This Italeri Sherman has been languishing 95% finished on my bench for a long time. In that time various bits and pieces came loose or broke off.

So I decided to strip the paint and resurrect it. After paint stripping it looked a bit burnt out so I decided to go that way with it. I based it in part on this photo which shows a 3rd Armored Division combat casualty near Bergerhausen, Germany, ca. March 1, 1945. It is unusual in that it has horizontal return rollers and no vent on the turret making it a very early M4A1/76.



I made burnt out wheels by gluing two DML sheman wheel backs together wrapping a piece of thin sheet around them and adding a rim from thin stretched sprue-





I added burnt out tracks on one side using panda links and DML regular and extended end connectors -I mixed them because I only had enough for one side. (This was done in real life because of a shortage of extended end connectors) I swith the commanders and loaders hatch because this was common practice in the 3rd Arm'd div and I removed the turret vent and lowered the barrel stowage clamps on the rear of the turret also.
I replaced the barrel with a metal one from RB models.

I scratchbuilt all the tool clamps from scrap pe apart from the crow bar and the wrench.











I used the hairspray technique combined with the salt technique, mig rust pigment and AK washes, still lots to do I know

Amazing. Glad to see the kit will actually get finished and it'll look far more interesting than just a Sherman! Can't wait to see the finished wreck!

Thanks Christopher- still have a few AK products I want to try on it

Outstanding work so far.
I want to see this one finished.

Tony

There's some fantastic tones on that machine Pat, nice work mate.

Hi Pat,

Excellent progress, you'll need a shell hit somewhere or a reason for the fire. Nice work.

Cheers

Al

@ Tony and Karl: Cheers and thanks




Thanks Al about the hit- Yes I had almost forgotten that I plan on putting it somewhere on the glacis probably here

Might we see some spring sag on the left side after a fire like that?










~ Jeff

Good thought Jeff and something that didn't occur to me. Might be too late to tackle it now

Hi Pat, nice work. I'll be watching this one!

That is very convincing work. You did a wonderful job replicating a burned metal subject and that is a difficult subject for sure.
Shame you couldn't use those fantastic figs though,maybe use them in front of a burned out German tank?
J

wow, excellent job!

It looks very well done -- I love the track with all the rubber pads burned out -- but the driver's hatch feels out of place; that entire side of the tank is burned and rusting, but the open driver's hatch just above it looks as if it still has all its paint. Wouldn't it have gotten as badly burned as the side of the tank?

Now, it may be just an artifact of the lighting and photography angles, but the top of the driver's hatch in the two photos that show it looks like a dark OD green, although it's possible that it's a sooty black. Or it could be part of the other plans you have for finishing it, and you haven't gotten to it yet.

@ Big John: Thanks

@ Jerry: thanks and good idea about the figs I do have an old Pzr IV I plan on wrecking

@ Mauro: Thanks

@ Sean: Thanks, about the drivers hatch it was a late addition and wasn't fully painted it looks better now

Okay more paint and pigment and ground work. I sank the tank into the groundwork a little to show it had been sitting there a while. I couldn't address the spring sag as I had used a DML suspension and not a tasca one as I had thought














I think that's it for the moment. I have added another layer of AK filters in places since I took these photos. I'm missing a few things like the barrel stowage locking clamp from the turret rear and the aerial but I will add them at some stage when I find them on my work bench



No I'm not proud of it

Hi Pat,

Good progress. Your work bench is just slightly worse than mine

Cheers

Al

Nice build, Pat. I like the burnt out side of the tank.

That workbench is another story! There could be some great kits lurking in there that you have forgot about - maybe a 1/16 king tiger

I see a method to this maddness everything has a place and a place for everything.

But, the color of that wall... I couldn't get ANY work done as my walls stayed white, so I can repair them from all the stuff I put up and take down.

Oh, and the tank looks great! I never would have thought to do one burnt out but have thought of one half-submerged!








~ Jeff

A interesting and unusual build to say the least. So far it looks very convincing as a burnt out tank.

Your workbench looks like my son's room. We really try never to in there, for fear we'd never find out way out.

Thanks Guys I picked up a Gold Medal in the Armour section in the Irish IPMS Nationals for this this weekend plus ................. Best in Show




This is true Jesper I was looking for something in that pile on the bench and found a Tamiya Wespe still in the wrapping from HobbyEasy that I don't even remember ordering

Are you under the derby?



Congratulations on the award!

G

Ola Pat

Don't know how I missed this topic. Awesome work and a great turnaround for an old vehicle. Great burn effect and nice rusting. And congrats on the awards. Well deserved in my opinion.

Nice work Pat. Congrats on the award!

Very nice, love the fire effects. Is there any reason why the right track is reversed?

Yes there is- it's because.............. no I can't think of one- it's because I got it wrong - well there's an awkward job ahead of me