Brand new Factory Sealed

ITALERI 1/35 scale 1/4-Ton 4x4 Ambulance Jeep plastic model kit (Kit No. 326). This specific boxing is part of the D-Day Normandy 1944/2014 Commemorative Series, released to mark the 70th anniversary of the Allied landings.

Kit Overview & Specifications

• Brand: Italeri

• Kit Number: 326

• Scale: 1:35 (a standard scale for military armor and vehicles)

• Skill Level: 2 (Intermediate; straightforward build suitable for novice to experienced hobbyists)

• Finished Dimensions: Approximately 11.8 cm (4.25 inches) long

Key Features & Details

• Vehicle Subject: Replicates the ubiquitous World War II Willys MB / Ford GPW light utility vehicle modified for frontline medical evacuation.

• Ambulance Superstructure: Features the specialized rear tier and over-hood metal frame extension engineered to hold multi-level casualty stretchers (litters).

• Included Accessories: The model details include folded litters, storage bags, medical equipment, and an open-engine bay showcasing a multi-piece engine block.

• Markings: Includes a waterslide decal sheet with options to build 2 distinct Allied versions active during the Normandy Campaign (typically U.S. Army and British Army configurations) complete with Red Cross medical insignias.

• Tooling Origin: While packaged in a modern 2014 anniversary box, the underlying chassis plastic utilizes classic, reliable Italeri tooling known for an easy assembly layout.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The vehicle depicted in the model kit is a heavily modified Willys MB / Ford GPW 1/4-ton 4x4 light utility truck, universally known as the Jeep, configured as a frontline field ambulance during World War II.

The historical context of this configuration highlights several key elements:

1. The Need for Field Adaptations

While the US military deployed dedicated, fully enclosed medical vehicles like the larger 3/4-ton Dodge WC-54 ambulance, those heavy vehicles frequently struggled in dense, muddy, or restricted environments. During the 1944 Normandy Campaign (D-Day) and the brutal island-hopping campaigns of the Pacific, frontline medics required a highly nimble, low-profile vehicle that could navigate narrow hedgerows, bomb craters, and deep mud to evacuate casualties directly from the line of fire back to battalion aid stations.

2. The Litter Rack Modification

The defining feature of this variant is the tiered metal framework designed to hold standard casualty litters (stretchers). These rack systems were typically fabricated in the field by local maintenance units or distributed via specialized ordnance depots.

• Capacity: This specific modification allowed the small vehicle to securely transport up to three casualties at a time—usually two stacked horizontally on the overhanging rear racks and one lying across the front hood or inside the passenger side.

• Functionality: Stacking the litters high above the body line left the rear floor open to carry vital medical supplies, plasma, folding seats for walking wounded, or a riding medical orderly.

3. "Stealth" and Target Vulnerability

Unlike larger ambulances painted entirely white with massive red crosses, field ambulance Jeeps had to strike a balance between medical visibility and tactical survival. They maintained their standard olive drab camouflage, utilizing relatively small Red Cross markings on the hood, sides, and bumper blocks. Their lower silhouette allowed them to use the natural terrain as cover while rushing wounded soldiers away from active combat zones.