In 1943 the U.S. Marine Corps played a central role in the shift from defensive operations to an aggressive “island-hopping” campaign across the Central and South Pacific. After the hard-fought Guadalcanal campaign ended in early 1943, Marines took part in successive amphibious assaults that pushed the line ever closer to Japanese strongholds. The year’s high-visibility operations included the Gilbert Islands campaign in November — most famously the bloody, costly seizure of Tarawa and the simultaneous landings on Makin — and major landings in the Solomon Islands (including Bougainville), all of which tested and proved Marine amphibious doctrine under combat conditions.
Those 1943 battles also drove important changes in the Corps. Heavy casualties and logistical problems at Tarawa exposed shortcomings in pre-landing bombardment, landing craft, and coordination, prompting rapid improvements in planning, equipment, and Navy-Marine integration. At the same time the Corps expanded and professionalized — growing its assault divisions, refining close air and naval gunfire support, and sharpening training for complex joint amphibious operations. The result was a leaner, more experienced Marine force that would carry those hard-won lessons into the major campaigns of 1944–45.
 
This kit comprises of the following pieces:
• x1 M4A1 Sherman Tank
• x1 Command Squad (4 Models)
• x1 Dog Team (3 Models)
• x3 60mm Mortar Squads (9 Models)
• x3 30cal Machine Gun Squads (6 Models)
• x2 Flamethrower Teams (4 Models)
• x1 Bazooka Team Firing (2 Models)
• x3 10 Man Marine Squads (30 Models)
Total 59 Models!
ALL MODELS SUPPLIED WITH ROUND BASES