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Armor/AFV: Allied - WWII
Armor and ground forces of the Allied forces during World War II.
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question about U.S./Brit Shermans
chauvel
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Queensland, Australia
Joined: February 14, 2015
KitMaker: 155 posts
Armorama: 154 posts
Posted: Friday, August 07, 2015 - 06:36 AM UTC
Hi all

Fairly simple question...without resorting to online hunting, it is a little hard & a bit more expensive to track down DML's British Shermans in my LHS' than it is their U.S. kits. With this in mind, are there any glaring differences between a U.S. M4A2 & a Brit Sherman III (aside from the turret stowage box) that would make it unfeasible to grab U.S. M4 kits to convert to British tanks?

TIA
SgtRam
Staff MemberContributing Writer
AEROSCALE
#197
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: March 06, 2011
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Posted: Friday, August 07, 2015 - 07:01 AM UTC
Speaking from a modeling perspective, yet you could. There are some conversion kits out there, but mostly just for the stowage elements. Some, if not most were similar to the US Shermans. Now I will probably be corrected by some Sherman guy, but that is my point of view.

GeraldOwens
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Florida, United States
Joined: March 30, 2006
KitMaker: 3,736 posts
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Posted: Friday, August 07, 2015 - 08:30 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi all

Fairly simple question...without resorting to online hunting, it is a little hard & a bit more expensive to track down DML's British Shermans in my LHS' than it is their U.S. kits. With this in mind, are there any glaring differences between a U.S. M4A2 & a Brit Sherman III (aside from the turret stowage box) that would make it unfeasible to grab U.S. M4 kits to convert to British tanks?

TIA

The British installed their own AM radio sets and associated antennas, replacing the FM sets standard in US units. You'll need the British antenna bases, at least.
recceboy
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Alberta, Canada
Joined: July 20, 2006
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Posted: Friday, August 07, 2015 - 10:54 AM UTC
And depending on what time/unit check your reference material as some units only used certain types of shermans.

baldwin8
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Quebec, Canada
Joined: January 23, 2009
KitMaker: 89 posts
Armorama: 74 posts
Posted: Friday, August 07, 2015 - 04:14 PM UTC
This very well known link can help you find some of the differences between the two.

http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/index.html

ericadeane
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Michigan, United States
Joined: October 28, 2002
KitMaker: 4,021 posts
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Posted: Friday, August 07, 2015 - 04:55 PM UTC
Shaun: I don't know which US Shermans you have but know that the Commonwealth units typically had these:

M4
M4 105mm
M4 Composite
M4A1 75mm
M4A1 76mm
M4A2 75mm
M4A4

Other types were not used or extremely rare
Biggles2
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Quebec, Canada
Joined: January 01, 2004
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Posted: Friday, August 07, 2015 - 07:50 PM UTC
British had their own style fire extinguishers mounted externally either corner of the rear hull, just forward of the lift rings.
phantom_phanatic309
#372
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United Kingdom
Joined: March 10, 2010
KitMaker: 2,568 posts
Armorama: 423 posts
Posted: Friday, August 07, 2015 - 08:00 PM UTC
Careful which A2 you pick, the British Army didn't have any of the late versions with the one piece hull front and big drivers hatches. Those A2's are kitted by Italeri and Academy and are very cheap compared with Tasca or Dragon, but can only be built as USMC or Soviet vehicles.
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