The last of the new stories from Blackdog for this month looks at what they are best known for a stowage set for the M3 Stuart Honey.

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Well, it's really not a terribly good set for a Brit Honey.

The parts look well sculpted, but they do not fit in with the normal Desert Honey stowage boxes (which are not included). Desert Honey's had a long box across the rear of the engine deck with a POL rack in place of the right grouser box which was then usually moved to the right front fender. There are variations on this theme, but pretty much all the photos I've seen of Desert Stuarts show several stowage boxes and ver few externnally stowed bags & tarps.

There are also no footman's loops on the turret so there's nothing to hang all those bags off on the turret. The hung bags also interfere with the operation of the view ports on the turret.

Similarly, I'm fairly sure there's nothing on the side skirts to support the bags & tarps shown there.

This configuration may have existed, but it certainly is rare enough to border on the unique. Not terribly well researched, it appears.

Paul

I agree, the aft bulk don't fit, also the tarp in the left, over the tools there. The side tarps, maybe if you add the "wires between the vertical supports. The turret ones floats. Maybe can be used with another M3 series, or you must to sculpt the proper fit.

IE, just like every other BlackDog resin stowage kit.

I have to agree on this. From what I've seen it's quantity over authenticity is their method of selling. Pile it up and make it look like you are getting a lot for your money when in fact it bears little to what could actually be achieved in reality when you look into it.

Basically. It certainly looks 'cool', and the casting is pretty good. I used bits and pieces from their M3 Grant set on my build, but some of the stuff was just odd/didn't make sense.

Well, they're not going to fit an M3A3 or an M5/M5A1, to be sure.

Now, having said all of the above, some very early Stuarts survived into NW Europe and, without turrets, were used as battery commder's vehicles or FOO vehicles and these are absolutely stacked high with stowage on the engine deck. So part of this set "could" be used for such a vehicle. But not the turret or sand skirt parts.

There is a famous photo of a Ram Badger going through Putten (The Netherlands) on 18 Apr 45. In the background there is the rear end of a tracked vehicle stacked high with stowage. On the surface it appears to be an M5A1 without a turret, but close examination reveals the telltale grouser box on the right rear fender. Whether it is an M3A1 or an M3 is impossible to tell from the photo. That such an old vehicle survived at all in an arty reg't shows that the normal War Establishments can be used as a guide, but do not exclude individual units from "finding" and keeping useful vehicles wherever they can.

Paul