Barney Healy
4th Marine Division
Iwo Jima
Bunker buster
1945
Dragon 70235
USMC Bunker Buster "Barney Healy" faithfully re-creates a member of the US 4th Marine Division as he may have appeared during the battle of Iwo Jima. He wears the ubiquitous Pattern-41 USMC Utility Uniform, low "Boondockers" rubber-soled boots, and M1 Helmet with unique "beach-side" USMC camouflage cover. His weapons would be especially effective in the unique conditions of the Iwo Jima battle -- the M12 Shotgun for close-quarters fighting on the move, and the M9A1 2.36-in "Bazooka" rocket launcher to defeat the many bunkers and entrenched positions held by opposing Imperial Japanese forces. Featuring several USMC-specific functional and cloth-technology items, Private "Barney Healy" is a must for any serious 1:6 collector and US Marine Corps fan! Barney includes the following accessories; GI Helmet with Cover USMC P1944 Utility Coat USMC P1944 HBT Utility Trousers Sleeveless Undershirt USMC Boots Belt X-Straps LC-2 First Aid Kit First Aid Pouch M1910 Trenching Tool Metal Water Bottle with Pouch MKII A1 Fragmentation Grenade M12 Shotgun M9 Bazooka with Rocket
The small Volcano island of Iwo Jima bore witness to one of the US Marine Corps' bloodiest and most costly battles. Only eight-square miles in size, Iwo Jima ("Sulphur Island") lay a mere 250 miles from Tokyo -- and in 1945, was perfectly placed as a key strategic waystation for US aircraft to support the planned invasion of mainland Japan. Elements of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th US Marine Divisions landed on the island in February 1945 ... fighting their way off the beaches through soft black volcanic sand and jagged rock, nostrils filled with the rotten-egg smell of sulfur from the islands underground volcanic vents. Japanese forces on Iwo Jima were well-entrenched in the island's caves and caverns, and had also had ample time to build elaborate tunnel systems in defense of their positions. The fighting was fierce, often hand-to-hand. After 36 furious days and terror-filled nights, nearly 7,000 US servicemen and more than 20,000 Japanese lay dead ... with the US flag flying proudly atop Iwo Jima's highest peak, Mount Suribachi.