I'll be build Italeri's M32 Sherman for the Allied Armor Campaign and have a few questions.
1: what suspension did the M32s have?
2: what tracks did the M32s have?
3: did the M32 use chains or cords with its crane?
4: how accurrate is the Italeri kit?
Good one for all you Sherman buffs out there. TIA.

Hi
1. The M32 used VVSS suspension units.
2. I assume they used any track types used by other Shermans
http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/tracks/vvss_tracks.html
3. From the photos I have seen it look like they used cable.
4. According to the link below, the upper hull is not that accrute.
http://www.usarmymodels.com/AFV%20PHOTOS/M32%20TRV/M32%20TRV.html
Mick

Hi Matt,

OK, this sounds like a major project!

I would recommend to stick with a photography!

The M32 was build on the M4 chassis!
The correct nomenclature for the ITALERI kit is M32B1.
BUT not so long ago, it was heavily disputed, if M32 were produced with the 47% glacis and the large driver and assistant driver's hatches!

1. To my knowlwedge M32 ARVs, that were used during WW II, were build on hulls with the 57 % glacis and the small driver's and assistant driver's hatches.
This in consequence require to use an other hull. The TAMIYA M4 is not a perfect choice, as it's missing the sponson floors and the weld seams are "depressions" rather then the contrary! I would recommend a DRAGON Normandy M4 for an M32 or a TASCA M4A1 for an M32B1.

2. The ITALERI bogies are scrap,- terrible detail and replicate the D47527 Late production bogies with bracket C100823 inclined return roller bracket.
According to the books and pictures that I have access too, these bogies, that were used with M32 ARV as an excemption to the rule during WW II only.
For WW II the D42527 Early and intermediate production till FEB/MAR 1944 bogies with "horizontal return roller bracket with spacer" C100334 are more feasable. I recommend to use the TASCA bogey set, 35-007.

http://www.tasca-modellismo.com/english/item.html

3. The .50 cal M2 HB is a piece of s..........! Use the TASCA one!

I hope I haven't forgotten to mention any other part that should be corrected.

Best regards

Hauke Krapf

I think I will kitbash the M32 with Dragon's M4 Normandy. This should compensate for most of the accurracy problems. I have a few spare 50cal guns to use. I'll be ordering AFV Club's HVSS suspension and probably there indi links.

Why?

Hauke was suggesting to use the VVSS suspension with the horizontal return roller bracket, not the HVSS suspension.

Paul

A point of confusion. I'll be getting the am HVSS suspension.

I haven't seen a WW2 M32 using the HVSS "Easy 8" suspension.

The Italeri kit in terms of it's upper hull can be built out of the box- there were some photos published on Missing lynx a couple of years ago showing the kit configuration in use in Germany in 1945.

Sorry. I meant the VVSS. First cup of coffee mistake early morning mistake.

@Pat: are you sure that the Italeri kit supplied upper hull is correct? I've built
this model a couple of years back and it doesn't have the cast texture.
Of course, I could use Mr. Surfacer and achieve that effect.

The 20th Armorded Div had the M32 as in the Italeri kit in Germany at the end of the war.
Otherwise you should follow the replies already posted.

Thanks for all the replies, so far. I'm still trying to sort it out in my head No matter how I go about it, I'm going to replace the suspension and the tracks. The ones included in the kit are poor quality.

Hi Matt,

Just to clarify what's been said, the M32 TRV was built on most of the major Sherman hulls, but the ones seen most in WWII were on the M4 and "early" M4A1 hulls. (There was a post here a while back that gave production numbers, and clarified which was which of the variants like M32B1, etc...) The Italeri kit is based on their "late" M4A1 "big hatch" hull, and until recently it was received wisdom that none saw service until after the war. Somebody did dredge up pics of one in Germany recently, so they were used despite what the pundits said, but the scarcity of photos shows that they were a definite minority.

So, for a WWII TRV you can build it straight from the box (with a bit of TLC to upgrade some of the 30-year old details) or you can cross-kit it with another Sherman kit to get the welded-hull M4 or early small-hatch M4A1 hull. If you use the kit hull you can use the late upswept bogies (with replacement tracks because the kit ones are too tight), but for the others you need new bogies with horizontal roller arms. (One interesting possibility would be to use the excellent Tasca M4A1 as a base...)

The Italeri interior is very over-simplified. Somebody over on Track Link did a great super-detail job, but unless you really want to invest a year you might want to limit the view inside with closed hatches, crew etc. The Driver's compartment uses most of the standard Sherman stuff, so a good starting point in plastic would be an Academy M36 interior. The turret area however will require scratch-building.

Good luck!

Tom

The point that Pat was trying to make was to counter earlier posts that said the big hatch M4A1 hull was inaccurate to use in a M32B1 combination. That was taken as gospel (most M32B1s had the earlier small hatch M4A1 hulls) until a single photograph surfaces which showed an M32B1, clearly with the big hatch hull. But given the many photos of M32s, this one certainly is an anomaly.

For a fantastic build log of the M32, go here:
http://www.track-link.net/blogs/108

BTW: the correct nomenclature is the M32 Tracked Recovery Vehicle, not M32 Sherman. Hope this helps.

I used a DML M4A1 early hull. Worked for me.
How detailed inside are you going to make it? If you detail a bit, make sure to add a small flap hatch, at the lower back fo the turret, to allow th cable to be fed rearward, when the M32 was used as a tow truck. There are great walk around images at Prime Portal I believe.Attention Chris Toadman?

I don't intend to do any interior details. I may have it lifting a engine from another Allied vehicle.

Allright. I've decided to take this a step further and go with a mine roller from Brach. Decided to make this kit a labor of love. I'm sitting near $150 total for this kit.

I believe an M32 based on an M4A1E8 would be unusual, although I remember something Israeli???. The M4A3E8 was much more common, although M4A2E8s would also serve. Post WWII. M4A4E8 also around, but used by other countries (France and Israel).

I love that old kit.

I'm keeping it oob except for the suspension, tracks, and mine roller. I'm certainly not doing a kitbash if I can avoid it.

What Brach minerollers are you referring to? Kit BM043? If so, that's not the T1E1 made for the M32. AFAIK, not T1E1 (besides the ancient pile of turd I-Corps version) exists.

The Brach Models Kit is based on the T1E1 adapted by the French post or late war for their Char B1s. It will take some work to get it to fit a M32 but will be easier than scratch building one.

That is the road that I have started

I intend to invest the time into making it work. And don't talk down to me. It's rude.

? HUH!?

Nevermind

Matt: Plz don't read my reply as anything other than my trying to be helpful. That's the intent of how it was written -- as I think you'll find the other two posts I made to your inquiry.

No, your reply let me know that I have a good bit of scratch building to do to get the mine roller to fit and look correct.