely a week after we learned that Forces of Valor’s upcoming M4(75) Sherman tank is slated to arrive some time in the fourth quarter, Waltersons, the new owners of the brand, posted a 3-minute video that shows off many of the vehicle’s features, capabilities and accoutrements. While we have embedded the video within the item’s description, we thought it made sense to post it here as well. Again, we are keeping our fingers crossed that the vehicle will be available for holiday purchase but with loads of headwinds working against it and other late releases, we are not guaranteeing that we will be able to supply it in time for it to be placed under the tree. Please bear this in mind if this is your ultimate intent and would rather purchase something else we do have for immediate sale to avoid disappointment.
We woke up this morning with news that Forces of Valor will once again be distributed through our principal supplier, Historic Sales. Under ordinary circumstances this would come as welcome news, however, Waltersons, the owner of Forces of Valor brand, seems to be bouncing between US distributors, claiming they are working with one distributor one minute, then another and finally another. Now, in their defense, its not unusual for a major manufacturer to work with more than one distributor particularly in the key North American market, however, changing wholesaling sources only serves to confuse both the retailer and consumer alike, with no real hard-and-fast information to work off of to either plan advertisements, alert our customers or distill these changes in a meaningful way.
Be that as it may, the latest sales solicitation calls for certain products to arrive during the late November/early December time frame. If its true, this is certainly great to hear since it means we can sell and ship out a lot of product for the upcoming holiday season. Truth be told, with nagging supply chain issues still affecting the distribution network, COVID, slowdowns in mail delivery and finally FOV’s spotty track record of hitting their release dates, we have decided to sell their upcoming items with the proviso that they will likely not make it in time for the holiday season. Prudence being what it is, I just want to make this fact abundantly clear if you plan on ordering any of their fourth quarter releases and hope to have them in hand prior to December 24th. I honestly do not think they will be available for sale until after the holidays, perhaps as late as January given what we are seeing in the global supply chain. I’m not trying to play the part of a Debbie Downer by poo-pooing this latest announcement but the fact remains that there are simply too many headwinds conspiring against them to say for certain that they will be in stock for Santa’s sleigh to go skis up and hit the air ways.
Anyway, the product in question appears under our November 2021 Upcoming Releases section. Anything else FOV may have been discussing on Facebook or elsewhere are more than likely expected some time in 2022. It is certainly possible that several items could be shipped to us by other distributors but that’s neither here nor there as far as this announcement goes. Now I don’t know about you but I’m going back to bed.
Forces of Valor’s 1:48 scale USMC Bell AH-1W “Whiskey” Super Cobra Attack Helicopter – “Never Forget”, Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267, Camp Pendleton, March 2012
While the timing of the announcement has come under scrutiny on Facebook, Waltersons decided to use the 9/11 backdrop as a means of showing off their latest endeavor: a 1:48 scale USMC AH-1W “Whiskey” Helicopter. Flown by Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267, which was based at Camp Pendleton, California, during March 2012. The low-vis attack helicopter features artwork inspired by the events of 9/11 on the sides of the fuselage, which includes, among other things darkened images of the twin towers and its attendant New York skyline, along with what looks to be a viper coiled for striking, hence its sobriquet.
Forces of Valor 1:48 scale USMC Bell AH-1W “Whiskey” Super Cobra Attack Helicopter – “Final Flight of the Whiskey AH-1W”, Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 “Warriors”, Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, December 2012
According to the manufacturer, the USMC helicopter, along with a second chopper that was operated by Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 167 “Warriors”, are expected to be completed by the tail end of October, although with shipping delays still plaguing our ports, it could be another couple of months before they actually make it to market here in North America. Still, its nice to see the manufacturer is making a concerted effort to get product out the door and into the hands of collectors despite all of the issues facing the global supply chain.
Thirteen Sherman variants are scheduled to eventually come out, beginning with these four vehicles
Back in late 1864, General William T. Sherman famously marched his Union troops through Georgia in an attempt to cut the Confederate forces in two and, in so doing, sew terror in the South’s populace and devastate its’ logistical network. Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, is looking to achieve much the same results in the military diecast community with their first group of 1:32 scale M4 Sherman tanks. You may remember that Unimax, the previous owner of the FOV brand, released several M4A3 Sherman tanks several years ago, re-using a single mold over and over again for a variety of replicas. While this strategy certainly reduced manufacturing costs and sped up the release schedule, it was far from perfect, since it meant that collectors were essentially getting a “one-size-fits-all” medium tank that was both historically inaccurate and worse boasted less metal content with each ensuing release.
