Hi everyone,

I recently purchased DML's M4 DV hoping to model a British Sherman I DV in Italy or NWE with the early 3 piece transmission cover, rather than those shown in various books belonging to 33AB which have the one piece later transmission cover. So far in my research I have come up with absolutely zilch.

However, on looking at page 16 of Concord Publications British Armor in Sicily and Italy (Dennis Oliver)there is a DV Sherman at the head of a column at Cava near Salerno on 16 September 1943 which looks as if it could be an M4 DV. I say this because of the shape of the radio antenna pot on the glacis which is identical to that in the DML kit.

Unfortunately the angle of the photo(IWM NA7158)does not give a good view of the rear deck which is hidden by stowage anyway, so it is impossible to say whether it is an M4 or an M4A2. Perhaps the weld beads on the glacis could give the game away but as I am unfamiliar with Sherman glacis weld bead patterns I could not say for certain.

Even more intriguing is that the caption states that the camouflage scheme is light mud over US Army Olive Drab, which suggests that this may have once been an American M4 in use in North Africa - or were M4A2s delivered to the British in US Army OD?

Looking at the tank immediately behind I notice that the radio pot is typical of an M4A2 (Sherman III)or a Baldwin hull M4.

So is the tank in question an M4 DV or an M4A2 DV? I realise that M4A2 (Sherman IIIs)were very much the standard mark of Sherman 75mm gun tank used by the British in the Italian campaign but could there have been M4 DVs in Britsh service and if so which units would have been equipped with them?

Would like to know what you all think.

I can't comment on which type of M4 in your picture, but all M4's were painted US OD in the US. When they arrived at their destination they were then overpainted according to the local patterns, ie; British Shermans in North Africa often retained original US OD on the lower hull and suspension units, while the upper hulls and turrets were painted in the local British colors and patterns. A bit but I would assume British (and Commonwealth) M4's in North West Europe were also left in US OD except for Fireflies, Achilles, and any specialized versions reworked in Britain, which would have the new, or changed, parts painted in British green.

Thanks for your welcome info. Could be an exercise in painting different shades of khaki and green for any future NWE Sherman I tackle.