I am thinking about building an M3 Stuart Recce tank based on the old Tamiya kit, but have found very little information on this version. I have seen pictures of recce Stuarts in Burma and Tunis, but were they used in Northern Europe, or were later versions (M3A3, M5) used instead? Any nformation or links would be appreciated. Also are there any references to the interior layout of a tank in this role.

Thanks in advance.

I have several pictures of these from an ancient Military Modeler magazine all showing M5
or M3A3 bodies. PM me your e-mail and I'll send you the pics.
Here's a link to a Canadian M3A3 that was featured in Stuart in Action
http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/attachment.php?s=bc9c8da00a802aa08f3fc9ec052afe23&attachmentid=19586&d=1203387037

Hey Andrew,
Steve Zaloga did a build a few years ago of a Polish Recce M3A3.
It was featured in Military Modelling but here are some of the photos posted on Missing-Lynx:

http://www.missing-lynx.com/gallery/allied/reccestuart_szaloga.html

You may be able to get a back issue of MM to see how he did it.
I'll look through my pile of magazines and see if I can find the issue # and date.
Cheers

jjumbo

Update: I found it, Military Modelling Volume 33, No.13, November 7th - 27th, 2003

Thanks Al and John for the info and links. Much appreciated. Al please check your pm.

E-mail sent.

Hi Andy,

Accurate Armour do an early and late conversion set for the old Tamiya kit.

Cheers

Al

Hi Andrew
The answer is yes, they did There is a photo in the old Vanguard 17 'The Stuart Light Tank Series' of two turretless M3A1s in NWE. As for interior details, going by the ones used by NZ, take the turret off, take out the ammo bins and there you have it. Radio mounted in the sponson, normally behind the driver and also fitted with a MG of some type.

cheers
David

Thanks all for the replies.

Al - thanks for the e-mail - useful pictures.

Alan - I have looked at the AA interior on their website. I have the Tamiya M3A1 version. I'm sure with some tweaking the AA kit would fit into the Tamiya kit. Might e-mail them.

David - I had read one source that mentioned M3A1 recce tanks in NWE but not seen any picures. Even pictures of turreted versions of the M3A1 appear to be rare. Your replay confirms what I had suspected. Will try to get hold of the book.

Thanks again.

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

Yip good idea to email Derek at AA he can clarify the fit.

Al

Just to be anal, the Tamiya kit is a mid/late production M3, not an M3A1 and, as such, would need some changes to become a proper M3A1, most of which have to do with removing rivets, rounding the rear overhang and adding Brit stowage boxes. Not too hard to do, but there are a bunch of little things needed to make the transition.

If you are going to remove the turret, then please open up the turret ring and replace the ring moulded to the top of the hull. It's miles too small (about 1/8 to 3/16" too small on diameter. and really affects the way the opening looks. As you will be adding the interior and scratchbuilding a bunch of other things, this isn't too hard to manage.

The tracks have to go, of course. The AFV Club tracks are great, but you have to modify the retrun roller mount post to permit the back track teeth to pass correctly. The cast differential cover is pretty bad and the Academy kit has a reasonable representation (the AFV Club part is better).

The interior from the Academy M3/M3A1 kit is a reasonable place to start although even that transmission isn't quite the right shape. Don't forget to fill in the places where the Tamiya suspension protrudes into the hull interior before adding the interior detail. In the past, because to the difficulty in getting all the motorisation crap out of the hull and leaving it in a good state, I've made a false floor & walls to the hull and then the gouges & protrusions don't have to be so carefully cleaned up. It makes adding details much easier to do it on flats outside the hull as opposed to doing it all inside that small space.

As for usage in NWE, well, yes, there weren't too many of them left by then. But there were a few. There is a famous series of photos of 5th Cdn Div passing through a Dutch town in March 1945. One tends to focus on the photo of the very rare Badger that is in the foreground, but in the background is a very over-stowed M3A1 Recce for an arty reg't. It has obviously been passed on down from unit to unit until it ended up with the Gunners. Certainly it isn't on their normal War Establishment. By 1944 & 45 any remaining M3A1s would be well and truely worn out and in use by second echelon formations or as hand-me-downs acquired over the years.

HTH

Paul

Paul

Many thanks for the information (and the correction...).

Plenty to think about, and lots of useful tips. Again good to know of further use in NWE.

Andrew