An M4 Sherman “Jumbo” tank boasting an elongated turret and more powerful main gun intended to go toe-to-toe with the German Army’s heavier battle tanks
Waltersons, well aware of the problems facing the original set of Unimax Shermans, have been hard at work revamping the original tooling — by not only increasing the vehicle’s metal content — but by making each of the many Sherman variants truer to form with their historical counterparts. To that end, the Company has made a number of different turrets, guns, adaptives and even suspension systems, all designed to give collectors what they have been politely demanding for almost twenty years. As can be seen in the accompanying photo, each model has been faithfully produced, including, but not limited to, travel locks for the main gun, entrenching utensils, hull and bow machine guns and even opening hatches just like the real things. Its not clear how many Shermans will make it to market by the close of the year given the current congestion issues still plaguing many of our nation’s ports, but suffice it to say that eventually these and other variants are in the works, meaning there will be no shortage of Allied armor set to storm our shores for the foreseeable future.
In other news, the Company has decided to split its 1:700 scale warship line into two segments: one designed to continue its legacy of making full hull capital ships while a separate segment is aimed at the wargaming community who are looking to recreate different naval engagements using waterline ships. Right now, several warships are slated to set sail in early 2022, including reworked versions of the USS Enterprise, the USS Missouri, IJN Yamato and the RN Invincible, and its a good bet that other previously released warships in the FOV armada will be similarly sent to the naval yards for a complete refit.
Finally, although the manufacturer did share with us some images of their 1:32 scale early production Tiger I tanks, they did ask us not to divulge them for now since they are still being worked on for technical accuracy, changes to the road wheels and other important facets of the vehicle endemic to its version. Suffice it to say we will pass along factory approved photos for all the world to see once the Company is satisfied that they have met all of their design goals and feel confident they can deliver a stunning replica that is both heavy in the hand and meticulously researched.
Hinted at for over two years, Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, have finally revealed pre-production images for their upcoming Flight Deck Series. Unlike their 1:72 and 1:48 scale helicopter series or soon-to-street 1:72 scale WWII-era fighter aircraft series, the Flight Deck series is, as its name implies, aimed at portraying the entire flight deck of a Nimitz class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in 1:200 scale.
Rather than offering the flight deck and its attendant aircraft models as one entire model, Waltersons developed the range so that collectors can acquire and build out the upper deck one section at a time, complete with different aircraft models. Even the carrier’s superstructure is attainable. All told, 12 sections or modules are being created, from the aft of the ship to its stern, which are then locked into place so that they do not come apart if being played upon. Thus far, we do not have a firm release date, so we’re keeping our fingers and arresting gear crossed that they make it under the tree for the upcoming holiday season.
In other news, we’ve learned that Forces of Valor’s first 1:72 scale warbird is expected to make landfall this August. As noted previously, each aircraft comes with a decorative base that resembles a section of an aircraft deck or forward air base. Each model comes with a highly detailed engine and seated pilot figure along with a posable display stand meant to give the illusion of flight.
Its a bittersweet moment when Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor line, begins to show off imagery of their newest products. That’s because it oftentimes takes them many months before we can actually put the product into the hands of the collector, who must anxiously wait an eternity to lay claim to the latest 1:32 scale FOV vehicle. Nevertheless, we thought you might like to see the first pix of their next vehicle in the conga line: a late production Sturmtiger assault mortar. Unlike the first vehicle, the second vehicle is clad in a tri-color camouflage scheme indicative of seeing combat towards the latter half of 1944. It also comes with three crewmen who are seen here loading the over-sized ammunition onto the vehicle.
While the manufacturer’s web site claims it will come out in 2021, it could indeed be some time before it makes it to our shores since the distributors responsible for stocking the line must bring in container loads of FOV product to help mitigate the increased cost of trans-oceanic shipping. Still, we thought you might like to see the fruits of their labors and we can only hope that additional imagery of both this vehicle and other long talked about products begin to materialize and hopefully make it under the tree this holiday season.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – “100”, schwere Panzerabteilung 505, Kursk, Russia, July 1943 [Bonus Maybach HL 210 TRM P45 Engine]
Per the course, Waltersons seems to be falling behind schedule with their inaugural Tiger I tank, a model originally forecast for an April release that has now been pushed back until mid May. Nevertheless. the manufacturer did post a bevy of imagery for the vehicle, which “we” believe will hit the streets some time in July, given requisite load times, the ability to fill a shipping container and current congestion clogging virtually all of the west coast ports. Still, we’re looking at things from a “glass half full” viewpoint, pointing out many of the improvements the manufacturer has made to the existing mold and assurances that slowdowns in production times are finally being addressed with some measure of satisfaction.
Forces of Valor’s 1:24 scale radio controlled US M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank – Tri-Color Camouflage
At long last, we’ve finally received an update concerning Forces of Valor’s line of 1:24 scale radio-controlled military vehicles. Two tanks, the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank and the M26 Pershing heavy tank are slated to make land fall in June. That’s the good news. As for the original four vehicles released a few years back — the Tiger I, the Panzer IV, the Sherman and the T-34/85 tanks — don’t expect them to return to stock anytime soon. They could be in the cards for a late 2021 return date, or they could be pushed back into 2022.
