The Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF) were the marine troops of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Due to the deep distrust the Japanese Army and Navy had for each other, joint operations were all but out of the question and the Navy created the Special Naval Landing Forces as a result. First seeing action in 1932 during the 'Shanghai Incident' of the Sino-Japanese War, the SNLF were highly trained, high quality troops with excellent morale. Each SNLF formation was named after the base in which it as formed. This plastic and metal set contains parts to make 32 SNLF. It includes plastic Japanese Infantry sprues plus metal parts with new heads for every model (including an officers tropical hat and a sailor's cap). The set also includes equipment packs including their distinctive gas-masks. There are also two new metal bodies as well as arms firing a pistol and wielding a ceremonial sword. The set is rounded off nicely with the full-colour sheets of flags and devotional banners - great to hang from weapons as they take Emperor's word to the enemy... Box contains 32 metal and plastic figures.

As the Second World War progressed, Japanese forces were pushed back from the territorial gains they had made in the early stages of the war. With Allied bombing and ground campaigns hampering Japanese industry the Emperor’s soldiers learnt to use whatever materials were at hand to face the enemy, as firearms and ammunition became ever more scarce. This would see Japanese soldiers sacrificing themselves with grenades, a courageous last ‘banzai’ charge with swords drawn, or using sharpened lengths of bamboo as makeshift spears. The fanatical devotion to their Emperor, their country and their honour led many brave Japanese soldiers to such lengths. Allied troops were both in awe and disbelief of such heroics as the Japanese assault would more often than not perish in the face of sustained Allied firepower. Yet still the Japanese attacked... The figures in this boxed set represent a squad of desperate but proud Japanese soldiers in the remnants of their uniforms, bedraggled and unkempt yet not bowed by their situation or likely fate. Banzai! Contains a 10-man squad:

• 1 NCO with sharpened bamboo spear
• 9 soldiers with sharpened bamboo spears
• 10 plastic bases