Hi Matt,

I can't recall seeing any on the DV hull, but who knows? The cast-hull ones I've seen as most common are on the later hull with periscopes as found in Tasca kits 35010 & 35012. Of course the M32 was I believe built on re-conditioned tanks released from training units in the US rather than being purpose-built from scratch, so there could be DV hulls in the mix...

Tom

Here's my shopping list:
Italeri M32TRV/ARV = $29.85
Dragon U.S. M4A1 DV kti no. 6404 = $32.44
AFV Club M4 VVSS T-48 Track kit no. AF35038 = $8.97
Eduard US Headlight Guards (Sherman) kit no. TP028 = $4.49
Brach Models kit no. BM 043 = $86.86
TaNK Browning M2 50 cal, tank, early version = $6.97
Styrene, paint&pigments I'll be using from my supply = $0.00
Total = $169.58

Hey Tom,

I’ll have to locate some pictures, (on my hard drive). But I have some pictures I took of an M32 in Ogdon Utah that was built on an M4 DV hull IIRC.

Matt .. I've been doing some hunting of pics thru my books and i've found a couple of pics which will help ,but since i cant find them on the net i'll do my best to describe them to you ... now the M32 with the HVSS suspension was a mod done in Israeli to prolong the life of the M32 ..so you could build that version and it does look pretty cool .. the later version with the HVSS which was a US made production machine was called the M 32A1B1 ,, and i've found pics of that and another M32 from Israeli ,,so that will help ya out i hope .
Heres a link to a walk around of a M32A1B1

http://svsm.org/gallery/m32a1b1

Thats got heaps of great pics for ya mate







There ya go buddy ..hope this lot helps ya out

Phill

Hi John! I'd love to see 'em. Any chance of posting them on the web?

(That's why I packed my statement with weasle-words like "I can't recall..." - I just knew somebody would turn up evidence to the contrary! If there's one hard and fast rule with Shermans, it's that there are no hard and fast rules... )

Tom

There are some detail pics of the mine roller fitted to the B1 Bis tank (as replicated by Brach Models) here :
http://www.maquetland.com/v2/index.php?page=photos&c=char
Just click on "telecharger' below the "B1 Bis démineur" thumbnail to download the pics. This roller markedly differs from the T1E1 in many details...

Frenchy

Thanks Frency. But, I can't seem to find any photos. Just an article on the Bis with one photo of the attachment points. Good to see that we remember I am doing a version with the T1E1 mine roller.
I'm purchasing Dragon's kit cause it will save me about $30 buying all the am parts to make it viable.

[quote]


If you click on "télécharger", you will download a file in Zip format called "b1bisdemineur.zip" that includes 64 pics.

I've just made a screen capture of Maquetland.com page to make things clearer



HTH

Frenchy

Got em. Thanks Frenchy.

Brazilian M32:









Regards!!

Tom,

I found the pictures of the M32 Recovery Vehicle. (it only took an hour).

My Mistake, its not an M4 DV, but rather an early M4A3 with three piece trans housing.

Here's a few pictures of it.

Muddy water time. Found these online a while back proof of the italeri boxing being in existence:

@Big John thanks, I'll be adding that armor plate around the machine gun.
I'm also considering adding armor plates to the transmission housing and the driver's side hull. I think it feasable that this would be a field modification to a mine clearing vehicle.

Carl thats an awesome find! Thats all the excuse I need to build mine straight from the box. Its been sat on a shelf for a few years waiting for me to justify to my bank account and girlfriend that I really do need to buy an expensive Dragon Sherman. Those pictures have saved me around £50! Cheers

Matt this sounds like a brilliant build and I'm looking forward to seeing it.
On another note, and Matt I hope you don't feel I'm hijacking your thread, but I'd like a bit of clarification on Hauke's points about the Italeri suspension being the late version. I've looked at the early and late VVSS on Tasca's website, but I'll be buggered if I can spot ANY difference between them besides the wheels. What am I missing?
Can someone please explain this?

Stephen,

The difference is in the return-roller bracket at the top. The earlier ones have a horizontal top to them, and a small spacer block under the axle to raise the roller up to the right height. Late-style ones used a bracket that angles upwards slightly so the spacer block is not needed. If you have an Academy or Dragon bogie to look at you'll see the difference compared to the Italeri kit.

The Tasca sets I believe both use the "early" style bracket, but offer other subtle differences.

By the way, if you really do want the early cast hull for conversion, you could order the hull and hatch sprues from Tasca. Their website has a "parts" page, and the prices are very reasonable.

Tom

Thanks. I think I see what you mean. I'll have another closer look at the parts on Tasca's site. The only Dragon Sherman I've got is the Cyber-hobby boxing of the old Hybrid Firefly but I will have a look at the suspension in that against those in the Italeri M32. I always assumed that when people talked about early VVSS they meant the type seen on M3 Lee/Grants and some early M4's.
I'll keep in mind Tasca's spares service I can see that being very useful.

I'm going with an M4 early hull by Tankworkshop and AFV's complete HVSS suspension and track set. I'll keep the lower hull, transmission housing, turret, and rear hull from Italeri. I think the most fun will be reversing the boom, so that it supports the mine roller. Thank all of you for the wealth of photos and knowledge. I can't wait to get started on this build.

Matt.
The boom pivots when assembled, you will be able to position it as you please. Remeber to feed the hoisting cable from the hatch inside the turret floor, and through the angled scupper on the front of the turret.You will also have to make th opening in the hull for the cable to go on and upward.
Do not forget the stay cables for the boom, attached to the rear of the hull, on the lifting loops near the back