Forces of Valor’s 1:24 scale radio controlled US M26 Pershing Heavy Tank
At this point, we simply don’t know their fate. On the plus side, the prices for the two upcoming tanks haven’t changed so if you’re interested in adding these vehicles to your stable of radio controlled tanks, we strongly suggest you jump on this opportunity before they disappear like the dinosaurs.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Early Production RW61 Sturmtiger Rocket Assault Mortar with Loading Crane – Prototype Presentation, Ehrenfriedhof Arys Proving Grounds, East Prussia, October 20th, 1943 [Bonus Maybach HL 210 TRM P45 V-12 Water-Cooled Engine]
The Sturmtiger (German: “Assault Tiger”) was a World War II German assault gun built on the Tiger I chassis and armed with a 380mm rocket-propelled mortar. The official German designation was Sturmmörserwagen 606/4 mit 38 cm RW 61. Its primary task was to provide heavy fire support for infantry units fighting in urban areas. The few vehicles produced fought in the Warsaw Uprising, the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of the Reichswald. The fighting vehicle is also known by various informal names, among which the Sturmtiger became the most popular.
The idea for a heavy infantry support vehicle capable of demolishing heavily defended buildings or fortified areas with a single shot came out of the experiences of the heavy urban fighting in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942. At the time, the Wehrmacht had only the Sturm-Infanteriegeschutz 33B available for destroying buildings, a Sturmgeschutz III variant armed with a 15 cc sIG 33 heavy infantry gun. Twelve of them were lost in the fighting at Stalingrad. Its successor, the Sturmpanzer IV, also known by Allies as Brummbär, was in production from early 1943. This was essentially an improved version of the earlier design, mounting the same gun on the Panzer IV chassis with greatly improved armor protection.
While greatly improved compared to the earlier models, by this time infantry anti-tank weapons were improving dramatically, and the Wehrmacht still saw a need for a similar, but more heavily armored and armed vehicle. Therefore, a decision was made to create a new vehicle based on the Tiger tank and arm it with a 210 mm howitzer. However, this weapon turned out not to be available at the time and was therefore replaced by a 380 mm rocket launcher, which was adapted from a Kriegsmarine depth charge launcher.
In September 1943 plans were made for Krupp to fabricate new Tiger I armored hulls for the Sturmtiger. The Tiger I hulls were to be sent to Henschel for chassis assembly and then to Alkett where the superstructures would be mounted. The first prototype was ready and presented to Adolf Hitler in October 1943. Delivery of the first hulls would occur in December 1943, with the first three Sturmtiger completed by Alkett by 20 February 1944.
Due to delays, Hitler did not request production of the weapon until 19 April 1944; twelve superstructures and weapons would be prepared and mounted on rebuilt Tiger I chassis. The first three production series Sturmtiger were completed by Alkett in August 1944. Plans to complete an additional seven from 15 to 21 September 1944 were presented to Hitler in a conference on 18–20 August 1944. Ten Sturmtiger were produced in September, along with an additional five in December 1944.
Hitler had laid great importance on the special employment of the Sturmtiger and believed it would be necessary to produce at least 300 rounds of ammunition per month.
Forces of Valor’s all-new 1:32 scale early production Sturmtiger is now in stock and available for immediate shipping.
As we await the arrival of their 1:32 scale Sturmtiger assault mortar, Waltersons posted a short, low-light teaser for their inaugural Tiger I heavy tank. Created for their Japanese audience, the trailer makes use of the “Metal Proud” moniker Forces of Valor has developed over the course of the last couple of years as a means of demonstrating how much diecast material is actually being employed in the reworked series. As many collectors pointed out towards the end of the Unimax era — the original manufacturer of the Forces of Valor brand — the Company was using less and less metal in the composition of its 1:32 scale military vehicles, largely as a means of reducing costs. This, of course, didn’t sit well with the collecting community despite the manufacturer passing along repeated price hikes and seemingly offering more lackluster products that lacked the imagination the series aimed at recreating.
While the Waltersons’ version will carry a MAP of $124.99, which is substantially more than the last Tiger I produced in the late 2000s, it is, in effect, a completely different vehicle than its predecessors, boasting a removable engine, heavier content and a more realistic painting process that involves repeated over-spraying and various weathering effects. The manufacturer has acknowledged that at least 20 separate vehicles are slated to be re-produced over the course of the next few years, to say nothing of the Panzer Ace series hinted at some time ago, which will replicate some of the more famous tanks and their storied commanders that have become the stuff of legend since the end of the war.
In other news, Waltersons has posted three different videos for their soon-to-be-released trio of ROC AH-1W “Whiskey” attack helicopters. Each video showcases the differences between the three helicopters being portrayed, as well as the obligatory commonalities that have enabled the manufacturer to release three helicopters at once in an effort to reduce manufacturing costs. Thus far, a pair of USMC attack helicopters are set to ship later in the year, so we expect videos and imagery to be unveiled in due course.
