I want to add a fascine to my MK IV, but I can't find a good reference for how it's attached to the tank. I have the Osprey book, with a cutaway showing the releasing lever, and I've found a few grainy pictures, but nothing definitive.

Anyone have or know where to find a diagram (or clear picture) of this setup?

Thanks!
Chris

Hi!
Hope that helps:

http://lzdream.net/terre/tanks/uk/mk1/mk4fascine.jpg
http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2011/04/gap-crossing-with-sticks/

Ich you google "mkIV fascine" you will find a lot of pictures how other modellers solved the problem...

Greetings
Andreas

Thanks, Andreas. I too found that picture you attached, and I would love to duplicate that chain/cable arrangement on the front.

Chris

Chris,
The Haynes book on the Mark IV has some fair shots of photos of the fascine. As stated in a previous post, you can also find some great photos on line. I wish I could post photos on the site, I'd show you how I did it. Basically, the fascines were cut in France from saplings, there was a wooden beam placed against the bottom of the fascine, and two chains went completely around the bundle to keep it together, the wooden beam then laid across the ditching rails. The chains around the fascine were placed at the 1/3 points of the bundle. Two more chains came from the front mid point of the bundle to wire hooks which attached to inverted "J" shaped hangers mounted at the junction of front hull plates. At the back of the fascine, two chains came off the mid point of the bundle, down into a "V" shape, to an iron bar fulcrum latch protruding up through the hull at the rear of the drivers copula. When the commander pushed the bar to the rear, tension was released on the rear "V" shaped chain, and the fascine rolled forward off the tank and (hopefully) into the trench. the open "J" shaped inverted hangers allowed the chain to drop free of the tank. If you want to build a fascine, I recommend using broom straws from a natural straw broom (redundant, I know). they give the most realistic appearance. VR, Russ

Russ, THANK YOU! That was the BEST description of the fascine gear I've read...definitely enough for me to figure something out.

This idea started with a great fascine how-to article by Andy Cooper in a recent issue of FSM. He made his with the same method you recommended. It seems pretty straight forward, but the setup for the front was where I was stuck. I knew the rear came together at the back of the driver's cab, and the lever inside served to keep tension on the fascine until it was ready to be released. I just couldn't figure out how it was secured to the front, yet still be able to roll off the tank freely. In the pictures of the tanks on railcars before Cambrai, you can see two lines leading down from the fascine to the front of the tank as you described, but the pictures aren't clear enough to see what they're connected to. The picture Andreas linked to in his post shows a much more elaborate set-up. I'd love to do that rig...but I don't have enough info to issue a Creative License.

Let me know if you want some help posting pictures to the site.

Chris