Sherman VC Firefly
1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry

This is my take on the Sherman Firefly operated by Trooper Joe Ekins of the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry during Operation Totalize, Normandy, August 1944. This tank is arguably one of the most famous Fireflies of the war, credited with destroying several German Tiger tanks in a single engagement - including the one commanded by the legendary panzer ace Michael Wittmann.

The Firefly was a British adaptation of the American M4 Sherman, rearmed with the formidable 17-pounder anti-tank gun to give Allied forces a fighting chance against Germany’s heavier armor. Although not purpose-built, the Firefly was a practical battlefield solution, and its effectiveness is perhaps best illustrated by Ekins’ actions near Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil on August 8th, 1944.

British armoured regiments in Northwest Europe during 1944 typically fielded a mix of Shermans, with one Firefly allocated per troop of four tanks, giving a ratio of about 1 in 4. That translated to roughly 12 Fireflies in a regiment of 52–55 tanks. The Firefly’s enhanced firepower was meant to complement the standard 75mm Shermans, which were more effective against soft targets and infantry. In total, approximately 2,100 Sherman Fireflies were converted during the war, including both the M4 and M4A4 (Sherman V) variants. Despite its stopgap origins, the Firefly played a crucial role in neutralizing the heavy German armor on the Western Front.

This build represents the Firefly “Velikiye Luki,” believed to be the tank that Ekins manned during this fateful engagement. On that day, hidden in a treeline and acting as a hull-down ambush position, Ekins and his crew spotted a column of Tiger tanks from the 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion. With just a few well-placed shots, some say within the span of 12 minutes, Ekins knocked out three Tigers. Among them was “Tiger 007,” Wittmann’s command tank. While the exact details of Wittmann’s demise have been debated, the bulk of evidence and most historians credit Ekins with the kill.

I was not able to find any photographic reference to this particular tank, so this build is inspired by other photos of 1st NY Shermans from the same period. I was drawn to this build not just by its historical weight, but by the layered story behind the tank and its crew. After this engagement, this tank was hit and Joe Ekins was reassigned to another tank as a radio operator, never firing the 17-pounder in anger again.

This build is a tribute not just to a vehicle or a moment in history, but to the humble sharpshooter behind the sights.

The kit is the RFM Sherman Firefly VC, a well-detailed and nicely engineered kit overall, with just a few caveats. It doesn’t include the applique armor, so I used spares from the other kit. There are also a few inaccuracies in the kit-supplied markings to be aware of (white tac sign). As for the workable tracks, the type that warn you to "please use very little glue", they’re not exactly my favorite to deal with, but they do build up well with patience.

The only additions I made were the stowage items, which are a mix of Value Gear and Black Dog sets. The hessian camouflage netting was scratch-built using medical gauze and fine paper strips for that worn, improvised look typical of frontline modifications.

Weathering was done in three main stages. First, I applied a layer of chipping fluid, then sprayed a mix of diluted pigments, mainly earth, dust, and engine grime tones. After letting it sit overnight, I did the chipping to achieve a worn, operational look. Next, I applied dry pigments to areas where dirt and mud would naturally accumulate, particularly around the running gear and lower hull. Finally, a very fine dust layer was lightly airbrushed over the entire model to unify the finish and tie all the weathering effects together. The weather during summer 1944 in Normandy was very changeable, with hot weather interrupted by huge storms, so I guess that these tanks were dirty.