Description

      Plastic model to assemble Canadian Badger Flamethrower Ram Mk. II (Late Production)

      The Ram Mk. II tank with the Badger flamethrower, developed and produced in Canada, was a unique military vehicle used during World War II. Canadian engineers faced many challenges during the development of this tank, as Canada had never produced tanks before. In the first phase, Canada relied mainly on materials from the US and UK, including Continental engines and transmissions, which were difficult to obtain.

      The Ram tank had a fully cast steel hull for increased protection, as well as a modified driver's seat arrangement to meet British right-hand drive requirements. Early versions of the Ram I and early Ram II included a side door in the hull and an additional machine gun turret, but these features were discarded in later modifications. Production changed to the Ram II model with a 6-pounder gun from February 1942.

      Interestingly, the Ram tank was never used in combat as a tank, but was used for crew training in Canada and Britain until mid-1944. Conversions of Ram tanks with Wasp II flamethrower equipment were used by the 5th Canadian Armoured Brigade in the Netherlands in 1945.

      The Ram Mk. II Badger version of the tank was equipped with a flamethrower. The first Badgers were conversions of the Ram Kangaroo with the installation of a Wasp II flamethrower instead of a front machine gun. Later models had turrets and flamethrower equipment instead of the main gun.

      In 2023, Gecko Models released a 1:35 scale model of the Canadian Badger Flamethrower Ram Mk. II (Late Production) tank (Model Number 35GM0086). This is a new tool that allows model enthusiasts to create a detailed replica of this unique military vehicle.