The Tim Mee Combat Patrol set is a reissue of the classic Jeep and Field Gun.

The Hummvee is big, wide, and more of a small truck than a Jeep. The larger vehicles came years after my Army days ended. In my Army, we had a vehicle that was officially the "Ford Mutt". We all called it a Jeep. Aside from being more unstable and having a front grill that ran sideways instead of up and down, it was not all that different from a real Jeep. And believe me, these little things did a lot. They were fast, ran on rough terrain, and could haul quite a load. The old company radio took up half the back of Jeeps. You could put in a mount so that the man in the back seat could stand up and fire a machine gun. And no, that Rat Patrol stuff was pure fantasy. Reality was not that cool.

A 106mm Recoilless rifle took up the whole back, and then some. It had a lot of firepower. A crew could fire and then run out of there fast in a Jeep. The little vehicles were an essential for Army life from World War II through most of the 1980s.

The Tim Mee Jeep was a staple of playtime back in the 1950s and 1960s. It had a metal axle and black tires. The little toy was quite sturdy, too. They were often packed in a bag of toy soldiers. Usually, there were a few stickers included that had markings for the little Jeep.

The little gun was popular, as well. It resembled a field gun such as a 75mm gun or a 105mm howitzer. I get the impression that it was partly inspired by Britains’ metal 25 pounder, which was the English brand’s cheapest firing toy cannon. The breech and trail look lore like light field artillery than an antitank gun.

Tim Mee used to include one of these with red spoked wheels in its Civil War sets. The gun was usually olive drab, so it resembled a French 75 or small British World War I howitzer rather than a Parrot rifle of the Civil War.

The little gun goes well with the Jeep in the Combat Patrol set. The set also includes instructions for placing the enclosed stickers. The photo on the header card shows a Jeep flying in the air with a 37, antitank gun in tow. However, the field gun in the set is definitely more traditional artillery. To me, that is even more fun.

These are really nice vehicles and guns. They stand up well to play and rough handling. The Tim Mee Combat Patrol is the antithesis of flimsy. unlike so many of the imported playthings of today. The Jeep and gun are simple and sturdy and will survive many a playtime. They look good and would be a fine addition to battle games with plastic Army men.

 

You can get this set at Victory Buy