Lee and a Pickup Truck

Reviresco M3 Lee medium tank.

Painted with Testors Olive Drab.

The Lee was a upgrade of the M2 Medium tank with an added 75mm gun.  There had been a proposed 75mm self-propelled gun in a sponson and the blue prints were used to help speed the design and building of this tank.  It was intended as a training tank to give US troops a chance to train with the 75mm gun after US observers saw the German Panzer IV using the short barrel Panzer IV in the battle of France.  They were not intended for use in combat but due to the desperate need for tanks by the Soviet Union and the UK they were eventually used in combat.

The US Army used them to good effect on Makin Atoll and also they served in North Africa until gradually being replaced by Shermans as the Lees were damaged.

I like to keep my eyes out of interesting vehicles, this little truck is from the dollar store, originally as a Christmas decoration hauling a tree.  Once the tree was removed it was repainted as an Army vehicle.  In the continental US administrative vehicles often had chrome on them.