Bastogne, in the Ardennes in the south-eastern part of Belgium, was the site of a siege of US forces by the German army in late December 1944, as the Germans attempted a counter attack against the advancing allies and tried to capture the port of Antwerp. The siege lasted for seven days, and the garrison famously included elements of 101st Airborne Division as well as others, who conducted their defence in terrible winter weather before relief arrived, forcing the Germans to retreat.

Italeri had previously made a set Battle of the Bulge, of which the siege of Bastogne was a part, so it may seem surprising that they chose this action for their next World War II set. However the contents were very different. The figures were:

• 1 set of Italeri US Infantry (Winter Uniform)
• 2 sprues from the set of Italeri German Infantry (Winter Uniform)

• 1 of Italeri Sherman M4A3E2 Jumbo (7520)
• 1 of Italeri Sherman M4A3 76mm (7521)
• 1 of Italeri Pz. Kpfw. VI Tiger I Ausf. E (7505)

• 1 sprue of the set of Italeri PaK 40 AT Gun with Servants
• 1 gun (but without the crew figures) from the set of Italeri 8.8 cm FLaK 37 AA Gun

That makes for a lot of content, with figures that are appropriate for the action and vehicle and guns to match. The array of accessories is particularly impressive, allowing a very cluttered battlefield to be constructed, as must have been the case in reality. The box includes a number of pictures of the finished product, assembled, painted to a high standard and arrayed with a large base and some fantastic work with snow effects and other items such as trees and buildings, somewhat exaggerating what you get in the box, though certainly inspiring the prospective buyer to fashion their own little masterpiece in imitation.

The figures and kits in this set are really well done, and the plethora of accessories add a lot of value in our view. You will need much skill to reproduce the above diorama, but even just with what you get here a pretty impressive battle scene can be created. Italeri were well into their stride by the time they put this collection together, and this is another great product.