The Priest, also known as the 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7, was a self propelled artillery piece manufactured by the US and put into service on the allied side. The Priest saw action starting in North Africa with the British, and later on with the Americans in Italy and the Normandy campaigns. It was the British that apparently gave it its nickname because of the machine gunner's 'pulpit'. Eventually the British developed their own self-propelled artillery which was compatible with their ammunition and they transformed their Priests into gunless Armored Personnel Carriers, which they referred to as Kangaroos. A Kangaroo could fit 20 men plus a two-man crew. Somehow I don't think 20 of my guys would fit in there, even if I were to remove the gun. One thing I wonder about self propelled artillery is how hard it is to aim and make adjustments, since to aim left or right, they probably have to drive with one track slightly backwards or forwards. This Priest was made by 21st Century Toys, and even though the box was branded as 'die cast', it is pretty much made out of plastic. Even so, it is a nice vehicle. I've actually seen it in a different paint scheme with slightly smaller stars that have a circle around them, and the name Annamae written on the side. This vehicle comes with two figures: a driver and a gunner.
Click here to see pictures of more US Armor.
Click here to see some shots of GIs in action in Normandy.
Hello, could you please tell me if the gun has recoil position? I use these models for stop motion movies so movement of pieces is important in my case. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYes, it does allow to show it in the recoil position.It moves back close to an inch. Hope that works. Post a link to your videos once they are ready. Would love to see your work.
DeleteThanks a lot, I just found one for sale! brand new.
ReplyDeleteI already published episode 1, the series is called "Plastic Commandos", there is a youtube channel and also a facebook page:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7GmwsKtWzU
This is a funny coincidence. I had already watched this video a few months ago. That looks like a good amount of effort!
DeleteIt required an awful lot of work, but I enjoyed it. I am preparing episode 2. I just bought the priest, the very same model you show in this post, with 2 figures. In the facebook page I posted galleries of the figures and vehicles involved in the movie, in case you like 1/32: https://www.facebook.com/bcsib/
DeleteI enjoyed your blog and this post in particular was very useful, it also made me spend some $$, I will pass you the bill later!
Regards!
Martin