hey everyone , i have a question,..... have you notice that most of the allied tanks buid in this hobby are set on the ETO and mostly this tanks have a lot of stowage but if you see tanks build that are set on th PTO have less amount of stowage........Why is that???
anyway im building an M4a3 that is going to be set on the PTO in the battle of okinawa .Does anyone have an idea for the stowage that the tank crew will use in the pacific ???

thanks and cheers

The nature of the fights and the opponents were very different.

In the European Theatre of Operations, allied tanks crews often fought for long periods of time across very long distances. As they traveled, they tended to accumulate/liberate all manner of stuff and take it with them. The opponent usually fought delaying actions--hit and run--and tried very hard to preserve men in the process. Tanks were regularly knocked out, yes, but crews often survived and their equipment was quickly recovered.

In the Pacific Theatre of Operations battles were often relatively short, punctuated events. For example, the battle for Tarawa lasted three days. Then it was off to prepare for the next mission on another island. Crews simply did not have time to accumulate as much stuff. The battles often took place in less built up terrain so there were not as many civilian items to liberate. The enemy placed very little value on the lives of individual soldiers, regularly launching massed infantry attacks and fighting to the last man. Anything on the outside of the tank could very well end up in the hands of the enemy and used against the crew. Further, tanks often had to hose one another off, making the outside of the tank a very bad place to store valuable possessions. Allied tank stowage in the Pacific did evolve over time, but mostly to increase the defenses of the tank. This probably reached a pinnacle on Iwo Jima with the 4th and 5th Marine Tank Battalions. Based on reading and pictures, defensive and stowage arrangements were usually decided at the battalion or company level before each mission. After a mission, equipment was recycled and prepared for the next.

For Okinawa, the US committed 8 Army and 2 Marine tank battalions plus 2 independent Marine tank companies totaling over 800 tanks. The stowage varied widely by unit and tank. Further, the battle was long enough that stowage and defensive measures evolved during the fight. Even some of the Army tanks received extensive defensive upgrades like wood planking, concrete, and track link armor.

The Hard Corps Models website has some pictures of tanks used on Okinawa in the reference section.

Tank Battles of the Pacific War by Zaloga has a section dedicated to Okinawa.

Good luck with your project!

-Doug

I have seen stowage from Saipan, Peleliu, and lots from the Philippine campaign. Gear carried is what the crew would need. Lots of water cans, some ration boxes, extra ammo and later on tarps and other gear. Not as much as the ETO but depending on the campaign still quite a bit.

...Like a Type 94 Tankette ?


Frenchy

Here's one from Biak. M4A1 with a few cartons on the rear.


One from Leyte island. Another M4A1.


This one is hard to see. Jerry cans on the rear shelf, spare wheel and jerry can on the rear deck.


Okinawa. This is an M4 or M4 composite with sandbags piled on the rear deck.


M4 105mm w/HVSS, stowage covered with a tarp. Rear deck corner has a rolled up tarp.


M4 composite, Okinawa.


M10 in New Guinea with assorted stowage on sides and turret.


M4A2 from Tarawa, with jerry cans on rear.


M4 composites on Anguar.


I hope this helps.

Just a few more Okinawa USMC Shermans :






HTH
Frenchy

I hope that Sherman being pulled from the river wasn't the same as the one just below. That would be a bad end to a fast ride.

You can scratch the tarps, buy jerry cans and resin stowage sets, even get the tankette, but there are no plastic tank crews from the PTO, and no Marine tank riders anywhere. Tired soldiers were the most common stowage on any vehicle. And one of those guys is even pointing, which should make him a perfect candidate for plastic immortality. Sorry. Rant over. You can have the thread back now.

hi russ, i think it is, the sherman has the same type of tracks festooned on its turret and it has a white star sprayed over its loader's hatch. kinda ironic isnt it.

Check the rear of the turret, Clover and Square, I beleive the clover is HQ, Square is B Company but not sure.
Bob