With the Fall of France in July 1940, Hitler’s Germany threatened to invade Britain in the planned Operation Sea Lion, and so the British Government needed a solution to bolster the defence of airfields against airborne troops. An ideal solution would have been to make use of tanks and armoured cars, had most of the British heavy equipment not been abandoned during the Dunkirk evacuation.

Any solution would need to be one that did not compete for resources with conventional armaments. Enter the Armadillo – an improvised armoured vehicle based on several standard lorry chassis. They comprised a wooden fort protected by a layer of gravel filling its walls. The driver’s cab was protected by mild steel plates. Armadillos were used by the Royal Air Force to protect aerodromes and by the Home Guard. Most Armadillos were armed with Lewis Guns and rifles, although more than fifty were also fitted with obsolete naval guns such as this Mk. III Armadillo mounting a Hotchkiss 3-pdr.

Contains one resin and metal self-propelled gun, Bolt Action stat card, vehicle damage markers, full colour waterslide decals, Bolt Action order die.