Hi guys,

One I started about 2 years ago, which I think I can say is now done:

Vehicle represent an M4 Sherman Hybrid I from 144th Royal Armoured Corps, 33rd Armoured Division.











A coupel of possible crew:





Tank was based on the old DML IC Firefly hull with Tamiya leftover parts and DML indi tracks. Figures are the Ultracast ones.

Al

Hey Al,
Great job on your Sherman, looks nice and "scruffy" !
Are you going to do one with the high bustle turret and the loaders hatch ?
As to crew, I prefer the guy with the beret.
Never did like the looks of the AC helmet, it makes me think Tour de France !!
Anyway, more pics would be appreciated !!!
Cheers

jjumbo

Alan, i always like how you paint your afvs come out dull and well used, gives it the "look" to me. Your figure painting is as always, great.

Hi John,

Do you mean one like this a Mk II late??



Hi Calvin,

Many thanks I just realised I stll have a small tarp to add!!

Cheers guys.

Al

Hey Al,
Yeah, very similar to your Mk. II but with the large driver's/asst. driver's hatches, the high bustle turret with oval loader's hatch.
As I mentioned in my PM, I've read about Sherman Firefly Hybrids with the HB turret and oval loader's hatch.
Cheers

jjumbo

Hi John,

I shall have a look, a possible for the future, although I still have to build the Firefly Ic first.

Cheers

Al

[quote]Hey Al,
Yeah, very similar to your Mk. II but with the large driver's/asst. driver's hatches, the high bustle turret with oval loader's hatch.
As I mentioned in my PM, I've read about Sherman Firefly Hybrids with the HB turret and oval loader's hatch.
Cheers

See my response below - I was exhausted when i wrote this one and a clear head in the morning showed what a muddled response it was.
Al

Great work Al !

Those Ultracast fig's looks great as usual !

Looking forward to seeing more of your work in our Sherman Campaign

Cheers

Paul

Hi Paul,

Many thanks for the kind comments. The Ultracst figures are really good. I'm looking fiorward to the campaign, just getting in a bit of practice and finishing off a couple of builds that have been sitting around for a few years lol, lol.

Hi Al,

Just a question for clarification, are you saying that the turret on the Hybrid I should have cheek armour? I don't recall it being mentioned at the time of the build but I can add some if necessary. It did come up when I did the Mk II and I added it to that build:



Cheers guys.

Al

Hey Al B,
I mentioned in a PM to Alan L that Concord's "British Tanks of WWII (1) France & Belgium" has a picture on page 13 of a column of Sherman I's and II's being tested for waterproofing.
The 3rd vehicle is a Sherman I Hybrid with a 75mm, large driver's/asst. driver's hatches and an oval loader's hatch.
You can just make out the loader's head sticking out through the hatch.
The only things you can't tell is if it has a low or high bustle turret or the shell/pistol port.
Cheers.

jjumbo

Sorry Guys, I've just have a friend point out my muddled post which I can I can only put down to extreme fatigue and carelessness. I'll answer both yours and John's post in this whilst correcting my posts muddled text.

The Low Bustle turrets on Brit 75mm Hybrids would all have the cast reinforced cast cheek and the majority of photos with the exception of Johns one mentioned above are the mid production type with cast cheek and no pistol port.
Johns Photo is an interesting one and unfortunately we cant see enough detail to determine whether it is a high bustle or low bustle type but it definately has a loaders hatch.

The rare big hatch m4A1 75 is an interesting thing. Debate rages as to whether these were ever used as gun tanks and I have seen photos of at least two US ones that were as such (one in 44 and one in 45) and not defrocked DD. There are a lot of UK 8AB Large hatch DD M4A1 75s (defrocked) and quite few of these show up in photos (See IWM B8588 below).


This one is believed to be in Canadian Service during Operation Totalize and this photo has been used to claim that it is in fact a IIb which we all know never existed:

To this date I have never seen a Large Hatch 75 M4A1 in UK (or Commonwealth) service that wasn't a defrocked DD. Going by the Photo John mentions there are always exceptions but in the absense of photos I reserve judgement.

A search of Missing Lynx Allied Forum under the title large Hatch M4A1 75 should find all the previous threads that have covered this little documented variant and unearth the various photos.
Thanks Liefe for Pointing out my muddled post and even more muddled correction

Hi Al,

Thanks for the reply. It would apear then that I haev some work to do on the turret by adding some cheek armour and the same for the one below a Mk I as both have no pistol port.

First the fix on the stowage on the Hybrid:



Next progress on the Mk I, have added the stowage and cable.













Cheers

Al

Lots of interest here .

Right the Cheek Armour

Pic A slightly thicker



Pic B not so thick



Both



Which do you think is closer to the real thing?

Thanks

Al

Nice Stowage and I think the left top is closer as it blends to the curve but the bottom looks more correct on the right. I also believe either would look fine painted
Al

Hi Al,

Thanks for the feedback.

Al

What are the chances that any big hatch M4A1's delivered to British and Commonwealth forces were not converted to DD's?
Its quite possible that some might have been about but were VERY rare, hence a lack of photographs. Ludovic Fortins 'British Tanks in Normandy' staes quite rightly that Sherman V's (M4A4's) were the most common and therefore the most photographed. Only 942 M4A1's were delivered to Britain during the war, with just over 2000 M4's, 5000 M4A2's and nearly 7200 M4A4's. So little wonder no one has yet dug up a photo, if indeed they were used.

Hi Stephen,

Never say never with Shermans There are records showing 30 (I think) M4A3s Sherman Mk IVs being back loaded in Italy, unfortunately not arrtibuted to a specific unit.

How things stand at the moment: A bit more sanding to do:





Al

I think the Cheek needs a bit more smoothing and fairing in on the trailing edge. Looking good though
Cheers
Al

Shermans can be a bloody nightmare to research so I dont rule out the possibility. Its like Sherman 76's, the British Army apparently used them but I've yet to see one in a photo (if anyone can point me to one I'd be grateful). I think this ones a de-frocked DD looking at it a little more closely. It has the same rear idler wheel. If so its had almost all its DD equipment removed. Pity the cloud of dust is hiding the rear we might have been able to get a look at its rear to confirm.

I might have a go at doing one of these with the leftovers for my M32B3 kit bash. Thats of course assuming they didnt all have HVSS. Those plans might be scuppered if they did.

Pretty good models you got there.

There is no doubt that that is an ex DD, the rear idler is the giveaway. Here are a few photos of Brit M4A1 76's in Italy:
9 Hussars

2 RTR


Have a Look through Concord 7062 British Sherman Tanks

Cheers
Al

Nice one, cheers. Ive got an excuse to buy one.
I'll have a look around for that book too.

9 Hussars

Al
[/quote]

Just had a look on hannants website and Bison Decals do a sheet which has markings for this one!

Hi Stephen,

Have fun, always appreciate any Sherman input and discussion, but you've kinda highacked my thread which is not that helpful to me.

Enjoy your build.

Al

Sorry dude, I think I let myself get a little carried away there.
I'm enjoying your build though its good work and I've found both your models and the advice you guys have given me a big help.

Hi Guys,

About done, thanks for all the additonal help.

M4 Sherman Hybrid I







M4 Sherman Mk I







Al