Hobby Search are suggesting a May release for the set.... David

Damn, I feel I must add my two cents worth here. Very nice, and I'm particularly impressed with the pose of the shooter which most of the time couldn't be easily convinced in scale. Looking forward to this one. Again, the shooter is briliantly posed - great for around the corner or around the tank pose! THIS figure alone is worth a few boxes worth! Now, convert this pose into a desert version, it will generate sales! Plus, it is the most articulated (in-action) pose I've seen for the commonwealth range. Now could Dragon please release a set of commonwealth desert tank troopers? I want at least one figure in officer's cap (crushed type if you like) with head phones (separated, with PEs), speaking into the mike if you like. I've seen plenty of heads with berets, nice time for the change please? With so many British AFVs coming out that's so suitable for the desert climate, I think a set of these would sell well, particularly if they are in in-action pose!

I normally don't build figures, due to the real lack of time... but this set I think I'm very tempted! Has anyone tried to replicate gun fire (small arms) in scale? I can feel the expended round just coming out of the firing chamber! (think the famous scenes in Matrix, lol!) I think the nice shooter pose can used in ANY figure set! The cocked knee caps says the shooter is VERY aware of the dangers around him (shoot and be shot at) - a stance that he's ready to hide behind the corner after expending each shot. Much like when you watch a tennis/table-tennis/badminton game... the pose of agility! Sorry for the ramblings, as they say, a picture says a thousand words - nice job, Ron! And Dragon, for coming EXTREMELY close to Ron's pose!

Chas, the Gurkhas never served in the Pacific theatre of OPS. They served in the China Burma India Theatre. A few of the unit histories from the italian campaign make mention of the Germans having a particular fear of the gurkhas and I'm sure they used their kukris to good effect on patrols and in the assualt in Italy as they did in Burma. The Gurkhas distinguished themselves on all fronts that they fought. Cheers Al

Actually, there was a significant force of Gurkhas in the Malayan/Singapore campaign. A quick google search and I see that Burma is not within the official PTO region. Thankyou for your correction in that regard. No doubt the Gurkhas distinguished themselves wherever they fought. However, I still believe the kukris were put to better combat use in Burma/Malaya. The Gurkhas' brilliance in jungle fighting can be somewhat explained taking into account a number of factors. -Living conditions in their home country were quite similar to how they lived and operated in the Burmese jungle. What was seen as immense hardship to the British troops was for them, quite normal. -The Gurkhas were short in stature and could move stealthily through the jungle, beating the Japanese at his own game. As I said before, the terrain was ideal for ambushes, which the Gurkhas excelled at. The kukris were balanced and nimble, the perfect weapon to use in this terrain. I recently saw a wartime video of Gurkhas demonstrating a "prey mantis" ambush technique, among others. It looked astoundingly clever.The video is called "British Campaigns: Burma 1941-1945" MRA Entertainment, for those interested. I agree with Mick Toal regarding the use of the kukri as a combat weapon in Italy. Due to the terrain being much more open, it would have been suicidal to use the kukri as a primary attack weapon. I'm not saying Gurkha ambushes didn't occur in Italy, but they would have been much less frequent and practical than they were in Burma. Chas

Hi guys, I am new to commonwealth troops despite living in Singapore... okay, can this set be adapted to battle of Singapore/Malaya? Cheers Musicwerks

Not really, because in Malaya the British/Commonwealth soldiers wore short sleeved KD shirts and shorts. Your best option would be these kits. https://armorama.kitmaker.net/review/3452 https://armorama.kitmaker.net/review/3030 You could swap the heads with the Indian and Gurkha heads provided in this kit.

Actually Peerless Max takes that prize - almost forty years ago! - An Indian torso was included in their Chevrolet Gun Tractor kit, along with an Australian and British one. They were horrible - and still included with the Italeri re-issue! So cheers to DML for bringing them up to date.

Wow. If the poses of the actual figures are as dynamic as the images, I'll definitely be picking up a set or two.