M22 Locust

 

The M22 Locust was a tiny tank designed and manufactured to a British specification by Marmon-Herrington for a light air-landable tank to support airborne troops. It was intended to replace the Tetrarch, and to be carried to the landing zone in a Hamilcar glider.

It was only ever used in combat once, at the crossing of the Rhine, and it did not acquit itself very well. Only two vehicles survived both the landing and a couple of days of combat.

Its poor showing was perhaps inevitable; it had very light armour and a puny 37mm main gun, and it was totally outmatched on the battlefields of 1944-45. So dissatisfied was the Parachute Regiment with its performance that after the action they reverted to their old Tetrarchs.

These models are 1:100 scale (15mm), from a 3d design by Windham Graves. The figure is one of PSC's 15mm plastic paras.