That's great info. I think I will commit to Casino as my tank of choice. I have ordered my tracks and a few extra things from the Barrel store, so I guess I might as well dig into the kit.
Thanks for all your help.
Brad
Quoted Text
By George.......I think you guys have finally gotten it......haha.
Brad,
In regards to your question about C Sqn, LdSH(RC) and Operation Minden....the tanks were not very weathered by September 1951....they had not seen very much action on the limited fighting patrols they supported during the summer months.
OP Minden was an offensive mission so the tanks were not carrying large amounts of ammo boxes or ammunition tubes that could be seen later with other Squadrons when the tanks were dug in on hill tops. I would make an educated statement in saying that all the ammunition was stowed inside the tank....maybe a spare box of .50 Cal would have been carried on the turret.
Most of the kit and crew gear was secured to the back deck sometimes under a large bivi tarp. Kit like oil containers, rations, and water would have been the priority items to be carried on the back deck. Webbing was hung on the turret rear for easy access for the turret crew if they had to dismount....this was likely limited to the loader's and commander's webbing as the other crew members would have stowed it in the tank.
As seen in the image of "Casino".....the spare tracks sections could be mounted or not mounted and ranged from 5 to 8 track links in length. The ammunition container on the front of "Casino" is not carrying ammo.....it was probably added to give some extra stowage for tools or even tinned rations.
If you want the names of the C Sqn tanks just let me know if you are looking for options when finishing.